A deeper Dive Exploring the Desert

As mentioned in a previous post, Andre & I spent Wednesday and Thursday of  last week having a great time traipsing all over the park with Ranger Rob getting an oral history lesson as we explored some infrequently visited sites and locations around the park.  In our travels, we spent time looking at petrified wood, Indian artifacts, dinosaur fossils, rock formations, random pictographs, remnants of old homesteads and numerous old cemeteries in remote locations were ranchers and early inhabitants once lived or worked the land.

We also saw our share of desert animals along the way.  Here are some interesting photos from the explorations.

Pictograph or Graffiti? Circa 1959

Round-tailed Horned Lizard

 

Sea Shell on the desert floor
 (Remnants of a long ago time when this park was an ocean seabed)

Heading out to find the San Vicente Cemetery

  Many graves are represented by a simple cross with no personal identifiers

 

 

Just one of the many beautiful cacti growing among the rocks

 

Large petrified log

 

 

 End view of the petrified log

 

 

 Ranger Rob holding a Western Coachwhip (Red Racer) pulled out of a Sotol plant

 

Bullet casings found near the historic Castolon site

 

Cemetery near Castolon (with Ocotilla growing through the stones)

 

 

 Exploring the Canyon Crevices

 

 Ranger Rob surveying his desert

 

 Stopping to chat with a few Rangers on a work detail (cleaning out a hay barn)

 

 

Andre & I with our friends Angie & Rob Dean

 

 

It was a wonderful couple of days and we enjoyed spending time with some great Big Bend folks who we now consider friends. We will miss this park!