Charlie and Janice's home page

Here are a few photos from our trip to Big Bend National Park, Texas in February 2010, where Charlie hiked Elephant Tusk trail. Click on one of the small images below to see it full size.

Elephant Tusk viewed from the South Rim of the Chisos Mountains, during our November '09 anniversary trip. The trail runs to the left (East) and ends in the desert at Black Gap road. Charlie at the start of the Dodson Trail, aiming to reach the start of the Elephant Tusk trail by sunrise. Six miles later, Charlie reached the start of the Elephant Tusk trail and cached half a gallon of water, very important later as it turned out. Looking East at sunrise.
Looking south towards Elephant Tusk at sunrise. View of Elephant Tusk shortly after leaving the Dodson trail. A great place for a wedding: looking North to the Chisos Mountains. It was a cold clear morning, perfect hiking weather.
The trail was overgrown and hard to follow even using a GPS. Another great view of our wedding place. Getting closer to Elephant Tusk before dropping down into a long dry wash. Recent rains had brought lots of color to the trail, but a lot of the rock cairns were hidden by new grasses and catus bushes.
Charlie missed a rock cairn and ended up in a slot canyon, pretty but hard to hike through. The slot canyon that was NOT the trail. Finally out of the slot canyon, South-East of Elephant Tusk but far from the correct trail. After a three-mile detour, Charlie reached the trailhead on Black Gap road where he and Janice had planned to meet.
No sign of Janice and our meeting time had passed, so Charlie started back knowing it was 16 miles to his car, leaving a note for Janice under a rock. Good view of Elephant Tusk, from the correct trail this time. Looking back towards the trailhead on Black Gap road. The correct trail followed the rim of the Canyon that Charlie had ended up in earlier.
The canyon that Charlie hiked through by mistake. Fortunately, Charlie's water bottle was still where he had cached it, now only six miles more to the end. This is what feet look like after 35 miles on steep rocky trails. Meanwhile.... Janice was driving a 4-wheel drive Jeep to meet Charlie at the Black Gap Road trailhead.
On River Road East. River Road East, with Marsical Mountain in the distance. The GPS took Janice to Black Gap Road, but to the North end not the South. On Black Gap Road.
On Black Gap Road. By the time Janice made it to the trailhead and found Charlie's note, he was hiking back up into the mountains. Janice drove all the way to Castolon (nearest paved road) on River Road West. River Road West.

Charlie and Janice's home page

Last updated: 12/15/12 09:30 PM by Charlie Ashton