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So (no surprise), I got 'ranch fever' almost immediately after buying the land, and decided to drive out & hook up with BDann (Brian). Our destination was the far western edge of the Solitario portion of Terlingua Ranch, where we could explore the 20-acre tracts we each had just recently purchased. Brian's tract happened to be directly north of mine, and we were both a bit worried about the roads, so we figured 'safety in numbers' & headed out together. To my surprise, the 16+ miles out there from Rt.170 proved to be easier than the trip up to Juniper Canyon.
FYI You can click directly on a pic to open a larger version, and you can see a gallery & slideshow here: http://trtlrock.smugmug.com/gallery/8586598_opXYs#565973103_MuCvLThe adventure began on a Friday evening about 6pm Virginia time. Slept 3 hours in the truck in a Nashville rest area, then grabbed another 5 hours in a motel somewhere just east of Dallas. Hit Persimmon Gap about 3:30pm Sunday, touched base with Brian, and we decided to head on out to the 'Ranch' that same afternoon.
As I pulled into the Study Butte store to get ice etc I looked at the trip odometer. Cool. Of course I did chase my tail at least 7-8 miles back in Harrisonburg VA trying to find that Starbucks they had so cleverly hidden inside the Target, but still...
After making it out to the Ranch no problem, woke up the next morning & started to wander around a bit.
Views from the tract towards Hen Egg, Packsaddle, The Chisos -- nice sunrise!
The roads were surprisingly good.
Looking north:
Marsh Centuary (Centaurium calycosum)?
Engelmann's Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii)
lots & lots of limestone:
Plains Blackfoot (Melampodium leucanthum)?
Two large tinajas down in Saltgrass Draw, which runs across the property. There were maybe 15+ tinajas that I saw. Only a couple looked inviting; the rest were definitely in the "am I really
that thirsty?" category.
Ummm...did I mention yet that it was
HOT! No?
Interesting 'stacks' & formations down in the draw
Looking west down Saltgrass Draw
Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa)
50-60 foot cliffs & hidden alcoves at the deepest portion of the draw
Hmmm...don't these go with Balanced Rock at Grapevine Hills?
Saltgrass Draw heads west into the Solitario & appears to get deeper; the property is about a 10-minute hike from the BBRSP border.
Looking north at Agua Fria Mtn.
Anvil over the Chisos:
Looking east after threatening weather passed overhead
Stiffstem, Berlandier, or Bowl Flax (Linum berlandieri)?
Can anyone ID this guy?
A pineapple cactus of some kind, perhaps (Escobaria tuberculosa)?
Lots of these guys about. I believe they are Texas Cone Cactus (Neolloydia conoidea)
this one flanked by Candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica) & the ubiquitous Flower of Stone (Selaginella lepidophylla), currently in its dry, crunchy, dessicated state.
Up top, out of the draw, it was nothing but razor rock. Seriously, there was literally not a single horizontal rock surface where you could sit without instantly slicing your pants & posterior to bloody ribbons (not that I did that!).
Take the Ridgerest with you or stay standing. And there were so many cone cactus about that (with all the lechuguilla & razor rock) you had to REALLY watch your step. Luckily, no dog cholla though!
Desert millipede (Orthoporus ornatus)
Living Rock cactus (Ariocarpus fissuratus). I haven't run into too many of these in my previous wanderings, but there was a grouping of at least a dozen in a 150 sq. ft. area that I found, and as I was walking with Brian to show him where they were, we stumbled upon several other nice specimens.
Might be Parry Ruellia (Ruellia parryi)?
Some really cool micro cacti lurked amongst the limestone rubble. I think all of these might be the Common button cactus (Epithelantha micromeris)
Not much chert around, but there were a few cool rocks here & there:
Mesa greggia aka bicolor mustard aka Velvety Nerisyrenia (Nerisyrenia camporum)
To me, these look like the same flower albeit in different colors. I have no clue what they are -- anybody know?
Glandleaf milkwort (Polygala macradenia)?
Storm blowin' in from the Solitario...
Note to self: do NOT use 16x20 foot tarp again! A little wind kicks up & that thing might as well be a SAIL! Had to untether a few stakes so the fabric around the grommets wouldn't fail completely, but by morning it was hopelessly compromised & had to be struck. Took a less ambitious approach & put up an ultralight 8x10 tarp instead -- seemed to work just as well for quality of shade, if not quantity.
Saw quite a few of these -- they seem to like the sotol.
After the slight 'storm'
Another beautiful sunrise, looking towards Hen Egg.
After striking the tarp (allowing me to actually drive the truck -- didn't think of that, did I?), I went out to Study Butte & re-stocked. On the way back, I snapped this view looking NW towards the eastern curve of the Solitario, a huge collapsed laccolith that can be seen from space, and is often assumed to be a large meteor crater. The 'ranch' is on down the road a ways.
Cowering under the newly erected tarp.
Let's face it, from about 11am-6:30pm it was oppressively hot. The temperature maxed out in the low 108s...in THE
SHADE! And it's a LOT hotter out there right now, as I write this some 10 days later...maybe 10 degrees hotter. I took a Kindle out there with me, but it was really too hot for light outdoor reading. And I took lots of new camping gear & a new tent etc, thinking I might install the proper guy lines & otherwise get conversant with some of this new gear, but it was WAY too hot for that kind of work. So, basically, I just sipped water, ate some fruit, and kept my explorations short & local before ducking back under the tarp to recover. Repeat as necessary. Sat in the truck with the AC on max a couple of times when it got really bad.
Whitethorn acacia (Acacia constricta)
I believe this is Cob cactus (Coryphantha tuberculosa)
Texas False Agave (Hechtia texensis)
Sotol bask in the late-afternoon light while the Chisos brood in the background:
Looking east at, from left to right, the Corazones, Christmas Mtns, Little Christmas Mtn and the Chisos. Saltgrass Draw is barely discernable in the right of the picture; it curves south in front of the prominent hillocks, eventually feeding into Terlingua Creek.
The other half of BDann's rainbow:
It's Thursday morning & fresh-ground coffee is in the cup! Thought I might sleep in a bug bivy to avoid worrying about any snakes, scorpions, or spiders. Ended up sleeping in the truck bed though -- turns out the Tacoma bed has exactly the right amount of space between the wheel wells to fit side-by-side double-stacked Z-Rests with each side having a Thermarest on top. Brought the Tempurpedic pillows from home...mmm...comfy. Kept all the windoors on the cap wide open, along with the tailgate. Equally protected, but a lot more comfortable.
Eagle-claw aka Devil's Head (Echinocactus horizonthalonius)
Several fossil sightings:
Range Ratany (Krameria glandulosa)
Back down in Saltgrass Draw. Lots of tadpoles in the tinajas.
These guys were clustered densely in a very small tinaja. I don't imagine they had much time left -- better hurry up guys!
There was delicious cool shade down in the draw. Sat on the sand with my back against a slightly chilled rock wall & ate an orange. Kept still & quiet, and watched the lizards scurry about. Was rewarded with the sudden appearance of a ruby-throated hummer exploring some Red Canyon Sage (Salvia microphylla).
Had I the foresight to bring a full lunch, more water, the Kindle, and perhaps an adult refreshment down there, I could have easily passed the whole afternoon in comfort. Next time...
After waiting at least another 10 minutes in the hopes a mountain lion might wander by
I gave up & continued exploring...
...some type of juniper I believe?
Baccharisleaf Penstemon (Penstemon baccharifolius)?
Trumpetflower (Tecoma stans)
White-Eye Goldenweed (Machaeranthera blephariphylla)? Definitely something in the Aster family, anyway.
