2006/01 Southwest USA trip (MN-TX) - Chisos Mountains |
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We bounced our way back along the River Road, and backtracked along the main road to the Chisos 
Mountains, this time stopping at most of the viewpoints. One of these led to the “Burro Mesa Pour-off”. I followed this trail along a stream bed into a box canyon and at its head was a great chimney of rock, hundreds of feet high. When there is a big storm the whole mesa drains down this chimney and explodes out down the stream bed. It would make a great photo if there was somewhere safe for the photographer to stand!
Up in the Chisos Basin, we filled up with gasoline, and then water and some food. The area was far less crowded than it had 
been at the weekend, and the air was amazingly clear. All the mountains seemed to be bright and sharp. We walked to a view through the “Window” a gap in the mountains where we could see down to the southern desert area and the river, where we’d spent the last couple of days.
We’d have liked to walk some more, but we were running out of time. We left the park by the western exit and went out through Study (pronounced Stoody) Butte. The vegetation becomes much thinner outside the park’s fence because of the effect of thousands of free range cows which eat almost everything. 
Just a few examples of Texas plants: yucca, ocotillo, lechugilla, agave, sotol, palo verde
Some Texas cacti: cane cholla, rainbows, prickly pear, hedgehog, and others