Lemons to Lemonade, Trips that didn't go as planned

[mule ears]

Now that East Texan has successfully returned after his first attempt was cut short due to truck problems it made me begin to think about how many of us have gone to the Bend with a plan and had something happen that made us change our plans completely.

Big Bend is so isolated and (especially back a few years) short on services it leads to coming up with plan B a lot, I would imagine.  You've driven so far to get there you sure don't want to leave early just because your initial ideas didn't work out, unless you really have to.  It's part of the reason that they don't give permits but 24 hours in advance.

I have had several trips that had to be rearranged but came out great in the end.  Here is one such trip:

In March 1992, we had driven 31 hours straight through from North Carolina.  We got our permit to do the "extended" OML (standard route plus dipping down to Dominguez Spring and back up).  Spent the first two days leisurely walking around the South Rim before heading down Juniper Canyon and into the lower desert.  The second night we were at Boot Springs and I looked and my partners boot and the sole was about to come off completely (he had not noticed it).  If we had discovered it the next day we would have already been much farther away from a fix.

The next morning we duct tapped him up (like Richard M's experience) and limped down the Pinnacles trail.  We ended up having to drive all the way to Alpine to have it repaired at Briggs Boot and Saddle (awesome place with a real artist, he could make a GPS out of leather I'm sure!).  In the mean time we got to explore Alpine, Sul Ross and eat some great mexican food.  We headed back to Terlinqua and a motel for the night and discovered La Kiva too!

Next day we parked at Blue Creek and headed in the Dodson, down the Smoky Creek trail and over to Fisk canyon.  Next day we took the cross country route north of Dominguez Mtn. over to the ET trail and back to the Dodson.  Then finished up heading back out to the truck. 

While we didn't get to do the original trip plan we did have both a great backpacking trip and a classic West Texas experience in both Alpine and Terlinqua.  Sometimes plan B is not so bad.

How about ya'll!

[BigBendHiker]

Hi mulears!
Your report is an inspiration to all of us to look for the good in whatever we find or encounter.  Certainly, your trip did not go as planned, but you found some great jewels that you did not know existed.  Bravo!

We had a trip in Jun 2003 that had the misfortune of encountering rain and even some fog in the Chisos.  I remember being disappointed as we hiked up Lost Mine in the fog and light drizzle (could not see very far in the distance at all).  But, looking back on that hike (it was his first time out there) and the enjoyment and discovery that he experienced on that wet, foggy trail that June morning...well, it was one of the best hikes in my book. 


Thanks for the post,
BBH