The prospect of free entrance into the National Parks,
even for just one day, was too tempting to pass up; so on a Saturday in late
August I threw all my backpacking gear together and headed west. First stop was
Carlsbad Caverns. I stuck around the visitor’s center until the bat flight at
the cavern’s natural entrance. Half a million Brazilian free-tailed bats roost
in Carlsbad and, just as they do in Austin, every night they emerge
impressively from the cave. At least a hundred people had gathered in the
amphitheater, but pictures aren’t allowed at the bat flight (as a precaution for
the bats) which was pretty relaxing. Free-tails are just one of thirteen bat
species in the Carlsbad area.
After the bat flight I drove out a dirt road to the trailhead
for Rattlesnake Canyon, spotting mule deer, black-tailed jackrabbits, and
common poorwills along the way. I hiked down by the light of my headlamp, and Sunday
morning it was remarkable to see the slopes of the canyon around me that I just
couldn’t see the night before. A walk before breakfast turned up a javelina
that was very surprised to see me and a lot of canyon wrens. After hiking out,
it was down to Guadalupe Mountains National Park headquarters to snap a picture
with El Capitan…..from below, unfortunately, as I didn’t have enough time to
climb it this time.
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Rattlesnake Canyon -
El Cap
I started down the Bush Mountain Trail at around
midafternoon. Just half a mile down trail the valley was a flurry of bird activity,
with a whole family of phainopeplas, rock wrens, and rufous-crowned sparrows to
name a few. Bush Mountain treats to spectacular views of the grassy mountains
around you and the Guadalupe Mountains stretching north. At the highest point
of the trail I could look into both Dog Canyon that I’d left behind and West
Dog Canyon. Markus primitive campground was empty except for me, as all the
trails had been that day. As the sun disappeared and the stars became visible,
I was treated to the complete stillness of the wilderness.
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Dog Canyon -
West Dog Canyon
The next day I got up two hours before dawn and started
hiking out. Two hundred fifty feet up I stopped to make breakfast and watch the
sunrise. It was an easy downhill hike back to my car and the wildlife showed
up. A Pygmy short-horned lizard was warming up on the trail and I added
kestrels, black-chinned sparrows, and a black-headed grosbeak to the bird list.
Eventually I made back to the car and headed home. It was a quick trip, and
featured fewer trees than I imagined, but Guadalupe Mountains is beautiful from
any angle you look at it.
