Big Bend National Park - 2009 Trip

[texas pinzgauer]

I'm headed that way in December with the family but I won't have an opportunity to check out the routes that Andy and the group did this past spring. However, I would like to see if folks have opinions about when we might schedule the 2009 trip to BBNP. Earlier on, I believe Andy had spoken about the end of May or very early June being his preference. Either work for me so I do plan to show up for this outting.

If anyone cares to weigh in with a preferred date to schedule this trip, let's hear about it.

[andy]

I'm pretty flexivble with my schedule at that time of year and the girls are homeschooled. But, if it happens again, I'd like to see it when the kids are out of school so it can be a family thing and maybe Quatro and his dad can make it agian.

I do think mid-June was a little hot in the afternoon though.

A whole lot depends on what the weather was like in the spring. If it's been dry dust gets to be a hassle. On a "high speed" road like the River Road the group gets strung out quite a bit because of the dust. On the other roads, at slower speeds the dust wasn't too bad.

I have no idea how busy everyone would be around Memorial Day, or if school would be out everywhere. I also don't have any idea how many people would be in the park on a holiday weekend.

Andy

[mjnims]

Andy
Don't forget their big claim to fame is' The least visited national park. Can't imagine it gets very busy there.

[andy]

That's what they say, but I know they get very crowded during Spring Break and of all times Christmas.

I'll know more about what my intentions will be early on Nov. 5th. Maybe the economy won't be totally Tango Uniform by June or July.

Andy

[texas pinzgauer]

Sometime in May or early June sounds like it would work for most folks. I wish we could do it earlier in the year so it wouldn't be so crazy stinkin" hot but if that's when it needs to happen, so be it.

As I said in the initial post, we'll be out there around Christmas time. When I asked my wife what she thought about us trailering the Pinz out there to do some four wheeling, she just smiled that smile that means, "NO WAY JOSE" so I'm stuck with you guys in the spring!

[I-10pinz]

We'll make it, course 4s pinz has been up for sale, havent had any takers yet. He's wanting to move over to a Mitsu EVO. If its gone, cant we still come in pickup? One of my inspectors has been telling me about the Black Gap Refuge. Apparently you can make arrangements to get in there, few people, and more challenging trails.

[andy]

Thomas, as far as I'm concerned you all can come even if you have a Pogo stick for transportation. You can drive whatever you want or if you want to ride with someone in a Pinz I'm positive we can find room.

The Black Gap idea is probably worth pursuing.

Andy

[I-10pinz]

Okay, I'll find out the what fors and check into availablility and how we get in.

[texas pinzgauer]

Andy,

Just an FYI...

My friends at Far Flung (http://www.farflungoutdoorcenter.com/) have not yet pulled the trigger on installing cabins at their property in Study Butte for their rafting and offroading clients. I was thinking that would be an ideal place for the 2009 group to stay but it ain't happenin' for a while.

It looks like we'll be using whatever you came up with from the last outting to the region.

David

[texas pinzgauer]

Just thinking ahead, there's tons of park property that we can explore and it will likely take years to check all of it out but if we were to do something with Far Flung, we would have access to trails on private property.

Keep this in mind as the late spring 2009 BBNP trip comes together guys.

http://www.farflungoutdoorcenter.com/?page=JeepTours

[andy]

Just for the sake of argument or knowing what would Far Flung do for us and the bigger question at what PRICE? Just speaking for myself, my interest level in paying to go through BBNP when I can do it on my own. for free, or we can get into Black Gap, isn't real high.

I'd have to see what they are offering the group. JMO.

Andy

[texas pinzgauer]

Agreed.

I think we can assemble a knowledgeable group of Pinz people to explore the backroads and trails of BBNP for a couple of days without the services of a "guide".

I'd only consider using them to show us around if they were going to take us to places that were really extraordinary and not accessable to the general public because of FFOC's relationship with the landowner(s).

I'll check in with them when I'm out there next month to size up whether there's anything there to pursue with them for our trip.

[andy]

That sounds okay. There are still quite a few of the roads in the Park that are closed right now because of the flooding. Much of it on the west end, they just reopened one of the roads to Castolon.

Temperature wise it seems fairly nice, but it has been freezing over at Rio Grande Village and up at the Basin at night. Take your woolies when you go.

Andy

[texas pinzgauer]

Here's a story from the Houston Chronicle about some additional ranchland that will become state park property in short order. Between BBNP, the Big Bend Ranch State Park abd now this addition with the Fresno Ranch, this should give us a couple of life times of off roading terrain to explore.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6128997.html

[andy]

That might have possibilities. If you go to the Big Bend State Park website they have a map of the park there. The problem I saw, from the way I like to do stuff was that many of the roads were kinda of one way. So you end up coming back the way you went in. I'm too lazy right now to look, but I think they have a limit as to how many vehicles can be in a group.

I'm not elitist nor am I looking to tear a Pinz up, but going down a dirt road that's smoother than the interstate so low clearence 2 wheel drive cars can drive it doesn't excite me too much either.

It'll take some planning. If I shut my business down, i may run out there and scope it out, but it won't be anytime the night time lows are hovering near or below freezing.

Andy