Fog at the Chisos Basin

— On our last trip to Big Bend NP, the scenery was quite different from previous visits. Even though it was late September, contrary to what one would expect for end-of-summer vistas, we found the park blooming everywhere we went. Recent rains had caused the landscape to be quite different.

Almost every morning, when we would look outside our lodge front door, we would find some heavy foggy conditions obscuring most of the traditional views one has at the Chisos Basin. In the photo above, we have the road leading up to the Chisos Basin enshrouded in fog and light rain. The usual look of the Casa Grande peak was only partially visible. In fact, when I see this image, I am reminded of another iconic mountain view at Big Bend: Mule Ears peak. The photo below shows Casa Grande right at the Basin. This is the view from behind the lodge. Rain soon stopped, skies opened up, and the fog lifted. The beauty of the Basin was highlighted by the intense colors brought up by the weather conditions. Everything was wet and more vibrant.

On the following morning, as we were getting ready to leave for the day, I couldn’t help seeing the view below. Actually it is what is not seen in the view below that caught my attention: The Window. One can barely see the iconic Window view in the shot below. For more photos and a video made during the same time period, please see this post. You can even see one of the several black bears we passed by along the road.

One never knows what type of weather can be found at Big Bend. For us, the best times we have enjoyed in the park were around winter time. Particularly in January and February, the weather can be very pleasant, especially for desert hikes. If you are lucky to get a lodge room, then the cold nights are not an issue.