Water Sources

[mtnbikerguy]

I am about to make another trip down to Big Bend this coming Saturday for several days in the back-country. Several years ago, there was a web-link that had updated water sources along numerous trails. Does anyone know of that link or anything similar. I will carry all the water needed, but if there is a good spring, I would love to save the weight. Does anyone know of that web page?

Thanks!


(Hate, Greed, Ignorance.....weapons of mass destruction)

[mule ears]

Are you sure you are talking about Big Bend?  I know of no such on line resource other than the random spring reports we get here.  There used to be a spring reports book at PJ that you could ask to see before trips and they would update as people came back in from trips but that hasn't existed for years (the last time I saw it was 1998).  The thought is the NPS is less liable if someone relies on a spring report and then gets in trouble.  They usually just tell you to carry all your water and won't commit to if they have any info on water sources.

Tell us where you are going and we might have someone here who has been there recently and can give you current info.

[Robert]

Please tell us where you are going, I'll be out there Sunday for a week.

[mtnbikerguy]

I am bringing a friend who has never been to Big Bend or anyplace similar. We will probably head up to the Chisos for a night or two and then do a couple day hikes in other areas. Sounds like I will strapping on a couple gallons.   

[Homer67]

Mule Ears Spring was flowing nicely the last week of January.  This spring has had a flow during each of our three trips over the last 9 months.  I assume it's very reliable as this is near the end of the dry season.

If you haven't done the Mule Ears trail, I recommend it.  Beautiful!  Your first-timer friend will most certainly love it!

I have added 4 photos of Mule Ears Spring, as it looked on Jan 31, 2011 to my flikr photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superhomer67/5445614317/in/photostream/#/photos/superhomer67/5448082139/in/photostream/lightbox/

[mtnbikerguy]

Robert- Looks like we will arrive at the park on Saturday afternoon and do a day hike on the east side. Hit the Chisos backcountry on Sunday, come out Monday, and then head over to the west side of the park. Maybe hit Mules Ear and/or a couple other spots as day hikes. Hit another day hike on Tuesday before driving back. Short trip, but we should get in plenty of miles in those days.

[Robert]

We probably won't be hitting the Basin this trip but you should have a great time in the mountains.  I would advise hiking the Mule Ears trail to where it looks down on Smoky Creek, it is a fabulous view. The weather is going to be a little warm so take plenty of water. Have fun.

[Homer67]

The overlook from the Mule Ears Trail is very cool!  I have some photos and will add these to my flickr photostream...

Before one gets to this overlook, there is another trail that seems to curve around a hill south of the ME trail.  It appears this trail heads south before Mule Ears itself.  When I first saw it from a distance I thought it was a wildlife trail, but about 400-600 yards back up the trail from the Smoky Creek overlook on the ME trail there is a medium-sized cairn that marks where this other trail turns off.  It is pretty easy to miss if one is not in the know!  I am anxious to check out this trail on our next trip Feb 25- 29th.

I do have coordinates for the cairn indicating the turn off; I am at work rt now and do not have my gps with me, but I will add it tonight. 

Here is my flickr photo stream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superhomer67/5457103000/#/photos/superhomer67/5457103000/lightbox/

[mule ears]

Before one gets to this overlook, there is another trail that seems to curve around a hill south of the ME trail.  It appears this trail heads south before Mule Ears itself.  When I first saw it from a distance I thought it was a wildlife trail, but about 400-600 yards back up the trail from the Smoky Creek overlook on the ME trail there is a medium-sized cairn that marks where this other trail turns off.  It is pretty easy to miss if one is not in the know!  I am anxious to check out this trail on our next trip Feb 25- 29th.

I do have coordinates for the cairn indicating the turn off; I am at work rt now and do not have my gps with me, but I will add it tonight. 

There are no official trails in that area and the cairn may just be a coincidence near an game or social trail.  There are some trails shown south of Mule Ears on some older maps but they really don't exist anymore, like this map from 1969:

[Robert]

What immediately came to mind to me was this:

If you hike about 30 minutes past Mule Ears Spring you can find a great campsite there. Right before you start down into Smoky Drainage (you will see some nice  retaining walls built on the trail) head to the right, up and over the hill. On the backside is a great campsite.

On my first visit to see the Smoky Creek we were exploring and ran across a tent with a great view of Mule Ears on the other side of a small hill from the trail. It fits this campsite. I think I remember a social trail that lead to it.

[jave]

There is an old corral in that spring area NE of Mule Ears peaks and older maps show the trail going up that way instead of farther north where the current trail is.  DO NOT try to climb up the volcanic ash where the old trail is depicted or it will eat your lunch, maybe dinner and breakfast the next day.

[mule ears]

There is an old corral in that spring area NE of Mule Ears peaks and older maps show the trail going up that way instead of farther north where the current trail is.  DO NOT try to climb up the volcanic ash where the old trail is depicted or it will eat your lunch, maybe dinner and breakfast the next day.

is this that corral? long time since I was there

QS I think that is the big corral at Mule Ears spring itself.  The one jave is talking about is just north and a bit east of the Peaks where, on my old map, I wrote "spring" in pencil.  In some years there is a spring that flows there, it is named Derek Spring but is not shown on the USGS topos.  Those pencil lines and spring notes are ones I made in 1973.

[Homer67]

Here is the coordinate of the cairn on the ME trail where this interesting wildlife or social trail intersects:

N 29^o 09.288'
W 103^o 23.960'

Here it is in decimal degrees:

N 29.15480^o
W 103.39933^o

It does seem to head into an interesting area!  I'll check it out next weekend when we are in the park and let you know what's there!


Here is the point on a topo map. Hiking Big Bend claims the trail is marked incorrectly on the topo maps, and I believe it even given the error associated with my gps and the coordinate conversion:

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=29.15478,-103.39933&z=16&t=T&marker0=29.15478%2C-103.39933%2C11.4%20km%20ExNE%20of%20Castolon%20TX

[stevebo]

Does anyone know if there's water at Boott Sprign or at Fresno Creek?  I know "officially" there's none, but what's the current status?

I plan to do the OML starting March 6th and will cache water at Homer Wilson, but the supplement would be great.

Thanks,
Steve