Day 77

Three Days in the Desert Fun

October 20, 2018 - Chisos Basin to the Desert Inn

The Suzuki DR650 infront of the Chisos Mountains at Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA

Chisos Basin Campground to Desert Inn

Summary

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Journal

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Day 77 - Stuck in Big Bend due to rain. The shelter protected me from the worst of the nights downpour. The soil around me turned to mud. I went back to Panther Junction for fuel where the same attendant greeted me. I went to the nearby Visitor Centre for an update on the road condition from Santa Elena Canyon. It was dirt and not recommended yesterday. “It’s packed gravel, it’ll be sloshy where the water runs over it”, she sounded optimistic. I headed to the Canyon overlook for 50 miles. The dirt road was a shortcut West. Visibility became zero at high elevation. The showers were continuous. Rivers formed over the road and the bike cut through them like a knife. I arrived at the Canyon, a huge wall following the Rio Grande - the border of Mexico. If it were frozen I’d expect Jon Snow to be there. Protecting the USA from the White Walkers and ‘Wildlings’. It seemed fitting. The cold and rain make you delirious. The began up the dirt road for 2 miles before I hit a difficult muddy pass. Two 4WDs slipped and slid down it. I knew I was defeated. I turned the bike around and doubled back 50 miles to Panther Junction. The service station attendant ate her warm noodles as I was soaking wet. She greeted me a third time. I exited the park as fast as I could. I was done. I cruised up the long straight roads of West Texas. The remote land dotted with RVs. It became cold and the bike laboured on the roads. I was climbing in altitude. Wet and cold I hit a checkpoint. “Is it always this cold here?!”, the girl shook her head. I made it to ‘Alpine’. I should’ve known I was at a high elevation. The large coffee couldn’t warm my hands. I booked a Hotel an hour away in Van Horn. I found the ‘random Prada store’ @j_prestney found before and I submitted to the heater in the middle of nowhere at the Desert Inn.

A post shared by Adventure Rider | Melbourne 🇦🇺 (@dylan_george_field) on Oct 27, 2018 at 9:12pm PDT

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