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Big Bend 2017

10K views 59 replies 20 participants last post by  GaryL 
#1 ·
GaryL and I had a phone conversation this morning and are in the process of sitting up and making final plans for heading to Big Bend National Park this March....last year, Borneo, Fort Wayne Harley Gary, Ebbanflood Jim, Montezuma and I spent 8 days there and enjoyed the heck out of it...but I left feeling a bit "short changed" .... there are things and roads I did not complete.....so, the plans that are laid out so far, are for GaryL to leave his New York abode on Februry 26th...hook up with Montezuma and Hoot, and head for Terlingua, Texas....after a night there, we head into the park and the Rio Grande Village Campgrounds....Zidiver Paul {Reddog} will be meeting us there....and the 4 of us will either be riding or 4 x 4ing for a week or so.....

Deserts, River Range, Mountains, Big Ben has just about all at various skill levels....

So if any of you half sane people {more or less} are in the area or plan on being in the area....between March 1st and March 8th or so....stop on by or let us know....

"The Window at Chisos Mountain, Big Bend...taken by Hoot on 3/12/2016

Sky Blue Nature Cloud Natural landscape
 
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#3 ·
Good plan Hoot. Make an annual event out of this, plan for 2018 what you can't do in 2017.
Maybe slow down and mingle with the locals. I used to do some mineral exploration just outside the park and darn near every rancher I'ld encounter was as friendly as can be. Find yourself invited to lunch, or come by later for a javelin hunt, or just sit under the shade and share some interesting stories. Maybe times have changed and everyone has internet with has no need for company anymore. Somehow I think Texas hospitality lives on.:)
 
#4 ·
One thing for sure Fred....Cell phones and Wi~Fi are close to useless....Montezuma had some service near Panther Junction, in the middle of the park, iffy at Terlingua, and we had Zero at the Rio Grande Village.....which, frankly, didn't bother me a damn bit...with the exception of the two small stores for Ice, Gas, and Goods, in Big Bend Park, and the Chisos Mountain Lodge...the place is still pretty remote...nothing like being able to drive into Moab for dinner and a beer{s} near Big Bend....Terlingua is 50 miles from Rio Grande Village...and that is close enough....

Both BB and Moab have their own 'charm' in completely different ways and settings...like them both...and will {God Willing and I don't go broke :p} get back to Moab in the next couple of years as well....
 
#6 ·
Montezuma and Hoot left West Central Ohio on a Saturday at 11am last March...we arrived in Terlingua at 4pm the next day....however we were old dumbasses and never did the motel thing until we got to Terlingua...we stopped and napped in the truck a couple of times...but not for long. Actual Drive time for the 1580 miles is slated for 21-23 hours....this year I will be staying at least one night, somewhere around Tulsa or OK City in a motel....then heading into the Chisos Mining Motel in Terlingua for the next before driving the extra 50 miles to the Rio Grande Village Campsite the next day.
 
#8 ·
Anybody is welcome to hook up with us...TW or Not....we are a group of small crews and loners...so far its' GaryL, Hoot, Montezuma, and Paul{Reddog Zdiver} ...
 
#9 · (Edited)
6 weeks and counting down:

As our fluid schedule has it...6 weeks from this morning, Montezuma and I will be heading down to I-70 some 50 miles via US 127 and heading west out through Central Indiana, southern Illinois, and into Missouri....likely getting into the Tulsa or OK City area, stopping for some sleep and then heading south into Texas and hopefully arriving in Terlingua Tuesday February 28....a night there and into Big "not in South Texas" Bend National Park...at least that is the plan.

GaryL will be leaving his Catskills Home on Saturday February 26th and depending on the approaching weather, will either hook up with us in Ohio, or head south with his pup and take the southern route to Texas....at least that is the plan 6 weeks out!

We will meet Paul {Zdiver/Reddog} who will be shooting in from Arizona about the same time...at least that is the plan but six weeks out...ya never really know. The Midwest weather and northeast weather, and heck even the weather in most of Texas can be tricky in late February and early March....but as far as I know, we are all retired and with nowhere to go...Gary and I have wives who likely are glad to be rid of us for a spell, and Nick and Paul are long since divorced, so no problems on the Women front for them.

I need to be back in Ohio by March 15th, as pre-season baseball begins on my 68th birthday{3/16}, otherwise...weather be damned, we are headed out and hopefully will return, alive and not broke and or broken::cool:

Any and all are welcome to join us...but we won't be fixing Mel Type Breakfast or staying up late around a campfire{none are allowed in BB} ... you are, like us, on your own, but we would be more than happy to break bread and down a few and ride some with all that want to join in.:D

Hoot
 
#13 ·
beautiful area! be warned the weather can be very variable.
i was there a few years ago and we had a 50˚ temp swing in about 30 min. 105˚ at the park and 55˚ with thunder and lightning in terlingua. we were in a cage, but had we been on bikes, it would have been a very different end of the day.
 
#14 ·
Last March, while the Highs around Rio Grande Village and Terlingua were about 70, give or take, most days with lows in the 40s...the swings between the high areas around Chisos Mountain Lodge and the Desert Floor were pretty varied on any certain day or time, usually depending on Cloud Cover or lack of it...

Mountainous landforms Nature Leaf Mountain Wilderness
Mountainous landforms Sky Mountain Wilderness Natural environment
Vehicle Motorcycle Dirt road Adventure Off-roading
Land vehicle Vehicle Motorcycle Automotive tire Adventure
 
#17 ·
Love Islamorada...been a decade since I've been down to the Keys...plan on getting back soon, and ride Loop Road in the upper Glades of Tamiami Trail {US 41} ..

Islamorada Sunset...

Sky Nature Sunset Afterglow Painting


On the other subject....Big Bend 2017 Gary, Montezuma, and Hoot, are in the process of "re-thinking' the March Ride...nothing set yet, and I still need to clear some things out...and get with ZDiver/Reddog as well...Gary, and I both have some Home Issues which may push Big Bend back to October 20th....so I will get there, but perhaps fall is in the cards...

I'm also thinking that October/early November may even be better weather and less crowded{not that Big Bend is overcrowded anytime}.... :cool:
 
#20 ·
Mel/Jim{Ebbanflood}..Let me Check with GaryL, Paul Diver, Montezuma Nick...I am thinking the Weekend beginning November 3rd a Friday and going through the 10th or so might be a great time....I've been checking out the Average Weather and it fits into my time between Football and Basketball exactly how I would be able to work it....;) Of course I want all of us to be on the same calendar time frame....
 
#26 ·
I don't think you can use it there. Your truck is 4x4 though...They can pinstripe it for you. :D
 
#25 ·
Not sure how ya'll come down from up North into Texas but were about 25-30 miles from I-30. If you come thru this way, They'll be cold beer and something fresh off the smoker (maybe fresh off, maybe still going for a bit, these things take time you know) for a pit stop along the way.
 
#31 ·
Just keeping this alive...

Montezuma and I plan on leaving Western Ohio in late October and heading to Big Bend...hopefully Bags, along with Reddog{Zidiver} and others will join us....

Don't forget that the World Famous Terlingua Chili Cookoff is the first weekend in November....this has the potential to be one Hell of a good time and great riding.....

Regardless, a few of us old farts plan on this happening...

Vehicle Motorcycle Dirt road Adventure Off-roading
Sky Nature Night Star Atmosphere
 
#34 ·
Hoot what week are you planning on doing the Big Bend Texas trip? I have booked my Gunsite Seasoned Citizen 250 Pistol -October 16, 2017 - October 20, 2017.

I doing the old person class my days of up and down on the knees is behind me may son said it was a lot of up and down.
 
#40 ·
...and three more in California, plus Louisiana, South Dakota, Minnesota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Utah, plus a good 77 plus river bends with that name just in the continental United States. It is a common and popular name like Long Valley, Bear Valley, etc. Most states with any river systems have a Big Bend, just like most states have a Washington.
 
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