The Cheese Weasels Do Big Bend, Texas

[Stichill]

It was so hard to leave the cool waters of the Rio Grande, but the sun was getting lower in the sky. It was about 5:30pm and and we had to go more than 80 miles to reach our lodgings for the night near Study Butte-Terlingua. More than two hours by GPS (the park speed limit is 45 mph and doing much over 50 mph is likely going to nab you a speeding ticket). And, we needed a fuel / water / caffeine stop and we also wanted to swing by the Santa Elena Canyon Overlook at the southwest end of the park. With sunset coming on by 8:15 pm or so - and anecdotes of donkeys, javelinas, jackrabbits, antelope, and deer roaming the roads after dark - it was time to ride.

Coming up out of the river valley, the temperature climbed to 98 °F / 37 °C. We swung into the park gas station / convenience store at Panther Junction and filled our tanks, hit the head, and slaked our thirst. The temperatures moderated somewhat at the higher elevation, falling to about 85 °F / 29 °C. As we rolled out and turned the bikes west, the sun partly slipped behind a thin layer of clouds, initiating the evening enchantment of the Golden Hour.



So began one of the most serene and pleasant rides of my lifetime. It was a moment when all was simply right with the world: a lovely evening, an open road, a beguiling landscape, a motorcycle, and the time to soak it all in. I decided not to stop for pictures, preferring instead to just live in the moment and enjoy. One of my companions kept a point-and-shoot on a lanyard, so credit him for capturing these scenes.






Dabs of sunlight playing on the jagged slopes...







As we approached Santa Elena Canyon, we could see the gigantic upthrust of the Sierra de Santa Elena, formed at a fault where the layers of rock split and the southern section pushed up over the northern side. I finally pulled over to grab a shot.



I looked back and saw this stately butte that we had just ridden past.



We pulled into the first Santa Elena Canyon Overlook and were stunned at the size of the Sierra de Santa Elena upthrust. It's hard to describe the sheer immensity of the formation. Looking up at it, your eye lingers over the innumerable crags and crevices on its northern face.








Santa Elena Canyon of the Rio Grande. Mexico on the left, U.S. on the right.

Spectacular scenery. Never seen anything like that in Texas. Where's all the cactus? lol

The short answer is ... everywhere. The prickly pear cactus is the state plant and Texas has more species of cacti than any other state. The most variety (around 100 species) is in the Big Bend area. The statuesque and often photographed Saguaro cactus, however, is native to Arizona.

Route from Rio Grande Village to Santa Elena Canyon.