The time had finally come. In late December 2011 I experienced Marufo Vega for the first time. It was on a very spontaneous trip with two dear friends Mark and Molly, and you can read about that adventure here. I've been wanting to return to this trail for a long time and it just so happened to fall perfectly on a rare super moon total lunar eclipse!!! Marufo Vega is 14-mile lollipop loop in the rugged Sierra del Caballo Muerto (Dead Horse Mountains) downstream of Boquillas Canyon. There aren't any trees, minimal shade in the dead of the day, high heat, and no water (drinking from the Rio Grande is strongly discouraged.)
We packed up the RV, left the Chisos Basin and stopped by Panther Junction to get my backcountry permit. I was going in alone. The park ranger did his very best to discourage and warn me from doing this trail. "You know we don't recommend this trail at this time of year." "What type of map do you have?" "You know there isn't any water out there, right?". He figured since I was getting a late start I'd only be able to make it about five miles in and pointed to the area I had actually intended to camp at (I had already planned where to shoot night photography). Well, my plan was to take the long way in and the short way out. His cautions started to wear on me.
With 6 liters of water, my little tent, blanket and pad, three lenses (tough choice), a bunch of cherry tomatoes, an RV made fajita taco, and some other rations I began my trip.
We packed up the RV, left the Chisos Basin and stopped by Panther Junction to get my backcountry permit. I was going in alone. The park ranger did his very best to discourage and warn me from doing this trail. "You know we don't recommend this trail at this time of year." "What type of map do you have?" "You know there isn't any water out there, right?". He figured since I was getting a late start I'd only be able to make it about five miles in and pointed to the area I had actually intended to camp at (I had already planned where to shoot night photography). Well, my plan was to take the long way in and the short way out. His cautions started to wear on me.
With 6 liters of water, my little tent, blanket and pad, three lenses (tough choice), a bunch of cherry tomatoes, an RV made fajita taco, and some other rations I began my trip.
It's hard to pack light with water rations for a hot desert hike and a night full of photography but the weight didn't slow me down. I was making great time. I had a radio to communicate with my parents for the first 1.5 miles of the trail. Before our last communication I relayed that I'd be taking the long loop, because otherwise I'd get to my campsite and be bored the rest of the day waiting for the eclipse. We had also made evacuation plans, to come by the trailhead in the evening in case I had to bail. I cancelled those plans.
Even with over 500 ft of elevation change during the second mile I was moving at a 24:18/mi pace (thanks to my new GPS watch!) so I was feeling GREAT!
Even with over 500 ft of elevation change during the second mile I was moving at a 24:18/mi pace (thanks to my new GPS watch!) so I was feeling GREAT!
3.5 miles in and I make it to the fork in the loop. Go long way or short way to my camp. LONG WAY IT IS! Mile 4 through 6 is a long 900ft descent through a canyon down towards the Rio Grande. I took my first real break on this stretch. I ate a carrot in a tiny cave.
The next two miles follow the river upstream and have some of the most spectacular desert views I've ever seen in my life. Looking up the Rio Grande with the Sierra del Carmens in the backdrop is really a sight to see. The photos I got here are by far my absolute favorite from the trip and worth every drop of sweat. I took another break on this stretch. It started to get REALLY hot down there. The heat was radiating off the sand and my dad said it got near 100F. I also took that time to pick cactus out of my fingers. And then right after dealing with the cactus I had to inch my way through a few catclaw acacia trees (or similar) that were completely crowding the trail. I was really starting to be pushed mentally and physically. The next encounter was an ominous Road Runner perched up on a rock. It didn't move. It just stared at me as I hiked past. Next were the burros, in retrospect these donkeys probably would have loved some company but I wasn't having any of it and shouted "NOT UH, NOT TODAY DONKEYS" as they made their way towards me. They too just stopped and stared as I made my way past. I had to keep looking behind my back to make sure they weren't planning anything fishy. It also turns out these were the same donkeys we saw 4 years ago!
The 8th mile was the worst. So. Brutal. 837ft straight up. I was exhausted now, and on edge from the sharp things and gazing critters. Then I heard rock fall. It was SO eerie. Those rocks just kept tumbling but I couldn't see anything. I scanned and finally spotted two bighorn sheep far in the distance at the base of a high cliff.
The 8th mile was the worst. So. Brutal. 837ft straight up. I was exhausted now, and on edge from the sharp things and gazing critters. Then I heard rock fall. It was SO eerie. Those rocks just kept tumbling but I couldn't see anything. I scanned and finally spotted two bighorn sheep far in the distance at the base of a high cliff.
I made it to the top, where I wanted to camp and shoot. Those rugged 8 miles took me 4.5 hours including all stops. It was very difficult to find a spot to pitch my tent. Basically there are sharp things everywhere and hardly any flat spots but I finally settled on the best I could find. Right next a wonderful vista facing El Pico, a prominent peak of the Sierra del Carmen.
My 3-liter water pouch was sucked dry and I had two liters hanging in the side pockets of my bag. Shit. I was still so thirsty but I needed that water for the hike out. I had a headache so I tried to nap it off a little bit but it was too hot and couldn't get a good breeze in the tent. I found my bag of tomatoes which I popped one at time to savor every ounce of juice I could. It started to help but man I was having a rough evening. I went through the last few things in my pack and NO WAY! I forgot the liter of water buried at the bottom of my bag. WOOO! You bet your bottom dollar I finished that fourth liter by the end of the night. My brain had already accepted only having two liters on the way back so it felt like bonus water and it helped so much. Night came. I did a timelapse of the sunset and waited for the moonrise.
My 3-liter water pouch was sucked dry and I had two liters hanging in the side pockets of my bag. Shit. I was still so thirsty but I needed that water for the hike out. I had a headache so I tried to nap it off a little bit but it was too hot and couldn't get a good breeze in the tent. I found my bag of tomatoes which I popped one at time to savor every ounce of juice I could. It started to help but man I was having a rough evening. I went through the last few things in my pack and NO WAY! I forgot the liter of water buried at the bottom of my bag. WOOO! You bet your bottom dollar I finished that fourth liter by the end of the night. My brain had already accepted only having two liters on the way back so it felt like bonus water and it helped so much. Night came. I did a timelapse of the sunset and waited for the moonrise.
I first saw a glow behind the mountains and then the moon quickly started to peak over. Once it fully came above the mountain I thought it was still blocked by a peak but it was the shadow of the earth!! It really took my breathe away. It looked so big on the horizon and the eclipse was already underway. Really fantastic. I watched the whole progression of the total eclipse and did my best to photograph it in different ways. The best part was during the total eclipse stage when the stars came out!! The rest of our trip was drowned out by such a bright moon but I could clearly see the Milky Way at last! I thought about my mom, hoping that she was also looking at the stars. She had been so excited to come out to Big Bend and see them but the first two nights were a bust. She did indeed see the stars that night.
After I was satisfied on the photos I set up a little lounge with a couple spare clothes to lay my head and my hat to sit on. I just laid back and gazed until I lost track of time. It was a truly amazing experience to be out there, so isolated and alone, and experiencing that beautiful phenomenon. I'll never forget it.
After I was satisfied on the photos I set up a little lounge with a couple spare clothes to lay my head and my hat to sit on. I just laid back and gazed until I lost track of time. It was a truly amazing experience to be out there, so isolated and alone, and experiencing that beautiful phenomenon. I'll never forget it.
Here is the timelpase
Here are a few bonus pictures from my first trip out there. Courtesy of Molly.
And here is the elevation profile of my hike.
