Once again I’m camping where there isn’t any cell signal. Hard to believe I had better mobile coverage in Bolivia than I do here but its true. It’s okay though, I’ll post this sometime tomorrow when I stop for gas. 

I had a lovely night of stars out in the desert even though it was a little brisk. The sky was so incredibly dark that the Milky Way was like a river flowing from one horizon to the other. 

I woke with the sun, packed up and headed back into Big Bend National Park. My dear friend, Diane Wintzer had given me several things to check out today. She spent over ten years working for Outward Bound and knows this area very well. 

I started my day with a hike into Santa Elena Canyon along the Rio Grande river. It was a crisp clear morning and there were but a few hikers on the trail this early. The water was like a sheet of glass with the multicolored canyon walls rising vertically on both sides. Two bright red canoes quietly paddled by as they slipped deep into the canyon following the path of the river. It was strange to think that one side of the canyon is Mexico and the other the United States. The river is so narrow you could practically jump across it. I’ve crossed so many of these imaginary lines on this trip. Imaginary lines that separate “us” from “them”. 

From the canyon I rode up to the Chisos Basin and went for another hike. Here the bluffs and ridges were covered in pine forests and the views were really magnificent. 

Big Bend National Park is kind of a hidden gem. As National Parks go, this one is pretty remote. It’s not on the way to anything so you have to make a special effort to get here. I saw very little vehicle traffic on the roads and even less on the trails. Very peaceful. 

After leaving the park I road along the Rio Grande for several miles. It was a really fun motorcycle ride because the road was so unpredictable as it serpentined through many canyons. A rollercoaster of hills that would lift me off the saddle as I crested and compressed the bikes suspension through the troughs. Sudden tight curves with uncertain radiuses added to the complexity making it a hoot to carve through. 

I rode though Redford where Outward Bound is headquartered and Diane lived for several years. If you blink you miss it. It’s really in the middle of nowhere. 

I ended my day camped near Fort Davis which at one time was a US Cavalry fort. I am laying here as I write this enjoying a spectacular star filled sky.