Before, after, or while listening to this episode, check on the pictures related to this post...

Also, thanks to those who by my books!

Pic 1: Picture of me trying on hat in the store next to the Mexican brown bear and the two friendly, smiling sales clerks. I'm clearly uncomfortable standing so close to this bear. (Hat made by Henschel Hat Co. USA - "Aussie Hat" - $65)

Pic 2: Picture of dad and me wearing our hats! The mule is Jane, whom I rode in Colorado. Jane is in my Kip Stone Adventure novel called Mountain Cabin (Epic Adv - Stone 2).

In this episode, dad and I discuss ideas for packing. What to take. What can be left behind. How this trip is different from the SNP trip. Desert hiking with a base camp site will allow us more flexibility to have comforts readily at hand. Things we will want in the desert but didn't have for the forest include: binoculars, harmonica, podcasting gear, jugs of water, extra blankets, different hats, and so on. For about 15 mintues (starting at 30 minute mark), we also discuss the creepy crawlies we'll likely encounter. Scorpions, centipedes, spiders, snakes, ants, and so on. That's pretty much it. We are obviously more relaxed about his trip than the last, only because we plan to take day hikes that return to our base campsite every day. On the SNP, the plan was to hike into the woods for 7 days with everything loaded into our backpacks. Not happening this time. (Didn't happen last time either, for those who followed that trip.) Anyway, long ramble over...

First half of show is completely off-topic. We'll be in Big Bend National Park soon, and we aren't really stressing out about the planning, which is good. Compared to planning the A.T. trip, this one is much more relaxed. Since we have a campsite reserved, we'll just go down and hike whatever hike we want. We'll pack the car with food, water, blankets, and so on, and whatever we need will be readily at hand. Soon, we'll probably be researching small campers, because day hiking loops back to a base camp is the way to go for us.

Here are some maps we used during the episode...

Chisos Basin Satellite Map by Google

Campground Site Numbers(White-numbered campsites may be reserved. Black-numbered are first come, first served.)

Chisos Basin Campground Reservations Website

Below Campsites Are Available for Reservation as of 31-Dec-2014(see black numbered sites above for first come, first served)

During this podcast episode, dad and I discuss Big Bend National Park primitive campsites for backpackers, as well as the Chisos Basin campground. The campground seems like a sensible option for backpackers, and dad and I plan to reserve a site to use as a base camp during our visit. On any given night, we will then decide whether to camp out at a remote ("primitive") backpacking site or just stay at the campground. It will depend on what hikes we decide to take. At the present moment, we are considering the following hikes:

South Rim Loop

Lost Mine Trail

Emory Peak Trail

Window Trail

Santa Elena Canyon Trail

We discuss a 2 day, 1 night backpacking hike called the South Rim Loop in Big Bend National Park. The trailhead is just south of Chisos Mountain Lodge. Day 1 is a 5.25 miles ascent along Laguna Meadow Trail to a campsite along the Southwest Rim. Day 2 is an 8.6 mile descent back to the lodge via Pinnacles Trail.  (Sidenote: We will probably need to take Boot Canyon Trail on the descent--rather than Southeast and Northeast Rim Trails--due to peregrine falcon closure dates.) We called the Chisos Mountain Lodge and made reservations, which we recorded live, and so we have set a firm travel date around the week of February 20th. We made a lot of progress on this episode, and although it ended up longer than most, it's chock full of details.

In this episode, I present to dad the "South Rim Loop" hike, an overnight backpacking hike in the Chisos Mountains, departing from the Chisos Basin Trailheads and Parking Lot (near the Chisos Mountain Lodge). Day 1, ascend 1884 feet in 5.25 miles. Day 2, loop back and decend for 8.6 miles. Promises incredible views and possible black bear sightings in Boot Canyon. 

I discoverd the South Rim Loop in E. Dan Klepper's book 100 Classic Hikes in Texas.

Search Google for "Chisos Mountain Lodge" to get amazing satellite images of the surrounding topography in Big Bend National Park.

Great news! If you thought our episodes have been running long, this one will only use up 57 minutes of your life! Since you'll never get those minutes back, I'd like to assure you they won't be totally wasted. This is an important episode of Ward's Adventure Travel Research and Trip Journal. As the title suggests, we discuss Flying Versus Driving To Big Bend National Park. Although on the surface, that title sounds boring, it is important because, the as it turns out, it takes 18 hours to drive from Dad's cabin to the Chisos Mountains and the Chisos Mountain lodge, which is just too long, AND from Midland Odessa Airport to Chisos Mountain Lodge, it takes 3 hours 51 minutes (see this Google map). In the next two weeks, we'll be researching some of the best places to hike in Big Bend National Park. So listen up, and if you've read this far, thank you. Can anyone guess why I've typed up SO MUCH DETAIL? Post your guess in the comments section for this episode on EpicFieldNotes.com. P.S. We'll be going in February 2015, just about the best time to visit Big Bend National Park, the  Rio Grande, Devil's Den, Emory Peak, Ernst Tinaja, Hot Springs, Lost Mine Trail, Santa Elena Canyon, the South Rim Loop, and more.

Dad treats listeners to one of his favorite old cowboy songs (about 35 minutes into the show). The song is called Shifting Whispering Sands. In addition to the music, we continue our discussion of Big Bend National Park, and successfully move our trip planning forward.

I used the following links in preparation for this episode:

NPS Page: http://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm

Videos: http://www.nps.gov/bibe/photosmultimedia/multimedia.htm

Photos: http://www.nps.gov/bibe/photosmultimedia/photogallery.htm

Backcountry: http://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/backcountry-main.htm

Backpacking: http://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/backpacking_chisos.htm

Chisos Mountain Backcountry Campsites:  http://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/upload/Chisos-Mountains-Backcountry-Campsites-2007-final-draft-high-res.pdf

Day Hikes: http://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/day_hikes.htm

Bookstore: http://bigbendbookstore.org/store/

A surprise visit from Laura improves the quality of our podcast! She talks about her travels, including hiking to Machu Picchu. She enlightens me and dad on the logistics of that trip--how she got there, who she traveled with, and why to both. Intense mountain elevations, she got put on oxygen about 14,900 feet, loved the changing scenery, jungle regions, river valleys, town of Aguas Calientes Peru, fortress with cool rain gutters, flew into Peru, small flight to Cusco Peru, then bus to trailhead for 4 days, 1 guide, 1 horseman, 3 cooks/porters, not via Inca trail, but via Salcantay route, took train back, other details. Also, how to pronounce Chihuahua. (Not Cha-whowa-whowa). Plus, some guy named Chad stalked Laura to the cabin, and made a few diplomatic comments in hopes of impressing her and winning her favor.

See pictures and make comments at Epic Field Notes.

The second half of this episode, dad and I discuss Big Bend National Park.

Here's a link to article on alternate routes to Machu Picchu:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/peru/machu-picchu/alternate-trails/