Mandy & I arrived @ the basin on the night of 7/12, set up our site just before nightfall, and then we slept 'till the next morning...
7/13 we woke, took down the tent, were in the middle of changing shoes, then some javelina crossed through our site. It was a sign of things to come! Driving out of the basin to possibly take on CG from Lost Mine, we saw something in a tree off to the left just before the last pull off on the left before you get to the Lost Mine trailhead. Bear(s)!!! Couldn't make out the other bears in the tree, but there were more than one... The one on top posed for a few moments... Scratched CG/Lost Mine from the list since we were in Mandy's Santa Fe, hit Mariscal Mine instead, then hit Ernst Tinaja afterward, then set up camp @ Noria.
7/14 woke up after only a taste of rest per the furnace we were treated to in the desert, hit hot springs. Heard something in the reeds on the way to the springs, made enough continual noise so that we sorta knew it was an animal, forgot to have the camera ready on the way out and I missed perhaps my only chance at a bobcat picture at a distance of less than 20 feet from me directly in front of me on the trail itself. Its head was buried in lizards, so it was as surprised as I was when we both saw each other. No life forms were harmed during said encounter. Headed to CT across from Sam Nail. Saw little water per the dry conditions, but we were still treated to a ton of dragonflies. Decided to get a room that night so we could empty the fully stocked car for an excursion to Ojinaga the next day, went to Terlingua for 2-for-1 and some drinks.
7/15 went to Ojinaga and were treated to a great breakfast @ a bakery, a great lunch at a restaurant whose name I can't remember, and the drive to OJ itself... That was awesome! The hawks were out in full force that day with one particular 1/4 mile or less being jam packed w/the birds. Got a few pics of the ones who would pose, went on to the breakfast/lunch previously referenced... Hit Ft. Leaton on the return drive with a subsequent stop in Terlingua for some shopping, then visited Santa Elena Canyon on the way back and got some bird shots including my first ever bunting pic. Hard to spot, as colorful as they are!
7/16 headed out early for an interp program @ Dugout, was treated to a rainbow (double if you look really close) over the lodge... Even got one of 'em in the frame w/Casa Grande! Interp program was excellent, and as if that in itself weren't cool enough, our ranger spotted a snake skeleton. That was particularly cool to me since I'd just bought the Terlingua-Bad to the Bone snake skeleton shirt the afternoon before on the way back from OJ! Saw a big daddy perched hawk IN BBNP this time. Driving past Lost Mine into the basin and passing the very next pull off on the right just after Lost Mine, there up ahead on the right was a black mass in the same tree that we'd stopped at before... Bear!!! This time we only saw one, took a pic w/my work jersey on trying to get me, the jersey, and most importantly the bear to ALL come out in the shot. Difficult enough to say, even more so to do.
Before heading off to the room for the night, headed to the Sewage Lagoon area where I assured Mandy that we were going to see SOMETHING. Not more than 1/2 a minute later, there WAY off in the distance was a black mass moving its way towards the trail. Watched a young bear walk up the trail, scare a hiding deer (he almost looked like he'd give chase), then he moseyed up far enough up the trail to where we decided to get out of town in case he was going to head our way. During his trip, I SWEAR I started hearing a cat hiss loudly as if to warn the bear to stay away from it or its litter or its recent kill. I couldn't spot the source of the sound, but I guarantee that something was trying to ward off the bear (which paid it no attention anyway).
7/17 headed up South Rim to NE4... Awesome secluded site, but it rained on us all the way up there from about the Toll Mountain/Emory Peak area on. Thankfully my awesome pack has a built in rain cover, and since mine had one I had purchased one for my wife's pack just in case. That Boyscout-Be Prepared thing paid off. Unfortunately my glasses were spotted, so I took 'em off and couldn't ID a SUPER large whiteish bird flying slowly through a valley that we were passing through at upper elevations. Looked like a hawk, but picture something large as a big vulture... No glasses=no ID for me, though. Rained all night, NE4 had small bear boxes, so our packs were on the trees being rained on, but they were bone dry under the covers the day after. Were going to stay 2 nights, but the rain and everything somehow took a toll and we decided to head down the next morning.
7/18 headed to South Rim to see what was there, saw Peregrine's playing in the air, one dive bombing the other... Screeching as it did so. THOUGHT I was recording it on my camcorder, but I was recording the ground, then hitting stop when I aimed the cam up to shoot the birds (pun not intended, but I grinned just then nonetheless). Helps to pay attention to your gear, but I was more interested in seeing the birds through my own eyes rather than a viewfinder. We saw it, but you guys can't see it... Sorry about that! :(
Saw plenty of humming birds up there, none posed in nice enough spots for me to get a good shot for you guys... Didn't have my flash on though I packed and lugged the thing up there... Rain had me leaving it off even though it didn't seem like it'd rain the next day. Did what I could do with what I had in front of me (with the exception of that camcorder goof up), and here's what I've got to show for it:
http://web.mac.com/stingrey/Btw, left the bend on 7/18 even though we had originally intended to stay longer. I know other Benders were going to be in the area, but we had no idea where/when, and to be honest, we were pretty beat after taking on the trek to NE4 with full packs in just one day with a return all the way back the next day. On THAT note, we passed by SE3 on the way out... SE3 is not as secluded, but it has large enough bear boxes to put your packs away (TWO of them), AND it is right on the ledge practically... That is more what I envisioned when we set out on that trek. Though NE4 is more secluded, I can guarantee that next summer if I do that same hike, there probably won't be anyone passing through that trail in the middle of summer... In other words, I'm already planning my return but with a stop at SE3 next time!
Enjoy!
