my october trip 2011

[jim2]

for the last four years i've  truck camped in the park for various periods of time. the first year i stayed the whole week, despite a wicked cold front blowing in on thursday. the second year another cold front blows in on thursday , this time i was supposed to camp at ernst tinaja. there was so much sand blowing around i couldn't get out of my truck. at that point, 3pm , i thought about sticking it out in my truck and decided no. i headed for town and got a room. i am not a cold weather camper and didn't want stay inside. i went home two days early. third  year i took my son for a planned four night stay, storms chased us out after three. last year my planned week stay crashed as my body failed me. i had been in truck totaling accident sept 1st and was not ready for big bend. i feel like i made the most out of trips, despite the disruptions. this october i plan on camping at a couple of my favorite camp sites and checking out some new ones. i like to spend two nights at each site, get there first day ,second day hike. i want to check out fresno, i've read many reports about this site. my question is what other than the mine can be checked out from there. day hike options  are what i'm mostly interested in. i've read about roads in this area that aren't on the map. elephant tusk will be another newbie, from there i'll hike out e.t. until it's time to turn around. the other question is , is black gap road better taken from south to north or the other way? one more question has anyone been to passsion flower canyon? it's east of ernst basin camp site. the trails ills. map shows a trail on the east side of the alto relex, it passes through passion flower canyon.

[Al]

jim, getting away from it all isn't easy as you have documented.  If you check my trip reports there is a fairly recent one on Fresno including some day hikes we made the last couple of visits.  If you wade through this one, it may give you some ideas.  If you feel like doing some climbing Talley is just to the north of the campsite.

http://www.bigbendchat.com/portal/forum/your-trip-reports/primitive-camping-jan-31-through-feb-6/

There is a trail that goes "behind" Alto Relex that connects to the Strawhouse trail: the Telephone Canyon Trail.  From the primitive campsites there is a road that goes east and the TC trail takes off to the southeast just beyond the north eastern toe of Alto Relex.  There are trail markers but you need to look ahead in order to follow the trail.  I've missed a turn or two but it was easy to pick the trail back up.

Al

[Al]

P.S. there is a trail on the south side of Ernst Canyon that goes up and over to Ernst Basin.  You can hike back via Ernst Canyon but there is a drop off in the canyon that pretty much obligates hiking past Ernst Tinaja.  If you can't make it around the Tinaja, if you hike back to the east there are some very steep erosion areas on the north side that you can hike back up to the top and then back to the Ernst Primitive campsites.  But it's not easy and shouldn't be tried unless you and yours are in pretty good shape.  When in doubt go back via the trail on the south side of the canyon.

Al

[jim2]

al, turns out it was your trip report i was quoting. you had me at the photo of the carmens at sunset. i,m sold on fresno. thanks. quicksilver, i'll camp at the roadside elephant tusk site then hike out the et trail for 3/5 hours with no particular destination, then return to the roadside site. camping at some of the back country roadside sites gives me access to parts of the park i couldn't reach otherwise. i've done the eastern side of the dodson , the eastern part of the juniper canyon trail and been to banta shut in this way. back packing is not an option for me. thanks for input. i'll take black gap from the south.

[jim2]

thanks quicksilver, that's just the kind of info i'm looking for!