My wife are making our first trip to BiBe on July 4th. We will likely get there around 5 pm on the 4th. We are planning to camp and stay all day the 5th and leave around 12:00 on the 6th. I would not consider us experienced hikers, yet we are definitely experienced outdoorspeople. We hike short hikes through the woods frequently (2-3 miles) and recently, we have been bicycling a fair amount.
Anyway, enough about us...we have questions.
1) I would love to hike the South Rim loop on our full day. My wife is hesitant about doing this. She does not know if we are up to this. I'm told it is about 8 hours of hard hiking. What is the opinion of people on here? Should we do it? Some say just do Lost Mine Trail, but I hate to be there and not do the South Rim. Also, can we possibly camp along the way? Something I read indicated we would have to be there 24 hours before we can get a permit to camp there. Is this correct?
2) Are the temperatures going to be in the 80's in the Chisos?
3) Is 2 gallons of water for each of us per day enough?
I would love to hear from lots of you so we can figure out what we want to do.
Thanks,
Darin DeNeal
The South Rim is a great hike and highly recommended. It is considered strenuous as a day hike, about 13.5 miles R/T by the shortest route. It is more strenuous on the ascent as a backpacking trip due to the additional weight in water and equipment.
The temperatures could well be in the 80's, but could also reach into the 90's at lowest elevations of the hike, so it is best to get an early start. I wouldn't expect the temps on the Rim to be much higher than the mid 80s in the afternoon and probably in the high 60s-mid 70s at night. Be prepared for the possibilty of thunderstorms in July-October as summer is the region's rainy season. The temperatures can drop significantly during rain events at altitude. Always check the weather forecast prior to your departure. The ranger station in the Chisos always has it posted.
You could do an overnight on the Rim, which is a great way to enjoy a sunset and sunrise. You can pick up a permit to camp the day before or on the day of your hike.
Water - 2 gals/day/person is more than enough for the trip (but pretty heavy). It is better to have too much than not enough, but you could pare that down to 1 1/2 gals/day/person and still be fine. That would save you more than 8 lbs. It is possible to sometimes filter water from Boot Spring or in Boot Canyon, but unless there is significant rainfall between now and July, the chances are slim. In dry times it is best to leave the water for the critters, and carry what you need.
There are lots of posts about campsites in the Chisos on the way to, and on the Rim. Use the search function and you should come up with a wealth of advi
ce
Take pictures, have fun, and post a trip report on your return!
