Big Bend in National Geographic Coming in Feb!

[Casa Grande]

see a preview from Nic Patoski here:

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature2/

and here:

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/fieldnotes2.html

[BigBendHiker]

Thanks, David!  The article on the webpage was great and these words say it all:

The line between myth and reality blurs. Stare long enough at the Chisos Mountains or the Sierra del Carmen, the two mountain ranges, known as sky islands, that anchor the territory, and they levitate above the plain. And you haven't had a drop of tequila.

[presidio]

these words say it all:

And you haven't had a drop of tequila.

Yep, sure do. It says he doesn't know what he's missing.  :D

Kick back in your chair as the sun sets over the desert, with a bottle of high end sipping tequila a small group of friends, and savor the moment, the company and the product. Of course some Jameson's works just as well.

[bdann]

Got my copy in the mail yesterday...hadn't opened it up yet till I read this post!

Short article, but some really nice photography from areas on both sides of the border.

[Vince T]

Neat stuff...thanks for sharing.

Vince

[RichardM]

Great pics, but that website is giving me fits.  I couldn't get the photo gallery to load at all at home.  It's a little better from work, but is still very slow and craps out occasionally.

One question:  What mountains in Big Bend are "above 8,900 feet (2,700 meters)"?

[bdann]

Great pics, but that website is giving me fits.  I couldn't get the photo gallery to load at all at home.  It's a little better from work, but is still very slow and craps out occasionally.

One question:  What mountains in Big Bend are "above 8,900 feet (2,700 meters)"?

The article isn't about Big Bend National Park, it's about the entire corridor of protected areas on both sides of the border.  So I'm thinking he's referring to mountains in Mexico.

[RichardM]

One question:  What mountains in Big Bend are "above 8,900 feet (2,700 meters)"?

The article isn't about Big Bend National Park, it's about the entire corridor of protected areas on both sides of the border.  So I'm thinking he's referring to mountains in Mexico.

Yeah, I just figured that out.  Took me this long to get to the pics from south of the border...  :roll:

[homerboy2u]

One question:  What mountains in Big Bend are "above 8,900 feet (2,700 meters)"?

 No brainer :!: ......Sierra Maderas El Carmen, with 2,720 meters at el Pico...DO NOT confuse with Sierra del Carmen. They are very close, but not the same.

 There are two sources where you can read this.
1.- You can get all the information you need on the Sky Islands Here
2.- There is the link that Bdann uploaded for me, but that is in Spanish...need to translate it for you all.This is the link

another name is taking hold: El Carmen–Big Bend Transboundary Megacorridor, a label only a conservationist could love

 My favorite phrase..... =D>

[RichardM]

One question:  What mountains in Big Bend are "above 8,900 feet (2,700 meters)"?

 No brainer :!: ......Sierra Maderas El Carmen, with 2,720 meters at el Pico...DO NOT confuse with Sierra del Carmen. They are very close, but not the same.

 There are two sources where you can read this.
1.- You can get all the information you need on the Sky Islands Here
2.- There is the link that Bdann uploaded for me, but that is in Spanish...need to translate it for you all.This is the link

Interesting "treasure chest" you have in this post.  I'll have to check at home to see if I have a copy of your original.  Next time you'll have to pick a slightly more descriptive filename than "5.jpg".  :roll:

Speaking of El Pico, I plugged in the coordinates for it into EarthTools.org and it says the altitude is 2067 meters (6781.5 feet).  Granted, the site is not very accurate, but it's off by over 200 feet.  Anybody know the real altitude?

[homerboy2u]

That guy in the sleepingbag is NOT El Pico......I can´t do much on the pc here at work, let get home and research for you some more. By far, the tallest mountain in the region, El Pico but not the one in Sierra del Carmen, I mean the one on Sierra Maderas El Carmen. Will check on your coordinates from there.

  Awsome story you got for us David Locke.

[RichardM]

That guy in the sleepingbag is NOT El Pico......I can´t do much on the pc here at work, let get home and research for you some more. By far, the tallest mountain in the region, El Pico but not the one in Sierra del Carmen, I mean the one on Sierra Maderas El Carmen. Will check on your coordinates from there.

I found a copy of your original picture and fixed your post.  Of course, no telling how many other files were overwritten...

[homerboy2u]

Best I could do, Richard.. The coordinates you show are of El Pico, but this is the one in Sierra del Carmen.

  I think Okeihiker was the one who hiked it

  This is Maderas El Carmen's El Pico...


*NEW COORDINATES*

Lattitude:   28°58'11.93"N

Longitude: 102°36'32.80"W

  These are the Sky Islands, right here but to be honest the highest I could get was 2706 meters. I am still of by a good : 14 meters...dang :!:  

[Al]

Here's a shot of El Pico from the del Carmens.



Taken in 1992 or so.

Al

[Al]

El Pico doesn't really show up on Google Earth.  Here's a shot looking down from El Pico.



Al