Sand Dunes, Big Bend Ranch, and Big Bend National Park – Part 1

West Texas called, and when I picked up my girls from school on that Thursday afternoon and my eldest daughter decided she wanted to go with my wife and I, we hurriedly packed her bags while my folks came to watch our youngest. And we were off.

I often feel like Chevy Chase trying to keep the family happy on trips, but this would be a different dynamic with just one kiddo along. I stressed to my oldest that this was a work trip. No whining or complaining about early mornings or late evenings was allowed. So we headed out, and our first stop was Monahans Sandhills State Park, a 3,000+ acre park full of rolling sand dunes. However, this time I’d go alone at sunrise. The dunes were pristine and the sunrise beautiful. I never saw another person that morning as I slipped across the dunes, angling for the best views of sand, sun, and sky.

sand dunes, sandhills state park, sunrise, monahans, sand, west Texas
Sunrise at Sandhills State Park 2 : Prints Available

With soft clouds overhead, the sun shows its colors as it rises across Sandhills State Park. The sand dunes in this amazing and unique little park are fun to play on, but they have a special beautiful at sunrise and sunset when all is peaceful and quiet. Close to Monahans, Texas, and right off I-20, this makes a great side-trip if you are in the area.


The park is small in comparison to the size of the dunes. The sand stretches on and off for 70 miles. Small critters roam the dunes – rabbits and mice – and bands of Sandhills coyotes keep their numbers regulated. The image below shows the tracks of one of those critters before sunrise.
sand dunes, sandhills state park, sunrise, monahans, sand, west Texas, animal tracks
Sandhills State Park Tracks at Sunrise 11 : Prints Available

Tracks across the sand, perhaps from a Sandhills coyote, lead into the eastern sky where sunrise awaits. At times like this when all is quiet and the sun is rising, the land appears beautiful and perfect. The sand dunes in this image come from Sandhills State Park near Monahans, Texas.


Soon I was heading back to the hotel to pick up my posse and we were off to Big Bend Ranch State Park, the little brother to the national park. We wanted to drive the river road that stretches from Presidio to Lajitas. This area is remote and rugged. We made a few stops along the way – one at the Hoodoo trail and another at Closed Canyon, a small slot Canyon that rises 100 feet above the trail below. After a previous trip to slot canyons in Palo Duro Canyon, it was interesting to see the differences in rock formations and textures between the two canyons. Palo Duro’s canyons we’re smooth sandstone. The slot of Closed Canyon was formed by a stream as it cut through the Santana Tuff of the Colorado Mesa before pouring off into the Rio Grande.
closed canyon, big bend ranch, bbrsp, FM 170, slot canyons, texas canyons, texas slots, hiking big bend, texas hikes, texas trails, west texas, presidio, lajitas
Closed Canyon, Big Bend Ranch State Park 2 : Prints Available

Closed Canyon sits just off FM 170 in Big Bend Ranch Stare Park. The hike through this slot canyon is easy, following a sandy and sometimes rocky trail for only .7 miles. High above, the walls of this canyon in the Colorado Mesa have been cut by water into the tuff over millions of years. The sun rarely reaches the canyon floor, and even in the heat of the summer the shade of the canyon offers a respite from the west Texas sun.


Later in the afternoon we had a late lunch at the High Sierra Bar and Grill in the ghost town of Terlingua. A friend had made this recommendation but warned us the staff works at a slower pace. Sure enough, we waited a long time for our food. The waiter, a young guy recently transplanted from Alaska, apologized several times for the slow service,saying they were really busy. A quick look around showed only two of the 8 or so tables taken. One older couple offered to buy drinks for everyone – they were celebrating their first night out after selling their house, buying an RV, and hitting the open road. They were drunk and happy.
The national park was next, and for sunrise I found myself hiking up a small unmarked mesa to shoot the morning light as it backlit the Chisos Mountains directly in front of me. With a few high clouds that quickly dissipated, the morning was nice. For this image I tried to capture the rugged feel of the Chihuahuan Desert floor with the beauty of the mountains in the distance.
big bend, chisos mountains, sunrise, western slope, yucca, cacti, national park, texas parks, scenic drive, texas sunrise, chihuahuan desert, desert, west texas
Chisos Mountains Spring Sunrise 1 : Prints Available

The rugged Chihuahuan Desert stretched across the western slopes of the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. Taken at sunrise, these mountains rise in the arid desert and contain their unique ecosystem as they reach nearly 8,000′.


Lunch at the Chisos Lodge was followed by an easy hike to Balanced Rock, then back to prepared for the evening adventure.
I wanted to go off road again, this time parking along the highway and walking out on the Tornillo Flats to some distant hoodoos. My daughter loved the adventure and rock scrambling that we did. Finding our way across the flat desert to the rock formations was exciting, and the clouds and sun did not let us down. A little after sunset, the sky lit up in reds, oranges, and blues.
big bend, chisos mountains, hoodoos, chihuahuan desert, west texas, national parks, sunset, texas sunset, desert, texas mountains, chisos, big bend hoodoos, hoo doos
Hoodoos and the Chisos Mountains at Sunset 1 : Prints Available

The Tornillo Flats rest in the Big Bend National Park area just north of the Chisos Mountains. Off the main road, a short hike across the barren Chihuahuan Desert, several hoodoos and other unique rock formations rise from the sandy floor to create an otherworldly scene. In this image, a hoodoo is seen at sunset with the Chisos Mountains in the distance. Overhead, the sky turns pink, orange, and blue on a beautiful spring sunset.

After taking in the moment with the hoodoos in front of us and the Chisos in the distance, we headed quietly turned and made our way back to the highway. I know times like this are fleeting, and I try to savor the moments.

Next up -a return to west Texas, this time with the whole family.

Vaya con Dios, my friends,

Rob
Images from Texas

Exploring Palo Duro Canyon and the Texas Panhandle

This past week, I had the opportunity to spend time in the Texas Panhandle, primarily Palo Duro Canyon State Park, as well as a few side trips around Amarillo, Texas. The late November weather turned out to be superb, and I was fortunate to enjoy some amazing sunrises and sunsets while exploring the canyon.

My family came with me on this trip, and that meant no camping. Instead, we stayed in Canyon, just ~ 12 miles from the park entrance. For my gear, I was shooting with the newish Canon 5DSr. I brought a few lenses, as well – the 11-24L, 16-35IIL, 24-105L, and the 70-200ISL. For a majority of the trip, I only used the 11-24 and the 24-105. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express – 4 adults, 2 kiddos. It was not bad at all, though I’m not a fan of their breakfast. However, I was usually gone when breakfast started at 6am and by the time I returned to the hotel, I caught the tail-end of the morning service. So I stuck to my Apricot Kind bars for early morning food.

One thing to know about Palo Duro is that the entrance gates are closed overnight and don’t open until 8:00am. Having done some work for Texas Parks and Wildlife in the past, I was able to obtain permission to enter the park early in order to photograph sunrise. This made a huge difference, allowing me to photograph during the morning magic hour when light is soft and beautiful.

palo duro canyon,palo duro canyon state park,palo duro panorama,panorama,texas panhandle images,palo duro canyon prints,texas landscapes,texas prints
Palo Duro Canyon Sunrise Panorama 1 : Prints Available

From the rim of the Visitor Center, this is Palo Duro Canyon at Sunrise on a cold November morning. The temperature was in the 20s, and my hands were freezing as I waited for this moment. Finally, the sun peeked over the distant canyon wall. After several images, it was time to go exploring.

* I should add here that I stopped by the Visitor Center to ask a few questions about hikes and such when we first arrived at the park. An older woman who was working seemed to not particularly enjoy her job that much. She questioned all my plans, and even said she didn’t understand why I wanted to come into the park before 8am – the gates were closed for a reason! She went on to add that there was nothing to photograph before sunrise. “Why would you want to get here so early. There’s nothing here worth seeing that early!” I don’t think she should have been a front-person for Palo Duro, as she obviously didn’t appreciate the wonders this place has to offer.

Anyway, the flexibility of the park rangers with allowing me an early entrance each morning made the trip worthwhile. Otherwise, it would been not nearly as productive. The sunrise from the Visitor Center that overlooks the Canyon was colorful – a nice gradient from orange to blue about 40 minutes before sunrise, then transitioning to some nice clouds by the time the sun showed itself for the first time. But during this in-between, my hands were nearly frozen. The temperature was in the upper 20s at this location, and later as I drove through the valley floor, the thermometer read 21 degrees. Yikes!

After finishing up the sunrise shoot, I returned to the hotel to pick up the wife and kids, then came back to take them hiking. We explored the Big Cave (an easy walk for young kids that the Visitor Center Welcome Woman poo-pooed – and my kids loved it), and some other trails. I also came away with some late morning light on Capitol Peak, one of the well-known points in the park. Evening found my wife and me hiking to the Lighthouse. This famous landmark is by far the most popular trail it the park, and for good reason. It provides you a 6-mile round-trip walk on an orange clay path through magnificent and colorful canyon walls and rock formations. You finish the last .3 miles going uphill, scrambling part of the way, to reach the base of the iconic structure. From this vantage point, the views stretch for miles through the distant canyon. And sunset did not disappoint, either. Behind me, to the east, clouds lit up in pink pastels. In front of us, to the west, the sun turned the sky brilliant orange, complementing the orange rock of the Lighthouse itself. We lingered until nearly dark, enjoying the scene and solitude. And I should note that while we passed folks on our walk (all of whom were heading back to the start of the trailhead), we did not encounter another person for the last mile of our walk to the Lighthouse, nor did we see anyone the remainder of the evening. That peace and quiet was pretty special, for sure. Having a place like that all to oneself, even for a few hours, is hard to top.

palo duro canyon,the lighthouse,texas landscapes,texas panhandle. texas images,texas prints
Lighthouse Panorama from Palo Duro Canyon 2 : Prints Available

With a nearly-full moon rising in east, the iconic rock formation the Lighthouse at Palo Duro Canyon stands tall in the crisp Autumn air.

But time moves us along, and eventually we were back on the trail, walking in the dark. I paused to shoot the Lighthouse from a distance with the Milky Way behind it, then again at Capitol Peak to take a long exposure of the mountain as the nearly-full moon had risen and was illuminating the red and orange rock in a wonderful soft glow.

Palo Duro Canyon,Capitol peak,Texas at night,Texas night images,Palo Duro Canyon at night,Palo Duro Canyon photos,Texas landscapes
Capitol Peak under a Full Moon : Prints Available

Under the light of a full moon, Capitol Peak at Palo Duro Canyon is lit up in this long exposure. To the naked eye, there was a little light on this evening, but with the camera, the colors came to life.

The next morning found me back at sunrise again, but this time the temperatures rose into the high 20s and low 30s, so I guess it wasn’t too bad. Another glorious sunrise welcomed the day, and soon we were off exploring.

I would like to come back here again in the spring when the flowers are blooming, and perhaps in the fall when the trees are changing colors as they head into winter.

After leaving the Palo Duro Canyon area, we made side trips to the ecclectic Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo. This field that is on the old Route 66 has ten old Cadillacs that have been buried nose first into the dirt. Funded by an eccentric millionaire and created by a San Francisco art hippy group called the Ant Farm, this “exhibit” is free and open to the public – and spray-painting the old cars is welcome and even encouraged.

cadillac ranch,cadillac ranch images,cadillac ranch amarillo,amarillo art,amarillo cars,texas art
Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo Texas 2 : Prints Available

From a different angle, this is the Cadillac Ranch, a permanent art exhibit outside of Amarillo, Texas, on Route 66. A group of art hippies from San Francisco created the display at the request of an eccentric Texas millionaire, Stanley Marsh.

Heading east of Amarillo, I paused to photograph a few cotton fields. From the highway, the area looked like snow had fallen, but in reality the cotton was white and ready for harvesting. I met a rancher who welcomed me onto his land, so I spent a little time photographing this uniquely Texas landscape.

texas cotton field,texas cotton images,texas cotton harvest,cotton images,cotton prints,texas cotton landscapes,texas images
Texas Cotton Field at Harvest 1 : Prints Available

While exploring the Texas Panhandle and Palo Duro Canyon, I came across several large fields that looked like snow had fallen on them. Instead, the fields were full of cotton and ready for harvesting.

From here, another sunset found me shooting bales of hay under some wonderful skies lit up by the half-light of evening.

All in all, it was a fun, relaxing, and successful trip. What’s next?

Safe travels, everyone,

Rob

Images from Texas
Images from Texas on Facebook

Texas Reds – May Wildflowers of the Hill Country

As the bluebonnets fade, the fields give way to other varieties of Texas wildflowers. Along Highways 16 and 71 near Llano, the reds and golds are in full bloom. Led by firewheels and bitterweed, the fields along the highways and dirt roads are alive with color – some appearing as if they are on fire. I don’t normally shoot during the day, but the colors and contrast between the reds, golds, and blue sky were just too much to pass up.

texas wildflowers,texas hill country,texas wildflower photos,hill country photos,windflower prints,texas landscapes,firewheels,paintbrush
Texas Wildflowers and Fields of Fire 1 : Prints Available

Sometimes in the spring, the Texas Hill Country can explode into a palette of colors. After the bluebonnets fade, the colos of bitterweed, indian blankets, Mexican hats, and other red and gold wildflowers can fill the meadows in years bringing copious rainfall in April and May. In the spring of 2015, fields north of Llano offered one of these amazing displays. Seen here in the afternoon, the reds and golds show off a nice contrast to the blue skies overhead. I rarely photograph landscapes in the afternoon, but for colors such as this, I really like the range of reds, golds, greens, and blues.

I drove over 400 miles last weekend, searching some of my favorite places to see what this spring would offer. I even discovered a few new areas that I’ll pursue in future years. It seems that north of Llano, over to Brady and back to San Saba offered the best displays of flowers. There is even a nice little red bard along Highway 16 north of Llano that, from the road with a medium telephoto lens, offers a nice landscape view with firewheels in the foreground.

texas wildflower prints,texas wildflower photos,texas hill country,red wildflowers,firewheels,texas landscapes
Texas Reds – Wildflowers at Sunset 1 : Prints Available

The last sunlight of day streams across a lonely field of Texas wildflowers – this time red firewheels. On a stretch of dirt road north of Llano in the Hill Country, scenes like this were everywhere in May. The hard part was picking a location for the moment of sunset.

In my travels, I also noticed many prickly pear cacti in bloom. I hope to get out and capture some of these distinctly Texas flowers in the next few weeks – as soon as the weather again allows for good light. For now, it looks like my area of the hill country is set to receive quite a bit of rain over the next 7 days.

In other news, I’m pleased to announce that one of my images will appear on the cover of an upcoming book. Austin, Texas, author Irving Munro will use one of my Austin skyline images on the cover of his second book. See more about Mr. Munro here.

Happy Travels, everyone!
~ Rob