West Texas (Part 2)

In my humble opinion,  Big Bend National Park is underrated.  It is an enormous Park with beautiful hikes and viewpoints and it's close proximity to Mexico opened the door to a super fun adventure. In the morning, we drove to the border and after some brief paperwork and heavy reminders that the crossing closes at 5, we were greeted at the Rio Grande by a boat. Back to Mexico we go!

Being allergic to all things with fur has in the past made me avoid horses, but I couldn't pass up this opportunity. We all mounted our horses in Boqillas and started the journey towards the Boquillas Canyon with our guide Edgar. The landscape was treacherously beautiful. It is a wonderful anything survives in that kind of desert landscape.

After about two hours of riding, we dismounted and climbed up the hill to view the canyon. While the pictures don't quite do it justice, it was high up. If you look closely in the second picture, you can see people far away on the US side.

Before making our way back to the border crossing, we had lunch and beer at a little restaurant in Boquillas. Overall, an exhausting day, but super fun. 

Next day, we hit the trails and after a bumpy ride, made our way to Ernst Tinaja trailhead. The surrounding rocks were a colorful rust orange and exhibited beautiful patterns caused by a millennia of pressure. The hike was not very strenuous, but we did come to a point of no passage due to some water build up. Although Cam and Alex did not get the message and continued the journey anyway. 

We talked for a bit with a photographer who was going to wait until nighttime to try and take photos of the sky. He was nice enough to get a group shot for us.

That evening, we took a short drive and walk to Hot Springs Canyon where we could enjoy the stars while soaking in wonderfully warm water. 

Our last day with friends, we did a grand hike that had sweeping panaramic views. It was about 4 hours and moderately strenuous. 

After polishing off a summit beer, we made our way back to a campsite to enjoy dinner and the last night with friends. It was a beautiful sunset.

Until next time!