Wifi is working at the campground

Tuesday

Okay, last post had an error.  Two entries for Monday.  The second entry was actually for Tuesday and here is the rest of our Tuesday.

We had a busy day, breakfast, laundry, and hiking.  We drove from the campground (Rio Grande Village) to the Basin.  Paul has taken the camper put of the back of his truck so we can use that to get around the park which is very convenient.  The Basin is about 35 miles from where we are staying and so it would have been impossible for us to do the hike today without the truck.  The hike itself was probably just over five miles with a 1000 ft change in elevation each way.  It was an out and back trek.  This was in many ways an easier trek than yesterday's as the footing was better and we got some shade.  It was hot again and we went through quite a bit of water.  Our reward was an amazing view from what is called the window.  We discovered that we would be unable to get right to the edge and look out because the rocks are so slippery.  So we stayed back.  It a great hike and we enjoyed it very much.  This park is just so big, I mean so big.  The vistas are really beyond what the mind or camera can capture.  

Two signs on the hike today....mountain lion warning and bear activity warning.  We learned yesterday that both had been seen on the mountain.  And a camper in our campground said that he had seen both panther and bobcat in the campground!  Pretty amazing.  So much of this comes down to where you are when these animals pass through as otherwise you are just hearing about them and not seeing them.

We are eating well.  What can I say.  We eat well when camping with Dee and Paul and this is no different.

This is and will continue to be just one mind boggling experience after another.  We've never done anything like this before, however Dee and Paul have.  This could be an addictive lifestyle.  Not really nomads, but coming close and we've met some folks who are just that.  

Wednesday

We got a relatively early start for hiking and drove over to the trail for the  Boquillas Canyon.  It was s short hike, but lovely.  The canyon itself was lovely, however we were unable to get very far into the canyon as the rock walls come right down to the water.  It would have been very nice to have taken a boat down the river, not just for the scenery, as it been in the 90's for two days now.  We are not moving fast during the mid day.

What is interesting here in this park though is that we are on the border with Mexico.  Now the guidebooks and the info from the park management says don't buy the trinkets left by the Mexicans by the trails near the rivers.  The Mexicans cross the rivers either by horse or boat and set up their crafts on the trails and leave little signs indicating the prices,  we had seen them on several other trails and by the river and again today by the canyon.  We are of the mind that the park rangers turn a blind eye to the selling practice.  Today there were three or four displays along the trail.  Two men were in full view of the parking lot and could have been chased off by the rangers.  By the river one was also set up and right beside them was a box into which he could have easily placed them of asked to.  across the river a man named "Victor" was singing and would ask you to leave a donation in his container that was labelled "singing Victor."

Just saw that there'd is a ban on even using charcoal fires!  It is extremely dry here.

Before dinner we headed over to the Hot Springs.  Short hike, but lovely.  Paul soaked in the hot springs while the rest of us did the hike.

Thursday

Very, very windy last night.  We are trying to figure out what hike to do today.  

We decided on the Pine Canyon Trail, which starts at the end of an hour-long dirt-road drive through the desert.  The drive in passed five primitive camping sites, which must be wonderful for those who want to get away from civilization.  At night, one would see no lights except for the stars and moon.....truly the best way to camp.  The only complication is that it would be tent camping; not the RV.

The hike was two miles in, and return on the same path.  From the parking area, the trail rose steadily through a desert grassland for about a mile and a half, along which we did manage to see two local deer (we think maybe mule deer), which seemed very relaxed to have humans around.  Soon we entered the pine canyon, which became quite narrow and, because it was shielded from sun and wind, became rather lush, reminding us of some areas in Georgia where we'd been.  Up and up we went, until, after a bit of a scramble, we came to a 200-foot high "pour-off"; a sheer rock wall that becomes a waterfall after heavy rains.  The hike back out was much quicker than going in, because most of it was downhill.  The elevation at the parking area was about 4800', while at the pour out it was 5800.

Now that there is wifi back at our campground store we'll be able to post less lengthy blogs and check email more frequently.