I can't take it anymore! (or, Weekend blast from SATX to Ft. Davis and Big Bend)

[Timba]

It has been far too long since I've had a good road trip, and even longer since I camped out.

With that in mind, a few friends and I planned a fast break from the San Antonio area to the Davis Mountains and Big Bend.

Three of us met on Friday at One p.m. just northwest of Boerne, picking up two more Fredericksburg folks in Junction.

My faithful steed, awaiting departure in the parking garage...

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729065-M-1.jpg

Departing the PoPo's rendezvous with Lee and Glenn...

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729126-M.jpg

Does anyone have an idea of what these things are? The closest I could figure is a clamshell-type hot tub for giants.

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729161-M-1.jpg

Lee declined to get gas in Junction, instead believing in the prodigous fuel capacity of his GS-Adv to get him to Fort Stockton... We'll see how well that worked out... :whistle

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729250-M.jpg

To be continued....

[SNC1923]

:lurk

[Timba]

Our Fredericksburg folks set the pace from Junction to Fort Stockton at about 85 mph.

We covered the two hundred miles in short order. Just a few miles from the gas station Lee started jinking his GS-Adv back and forth like a madman.

As we pulled into the station, Lee's bike went silent. His bike had been cutting out from fuel starvation.

The pump told the story--7.997 gallons in an 8 gallon tank. :nyah
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729217-M-1.jpg

We rolled back out on the road, and the clouds began to darken.
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729301-M.jpg

The GPS indicated there might be some rain in our path...
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729325-M.jpg

As we approached the Davis Mountains State Park, it looked promising:
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729417-M.jpg

The welcoming committee at the Indian Lodge:
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729394-M.jpg

Lee demonstrating the biker chic for setting up a campsite:
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729507-M.jpg

After a run into town for firewood, we began to drink heavily.
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729553-M.jpg

Lee said to Thad, "Don't move, there's a skunk right behind you!" :eek

Thad, of course, leapt to his feet and looked behind him. The skunk was unfazed, and continued to wend its way through the campsite, returning several times throughout the night.

I had packed my tent poles in a bag I didn't bring :doh , so I slept under the stars. The skunks and tarantulas wandered nearby, but didn't try to cuddle. :twirl

To be continued...

[The_Veg]

If the big giant hot-tub thingee had a very large hole in the end facing away from the camera, I'd say it's the housing for the gearbox and dynamo of one of those gigantic windmills.

[Timba]

I do believe you're right! :thumb

[Timba]

After a night under the stars, unmolested by skunks and tarantulas, our camp host showed up to greet us.

I thought she was a little young to be a host, but she was friendly and attractive.
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199727722-M.jpg

After breaking camp, we rolled into downtown Fort Davis to eat breakfast at the drug store.
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729627-M.jpg

We headed up the Loop to the McDonald Observatory...
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729658-M.jpg

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729762-M.jpg

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728021-M.jpg

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728059-M.jpg

The view towards Mexico was pretty smoggy. Someone said that it was due to coal-fired power plants in Mexico, but I hadn't heard anything about that. Sounds plausible, but is it true?
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199727793-M.jpg

The three monkeys...
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728149-M-2.jpg

Coming up next: Presidio, Movie set, Lajitas, Big Bend and rampaging javalina...

[dbOnIce]

I saw that truck in Minnesota.:laugh

[Timba]

We departed the observatory and took the remainder of the Davis Mountains loop. I'd forgotten just how good the part up to the observatory was, compared to the rest of it. Oh, the roads are fine, the scenery spectacular, but nothing compares to those miles of perfect sweepers on the way up.

I kept seeing something that seemed out of place up in the sky, but never got a chance to get a good look at it, until I saw a hawk land on a pole. I pulled over to get a shot of the hawk, and saw said out of place item floating above the bird.

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728246-M-2.jpg

Aha! Weather dirigible or some such. Cool. I wonder if that thing is tethered, and what happens to the poor little private pilot who violates the tether's airspace?

Gorgeous, just gorgeous. Ever since I've seen this rock formation, I've wanted to have a little cabin tucked away up there.

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729752-M.jpg

More Davis Mtns. loop.

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729848-M.jpg

We continued on down to Marfa. When we stopped for gas, the town looked it was overrun by extras from a movie set in the 60's. A tent town on the outskirts indicated that it might have been some kind of gathering for an event.

We took the long way through Presidio, getting a good look at all the little shops. It felt a lot like Mexico.

About twenty miles out of Presidio, on River Rd., I saw this cable car contraption that ran from the US side over to what looks like a cave on the Mexico side. I can't for the life of me figure out what's going on with that. Anyone?

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728353-M.jpg
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728457-M.jpg

A few miles further on, Lee and I took a side excursion to see the leftovers from the set of an old movie.

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728503-M.jpg
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728590-M.jpg
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728642-M.jpg
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728714-M.jpg

Looks real enough, until you see the fiberglass and plywood.
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728846-M.jpg

We only stayed about 10 minutes, but nearly cooked in that time. It was 103 in the shade, 107 in the sun. What the heck, it's almost winter!
http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199729862-M-1.jpg

We rolled into Big Bend with isolated showers teasing us. The coolness would have been very welcome.

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199730104-M.jpg

The road into the Basin never fails to impress.

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199730184-M.jpg

As we were checking for open campsites, I think we met this guy: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270620

You don't see too many Caponards around. :thumbup

We grabbed a site, and made ourselves comfortable.

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728973-M.jpg

I picked a nice open spot away from the tents for my tarp and sleeping bag.

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199730399-M.jpg

Moonrise over the Basin:

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199728956-M.jpg

At about 4 am, I awoke to the sound of these two hooligans looking for a meal. They approached to within about ten feet (halfway between me and the tree above), but luckily (for me or for them:evil ), no closer.

http://timba.smugmug.com/photos/199730402-M-3.jpg

Tomorrow: The ride home.

[PHMarvin]

Hi,

You wrote, "The view towards Mexico was pretty smoggy. Someone said that it was due to coal-fired power plants in Mexico, but I hadn't heard anything about that. Sounds plausible, but is it true?"

South of Piedras Negras there is a huge older power plant and a gargantuan newer one. I used to pass by (I worked in Mexico for many years) as the newer one was being built. It's been in operation for a few years and both of the plants burn coal. The air is markedly smoggier than it was when we used to pass through that area in the mid-'80's.

[PHMarvin]

Hi,
The "weather dirigible" is, in fact, tethered to the ground. It is a platform for radar which is supposed to pick up low-flying drug smuggling aircraft. There is also another one south and west of Deming, NM and probably another one or two along the border.