This is a short adventure we took over the course of a few days. I wish we had more time to do more but we were pressed. I and my wife met up with friends of ours who were interested in 4 wheeling, even though they didn't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Next time, I am SURE they will !!

We went drove out to Pecos Friday night.. Got a motel room there at 6 am. Wow it was a long drive, I had driven all night. Brian and his wife were there already waiting for us- asleep in their motel room.

We got up Saturday and went to MacDonald Observatory in the Fort Davis mountains. They have that new Hobby-Eberly telescope built etc and it was really impressive. The gift shop in the visitors center was very nice and had a lot of cool stuff there to buy. We spent the afternoon checking things out at the observatory, and then took a nap in the shade outside in the trucks waiting for it to get near to 8pm. We went to an astronomy presentation, and then attended the star party. It was well worth the wait - I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw Saturn clearly just like in a picture for the first time in my life. It was a neat experience. Of course the telescope we looked through wasn't your garden variety you can just buy down at the local store either

Afterwards we went down 118 and headed for Terlingua. We had a cabin booked for all of us to stay at "The Chisos Mining Company and Lodge". Not a bad place to jump off to several different places in the area. We wanted to stay at Indian Lodge, but it was a holiday weekend and they were already booked up solid. Ok after a long drive through the dark night we got to the cabin and checked in....

Next morning we headed out to Big Bend to drive the back country. We had the 4 wheel drive Land Rover (Discovery II), but Brian was driving their 2 wheel drive (front wheel drive) Toyota Highlander. It had ground clearance, but didn't have the traction of a 4 wheel drive. We decided most of the trails were fairly tame so we thought to go ahead onto "Black Gap Pass" which is a 4 wheel drive un-improved road. Well it started off okay... Then it got terribly out of their vehicles league. I had to hook them up to the Land Rover with a towing strap and I towed them back out and up the hill to the regular trails... I got pictures hehehe. When I get the pictures onto the computer, I'll try to upload them. The electronic traction control kicked in once or twice and performed as intended which is nice. Once back on the regular back country trails they didn't have anymore real problems. The scenery out there off the beaten path is awesome.

We went back to the cabin that evening and the next day we got up, checked out and drove to Terlingua. Terlingua was a big dissapointment to us. The "Ghost Town" was now inhabited by wierdos and there wasn't really much to it anyway, so we left. We took some pictures of the area, but that was about it. After Terlingua, we went on down to Lajitas to see about the beer drinking goat- Old Henry. Another dissapointment - the bar didn't open til 4pm and we needed to get on the road to come back so we missed the goat. I took some pictures of the saloon and the sign on the hours which didn't make sense because you're thirsty in the mid afternoon when it's HOT, not in the late afternoon after you have already baked your brains in the desert.. Well, the goat will wait for the next trip. My wife got a picture of me looking inside the door to the saloon with a "It's not open?" look on my face.... funny

Last... We went on the scenic drive from Lajitas to Presidio. Did you know that little town was started in the 1600's? We went to Presidio and got information on "Big Bend RANCH State Park" which is down the road west of the National Park. After that we went up to Marfa, took some pictures (too early to see any Marfa Mystery Lights) and then on to Alpine where we stopped for Pizza. Then it was off home driving up 67 to I-10 and across through all the little towns from Ft. Stockton on.

Well that is about it. I hope I can get back out there by next year to drive Black Gap all the way through this time. The Big Bend area of Texas is just full of off roading opportunities, and is open to vehicles of all kinds from mild mannered vehicles like my friend Brians, to the tried and true off road vehicle. Black Gap Pass has gotten progressively worse over the years. I can remember traversing it once 10 years ago and it wasn't that bad. However, this time took some thinking and of course a very capable vehicle to get across a couple of the obstacles I encountered. I only turned around because I had to get my friends vehicle out of there, but I will be back to Black Gap Pass!

 

Sounds like you had a great time.
Big Bend is a all time favorite with me I've been going sense 1980.
In March there where two Discos and three LR3's that I saw around
the park.
I bet you will spend the next week getting the dust out of the LR.
I like camping at Glen Springs 2 its just south of Black Gap rd
it has the best view in the park, unless your backpacking in the Chisos
mountains.
Maybe in the fall some of the forum group could met in Big Bend
Mike

 

I'm usually on a ship in the gulf of mexico working, but I am hoping to get another crack at Big Bend before the year is out!

I am going to be washing/waxing the landy today etc......

I bought a new CB radio. My old Midland is 27 years old and the plastics are starting to get brittle. I figure I'll keep it off to the side til I can get some new ***** for it. I plan on putting it in my FJ40 and putting the new Cobra in my FJ Cruiser. I'm going to let my wife decide whether she wants a permanent fixtured CB radio in the land rover. For the trip I just sat it on the center console and she held it down when the going got rough..... lol

 

I would wait till October or the earliest late Sept.
That way it will be cooler, 70 or so in the day.

I have a hand held CB with a magnet mounted antenna that the bottom
slides off and a battery pack snaps on to use to talk 4X4's through the
rough stuff.
That and LR club outings in convoys is all I use my CB for any more.

I bet 05LandRover would go to Big Bend he live in Midland,
not far at all.

I do not need a reason to go but having a bunch of LR's would be great.

 

Yeah my buddy Brian used a CB radio like that. Unfortunately it was hard to keep in communication with him on the highway when we were travelling between destinations because of his lack of transmission power. Makes for true portability however.

I made a set up to just plug my cb into my lighter so I don't have to hard wire it. I might hard wire the Cobra in my FJ though.

My wife likes mud tires and bull bar and lights and stuff like that which improve the vehicles off road prowess, but she isn't keen on my cluttering up the inside like I am wont to do with gadgets like CB radio, GPS etc......... So I will do that to my Land Cruisers.