Big Bend National Park

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Introducing Boys to Adventure

My days of adventuring started when I was a kid growing up in the small South Texas town of Mission. Our mesquite-shaded backyard, accented with broad stands of prickly pear growing out of hard-packed dirt, was where I first felt the thrill of adventure. I climbed and fell out of mesquite trees, harvested crispy and lifeless cicada shells clinging to gnarly mesquite branches, stalked birds with my air rifle, and made my first campfire in that big backyard.

My thirst for adventure is still strong six-decades later. But what really adds to my excitement is introducing boys to adventure. When Cheryl and I purchased our first tract of land in the Chihuahuan Desert outside of Big Bend National Park, we dreamed of developing it as a basecamp for adventure — especially for boys and dads, boys without dads, and families.


This past week we hosted our fourth annual Big Bend Adventure for boys from the Brookshire community and their mentors. The Brookshire community, located west of Houston, has the highest percentage of fatherless homes in the greater Houston area. We host our campouts in partnership with The Hangar, a ministry of Eyes On Me. This Christian non-profit exists to mentor, disciple, and serve at-risk youth and their families.

The boys arrived mid-afternoon on Sunday. Their first order of business was to select a campsite and pitch their tents. For many of the boys, this was their first time to set up a tent and to sleep outdoors. One boy spent the first night sleeping on top of his sleeping bag because he did not know that he was supposed to unzip it and crawl inside. The temps dipped to 26-degrees that night. He learned a valuable lesson and was much warmer on his second night.

On the first night around the campfire, we gave each boy a hydration backpack and all sorts of survival gear — first aid kit, headlamp, flashlight, emergency blanket, whistle, compass, paracord bracelet, and other cool outdoor stuff. We explained why each piece of gear is important and then used that item as a metaphor for a spiritual lesson.


The boys enjoyed two days of adventure in the national park. They hiked some beautiful trails and saw some remarkable scenery. This was the first time many of these boys had visited a national park. They enjoyed every minute of hiking and boulder scrambling and dipping in the Rio Grande River.


We also set aside one day for the boys to do tasks around the property that can only be accomplished by cooperating with one another. We talked to them about the importance of doing any assigned task well and why their work is essentially their signature.


This year the boys pounded t-posts along what will become a new fence line, fastened the horizontal pieces to cedar posts to make H-brackets and then tensioned those brackets with smooth wire. As in years past, they did a truly remarkable job on their assigned tasks.


James Meredith returned once again to serve as lead camp cook. James met with some of the boys to plan and execute meal prep. Every meal was so good. It was great to see some of the older boys step up to help with the meal preparation — a great way to learn responsibility.


My favorite time is always our evening campfire time. The boys sat around the campfire and listened to testimonies from our friend Rene, aka 211, from El Paso. He shared his powerful story of spending years in prison and falling in love with Jesus. He is a great mentor and a powerful speaker.


My friend a fellow staff member Bobby Cooley shared his emotional story of growing up in a broken home. Bobby is a testimony to the transforming power of the gospel. God rescued him from a childhood so crazy and that was leading him down a path that would have destroyed him.


A young man who goes by the name Nephew was released from prison 36 days prior to the campout. He shared his story of being shot on the streets, almost dying, going to prison, and having a life-changing encounter with Jesus who transformed his life.


As a result of listening to these campfire testimonies, five boys placed their faith in Christ and asked to be baptized in the Rio Grande River. Remarkably, on the day of the baptism, a visitor to the park who witnessed the baptisms asked questions and then placed his faith in Christ for salvation and was also baptized.


Once again, Cheryl and I felt reaffirmed in our commitment to make our place available to serve the purpose of God in our generation. Our hearts are filled with gratitude to God for the ministry of The Hangar and all of the boys and mentors who spent the week with us under the magnificent Big Bend skies. To God be the glory for the things He has done.

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A Chihuahuan Desert New Year

It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. Time seems to fly by faster and faster the older I get. I told a friend that at my age I can’t afford to kill time because time is killing me. I have to make the most of every day.

Once again, Cheryl and I celebrated — or rather slept through — the transition to the New Year out at our off-grid cabin. With a waning moon, the stars were definitely big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. And the nights were cold out in the Chihuahuan Desert where the creosote offers little protection from the north winds.

We headed to the cabin after spending a couple of days with my 95 year-old Dad down in South Texas. Still in great health and with a mind as sharp as ever, Dad is my hero and inspiration. He is an eternal optimist and has remained curious about the world — although he is now resigned to exploring new places by way of his favorite travel shows.

We were excited to meet the Perry family, friends from church, staying at our guest cabin. This was their first visit to Big Bend National Park and they had some fun days planned for their girls. We had the opportunity to share a pleasant night around the campfire before they headed back to Katy.

As always, we had a list of projects, a truck full of materials, and only a few days to make a little more progress on our off-grid paradise. So, we wasted no time.


The first thing on my list was to start on the outdoor cooking area under the solar porch at our guest cabin. The plan is to build half walls clad in corrugated tin to serve as a wind block. I built a cooking counter out of recycled lumber and coated it with spare urethane. I will complete the half-walls on our next visit and then lay pavers to cut down on the dust.


I recently created a shadow box to display my Cub Scout knot board. I made this knot display on March 27, 1967 when I was a member of Pack 60 in McAllen. I recently found it in a box of stuff up in the attic and thought it would be a fun addition to the guest cabin.


I also replenished our firewood supply at the cabin. A couple of weeks ago, my friends Mike and Jeff invited me to join them at Jeff’s father-in-law’s ranch in Navasota where a big, old pecan tree had crashed to the ground and was destined for the burn pile. The three of us spent a morning cutting and gathering firewood for the cabin.


Cheryl tried something new on our little Blackstone grill. Since we don’t have an oven at the cabin, she used the grill as a makeshift oven and baked some really delicious cookies — lots and lots of cookies. We were so encouraged by the success of this experiment that Cheryl will try her hand at making pizza on the Blackstone on our next visit. I am absolutely ready for that!


The rest of our time was spent catching up on a lot of general maintenance items. I installed new light fixtures and added shelves to our (former solar equipment) closet in the main cabin. I also serviced our propane heaters, mouse-proofed our outdoor toilet and shower area, and completed a few others miscellaneous things on the list. Always something on the list.


The weather was amazing. Pleasant days, amazing sunsets, really dark and cold nights, and the soothing and therapeutic silence of the desert. This is a gift — a wonderful gift from God. We are excited about the the year ahead and the opportunity to spend many more days in the embrace of the Chihuahuan Desert and vast Big Bend skies.

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Balanced Rock at Big Bend National Park

Balanced Rock is one of the most popular hiking destinations at Big Bend National Park. This geological feature is very cool and frames some of the most spectacular views in the park.

Balanced Rock is accessed by way of the Grapevine Hills Trail, an easy 2.2 mile out and back hike with an elevation gain of 80 feet. The trailhead is located approximately 6 miles off of Highway 118 down the Grapevine Hills road. Although this is a well-maintained dirt road, make sure that your vehicle has reasonable clearance.

This is a pleasant hike, especially in the morning or late afternoon. The trail winds its way through a little valley in the Grapevine Hills, featuring some of the most spectacular rock formations in the park. Take the time to enjoy the views and the varieties of desert flora along the way.

The final quarter mile leads up some boulders, so you will have to do a little scrambling — nothing too difficult. The trail ends at the Balanced Rock. From this point you will enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding area with the distinctive Nugent Peak off in the distance.

As with all hiking in Big Bend, be sure to take plenty of water and a trail snack. It’s always good to be prepared in case something unexpected happens along the way and you have to wait for help. And remember my hiking mantra: pace and place. Hike your pace and watch where you place your feet and you will have an enjoyable hike.

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The Window Trail at Big Bend

Beyond the Pecos River lies the vast expanse of the Chihuahuan Desert, that wide part of the state that boasts some of the most magnificent vistas in the Lone Star State. This is where the Rio Grande River makes a dramatic turn, giving Texas its distinctive and recognizable shape.

In the southernmost part of the trans-Pecos is Big Bend National Park, a place Lady Bird Johnson once described as “the very edge of the world.” Big Bend was established as a national park in June 1935. Encompassing 1,252 square miles of land, this national park is larger than the state of Rhode Island.

From the riparian region of the Rio Grande River to the rugged peaks of the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend offers outdoor enthusiasts more than 150 miles of hiking trails. These avenues offer access to the amazing geography and geology of this region that is home to more than 1,200 species of plants and more than 600 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

The Window Trail is one of the most popular treks in the park. This 5.2 mile roundtrip trail is an easy hike for anyone in reasonable shape. The trail begins near the Chisos Mountain Lodge and descends 800-feet over a 2 mile stretch to a magnificent overlook of the Chihuahuan Desert. There are places along the way to stop and rest or to just sit in silence and listen to the sounds of the breeze and the birds.

At one point the trail descends slightly into a streambed where the rocks have been polished smooth by the flow of water. Steps carved into the rocks make it easy to navigate this section of the trail that leads to the breathtaking overlook flanked by rugged cliffs.
I should note that the overlook drops 220 vertical feet to the floor of the Chihuahuan Desert. The rock at the overlook is slick, so you should exercise lots of caution and not get too close to the edge. If you happen to be there in the evening, this notch is a great place from which to watch the sunset.
There is a junction a quarter mile from the end of the Window Trail that leads to the Oak Springs Trail. It is worth hiking the section of this trail that ascends to a ridge that offers unobstructed views of the Chihuahuan Desert. The views from this ridge are truly breathtaking.

The Window Trail and Oak Springs Trail will not disappoint. It’s worth taking the time to add these short day hikes to any visit to the park. The views at the end of the Window Trail and from the ridge on the Oak Springs Trail make it worth every step.

A final word to anyone planning on hiking in Big Bend — please make sure that you read the signs at the respective trailheads. These signs will help you to get oriented, understand the time commitment required, and remind you to always take water with you (at the least).

I have seen far too many hikers on trails at the park who ventured out without water. It is important to stay hydrated and to be prepared in case of any unexpected injury or delay that might occur along the trail. That is just hiking smart.

If you have not visited Big Bend I encourage you to do so. It is well worth the drive from any place in the state or the nation.