POSTCARD IMAGE OF SUNSET AT RIO GRANDE RIVER
Sunset at Sierra Del Carmen
The highway from El Paso crosses Interstate 90 and then runs parallel with the Union Pacific Railroad. On reaching this intersection, I caught up with a long freight train that was chugging forward. Here was a place where the slow-moving train left behind the fast pace of modern life. The train's steam whistle sounded occasionally, as though to wake me up from my reverie and even to say that "life has a long future, let's slow down."
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| Balance Rock |
Big Bend National Park is in Texas. The size and remoteness of the park symbolize the vastness of the state. Texas is second in size only to Alaska. It takes at least one full day of driving to reach the park which is 320 miles from El Paso and 400 miles from San Antonio. After leaving El Paso early one morning, the sun was beginning to set when I finally neared the park entrance. The Chisos Mountains were bathed in red on the horizon.
Although having reached the park, I felt somewhat lost. My destination was elusive and I felt as though the park was advising: "You are on your own to discover my wonders." Perhaps this was a unique Texan welcome to outsiders. Luckily, I found in the Visitor Center a postcard with a picture of the Sierra Del Carmen Mountains "dyed" in red by the setting sun. I was sure that the scene was my destination. But where was the place that the photograph had been taken? The following day failed to produce the answer. Despite my day-long search, I did not find the site.
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| South Rim at Sunrise |
The Big Bend National Park is separated from Mexico by the Rio Grande River. The Sierra Del Carmen Mountains rise high on the Mexican side of the border and are behind the Rio Grande Village on the United States side. Each evening campers gather in the village to look at the sun-bathed mountains. They say nothing, waiting for the sun to set. It is as though nature presents a symphony each evening with beautiful music. When the last red rays of the sun disappear, the curtain falls gently into the darkness until the next concert. But the village was not the site where the postcard picture had been taken. The place must have been on the river side.
On the third day of my stay I climbed the Lost Mine Trail to view the sunrise at the top of the Chisos Mountains which reach a peak of 7325 feet. Because it takes two hours to reach the mountaintop, I woke up early to climb the trail in the darkness and relied only on a small flashlight to find my way. Even the slightest breezes of the wind made noises that left me uneasy. And it was further unnerving to see signs that warn visitors to beware the bears. But the walk was rewarding. The sunrise was beautiful to contemplate despite the fog and cold temperature. My fingers were stiff and I tried to warm them with my breadth. Finally, I managed to manipulate my camera shutter. It was a wonderful solitary time on the mountaintop. No one came to disturb me.
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| Hot Spring in Rio Grande River |
Although my Texas visit introduced me to the mountains, the flowing river, and the broad desert that make up the Big Bend National Park, I had not yet discovered the postcard site of the sunset. Even so I was happy to discover a hot spring near the Rio Grande Village. Flowing into the Rio Grande River, the spring is like an open-air bath for visitors. When I approached the spring on my return from the mountains, I noticed a hill that overlooks the river. Immediately I wondered whether the hill was the place where the postcard image had been made. I walked to the hill and was sure that it was the place. I set up my camera to wait for the day's sunset. When the sun began to cast its red rays on the distant Sierra Del Carmen Mountains, I clicked my shutter. Soon the mountains would disappear into darkness. It was a glorious end to the day.
I could now relax and soak my body in the hot spring. The sound of the river was like a lullaby that made me drowsy. But I was soon fully awake. The sky was all lit up by stars. It was light enough to see wild horses coming to drink water on the opposite river bank. But I remained quiet to avoid frightening the horses. Besides, I did not want to disturb the peaceful silence before returning to my motel room for the night.