My Mom and I went to Big Bend National Park in West Texas for the 2010/2011 New Years.  We stayed in Alpine, TX which is about an hour and half away from the park.  The central part of the park is located in the heart of the Chisos Mountains and the valley that the mountains create.  What is interesting is the valley has a very distinctly different ecosystem than outside of the mountains.  The valley is much more lush than the outside.
The first day we hiked down to The Window which is where the Chisos Mountains come together to make a small opening for a river to flow out of.  You might not be able to tell from the photos, but there is a steep drop off right after The Window and the rock is very smooth from all the water erosion.
The second day my Mom and I summitted Emory Peak, the highest peak in the Chisos Mountains, which is 7825 feet high in elevation.  It is not the highest mountain in Texas.
All and all, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we might check into seeing about camping here next time.
  • The Chisos Mountains
  • Big Vertical Hole?
  • It's a big rock
  • Heading down the trail to The Window
  • Mom on the trail
  • Close to The Window
  • Mom at The Window
  • From The Window looking out
  • Casa Grande
  • Chisos Mountains at sunset
  • We are not going that direction
  • We are going up there, Emory Peak!
  • Spires that the trail goes around
  • Some more spires
  • Mom in an alcove filled with Maples
  • Making our way through the spires
  • looking through a hole in Emory Peak
  • On top of Emory Peak
  • I think I can see our car from up here
  • The Window is over and down there
  • Looking towards Mexico
  • The land gets arid outside of the valley
  • The sub-peak of Emory
  • Making our way back down into the valley
  • Sun is setting on the rocks