"What a Long, Strange Trip it's Been."

 "Truckin'" by the Grateful Dead. 

Mañana, I'll slowly begin to move north and west of Big Bend National Park. 

It was a weird stay down here. The weather was off, I was off and the humans I came in contact with were way off. Hence an epiphany. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/03/big-bend-epiphany.html

On today's twelve mile loop up and around and down the Chisos Mountains, it felt more like fall than impending spring. I crunched a lot of brown leaves underfoot. Area-code sized gangs of families, youth groups and college kids kept asking me "Are we there yet?"

My answer, "I dunno. What's your destination?" Sometimes they were less than a mile from a trailhead.

We are raising a nation of wimps! I'm not a wimp, just a cold weenie. There's a difference. 

So...tomorrow I'll take a scenic drive along the Mighty Rio Grande River, go for a hike and head back to Marfa. That's been a highlight of this tour. At least the town exudes a benign,  harmless strangeness. (Like me). 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/03/where-heck-is.html

From Study Butte RV Park (pronounced Stoody) 

Hey! I'm in Texas! High Schools spend more on football coaches than teachers. 

PS. I'm not writing West Texas off, just the month of March when the thieves are here. 

Touristy Terlingua, Texas...

With a living population of 58, there's more people Resting in Peace at the local cemetery than residing in the many dubious looking structures within the City? Center. 

But then again, what can one expect from a Ghost Town? 

It was a no-motivation day after my weird camping experience in Big Bend Bandits NP. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/03/big-bend-epiphany.html

So I joined all the other tourists on Spring Break and got me an overpriced bare boned minimum hotel room in Downtown Terlingua.

This once was a thriving mining district. Cinnabar is what they extracted. It's where mercury metal comes from. The town was going gang busters in WW I. Quicksilver was an ingredient for munitions manufacturing. 

Like all mineral based economies, it's boom or bust. (Think Leadville, Colorado). The mines played out and above ground tourists (like me) now provide the cash flow. I'll stimulate the local economy with a visit to the Starlight Bar and Grill now. It's a dirty job, but some Wandering, Wondering Jew has to do it. 

Goodnight Y'all

I booked an RV site in Marfa in a few days. I really liked that town. http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/03/where-heck-is.html

Big Bend Epiphany...

This will be a long blog. Sorry. Grab a beer/wine or coffee or delete if you don't have  two minutes. 

I was returning to my campsite at the Rio Grande Village when I noticed my cheap Walmart camp chair was gone. My solar shower had been kicked around like a soccer ball too. Crap! I left my Coleman stove in the storage box and sure enough it had also gone missing. Double Crap! 

I looked yonder to a neighbors camp. Hmmm! That looks like my chair. It was. Maybe my Coleman stove is in their storage box. It was. I grabbed my gear and flung it in Barley the van. 

Off I went to explain my plight to the campground host. 

I must have interrupted the volunteer in the midst of a Vincent Van Gogh ear amputation surgery. One third of his ear was detached from his head and still bleeding. (I'm not making this up!) I tried my best to be as nonchalant as he was. This wasn't a "I cut myself shaving" wound. 

He assured me he would look into the matter and speak to the accused when they returned. I moved campsites knowing the culprits were Texans and carried a U.S. Army Reserve's worth of weapons in their Mini-Van. I own a dull Swiss Army knife. I wouldn't  stand a chance. 

The thieves pleaded ignorance. They reckoned I left Big Bend NP and couldn't be bothered with taking my gear with me. Hey! I'm in Texas! They really believed that. So they picked up my valuables in order to keep the campground litter free. They were being good Lone Star State citizens. God Bless them for trying to make a difference.

So Jeff...what's your epiphany?

There are times it's best to just hunker down in a real town in the "tweener" seasons. Between fall/winter. Between winter/spring. 

Barley the Van living is based upon warm and long days. A van gets awfully small in inclement weather or 13 hours or more of darkness. I have too much time to think and ponder things. Thinking too much is the arch-enemy of single people. You actually realize you are alone. 

In my future I'll rent temporary pads in places where there's hiking, a few pubs, more humans, warmer temperatures and Spring Training Baseball. 

In 10 days, I'll be hunkering in Tucson. That will be another blog. 

Good night from Big Bend Bandits National Park. 

I'm going to sleep with one-eye open and my Swiss Army knife under my pillow.

PS. Those are real live Mexican horses. The Border Patrol didn't bother them about "Green Cards." 

One side=U.S

 

The other side=Mexico. See the difference? Well, neither do I. 

On a blustery, cold day I hiked from Rio Grande Village (a store, gas station, laundry  and campground) to some hot springs. A few of the bathers swam across the Rio Grande and actually touched Mexico! I expected alarms to go off, but that didn't happen. 

Mexican Nationals leave goo-gags and walking sticks along the trail with requests for "donations." Capitalism is alive and well South of the Border too. 

Meanwhile our Border Patrol can fine or arrest you for doing business with these Mexican craftsmen. It's a strange world we live in. 

Speaking of strange! The temperatures are considerably below average here. This will be the second night where water will turn to ice. At least my beer is staying chilled along with me. 

Believe it or not, Big Bend is booked solid for Spring Break! Who would have thought college kids would want to party on in West Texas instead of Fort Lauderdale? Whatever happened to the days of "Beach Blanket Bingo"? 

Finding a home for Barley and me might be a challenge in the next few weeks. 

I might actually have to sleep under a bridge down by the river.

Who would have thunk it? 

Borderlands National Park...

would be a more descriptive name than Big Bend. 181 miles of the park's boundary is the Rio Grande River. This puny desert stream (dry in many places due to upriver impoundments) forms the border between the U.S and Mexico. 

Down here in West Texas, the idea of two separate nations gets a bit muddled. The river is not a deterrent for people's meanderings. Green and white Border Patrol vehicles ply the paved and dirt roads. Oftentimes, they are seen sitting dormant with a sole occupant scanning the long horizons for "human sign." 

It's all seems sort of sad. A huge effort on America's part to keep the people who clean our hotel rooms, pick our fruits and vegetables, cook our meals, frame our homes and landscape our yards out. I wish the "Powers to Be" could come up with a workable solution to this quagmire.

I'm a first generation American. Sid and Clara were both from the Old World. I feel fortunate and thankful, this nation found space for the two of them. There were immigration questions then and there still are now. An answer is long overdue.

Anyway...Big Bend National Park is a pretty out-worldly looking region. 

It's the most visited place in Texas (even more than the Alamo). One must make an effort to get here. It's out of the way and off the grid. I like that, even though tonight's forecast is for cold, rain, sleet and possibly White Death. I'm hoping the inclement weather goes away soon, or I'll be going away soon. 

Good Night Y'all

Where the Heck is...

Marfa, Texas???

It was a mystery to me until I arrived here myself. Talk about out of the way! But then again that could be said for most of west Texas. I wanted space and that's what I got in sufficient acreage. 

What sets Marfa apart from the rest of the cow s--t stomping towns in these parts is art. Donald Judd, a New York artist and art collector somehow discovered this wide spot on Highway 90. He bought buildings and filled them with artwork. Now there's at least six art galleries in a town of 1,918. 

Marfa is famous for being the backdrop of many Hollywood movies (most notably "Giant" starring James Dean.) 

Let's not forget the Marfa lights too. No one has figured out what causes these flickering, multi-colored lights seen east of town. I looked and looked but they didn't appear for this blogger. 

Marfa began as a railroad watering stop in the 1880's. I stopped at a few watering holes of a different kind. The local post master was incredulous when I told her I didn't  own a sidearm. She told me about her recent purchase of a new .38 Special. 

I was extremely polite to her.

Hey! I'm in Texas! 

Good Night Y'all

Land of Standing Up Rocks...

is the name the Chiricahua Apache Indians used in describing what would one day become a National Monument.  

In the National Park Service scheme of things, it's kind of small. There's about 20 miles of trails which were lovingly built by the Civilian Conversation Corp in the 1930's. When you see infrastructure in the National Parks, it's (oftentimes) CCC construction. They over engineered whatever they created. The Corp left a lasting legacy of well-made pubic works projects.

Thanks Guys! 

Today one can find quiet, big views and lots of whimsical shaped rocks. With a little imagination you can discover:  Punch and Judy, Kissing Rocks, Duck on a Rock, E.T and one Camel. Yes! I walked ten miles for a camel. (Who remembers that cigarette commercial?)

It took me awhile to maneuver, set and balance that 1,000 ton boulder. For the fans of this blog (all 20 or so of you) no biggie. Anything for a good photo op. 

Good night from Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona.

The last photo is Cochise sleeping peacefully nearby.

Next Stop Las Cruces, NM. 

An ocean free day...

It went well! 

I spent quality time with the Saguaro cacti around Scottsdale. 

Fun Facts about Carnegiea gigantea. 

First off. They are named in honor of Andrew Carnegie. Andy is famous for US Steel and building beautiful libraries. His bibliothecas stand out in unusual places like Walden and Trinidad, Colorado. I can spot one a zip code away. 

Two: They can weigh over a ton and grow to 40 feet tall. An arm sprouts after 75-100 years. The specimens who go armless are named spears. I think calling them an exclamation point is more accurate.

Three: Like me, they are cold weenies. After a few hours of below freezing temperatures, they'll perish.

Four: They make crappy shade trees. 

I saw a Humpback whale expelling a breath nearby. It must have got horribly lost! No. That's the man made geyser of Fountain Hills. Robert McCulloch (of chain saw fame) had it built to draw folks to his planned community. He's also the dude who had London Bridge reconstructed over the Colorado River in Lake Havasu City. Rumors abound he thought he was buying the much more ornate Tower Bridge. Whoops! 

I hear an IPA calling my name and I must go. 

Land Ho!

Arizona is the antimatter of Hawaii. There's barely any water, just dirt-dry land all around. I was ready for this look.

I'll miss Hawaii's breaching and blowing Humpback Whales and those bold Green Turtles though.

I won't miss black lava rock.

I shot these photos from Mighty Camelback Mountain in the wilds of Scottsdale after my midnight flight from hell.

Tell us Jeffy, why was it the flight from Hades? OK. I'll tell ya.

A retired pilot (you would think he would understand "red eye" travel and the need for sleep) yammered away the entire flight. He apparently had a captive audience. We were all trapped! 

I knew there was a lot of Blarney spewing from his trap when I overheard this.

"I told Wilbur and Orville, tweak the propeller and wing shape and you'll get this contraption to fly!" 

I'm beat, I'm drinking a great IPA and I'm happy to be back on the Mainland.

I'm torn on whether to get tomorrow's workout in A) Scottsdale's Fashion Square or B) hike a nearby mountain. Decisions. Decisions.

I think I'll go with Choice B.

Barley the Van says Yo to everyone too.

Chiricahua National Monument here we come!

Be well.

I like land. It's easier to hike on. 

You meet the nicest people IV...

Jenny, John and Ana (John Jr. was too embarrassed to be seen with me) are also visiting the Big Island.

I've known Jenny when her last name was Brannan. I watched her grow up since the age of 8. Here she is with two kids and a great husband. I was present at their wedding too.

Does this mean I am getting older too?

Fun visit, wonderful people. 

I board my flight back to Phoenix and Barley the Van tonight at midnight.

OY!

Goodbye to HI...

"Relax" is the slogan often seen on Tommy Bahamas products.

 I've been on Hawaii for 10 weeks, I'm ready to move onto another slogan. Hell, I'll even try Nike's lame, "Just do it!" motto. I'm weary of sitting. I'm failing at being a Beach Bum. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-beach-chair-blues.html

I'm not a water based mammal. I'm terrestrial. I have a college degree in forestry, not oceanography. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/02/sightings-of-loch-ness-monster-are.html

I've run out of things to do. Before you scoff and think, "how can anyone grow tired of Paradise?" Hear me out.

Hawaii's land mass is 4.1 million acres. Public lands make up 43%. Sound good so far,  right?  However, stats can be conceiving. 

The Feds own about 9%. Most of these acres lie in the two Volcanic National Parks. That's cool, but limited amount of hiking. Our Mighty Military controls the remaining acres which they have exclusive rights to. It's not a good idea to pick wild flowers on their installations. 

The rest of the public land is owned by the state of Hawaii. The Aloha State Government does an admirable job with its oceanside properties. Makes sense, since most of the locals and tourists love to frolic in the salt water of the islands.

Unfortunately, the Hawaiian State Parks system seems to manage with a laissez faire approach to its anterior land holdings. It's a free for all in there. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2014/12/occupy-na-pali.html

Where there is fresh water, more than likely you will find squatters. 

The majority of the islands land mass is privately owned. Land ownership is a highly charged, complicated and contentious issue among the native Hawaiians. (Isn't it always with indigenous people?) Suffice it to say, the locals got screwed by the Haoles (white folks). 

You can't flip an apple core without striking a "No Trespassing, Private Property" or the Hawaiians version "Kapu" sign in these parts.

So...Jeffy what's your point?

I've stayed a week too long on small islands.

I would have to sprout gills, fins and scales to find more to do here. (All the requirements of a Kosher fish)

I'm used to places like the Weiminuche Wilderness in Colorado for my wandering ways. I need my space! 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-weminuche-wilderness.html

Next winter, I'm thinking Central or South America or both for my getaway. I'm open to ideas and suggestions. Jeffsambur@gmail.com

Would I return to the Aloha State? Heck yeah! Maybe (God Willing) as a couple so I'll fit in more. 

This sure beats winter.

Next stop! Our Mainland's Southwestern National Parks. Ahh! 

Does anyone know a cure for tendinitis of the butt? I've developed a bad case from all this sitting. 

See the last photo? I wasn't making this VOG stuff up! 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/01/caught-up-in-vog-of.html

A Long Day to (Cough! Cough!)...

Volcanoes  National Park 

The nice Ranger assured me there's nothing wrong with breathing the air in the park.

"Today, the sulfur dioxide isn't too bad. Besides it's the particulate matter that's the real problem. It's kind of like gasified glass."

Hmmm. Nothing like inhaling a ground up beer bottle while hiking.

The 7.5 mile trail is between two venting  volcanoes. The Big Island is a volcanologist wet dream. 

The landscape is featureless. The color varies from charcoal black to asphalt black. It's the Goth look living large. 

Finding your way through this geologic maelstrom would be nearly impossible if not for the cairns acting as beacons through the chaos.

As you can see from the photos the lava flows destroys rain forests and public work projects with equal impunity. 

I've had my fill of Volcanoes National Park. I prefer my volcanoes to be like Mount Saint Helens. There you can find Mother Nature working overtime. A lot less bleak. I like that. 

Should I be worried about the blood in my sputum? 

Good Night from Cough! Cough! Kona,

Jeff 

A Valentines Day Hug

so far.

It began with a 75 drive to the end of the road. Literally. Then hike down 1,200 feet and back up 1,200 feet in less than two miles (twice) to score one romantic interlude. 

OK. So it's a Banyan Tree. Do you have a problem with that? 

Afterward, I basked in the after glow. But it was probably sweat. 

Hope all you Honeymooners had a wonderful Valentines Day.

To the few singles out there, it's safe to come out of hiding now.

Cheers!