Planning Day Trip to Big Bend NP - Advice Welcome!

[fickman]

We are planning a camping trip to Davis Mountains State Park and are hoping to take a day trip to hike one trail in BBNP. I believe we've settled on the Lost Mine Trail.

Any advice or anecdotes of your own experience would be appreciated.

More background:
It will be my wife, 5 kids (8, 6, 5, 3, and 9 months). We are a pretty active family and do a lot of outdoor activities, including hikes around Lake Grapevine, hiking/camping at state parks, sports, etc. My wife will carry the baby in a front carrier and I'll have a backpack carrier to carry either the 3 or 5 year old as needed. The trail is right at 5 miles (2.5 out and 2.5 back), so we can watch the time and turnaround at any point. We will take two full size camel backs, two youth camel backs (the older kids), 1-2 more sport bottles of water, snacks, a small first aid kit, a concealed firearm (or two), toilet paper, baggies (for hiking the TP out if we have to use it), a small garden trowel, and keep another gallon of water or sports drinks at the van.

The plan is to leave camp around 6-6:30 am, begin hiking by 8:30 am at the latest, and be back at the van before 11-11:30 am, regardless of how far we make it. We are then considering taking the Santa Elena Canyon scenic drive after lunch.

We are already taking the kids out for practice hikes in the heat. (Even the 3 year old can walk two miles without assistance if we keep a slow pace.) The temperature should be lows 60 and highs 80-82 when we go, but we will be off the trail before midday. I plan to have my wife lead the group, me bring up the rear, and keep everybody pretty close - with no more than 30 yards separating front to back.

We plan to have a light layer for the cool morning and still something to cover the skin for after the sun comes up, including floppy hats.

What have we missed?
- Should I take bear spray? There have been a few sightings of a black bear with cubs along this trail, but there has never been an incident in the park with bears. Still, would bear spray work against a mountain lion? (I'm trying to be prepared for all situations.)

- I assume that this is not occasion I can justify carrying a survival knife. I'll try to read a little more on this, but if not, I'll definitely have at least one pocket knife with us as well.

[EEllis]

I see no mention of a first aid kit. I would also want bug spray and sun block. Not sure about that area but along with whatever bug spray you use I would also get a real high Deet spray that is used on the shoes, socks, pants etc, to ward off ticks, chiggers, and anything else that might crawl up a leg. I like to have a bit of an emergency kit which would include fire starting and water purification devices. If it were me one of the bottles would be stainless steel which could be used to boil water. As to the knife you would be engaged in a sporting activity where carrying a knife would be normal and legal. I wouldn't carry a 15' Bouie knife but any reasonable camp knife wouldn't be an issue. Honestly I can't think of when I wouldn't take a fixed blade knife on any real hike.

Honestly some things will be a bit overkill from the sounds of things. It just seems that this is a bit of a test situation for you so why not do a full dress rehearsal.

[fickman]

I see no mention of a first aid kit. I would also want bug spray and sun block. Not sure about that area but along with whatever bug spray you use I would also get a real high Deet spray that is used on the shoes, socks, pants etc, to ward off ticks, chiggers, and anything else that might crawl up a leg. I like to have a bit of an emergency kit which would include fire starting and water purification devices. If it were me one of the bottles would be stainless steel which could be used to boil water. As to the knife you would be engaged in a sporting activity where carrying a knife would be normal and legal. I wouldn't carry a 15' Bouie knife but any reasonable camp knife wouldn't be an issue. Honestly I can't think of when I wouldn't take a fixed blade knife on any real hike.

Honestly some things will be a bit overkill from the sounds of things. It just seems that this is a bit of a test situation for you so why not do a full dress rehearsal.

I did mention a small first aid kit.

You are right that I'm probably over-preparing, but as you say, I'd rather err on that side than the other. A good thing is that this is one of the more popular trails in the park and is a few miles from the Chisos Mountain Lodge. We will not stay overnight in Big Bend. we'll do this 5 mile (or less) hike and plan to be back in the van before lunch, back in Alpine before dinner, and back at Davis Mountains SP by bed time. If we do the Santa Elena Canyon scenic drive, we would only stop for overlook pulloffs on the road and would not hike a trail.

Bug spray is an excellent idea, especially for the feet and legs. Anything that will avoid a sting from one of these: http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2015 ... hing_wasp/

For dress rehearsal, we will continue hiking in our area leading up to the trip, going longer distances and having the older two kids wear backpacks to simulate their water packs. I need to go ahead and borrow the kid-carrier from my friend and practice that ahead of time with a kiddo on board.

As for the survival knife, I would prefer to bring one; I wasn't confident that "hiking in a national park" would equate as a sporting activity the same way hiking on private land, hunting, backpacking overnight, etc. would. I'm glad you feel it is appropriate.

[EEllis]

AFAIK bug spray does nothing for bees or wasps but other bites can sure ruin the day for little kids.

As for survival knife, if you mean on of those Rambo things, I wouldn't wear one if you paid me. So I'm not real sure what you mean by that. I have a 4 1/2 blade walnut handled fixed blade knife that would be my "round the camp" knife. I would wear that or something close if I was hiking but no machete or giant honking blade. Even if legal people will think you're a nut. You should wear something reasonable and appropriate for the situation.

[ShootDontTalk]

I have no idea how prepared you are for this, but I worked with EMS back when we lived close to there and my wife was an ER nurse in the hospital in Alpine. The most frequent problems we saw with hikers in BBNP were:

1) Heat exhaustion. The heat there is far different than in the rest of the state. I regularly saw temperatures over 110 before noon and humidity less than 10%. Because of the dryness, you don't realize how much fluid you're losing and how quickly. Wear light colored, lightweight clothing that is very loose fitting. Think Arab nomads in the desert. Cover as much skin with clothing as you can and wear sunglasses and big brimmed hats. Check with the Rangers about the expected weather when you're going to be hiking. The closest National Weather Service is in Midland and there are virtually no weather reports from the Big Bend area. Lots of people greatly underestimate the severe nature of the sun. Take more water than you think you'll need by half. The Big Bend is the only place I ever got sunburned despite wearing a long sleeved shirt - 117 that day.

2) The most commonly encountered dangerous creatures are rattlesnakes. Get bitten when you're an hour and a half or more from a hospital and the bite can be fatal or cause loss of a limb. We never heard of people encountering bears or mountain lions. You just won't see them in the heat of the day. Snakes? They're everywhere. Most people get bitten when they stick a hand in where you shouldn't and disturb a rattler. An odd thing about rattlers is the smaller the snake, the greater the odds of a large venom injection. One thing you can carry is a kit called an "Extractor". (Do not buy the kits with razor blades to cut the bite. That far away from intravenous fluids, a bleed you can't control is lethal.) The Extractor looks like a big syringe and has various size cups on the end. It pulls venom out by sucking it out through the bite wound itself. The Rangers usually can tell you how active the rattlers are. Here is the web page for the Extractor:

https://sawyer.com/products/extractor-pump-kit/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We carried these kits but the jury is still out on how well they work. Learn how to deal with snakebites even if you don't have that kit. Plenty of places to look it up.

Here is a book I carry with me everywhere when I'm out:

http://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Hand ... 0062378074" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Park is a great place to visit, but it is best to take it very seriously.

Here is a General page with a page about safety:

http://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/day_hikes.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a relatively unknown place in the Park well worth a night's stay:

http://www.chisosmountainslodge.com/lodging/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ShootDontTalk]

I forgot two things that are important. First, if you're around the Rio Grande, do not go swimming. Very, very bad.

Second, in the remote off chance you see other people hiking and you're not sure of them, be cautious. Especially if you spot them on the Mexican side of the river.

Prepare well and enjoy your visit.

[Waco1959]

The plan is to leave camp around 6-6:30 am, begin hiking by 8:30 am at the latest, and be back at the van before 11-11:30 am, regardless of how far we make it. We are then considering taking the Santa Elena Canyon scenic drive after lunch.

I may be misremembering but I think it is about 125 miles from Ft Davis to BBNP. Are you allowing enough drive time?

[RJGold]

I forgot two things that are important. First, if you're around the Rio Grande, do not go swimming. Very, very bad.

Second, in the remote off chance you see other people hiking and you're not sure of them, be cautious. Especially if you spot them on the Mexican side of the river.

Prepare well and enjoy your visit.

This is good advice. I've been close to the river in Rio Grande City, Carizo Springs, and in BBNP. I've seen folks either planning to cross or just crossed in all of those places. They usually gave us a wide berth but I wouldn't test them. Sometimes, those folks are desperate and no telling what they would do for food or water.

It sounds like you are well prepared and you've planned well.

Enjoy your trip. It is an absolutely stunning part of the world!!!

[ShootDontTalk]

The plan is to leave camp around 6-6:30 am, begin hiking by 8:30 am at the latest, and be back at the van before 11-11:30 am, regardless of how far we make it. We are then considering taking the Santa Elena Canyon scenic drive after lunch.

I may be misremembering but I think it is about 125 miles from Ft Davis to BBNP. Are you allowing enough drive time?

Waco1959 is right. It is about a 2 hour drive from Ft Davis to the Park entrance.

One other thing. Whenever we were out of the car and off on a trail, I always carried a hand-held GPS and extra batteries (not a cell phone). The trails can be hard to follow. I'm pretty sure they haven't put cell phone service in inside the Park. Take the phone, but don't count on it working.

[oohrah]

Santa Elena Canyon is a must see. The Park office will have current info about bears and cougars and advice on how to react to them. You can carry in the park , but not in the buildings. The border crossing at Boquillas is open during the day, but you have to have a passport to get back. I don't recommend it.

[mojo84]

My advice is to postpone until cooler temps.

[Abraham]

mojo84 and I are on the same page.

I've spent a lot of time camping and hiking in Big Bend. All of it in the winter.

You couldn't pay me to spend any time there in the heat of summer.

[ShootDontTalk]

My advice is to postpone until cooler temps.

Best advice yet. I played golf in Lajitas in August. They have a thermometer in the shade on the patio. I've seen it over 115 several times. Not really very pleasant.

I do recommend the drive and staying at the Lodge. Unless you've been there before, taking it easy outside in August is great advice. It is still 90 degrees in mid November!

[fickman]

The trip is after school starts, doing planning now. (We homeschool, so we can go when places aren't as crowded.) I was purposefully vague on this to avoid broadcasting the exact dates we'll be away from home.



According to the rangers, the typical weather will be highs of 80-85 (for the Lost Mine Trail, which is in the Chisos Mountains), and they said that the high temperature is hit between 2-5 pm.

We may push out a little earlier than I stated above based on the drive time. We have the drive time calculated, but I know we can easily lose 30 minutes between parking and actually hitting the trail.

[android]

Drive up to Guadalupe Mountains National Park and climb the tallest mountain in TX while you're out there.