Monday, March 22, 2010

Big Bend NP, Cattail Falls hike, day3 prt 2

Howdee all,

While hiking Lost Mine trail..we met a couple who suggested we hike to Cattail Falls.

Round trip-3 miles

Difficulty-easy

Cat tail Falls_122

    “This is a gem of a trail that's not listed in any National Park literature. That's because it's perhaps the loveliest short hike in the park, and it goes to a delicate area so sensitive that it would be destroyed with overuse. I feel justified in describing it here, as 99.999% of you will never visit the park, and those that make the effort to will respect this beauty spot.”Cat tail Falls_003

    We started this trail around 4pmCat tail Falls_010

   There used to be a Ranch here..this large tree is growing near a spring.Cat tail Falls_012

   Underneath the canopy..Cat tail Falls_013Cat tail Falls_109

   Our hike starts out fairly easily…views of grass and scrub Cat tail Falls_014

The trail meanders past an old Ranch, we saw an old water tank, and pipes on the trail, which I suspect they used to pipe water from the falls.Cat tail Falls_015

I really like the dried seed stalksCat tail Falls_019

   We descend into a lush Oasis..    Cat tail Falls_024

Flowers..oh darn, sicksta Adele told me what this was last night..I didn't write it down..Cat tail Falls_020

The falls were just a trickle of water now..Cat tail Falls_029A nice pool of water at the bottom.  Cat tail Falls_033Some type of flowering shrub… Cat tail Falls_036Very lush, maiden hair fern was growing here..   Cat tail Falls_048    and lots of small pools of water…

We heard Canyon wren and saw Hermit thrush..Cat tail Falls_050We had just an hour of light left before sunset..so we left the Oasis..

Cat tail Falls_054  another type of seed head..

Cat tail Falls_057 Evening sun starting to light things up..Cat tail Falls_056

  A small cactus starting to bloom

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Cat tail Falls_061 Torrey Yucca

Cat tail Falls_082 Cat tail Falls_069

I love hiking this time of day..

Cat tail Falls_086

We saw a flock of Lesser goldfinch, the dark Texas type

Cat tail Falls_089

more golden hues..as the sun starts to go lower in the skyCat tail Falls_093 ohhh..I love this pink..

Cat tail Falls_095   And this orange Cat tail Falls_103

And the golds…Cat tail Falls_098And our very very long shadows………..

Cat tail Falls_116

goodnight for now…I am tired from hiking..Cat tail Falls_120

Birds of the day..

Rock and Canyon Wrens..think we also saw Winter wren...looked like it to us..A nice flock of Lesser Goldfinch, Texas variety...Canyon and spotted towhees, Solitaire, Mockingbirds, Acorn woodpeckers, Black tailed Gnat catchers,Black crested titmouse, Ladder-back woodpecker, Black eyed Junco..pink sided and Oregon, Mexican Jays,Vesper Sparrow, Says Phoebe, White wing doves, Hermit Thrush.Turkey Vultures, Red tail hawk

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