U.S. BORDER PATROL

There has always been a Border Patrol presence very visible along the U.S.- Mexico desert border from California to Texas. We’ve had drug sniffing dogs pee on our tires more than once over the years. It’s a great way to see your tax dollars in action. We have been traveling along the border on this trip for over a thousand miles and hardly ever lose sight of some border protection activity. Camo covered cameras on boom trucks, Cobra helicopters, a bazillion white trucks with a big green stripe, ORV’s, blimps, and yes even heavily armed foot soldiers along some of the trails we have hiked.
We stopped in El Paso at the Border Patrol Museum. It gives you an appreciation of how dangerous the work is. There you find a whole memorial wall dedicated to Border Patrol personnel who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The Border Patrol’s annual budget has been doubled in recent years which explains the increase in presence we see and high tech equipment they seem to be hauling.
Every time we are stopped at a check point the sniffer dogs go crazy. No, we aren’t drug mules hauling Columbian Cocaine. We have canine friendly cats who like to sit in the motor home picture window and wave at the duty dog of the day.
The museum theme was a historical look at the Border Patrol. It made me feel old. I have owned or used much of the equipment in the museum. There was a 1948 Johnson 3-horse outboard. I used to have one of those. A snowmobile (yes, we do have a northern border too!) that was manufactured just after Sergeant Prestons dogs died. A ring that was also a pistol. No, I never had one of those but I think I saw it in an old 007 movie.
When we pull up to a checkpoint there are several odd looking devices at the entrance. We haven’t quite figured out what each individual piece of equipment does, but we are guessing all the time. We think one is a sniffer. It must really get a kick out of our rig passing by. We have been eating so much Mexican food for the last month I don’t even leave the hot water heater pilot light on. Another piece looks like a listening device. We are not sure. To test our theory, the next time we pass by it I’m going to have Gaila say, “I put the two kilo in the septic holding tank.” We can kill two birds with one stone. We will know if the equipment is a listening device, and I will get my septic tank emptied for free.
It seems like a one way turnstile. We spent a week at Pancho Villa State Park in New Mexico, just three miles north of a border crossing station. A steel wall ran the length of the border to the outskirts of Palomas, Mexico. Every time we went into Mexico no one ever challenged us, questioned us, or even looked twice at us. But coming out at the U.S. side we needed passports, answered questions and watched intensive vehicle inspections. I’m thinking some real money could be made if we manufactured drugs in the U.S. and smuggled them into Mexico. We brought a two pound bag of fresh ground coffee back one day. When I was going through U.S. customs I started thinking, “I hope that was coffee the woman ground into this bag.” I didn’t want to do hard time for a little caffein fix. I don’t mean to make light of the border problems but it does seem a bit surreal. I think if the U.S. would have kept it’s nose out of Mexico’s politics in 1916, Pancho Villa would have straightened the whole country out and we could be saving 2.4 billion dollars a year on surveillance. Some things never change. --Keep Smilin’, Dick E. Bird

WASHINGTON STATE SCENIC HWY. 20

Many people traveling west across the state of Washington stay on Hwy. 2. Running parallel just 50 miles to the North is a much more scenic route with very little commercial traffic. Highway 20 goes through many unique, small, tourist type towns, the North Cascades and drops into the San Juan Islands through a labyrinth of vineyards, orchards and cornfields. You don’t have to worry all day about holding up traffic while you gawk and there are many opportunities to camp, fish, hike and shop. The road is in great shape with ample wide spots to pull over and let traffic by on steep climbs and downgrades. This has to be one of the most scenic blue highways in Washington State.

Desert Travel

Big Bend is one of the largest and least visited of America's national parks. Over 801,000 acres await your exploration and enjoyment. From an elevation of less than 2,000 feet along the Rio Grande to nearly 8,000 feet in the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend includes massive canyons, vast desert expanses, and the entire Chisos Mountain range. Here, you can explore one of the last remaining wild corners of the United States, and experience unmatched sights, sounds, and solitude.

In Big Bend National Park all roads end at the Rio Grande, the boundary between the United States and Mexico. But far more than two nations meets here. Three states come together at Big Bend: Texas in the United States and Coahuila and Chihuahua in Mexico. Many of the park's famous, expansive vistas mix scenes belonging to both nations.



Big Bend National Park also marks the northernmost range of many plants and animals, such as the Mexican long-nosed bat. Ranges of typically eastern and typically western species of plants and animals come together or overlap here. Many species are at the extreme limits of their ranges. Latin American species, many from the tropics, range this far north, while northern-nesting species often travel this far south in winter. Contrasting elevations create additional, varied micro-climates that further enhance the diversity of plant and animal life and the park's wealth of natural boundaries.

Big Bend is famous for its natural resources and spectacular geology. The park is home to more than 1200 species of plants (including approximately 60 cacti species), 11 species of amphibians, 56 species of reptiles, 40 species of fish, 75 species of mammals, 450 species of birds, and about 3600 species of insects. The park boasts more types of birds, bats, and cacti than any other national park in the United States.

The park is very large and remote. Remember that you will be at least 100 miles from a bank, hospital, pharmacy, or supermarket.

A minimum of two days is needed to see most of the park from the main roads. For hikers and explorers, allow a week to see the park. A high clearance or 4x4 vehicle will allow you to see even more of the park via the 150 miles of unimproved dirt roads.

Camping, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, and float trips are popular park activities. Commercial float trips on the Rio Grande are available through outfitters just outside the park.

Hiking is the best way to experience, enjoy, and appreciate Big Bend National Park. A permit is required for all overnight trips, and can be obtained up to 24 hours in advance of the trip in person only. It is advisable to plan an extended backpacking trip upon arrival in the park with a park ranger's assistance. Bear in mind how much distance you want to cover and how much time you have. Based on that information and current conditions, personnel at park visitor centers can assist you with trip planning.

Chihuahuan Desert
North America has four warm deserts: Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan. The Chihuahuan extends deep into Mexico. Big Bend National Park lies in the northern third of the Chihuahuan Desert. This desert is bordered on three sides by mountains that block the rains. The fourth side abuts vast semiarid plains. The Chihuahuan Desert is a green and somewhat lush desert that receives most of its rainfall during the summer months when it is needed most. The chief indicator plant of the Chihuahuan Desert is lechuguilla, appearing as a clump of dagger blades protruding from the desert floor. The coarse, strong fibers of the lechuguilla are used in matting, ropes, bags and household items, which are, in a way, products of the Chihuahuan Desert. The lechuguilla illustrates an often misunderstood fact about the desert: the desert is a life zone. Life has adapted here to minimize expending its energy and to maximize getting or even hoarding water.

Gaila, Maggie and I have spent many enjoyable winter days in Big Bend National Park. The sweet smell of javelina right outside our tent in the Chicos Basin, sweaty hikes to the secret hot springs, fun and interesting ranger programs and always interesting people from all over the world.
If you enjoy day hiking this is a great park to visit. The Park Service has regularly scheduled interpretive hikes and can suggest hikes you can take on your own that will introduce you to the parks history, plants and animals.
We used to be able to visit the small mexican towns on the other side of the river and have a meal but homeland security has ruined that adventure.

Judge Roy Bean, "the law west of the Pecos, claimed dominion over Big Bend. He ruled with an iron fist. There are still occasional problems in the park area but being aware, following the rules and working with the Park Service will make your visit safe and enjoyable.

Big Bend National Park is a birdwatcher's paradise. It is home to about 450 species of birds, more than any other national park in the United States.

Halfway between Laredo and El Paso, the Rio Grande swings southward to form a huge bend that is also the southern boundary of America's finest desert preserve—Big Bend National Park. Established in 1944 to save 1,100 square miles of Chihuahuan Desert and mountain grandeur, it contains & wide variety of Southwestern scenery. From the three great canyons of the Rio Grande to the rolling slopes and jagged peaks of the Chisos Mountains, the birder is offered exciting discoveries all months of the year.

It is this diversity that creates the great variety of plant zones and makes it attractive to a wide variety of birds. Yet Big Bend is best known for its specialties that occur nowhere else in the United States except within the Chisos Mountains or just within the border country of Texas to Arizona. Such unique birds as the Mexican duck, the Lucifer hummingbird, the Mexican Jay, the black-capped and gray vireos, the Colima warbler, and the varied bunting do occur here at different times of the year.

Other breeding birds of the high Chisos canyons that are likely to be seen include the band-tailed pigeon, the white-throated swift, Rivoli's and blue-throated hummingbirds, the common flicker, the acorn woodpecker, the western flycatcher, the white-breasted nuthatch, and the canyon wren. Watch for the golden eagle among the many turkey vultures overhead.
Thirty-one species of snakes, twenty-two species of lizards, and four species of turtles have been found in Big Bend National Park.

Snakes—
The red racer, or western coachwhip, is the most often seen snake in the park, due to both its bright reddish-pink color and its habit of lying across roads, where it may stretch across an entire lane.

Bullsnakes are the largest snakes seen in the park, reaching over 6 feet in length and reaching several inches in diameter. Its heavy body, flat head, and patterning lead some people to mistake it for a rattlesnake. The bullsnake hisses and rattles its tail when threatened, and when it does this in dry leaves, the effect is very similar to that of a rattlesnake buzzing.

Hikers may find patchnose snakes in both the mountains and the desert. These slender snakes have a tan background color with two longitudinal dark brown stripes lining a central brown stripe. Look for the triangular "patchnose" scale on the snake's snout.

Four species of rattlesnakes are found in the park. The western diamondback is the most common of these. Black-tail rattlesnakes are common throughout the mountains and desert. They often have a green coloration, and the tail is solid black. Rock rattlesnakes rely upon protective coloration and seldom rattle unless really provoked. Mojave rattlesnakes are the least often encountered, which is perhaps a good thing because their venom is the most toxic, affecting the nervous system.
Snake bites are rare in Big Bend, yet many visitors are concerned about encountering snakes. To avoid being bitten by a snake, watch where you put your hands and feet, always carry a flashlight at night, and never disturb or pick up any snake. If you are bitten by a snake, remain calm, try to identify the snake that bit you, and get medical assistance as soon as possible. Keep in mind that physical exertion spreads the flow of venom through the body.

Lizards—
Most lizards move so swiftly that they're impossible to identify. You'll notice more if you listen for rustling, especially around areas with leaf litter. The most frequently seen lizard is the southwestern earless lizard, found throughout the desert. Though fast-moving, it is territorial and rarely goes far. It often perches on rocks and performs territorial and mating displays consisting of pushups.

Four species of whiptail lizards live in the park. Their long tails, which are up to 3 times the head-body length, give these swift lizards their name.

You may find spiny crevice lizards around any rocky area. Their scales are strongly keeled, which allows them to support themselves vertically in rock crevices. The ring of scales around their throat is often iridescent blue.

Alligator lizards prefer the wooded habitat of the Chisos Mountains. These heavy-bodied lizards appear slow-moving until threatened.

Two species of horned lizards may be found in the park, though neither is common. Most often seen is the round-tailed horned lizard; it has four even-sized horns on the back of its head, but none on the rest of its smooth grayish body. The Texas horned lizard, listed as threatened by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, is rarely seen in the park.

El Gato
If Big Bend had a symbol, it might well be the mountain lion—the embodiment of freedom and wildness. Solitary and secretive, this mighty creature is the unquestioned lord of its natural world. As one of Big Bend's top predators, Felis concolor—"cat all of one color"—is vital in maintaining the park's biological diversity. In the delicate habitats of the Chihuahuan Desert, mountain lions help balance herbivores (animals that eat plants) and vegetation. Research shows that cats help keep deer and javelina within the limits of their food resources. Without lions, the complex network of life in Big Bend would certainly be changed.
Encountering a mountain lion, however, can lead to conflicts in maintaining the balance between natural processes and visitor enjoyment and safety. Since the 1950s, there have been more than 2000 sightings of mountain lions by visitors. Each year, over 150 lion sightings are reported by park visitors. While over 90 percent of these sightings were along park roadways, encounters along trails have also occurred. Since 1984, three lion and human encounters have resulted in attacks on people. In both cases, those attacked recovered from their injuries and the aggressive lions were killed, preventing them from playing out their important natural roles. The more we know about lions, and the less we seek an encounter, the better able we will be to make life easier for them and for us.

(See Hiking Through History in Big Bend National Park)

Arizona's Madera Canyon Camping

There are many birds in Arizona’s Madera Canyon that have never been checked off your life list. Many are Mexican species that venture into southeast Arizona. And you have an outside chance of spotting some of them if you spend a few days hiking the trails in and around the Santa Rita Mountains.
Tucson residents are fully acquainted with Madera Canyon. It’s a popular getaway on the north side of the Santa Rita Mountains, with many hiking trails and picnicing areas an easy hour or so south of the city. It also happens to be one of the premiere birding locations in America, with an eye-popping number of rarities reported there over the years.
The Santa Rita Mountains, one of three major mountain ranges in southern Arizona, are spectacular. Surrounded by the Sonoran Desert to the north and west and by the grasslands of Sonoita and Patagonia to the east and south, these mountains host five life zones.
From an elevation of 2,389 ft. in Tucson to the top of Mt. Wrightson at 9,453 ft., the major plant communities are desert scrub, grassland, brushland, oaklands, and pine forest. After being shushed by some irritated birder in front of the Santa Rita Lodge, I guess I was making too much noise, I decide to leave the maddening crowds and climb Mt. Wrightson. It was a good days hike up and back. I ran into a lot of snow in the shadows of the pine forest. On top you get an impressive view in all directions. It gives you an explanation of why these Arizona high points are called "sky islands."
This area is a world-renowned location for bird watching, Madera Canyon is a major resting place for migrating species and migrating birdwatchers. The extensive trail system of the Santa Rita Mountains is easily accessed from the Canyon’s campground and picnic areas. Besides the forest service campground above Santa Rita Lodge, there are several BLM primitive campsites we have used when the campground is full.
The hiking trails of the Coronado National Forest sky islands offer near unmatched variety. Elevation determines not only the air temperature, with lowlands warmer than highlands, but also the types of plants and animals encountered. The warm climate and desert plants for which Arizona is known occur only at lower elevations, while pine, fir, and spruce cover the highest mountain tops, with grasslands and oak woodlands between.
Hikers can explore the desert lowlands during the winter, and wander through cool high-elevation Ponderosa pine forests during the spring and summer months.
Enjoy hiking among the towering pines of a mountain summit and walking downhill to finish among giant saguaro cactus on the desert floor—all in a single day hike.
The Arizona Trail also makes its way through this magical landscape. If you catch it here it will take you all the way to south Mexico or north to Utah.
And remember to keep your mouth shut around the lodge or you’re going to get shushed!

El Morro National Monument

El Morro National Monument, a much-carved bluff in the high desert of western New Mexico.
Anasazi, with one layer of Spanish colonialism and another of American Manifest Destiny, all seen through the lens of National Park Service stewardship.
OVERALL
Don't think of it as a landscape. Think of it as the best guest ledger in the West, about 200 feet, top to bottom, and made of sandstone.
On it you can find handprints, stick-figure animals and signatures in fancy looping script -- more than 2,000 inscriptions, carved over seven centuries by overland travelers who stopped here to dull their thirst.
"Governor Don Juan de Oñate passed through here, from the discovery of the Sea of the South on the 16th of April, 1605," says one entry in Spanish.
"Miss A.F. Baley," says another, from 1858.
Still, you may not have heard of El Morro National Monument, a.k.a. Inscription Rock, because it's out of the way, even by rural New Mexico standards. South of Gallup, west of Grants. Just up the road from the Pueblo of Zuni, just down the road from the ancient cinders and lava tubes of El Malpais National Monument.
To reach it from Albuquerque, you drive 85 miles west on Interstate 40 to Grants, then take New Mexico 53 for 42 miles. On the way, you climb from the high desert and red rock to the even higher desert with its forests of ponderosa and pinyon pine. You cross the Continental Divide, surrounded by scrub that grows thick and green during the monsoons of July and August, and then a white-orange bluff rises abruptly from the plain, its base about 7,200 feet above sea level. This is El Morro, which translates, more or less, from Spanish as "the headland."
In landscape terms, it's a not a mesa but a cuesta, because it rises in a gradual slope at one end, then drops straight down at the other. Pine and juniper congregate on and around it. A pre-Columbian condo complex sits on top -- about a dozen rooms exposed among an estimated 875 that once held 1,000 residents in the 13th and 14th centuries.
But it's not those dwellings nor the shape of the rock that makes El Morro unique. It's the water and the names.
For hundreds of years, the pool of collected rainfall and snowmelt at the foot of this rock was the only reliable water supply for 30 miles around, maybe more. That made it a standard stopping point for anybody passing through, including the Anasazi of the 13th century, Spanish explorers of the 17th century and American settlers of the 19th century.
Oñate, New Mexico's first Spanish governor, left his mark after a visit to the Gulf of California. Miss Baley, the first woman to sign, was part of a wagon expedition from Missouri to California. There's a 4-inch-high swastika, left by native peoples centuries before the Nazis adopted it. And there's the flowery script of Mr. E. Pen. Long of Baltimore, an 1859 visitor whom you could call the John Hancock of El Morro.
In 1906, the federal government stepped in and banned further inscriptions. Until the 1930s, early rangers used pencils to darken a few of the oldest inscriptions. In their bid to protect the past-tense graffiti from the present-day variety, rangers have put up a couple of sandstone rocks in front of the visitor center to channel the energies of scratch-happy kids.
"Certainly all the other rocks in America do not, all together, hold so much of American history," wrote Charles F. Lummis, the champion of Western history who founded the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles.
Visiting today, you browse the visitor center, then stroll a half-mile loop of the Inscription Trail, moving from petroglyph to signature. Hardier hikers continue up the Headland Trail, which adds 1.5 miles to the journey and climbs 200 feet to the Atsinna Pueblo on top of the rock.
I did the Headland Trail (also known as the Mesa Top Trail) with ranger Aleksu Hillerstrom, who pointed out a tree that had been struck by lightning a month before (that's common in summer) and helped me read between the inscription lines.
One Spanish explorer called himself a gentleman, but one of his contemporaries vigorously crossed out the word. An American in 1849 misspelled the word "inscription" and had to wedge the "r" in after the fact. (Copy editing in stone. Bummer.)
I wouldn't build an entire trip around El Morro, but if you're on the road anywhere between Flagstaff and Albuquerque, it's surely worth a few hours, perhaps an overnight.
You can spend the night at Grants (a town of about 9,000), but the summer temperatures are cooler and the scenery better up around El Morro. In summer, the park service opens nine primitive campsites at the monument. About a mile away on the highway, El Morro RV Park ( http://www.elmorro-nm.com/) has about two-dozen hook-ups for $20 nightly, three cabins at $65 to $75, and a handful of tent sites for $10.
The neighboring Ancient Way Cafe offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the Inscription Rock Trading & Coffee Co. ( http://www.inscriptionrocktrading.com/) offers snacks and gifts, and the nonprofit Old School Gallery ( http://www.elmorro-arts.org/) shows art.