(2026 Wild West Wander Ep 4)
Our Wild West Wandering continued early on a Sunday morning as we began the long drive to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in far west Texas. We were thankful for Ed’s successful return from Mexico and for the pleasant temperatures while we were dry camping in Big Bend. We even had a couple heavy rain showers the evening before we left.
Marfa, Home of Mystery Lights and More
Our route took us past Marfa, TX, a remote and rather interesting west Texas town.
A few miles outside of town there is a rest stop and viewing area for the Marfa lights. The lights, visible on many clear nights across the Chihuahuan Desert near Marfa, appear in various colors as they move about, split apart, melt together, disappear and reappear.
Photos of Marfa lights (Google)
The Apache believed the lights were stars dropping to the earth. In 1883, a young cowboy reported seeing them, thinking they might be campfires. Since then, there have been many speculations – UFOs, ranch house lights, vehicle headlights, St Elmo’s fire, and so on. The lights mystery remains unsolved.
Our arrival was in the morning, so the only light we saw was from the sun. Perhaps we’ll do a nighttime visit on a future trip.
Marfa, although a very small town, is known for its arts community and several renowned restaurants. There are galleries, murals and artwork throughout the town and on highways approaching the town.
About 40 miles west of Marfa (we thought it was in town) there is a Prada store. Similar to world’s smallest Buc-ees we came across east of Marfa (No Gas Pumps. No Brisket. Buc-ees?), the small building, containing shoes, handbags and other items, is an art project modeled after a Prada boutique. It doesn’t function as a place of commerce – the front door can’t be opened.
Space, The Final Frontier
That afternoon we spotted a cluster of buildings several miles to the east. A highway sign indicated it was the Blue Origin launch facility, where Amazon’s New Shepard rockets are launched to the edge of space. From this location, William Shatner, Jeff Bezos, Katy Perry and others have been launched for a 66-mile-high view of earth.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Looming ahead was Guadalupe Mountain, an 8751-foot-high peak that is part of a mountain range that juts up from the west Texas flatlands.
From the national park campground, hikers are challenged with a strenuous nine-mile, 3000-foot elevation gain trail to the top of the peak. A neighbor of ours encouraged us to give the hike a try, but this trail was a bit much for us.
Instead, we chose to hike the McKittrick Canyon Trail (shorter and much less elevation change) to Pratt Cabin. The stone cabin, built in the early 1930s by Wallace Pratt, and surrounding land, were donated in 1961. We were intrigued by the roof of the building – flat pieces of stone grouted together – and were appreciative of rocking chairs on the front porch, where we ate our lunch.
Lots to See In Las Cruces, NM
New Mexico Rockhounds
Continuing west, we camped at Rockhound State Park, located on the rugged slopes of New Mexico’s Florida Mountains. Park visitors are encouraged to take home samples of rocks and minerals.
Pat transformed into a ‘rockhound’, complete with hand shovel, gloves, arm protectors and collection bag. We searched for agates, geodes, opals, jasper and other rocks amidst prickly pear clumps and desert bushes along the two trails in the park.
Gila Cliff Dwellings
The next day we drove north to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. We followed a 25-mile winding road with views of the remote Gila Wilderness area to reach the park. It was established in 1907 by Theodore Roosevelt to protect prehistoric materials and culture of Mogollon people and others who inhabited the area.
A half mile trail leads to the dwellings that are tucked in caves in the sides of a cliff. Similar to cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde NP, one can walk along stone walls into various rooms and peer into other rooms via strategically placed ladders. There is even a storage area containing corn cobs more than 800 years old!
The dwellings, lived in by around 40 persons, are in excellent condition, with more than 80% of the original structures still intact. The Mogollon people moved from the dwellings around 1300 AD, possibly due to changes in the climate.
Hat Rescue
We descended a 20-foot ladder to the trail that would take us back to the parking lot. A sudden gust of wind blew off my hat and we watched it roll down the canyon side. It’s gone for good, we decided.
Fortunately, the hat landed on a ledge about 50 yards below us, not far from a steep dropoff to the canyon floor.
I resolved to rescue the hat. With nothing to reach or snag it, Pat anxiously watched as I passed by an area with loose stones and made my way down a gentle rockface just above the hat. I laid down on my back and after several minutes of scooting past cacti and large rocks, I finally reached the hat and safely tucked it into my shirt. Pat guided me as I scooted back up the rockface and finally stood on solid ground.
My hat (and I) live for another day!
Next Week
Happy cows and race boats.
Take the LONG Road... 