THE WINDOW TRAIL

To me, the heart of Big Bend National Park is the valley in the center of The Chisos called The Basin. Coming south from Marathon down into the park, The Chisos Mountains can be seen for at least thirty to forty miles away. When you finally get to the mountains, the road that goes up into The Chisos Mountains rises from the desert and winds it way up and up through canyons and through a changing landscape to go through Panther Pass to get to The Basin. The Basin is like a bowl of several thousand acres surrounded by sheer mountain walls and bluffs. Up here there are trees, bushes, flowers, streams, grass, cool air and lots of birds and wildlife. The wildlife include Chisos Mountain whitetail deer, muledeer, javalinas, coyotes, black bear and mountain lions. Up here in the Basin there are camping grounds, cabins, a motel, concession store and a restaurant. I love to visit here.

There is only one way for all the rain water to drain out of the Basin and that is west down some winding brushy creek beds and ravines for several miles to an opening in the mountains, just several feet wide, called The Window. The rainwater spills out through this narrow opening down to the desert floor far below. There is a hiking trail from the camping grounds down to The Window called The Window Trail. It is my favorite hiking trail because of the sign at the beginning of the trail. It sets the tone and gets a person in the right frame-of-mind to be on a Big Bend hiking trail. I can’t remember the exact wording of this sign, however it goes something like this:

LION WARNING

There is a mountain lion that frequents this

trail and could be aggressive toward humans.

If you encounter a mountain lion:

                                    DO: Throw rocks at it, shout, wave your arms

                                    and try to look big.

                                    DO NOT: Run, scream, try to hide or appear afraid.

BE SAFE: Do not take small children on this trail.

Do not be on this trail at dawn, dusk or after dark.

My painting, The Window Trail, was done while thinking about that sign and the thoughts that go through my head when I am hiking there. I seem to always think that that

mountain lion is behind me on the trail and he is following my tracks.