3 days in January: Mariscal Canyon, Cross Canyon Trail, Mariscal Rim Trail

[DJ]

And with that, I have floated all three canyons.

After my 10 hour drive, I arrived at PJ at 1:30, January 22, 2010. I made my way to the permitting counter and explained my itinerary. As I knew from experience it would be, my plan was met with a furrowed brow and a negative head shake. The rangers seem to act with an over abundance of caution rather than just providing some common sense advice. One ranger responded: "Where should we send your body after we recover it?" Here is what the park staff found so disturbing:

Day 1: Drive River Road East, camp at Solis 2
Day 2: Drive to Talley, inflate kayak, float Mariscal Canyon, take out at Solis landing, camp at Solis 2
Day 3: Hike Cross Canyon Trail to Mariscal Canyon Rim Trail to Talley, retrieve vehicle, drive back to Solis to retrieve kayak and camping gear

I felt like I had done my homework so the trip seemed reasonable. I did travel alone and that always adds an element of risk, but I was willing to take that risk.

Following is a pictorial essay (with captions).

Day 1


385 south of Marathon

River Road East

RRE, El Pico

RRE, Moon Scape

Solis Road

Camp Site, Solis 2

Day 2


Sun rise, Solis

Rainbows on RRE going to Talley

Rainbows on RRE going to Talley

Rainbow over Mariscal Mine

Death comes to us all

Sun shining on Elephant Tusk

Looking downstream at Talley

Cat track ?? at Talley

Entrance to Mariscal Canyon

Rock Pile

Rock Pile, another view

In the canyon, looking upstream

In the canyon, looking downstream

In the canyon

Looking upstream just before Tight Squeeze

Tight Squeeze, looking upstream

Tight Squeeze, looking downstream

I thought I had come out of the canyon when I got here only to find out I was about half way

A photo I took of myself. Is my nose really that big?

Calm water. My kayak stood still.

More calm water. There were times when the wind howled

Back at Solis 2. The truck is still at Talley. The float trip took 5 hours.

Day 3


Sunrise at Solis

Cross Canyon trail head

A dam in the Mariscal Mountains

The junction of Cross Canyon and Mariscal Rim trails

Looking at Mexico from the MC Rim Trail

Looking west at the Rio Grande from MC Rim Trail

Mariscal Canyon from the Rim Trail

Looking down at Tight Squeeze

Another view of Mariscal Canyon

Descending westward on the Rim Trail

Ruins at Talley

A sight for sore eyes (and legs) after my 6 hour hike

The parking lot at Talley. Nothing was stolen.

Yours truly

After all of that, I "camped out" at Easter Egg Valley.

What a trip. I probably say this after every new adventure in Big Bend, but the view of Mariscal Canyon from the Rim Trail is about the most spectacular thing I have seen in the Park.

[chisos muse]

WOW!!!!   

Good for you DJ! Personally, I would have gone back to the rangers and told them what a great trip it was...

Looks like you had perfect weather too! 

[dkerr24]

Awesome set of pics! Did you have to carry your raft past the tight squeeze, or were you able to get through it?  Looks like the Solis road could get washed out by the next deluge.

[bjbriggs]

A good trip report and photo's, some people in here were talking about what you just done and were wanting to do it.  That was neat trip. Glad no one broke into your truck.

[Catman]

Way to go WC! Wish I had been there. Darn...No flats this time and no sleeping in the truck bed at RGV.  I think the Canadian needs to make a return trip, and soon.  

Thanks for the great report, I am now a worthless POS sitting in my cube trading nat gas.  See ya soon buddy!


Catman

[DJ]

Awesome set of pics! Did you have to carry your raft past the tight squeeze, or were you able to get through it?  Looks like the Solis road could get washed out by the next deluge.

The river was at about 4.5 feet (RGV) so just paddled through tight squeeze. I think you are correct about the road at Solis being washed away.

Solis 2 is a little over a mile from the river. I hiked up Solis Road to get back to my camp site. I had broken down all my gear and stashed it behind some bushes just to make it more difficult for any would-be thieves. It would not have been any fun to return and find my gear stolen with my truck 11 miles away on the other side of the Mariscal Mountains. The next morning I hiked back down to the river to pick up the trail head.

[homerboy2u]

One ranger responded: "Where should we send your body after we recover it?" Here is what the park staff found so disturbing:

 What encouraging words from the park office , before tackling a beautiful river trip........Advertised in Texas Highways Magazine. Excellent photography too.

[bdann]

Awesome!  

[randell]

Outstanding trip and pics!  What is up with the rangers!  Just because they get a lot of outdoors newbies doesn't mean everyone is a newbie.  Some people just want to have fun and know how to do it right!

[mule ears]

Absolutely brilliant! 

What a great way to solve the shuttle problem and hike the mountain.  I hope to hike the mountain, including Cross Canyon down to the river next winter and yours are the first pictures I have seen of the Cross Canyon trail, with that metal sign at the junction of Cross Canyon and the Rim trail it looks more developed/maintained than I had imagined.

Thanks DJ!

[DJ]

yours are the first pictures I have seen of the Cross Canyon trail, with that metal sign at the junction of Cross Canyon and the Rim trail it looks more developed/maintained than I had imagined.

ME,

Cross Canyon trail is very faint in spots but well cairned all the way. The sign at the junction is just leaning against the rock...it needs to be secured...though I guess if one makes it that far one would know which way is which.

Here is another shot on the Cross Canyon Trail looking back to the east at El Pico.

[TexasAggieHiker]

AWESOME!!!   

[fartymarty]

Thanks DJ! Excellent trip and report!

I was not familiar with your type of pontoon-raft-kayak so I did some searching and came up
with "PaddleSki", is that what it is?

Can you tell us about the other 2 canyon trips? Were they solo or commercial trips?
If solo did you use the same watercraft?

The pictoral essay is a great format, thanks again. 

[DJ]

I was not familiar with your type of pontoon-raft-kayak so I did some searching and came up
with "PaddleSki", is that what it is?

Can you tell us about the other 2 canyon trips? Were they solo or commercial trips?
If solo did you use the same watercraft?

Marty,

Yes, a Paddleski. Is this what you found: http://www.seaeagle.com/PaddleSki.aspx

I have taken my Sea Eagle up Santa Elena canyon a few times. The river level needs to be just right for that boomerang trip. We made it to Fern Canyon, then gently floated out. Also, I have taken a commercial trip through Santa Elena Canyon putting in at Lajitas. The river was up over 10 feet when we did that trip so we were able to make the entire float in one day (Big Bend River Tours). I was with others on all of these trips.

When I was a boy my dad took me through Boquillas Canyon twice. One time we were in canoes and another time we were in a raft.

Love the river trips!

[badknees]

Incredible trip. Glad to see all these trip reports from little visted places.