South Padre and Big Bend

[davidmurphy02]

Depending on what route you follow in your travels down this way, if you are birders an excellent park to check out is South Llano River State Park in Junction. It really caters to birders, lots of great habitat, trails, and a number of terrific bird blinds that are set up with water features and food to attract a lot of birds for you to sit and observe.

[pkgman51]

Originally Posted by Viajante

Yes, it’s difficult to imagine making a living off that land with it’s gravel and thorns. 100 years ago the perception was different. When the first “settlers” arrived there were productive areas. The upper elevations had grass for grazing sheep. And, at the Costolon visitor center there are pictures of productive grain fields along the Rio Grande.

But those areas were years and years in the making, and slow to recover from any disruption. Within a couple of decades the grass was overgrazed and the river bottoms were plowed, eroded, and depleted. By the later 1920’s agriculture and husbandry were already in decline. Then came the drought years.

One of the best places to see “how it was” is about half way up the Pinnacles trail. There is a beautiful bench of high grass.

Thanks for the history lesson. We visited what was left of some of the ranches, that is their foundations. Yes, in hindsight, there must have been some resources at one time or they wouldn't have moved there. But, today, it's difficult to imagine the land was once fertile.
Gary

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by Viajante

Yes, it’s difficult to imagine making a living off that land with it’s gravel and thorns. 100 years ago the perception was different. When the first “settlers” arrived there were productive areas. The upper elevations had grass for grazing sheep. And, at the Costolon visitor center there are pictures of productive grain fields along the Rio Grande.

But those areas were years and years in the making, and slow to recover from any disruption. Within a couple of decades the grass was overgrazed and the river bottoms were plowed, eroded, and depleted. By the later 1920’s agriculture and husbandry were already in decline. Then came the drought years.

One of the best places to see “how it was” is about half way up the Pinnacles trail. There is a beautiful bench of high grass.

After camping in Big Bend, we visited an acquaintance in Fort Davis. I asked about the stark, barren landscape and he stated that it was overgrazed a long time ago and never came back. That was many decades ago.
Sad.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

After camping in Big Bend, we visited an acquaintance in Fort Davis. I asked about the stark, barren landscape and he stated that it was overgrazed a long time ago and never came back. That was many decades ago.

Sad.

It's a complicated history but to cut to part of the chase, the last few years before the area was turned into a park were the worst for overgrazing. Good read here if you're interested:

http://npshistory.com/series/science/4/chap2.htm

[lostskier]

I was on the website for Big Bend last night....and other than a couple of odd nights here and there....there is nothing available in late February or March. I checked all the campgrounds, and off road sites. Going to skip it and go someplace else.

[lostskier]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

It's a complicated history but to cut to part of the chase, the last few years before the area was turned into a park were the worst for overgrazing. Good read here if you're interested:

http://npshistory.com/series/science/4/chap2.htm

That is the common history of the SW arid regions. Overgrazing has degraded millions of acres of land.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by lostskier

I was on the website for Big Bend last night....and other than a couple of odd nights here and there....there is nothing available in late February or March. I checked all the campgrounds, and off road sites. Going to skip it and go someplace else.

I just checked for a campsite at a number of my favorite campgrounds in warm and sunny locations, for Feb-March-April. Wow, all booked.