The Window, Big Bend

It was 85 degrees in January. No, this isn’t a climate change story. If you live in Texas, maybe this isn’t too odd of a statement already. It certainly seemed the kind of environment the succulent plants of Big Bend National Park were built to survive in. Considering the average yearly precipitation there is 13.76 inches, nothing else but some kind of desert ecosystem could seemingly thrive there.

I had the privilege to go on a day hike in the middle of the park on the Window Trail, an out-and-back path that takes visitors to an amazing view through an opening between two rocks that also serves as a drainage point for water. It was interestingly completely dry at the time, giving visitors the false illusion they could walk on it no problem. Well, that rock worn by years of pour off is smooth, my friend. Right, there’s also the whole cliff on the edge of the smooth rock thing. Proceed with caution!

This hike lies in the heart of the Chisos Mountains, a tiny range completely encapsulated by the national park borders. The range is the result of volcanic, rather than tectonic, activity, which explains its miniscule scope to, say, the Rockies. The pace of the hike is a smooth, slow descent until you reach the Window itself. There is an interesting variation of foliage as you make your way downward. The first part of the hike is almost all desert (after you descend the staircase of doom, only known as such to me because coming back up was a bear). You will then proceed past a lower elevation area that has an interesting variety of deciduous trees. I can’t help but wonder if this area would be considered part of the famous “sky islands”, areas at high elevations in the southern US still populated by trees that can no longer survive in the rest of the encroaching desert (you can read an actual climate change story about sky islands here). These forests are capable of fostering several varieties not found in the true desert, such as aspen, maple, and ponderosa pine (absolutely defying my prior expectations that nothing but desert could thrive in a high temperature, rainless zone). After walking through such barren landscape for a bit this was a pleasant surprise. I can only guess they thrive here due to water flow through this area.

After we made our way through the trees, the rest of the hike seemed to be a canyon atmosphere of hollowed out rock. I can only guess at what geologic processes took place here, but it seems water has been steadily carving its way through this jagged rock for a little bit of time considering its smooth quality in the center of the ravine. Aside from the stairs of doom on the way back, this was the most difficult part of the hike as you need to carefully make your way down the rocks to make it to the Window. It is mainly the length of the hike though, at about 5 miles, that is the most fatiguing if you aren’t used to the hotter temperatures.

This is a moderate hike that I highly recommend as it’s not too strenuous with a really nice payoff at the end. The environment here is also incredibly interesting since it is highly variable as you move through the hike. This mountainous area also stands in stark contrast to the surrounding low mountains and grasslands, which is what gives the Window its stunning view. Big Bend is also a fantastic national park to visit as its relative remoteness leads to fewer crowds than you would normally encounter at a national park.