What's the Big Deal?

[Casa Grande]

Pun intended!

What is the Big deal about Big Bend?  Post the reasons why you love this place so much! Why?  :?:  :?:

Here's a few of mine:

Remoteness
Wide Open
Wild
Geological Wonderland
Untouched Wildlife
Uninterupted Beauty!

i could go on...but i'll let others continue....

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.......

[jim2]

that picture is beautiful ! big bend makes me excited about learning ,about the plants, the geology of the place and how they are related. when i'm in b.b. i can't sleep . i close my eyes only to see green mountains and deep canyons.blue creek canyon from laguna meadow trail springs to mind.  i also enjoy the quiet , and being able to get away the hand of man. to see no sign of( progress).

[BigBendHiker]

Great picture, David!

What do I like about Big Bend?
1.  Remoteness
2.  Solitude
3.  Beauty of the land itself
4.  Contrast between the desert and the mountains
5.  The wildlife
6.  Driving on Hwy 90 to Big Bend and seeing only a handful of cars between Del Rio and Persimmon Gap
7.  The history of the area

[SHANEA]

EL DESPOBLADO 8)

[Casa Grande]

EL DESPOBLADO 8)

had to google that one....lol

um, yeah, i like that too  :lol:

[chisos_muse]

EL DESPOBLADO 8)

The Big Bend National Park is a wonderland of desert beauty that has something to offer everyone. Dubbed el despoblado, "the uninhabited land" by Spanish explorers, this area is harsh, dry, beautiful, and dangerous, but time seems to stand still in the silence of the Chisos Mountains or while floating down the Rio Grande River. If you ever wanted to get away from it all and back to nature, Big Bend is the perfect spot.
Why do I love it so much?
It feels like HOME....more than any other place I've ever been...
I have a very strong spiritual tie to this "desolate and worthless land" 8)

[01ACRViper]

that is a VERY good question

when i first went to big bend 3 years ago, i knew NOTHING about it. ever since then, all i've done is read and research when i can't get out there, and when i can, climb whatever i can get to and drive/hike wherever i could. i guess it's a desire to see something so few people have, and jsut the fact that i enjoy the desert landscapes in big bend so much. you shoudl ask easier questions  :oops:

[SHANEA]

had to google that one....lol

"The Big Bend.  A History of the Last Texas Frontier".  Tyler, Ron C.  SEE FORWARD from the Author.  A&M Press.  College Station.  1996.  Originally published 1975 by NPS.

I am always looking for the "right words" to describe the area.  "Splendid Isolation", etc.  According to Ron C. Tyler, El Despoblado is "the uninhabited land".  I'd like to come up with my own original thought on a word or phrase that conveys what the West Texas Trans Pecos Big Bend Region means to me.  

For those of you unfortunate Benders that don't have the book, it is a splend read.  I'm using a portion of the forward in the presentation tomorrow night.  I had it already typed up in my powerpoint, so here it is.

The Big Bend region of Texas is one of the great wonders of the Southwest.  Wild, vast, and isolated this land of desert, river canyon, and rugged mountains is as close to the primeval as anything on this continent.    The Big Bend.  A History of the Last Texas Frontier by Ron C. Tyler

Mr. Tyler did a pretty darn good job of summing it up, don't you think?

[Bobcat]

Warm
Sunny
Surprises
Rocks-Water-Plants-Animals
Spring Bloom
Spring Scent
Multiple Eco Areas
Certain People

[CurtR]

I love the question and in fact have thought of answers to it myself.  In the world of today, it is so hard to be surprised or in awe of anything.  That is whay I like Big Bend, in those two thoughts.  I had no idea what I would find when I went five years ago and have been in awe ever since.

I made a "small" video thing I would love to share with everyone, but do not know how to do it.  It is a windows media file and is normally about 30megs.  I have reduced it down to less than 8.  I would love to put it somewhere or email it to someone to get it on this site.  It is my own tribute to Big Bend. I will admit I look at it alot whenever I am stuck at work wishing I was there.

Also, I have no idea how to insert a photo.  The one that David did is one of the best I have seen of the park.  I know he has hundreds more.

[chisos_muse]

I love the question and in fact have thought of answers to it myself.  In the world of today, it is so hard to be surprised or in awe of anything.  That is whay I like Big Bend, in those two thoughts.  I had no idea what I would find when I went five years ago and have been in awe ever since.

I made a "small" video thing I would love to share with everyone, but do not know how to do it.  It is a windows media file and is normally about 30megs.  I have reduced it down to less than 8.  I would love to put it somewhere or email it to someone to get it on this site.  It is my own tribute to Big Bend. I will admit I look at it alot whenever I am stuck at work wishing I was there.

Also, I have no idea how to insert a photo.  The one that David did is one of the best I have seen of the park.  I know he has hundreds more.

SOMEONE! Please help this man! We ALL wanna see!!!! :D
Mommy isn't so teckky savvy on these thang's... :(

[billh]

For me it's 3 things:
1. the remoteness
2. The wide open feeling and
3. Most importantly, the subtlety. When we were hiking through Smokey Creek and came on the water, forming small pools, we stop and sat. My friend is from Hood River Oregon, majestic waterfalls w/in miles of his house. In some ways these unexpected small amounts of water, and the verdant areas they support are even prettier, because they are so subtle.

[billh]

Here I am reading St. Augustine's Confessions on that great boulder in Cattail. That is one of my favorite places. I've seen Hinkley's Columbines blooming there and that bigtooth maple brilliant yellow. This picture says it for me. It doesn't have the expansive majesty of the South rim, but it's subtlety immediately relaxes.

[Bobcat]

I will be there soon! More specifically, the last week of March :D  And the trip will  go into April.  I love to be in the Park during this time period.  Looks very peaceful, Bill. :D

[Jim]

I will be there soon! More specifically, the last week of March :D And the trip will be go into April.  I love to be in the Park during this time period :D

I'm in the park now, and just so you know, it has been a very dry year so far.  There are very few blooms at this time (a few bluebonnets along the roadside), but nothing like some of the spring blooms in previous years.  Not to put a damper on things, but just to pass along a bit of real-time info.  We hiked to JF1 on Sunday, and the trees are still green, of course.  So it was a pleasant hike with great views.  And the night skies are as fabulous as ever.