It was minus-3.2 degrees F here about an hour ago.
Big Bend area normally would have night temps in the high teens and low 20s in December. It CAN snow there, but it doesn't happen often. I've been there 13 times, almost half of those in winter, and it snowed only one time. Happened to be the same stretch when it snowed in San Diego.
But it's not BB snow that could be the problem; it doesn't stick around for long. The problem is the drive to/from there. Also, if lbaker is camping at Chisos Basin when it snows, there is the potential for NPS closing the mountain road to the campground. This could be quite interesting, from what someone who experienced it told me--they thought it was fun because they were already in the campground and nobody else could come up.
The 100-mph mountain gusts were probably for Guadalupe Mountains, though it could also be for the Chisos or Davis Mountains. The wind there (Guadalupe NP) is unfrickenbelievable at times. It's a fantastic place to hike when not so windy.
But lbaker said the trip was not for another couple of weeks anyway.
Krousmon I know, it seems sacrilegious not to take a boat (I have a kayak and a canoe)and I wrestled with the idea, a fellow hiker/kayaker sent me his TR of a Christmas paddle thru Boquillos Canyon…it made me drool…and I may regret it, but I have wandered over to the dark side of hiking this fall/winter Big Bend is a hiker’s paradise, especially this time of year. I have 4 full days there and there’s so much to see. Hopefully it will not be my last trip there and next time I will take a boat.
This trip is weather contingent due to the drive, 13 1/2 hrs. and I will be watching the weather closely. If it developed while I was there, then I'd just deal with it, wait it out, no hurry. No snow tires/chains. The weather at BIBE at Christmas can range from teens to 80's, this makes packing fun,as you have to be prepared for anything. Big Bend Chat, which someone here turned me onto a couple of yrs ago is a great source of info for the park.
I will be going solo, which I do a lot since most folks don't share my schedule,and I'm actually one of those people that enjoy soloing. This is a fact that I've learned not to share with my coworkers, as they tend to lose sleep over it ;-) I just politely say "so and so is going with me". I once made the mistake of bringing a slide show on a flashdrive to work showing them some of my paddling/ camping trips and they all thought I had lost my mind. "You camped there BY YOURSELF????? was a common refrain. It's so refreshing when I meet other people who enjoy solo trips. I know there's risk, and I do take precautions,don't take unnecessary risk,etc, but the bigger risk for me would be staying home. I'm not anti-social either, as I do enjoy the company of others sometimes.
I will have my shop go thru the car well before leaving. Thanks for the suggestions and concerns.
leigh
Lights and wipers I’d add two things related to lights. First, make sure that your license plate light bulbs and all the bulbs related to brake lights (up and down if you have them on the roof too) are good. Localities are crying for revenue and I’ve known a number of people who have gotten pulled over for dumb little stuff like this, that used to not matter.
Also, bring a couple of spare headlight bulbs (and know how to put them in well enough that you don’t need to be a warm dry place to do it). You don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere with a one-eyed bandit situation up front. You want to be able to do the replacement in a less than perfect situation.
How are your windshield wipers? Maybe check to see if it’d be a good idea to put in a set of snow wipers, if that’s not what is in there now.
Plus you get to meet “interesting” peopl I swear they gravitate toward solo travelers. It never happens when I’m with someone else. Lots of other solo travelers come over to compare notes.
One trip to BB I met not one, but TWO unrelated people playing violin, one in the campground and one in the laundromat at Study Butte. Also saw Suitcase Sally with her burro though I didn’t talk with her.
I hope the bad weather will blow out so you have a peaceful drive to/from Big Bend. If you see a bunch of Kevlar-suited guys from the DFW area with old BMW motorcycles modded for trail use, say hi for me. They’re the ones tinkering with the motorcycles every day, and though they look intimidating at first, they’re great folks. They’re regulars at Big Bend during Xmas week.
Big Bend is a hiker’s paradise, especially this time of year. I have 4 full days there and there’s so much to see. Hopefully it will not be my last trip there and next time I will take a boat.