This weekend, we decided conditions were right to embark upon a backpacking trip into the desert, following the Dodson Trail for about 5-6 miles. In only a few minutes, we had left the last of the crowds behind. We would have complete solitude until late morning of day two. The terrain grew wilder and more rugged as we continued on, with thorns and spines from desert plants tugging at our pantlegs. We climbed up and over a steep, nearly 5,000 foot pass with dramatic views to the far-off canyons to the west and a hidden valley to the east. We continued east across the valley and up a drainage that ended in another pass, this one about 5,250 feet. Here, we found a campsite amongst the cactus, ocotillo and yucca. At sunset, we scampered up to a 5,500 foot mountain for an incredible view of the sun as it dropped beyond the southwestern horizon. The most amazing show, though, was yet to come. The desert stars came out one by one until they lit up the night sky like dazzling diamonds. A deep cold descended upon us, bringing the temp well down into the 20's.
Black Throated Sparrow perched on Ocotillo plant
We awoke in time to see the starry sky turn from black to dark blue, then took a short walk to watch the sun rise over a distant mountain range. We weren't surprised to find ice in our water bottles. We played a game of UNO, ate our typical camping breakfast of oatmeal, muffins, and hot cocoa, and then packed up our tent. The hike back to our car was easier than the previous day's hike, as the uphills were now downhills. The cold morning quickly heated up and we took off layers at each break spot, and found ourselves seeking shade, rather than sun. An hour's drive brought us back to our Chisos Mountain home.
