Javelina: Real or Not So Much?

Sorry for the technical difficulties. I cut and pasted the same entry twice. You may have noticed that though. I’ve added pictures to the previous three entries as well. Take a look!



The day was overcast, with clouds streaming over the Chisos Mountains and a little rain spitting most of the time. The temperature stayed in the mid-30s. We made the most it and first drove to the Panther Junction Visitor Center where Elise was awarded her junior ranger…patch! The patch was definitely the way to go since it features a javelina wearing a ranger hat and a roadrunner. The same ranger who gave the talk on mountain lions quizzed Elise on her newly acquired knowledge. He then announced to a fairly crowded room the newest Big Bend Junior Ranger.



We posted our previous blogs in Chisos Basin which was just above a thick band of clouds. The fog was dense on the way up, giving the impression of an eerie oblivion just off the road. Our attempts at some of the choice overlooks on the way down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive were foiled by the fog as well, but eventually we got under the cloud layer and did some exploring.



The Burro Mesa Pour-Off is a one-mile round-trip hike and leads to a dramatic cliff, similar to the one in Pine Canyon. This one is not in forest and the cliff has been worn into a semicircular channel. At the bottom there is shelf about six feet deep and fifteen feet above the base. It would perfectly conceal anyone on it behind the waterfall — if there were a waterfall. Elise and I picked our way up to it. We hoped to see a trickle coming down the cliff, but, alas, the rain has been too light. Then again, we didn’t really want to get caught in a flash flood — certainly not without goggles.



Our chief goal was the Santa Elena Canyon. On the way we saw Harry and Molly long enough for a nice chat and to bestow upon them six excellent chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Just before reaching the trail parking for the canyon, lo and behold! Three javelina were drinking from the puddles in the road. The mythical javelina. The legendary beasts that are supposedly everywhere and yet we had never seen before. They trotted into the brush and we hiked into the canyon happy to have finally spotted the blessed things!


These are probably just animatronic javelinas. Maybe holographs.

The canyon is about 1500 feet straight up on both sides with the Rio Grande flowing at the bottom through a strip of sandy grassland. You can see the cut of it from miles away. We had the whole thing to ourselves. You can’t help but speak in a whisper there, it is so quiet and still. The canyon is too narrow and its walls too high to possibly capture in a photo (but I took 100 anyway). If I were you, I would come down here and see it for yourself. Tomorrow should be a nice day if you can get the time off work.





I have to stop writing now. Danine is nearly done making her delicious corn soup and the smell is very distracting. I hope you all have a nice time at Santa Elena Canyon tomorrow!