February 2020 Big Bend National Park

Bob, Dave and two Vigorous Hiker alums, Joan (Tucson) and Roger (Chicago), spent 11 days exploring almost every corner of the vast, remote, and beautiful Big Bend National Park with its interesting mix of desert, riparian and mountain ecosystems. Bob and Roger also visited White Sands and Guadalupe Mountains National Park beforehand; Malcolm and Elena, two more alums from Flagstaff, joined the group for the first 3 days in Big Bend; and Dave extended his visit 2 more days before leaving. Dave and Bob spent 10 of the 11 common days in the park completing 4 separate backpacking trips, one 3-nighter and three over-nighters, while the others did all day hikes. The backpackers' base camp, and the group's lodging, was a rented trailer in Terlingua called "Betty." Joan and Roger cooked for, and provided shuttles and a critical water cache to Bob and Dave, and joined them most days on out and backs and loops on the same trails.