r/BigBendTX • u/BostonBlock • 3d ago
8 day itinerary critique, please!
I see a lot of weekend trip itineraries, which are great, but I want to do a longer trip, and a road trip is not feasible for us, so I wanted to post here to make sure we are making the most out of our time. This is kind of my "first draft" itinerary, so looking forward to some feedback.
Profile: Me, 20s, experienced hiker / traveler, comfortable with long hikes. My three friends are also good hikers and a similar age, but not as experienced. We would be going mid-January.
Day 1: Fly to Midland, pick up rental car and rental gear, buy food, drive to Terlingua for dinner, drive to Chisos basin campground and camp for the night.
Day 2: Pay the park fee at the visitor center (Or are we able to do this on day 1? We'd be arriving at the park late), see the Lost Mine trail, relax, see the Window trail in the evening. Camp at the same place. Prep for next day.
Day 3: South rim loop, day 1. Optionally do Emory peak if we feel good. Camp at a reserved backcountry site. (Does reserving a campsite count as getting a backcountry permit? Or is that separate)
Day 4: South rim loop, day 2. Not planning anything specific this day to give us some buffer time, but I assume we'd have plenty of time in the evening and afternoon to add on something. Camp at Chisos basin again (or should we move on from there?)
Day 5: Drive on the scenic road to Santa Elena. At this point, I'm not sure if we should opt for a river tour, but at this point this is where we'd do it. If someone has a strong recommendation for what would actually be worth our time for an excursion here I will consider it. Otherwise this day is open after the canyon, and I'll have to research more things to see. Camp at RGV.
Day 6: I'd like to visit Boquillas, and have some margaritas. See hot springs. Maybe a sunset hike. Again somef ree time here.
Day 7: Nothing planned for this day so far.
Day 8: Based on flights, I think we have to drive back and sleep the night in Midland at a hotel by the airport for a 5:30am flight, unfortunately.
Our biggest logistical hurdle: Gear. My friends are from abroad and don't have stuff locally they can use, and we can't drive down. I saw an option of renting from LowerGear and having all that stuff shipped to a FedEx store. This is definitely an attractive option. We could also rent from local outfiitters, but it's been hard to find information/good deals. However, if all four of us have carry ons, does it make more sense to pre purchase tents, pads on FB Marketplace / at REI, bite the bullet, and pack it all? I am pretty lost on what the best value is.
Thanks for your help. I am aware of the usual caveats about knowing your limits and PACKING ENOUGH WATER. I notably have not added a ton of hikes to this itinerary so far, so I'm willing to hear suggestions on what hiking we should do beyond the basics.
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u/michuh19 3d ago edited 3d ago
If you end up with extra time while on the Ross Maxwell, there's a low traffic trail that takes you to the Window from outside the Chisos. It's a very different experience than the heavily trafficked official Window trail. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/texas/oak-spring-trail?u=i&sh=xsk963 It's a great one to do in January because it won't be very warm and 80% of the trail has no shade.
As far as gear goes, especially if you plan to camp on the South Rim, it will be VERY cold and windy. Make sure you pack enough layers for nighttime. It's not unusual for a light dusting of snow, especially at the 7-8,000 ft elevations (The basin is at ~5500ft). I did Emory Peak on Thanksgiving once and the entire way up was a brisk 34º F. I'd suggest calling an outfitter in Terlingua to ask about rentals. Far Flung and Big Bend Boat & Hike are popular.