Big Bend Ranch SP January 20, 2008, 09:12:59 am Yahoo Message Number: 88603Hi LDers!We are currently in Quartzsite wandering toward the east. We are considering going over to Big Bend Ranch SP in Texas. Can someone tell us what kind of weather to expect there in Jan/Feb ? Any hidden jewels we ought to consider?Art
Re: Big Bend Ranch SP Reply #1 – January 20, 2008, 09:43:19 am Yahoo Message Number: 88604older_fossil wrote: Can someone tell us what kind of weather to expect there in Jan/Feb ? --- Art, you've probably looked at this, but.... http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/big_bend_ranch/This link is the 10-day forecast for Presidio, TX, from weather.com; looks like pretty typical "southwest desert in winter" weather, i.e., in the 30s at night, warming to the high 60s/low 70s during the day.http://tinyurl.com/ywsa39 Any of the weather websites provide graphs of typical highs and lows in an area; you could check wunderground or whatever. But, I'd expect that both the day and night temperatures would warm slightly as it gets into February.Have fun!Joan
Re: Big Bend Ranch SP Reply #2 – January 20, 2008, 10:01:06 am Yahoo Message Number: 88605Art and Barbara Just so you know, when I got up this morning at the Bosque, it was 13 degrees, but now, 3 hours later it's a balmy 18!Kate http://cholulared.blogspot.com &http://www.cholulared.comWant to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Big Bend Ranch SP Reply #3 – January 20, 2008, 10:08:52 am Yahoo Message Number: 88606Quote Hi LDers!We are currently in Quartzsite wandering toward the east. We are considering going over to Big Bend Ranch SP in Texas. Can someone tell us what kind of weather to expect there in Jan/Feb ? Any hidden jewels we ought to consider?Art I have never stayed at Big Bend SP. As a matter of fact I couldn't even find the entrance to it. Texas SP guide book lists only primitive camping at the park. Stay in a commercial campground in Study Butte were gas, groceries and resturants are available. Big Bend NP campgrounds, again, are geared more toward tent campers. Big Bend NP guide book recommends no vehicles over 24 foot drive into the "basin" campgrounds. Weather, all of the above. Could be cold, warm, wet, dry, windy, calm. I don't believe you will encounter any freezing weather. Weather is dependant upon Pacific fronts coming across Mexico or coming down out of the northwest or Canadian cold front which we are having in Texas right now. Do go to Big Bend and enjoy the beauty. Go up into the basin and hike the trail down to "The Window". This is a somewhat strenuous hike, mainly coming back. Enter Big Bend area from the north. Go south out of Alpine on Hwy 118 to Study Butte. Use toad to drive Hwy 170 between Presidio and Study Butte. Hwy 170 is a good road but twisty and hilly. You won't be able to enjoy the scenery if you are navigating a MH. Stock up on supplies before entering Big Bend area. Have a good trip. I do recomend Ft. Davis SP or Balmorhea SP south of I-10. These parks are well north of Big Bend. Wecome to Texas.Peter
Re: Bosque Cold Temps Reply #4 – January 20, 2008, 10:37:19 am Yahoo Message Number: 88607Quote Art and Barbara"Just so you know, when I got up this morning at the Bosque, it was 13 degrees, but now, 3 hours later it's a balmy 18!"Quote KateKate, are your holding tanks freezing up? Chris
Re: Bosque Cold Temps Reply #5 – January 20, 2008, 10:57:46 am Yahoo Message Number: 88610Nope, nothing's freezing, but we do have the valve/hose heaters on.It warms up pretty well during the day.Kate&http://www.cholulared.comWant to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096
Re: Big Bend Ranch SP Reply #6 – January 20, 2008, 11:52:49 am Yahoo Message Number: 88617Quote Hi LDers!We are currently in Quartzsite wandering toward the east. We are considering going over to Big Bend Ranch SP in Texas. Can someone tell us what kind of weather to expect there in Jan/Feb ? Any hidden jewels we ought to consider?Art, Check in at the park headquarters east of Presidio for information about camping. Most of the camping opportunity is in the backcountry where the roads are not very accommodating for RV's. We boondocked in a beautiful spot off of FM 170 and the Rio Grande, about 150 yards from the highway at the Madera Canyon. There are two campgrounds at this location, one upper and one lower, closer to the river. The Barton Warnock Enviromental Education Center is worth the visit during the spring bloom. You may want to stop in Lajitas, Terlingua and Study Butte to take in the local color and take on fuel. Panther Junction is park headquarters with ga$oline. Chisos Basin is a must see and don't be dissuaded by the 24 foot limit suggested by the rangers and print material. Buses take that route daily. There are a couple of hairpin turns that require caution in order to avoid oncoming traffic and overhanging tree limbs. Rio Grande Village offers two campgrounds;One had hookups which may be an option depending on the weather. Cottonwood campground is convenient to Santa Elena Canyon. You'll also find Marathon, Alpine and Ft. Davis interesting towns. Fort Davis state park is a gem. Mexican food at El Patio in Persidio!Welcome to Texas Malcolm Blue02MB
Re: Big Bend Ranch SP Reply #7 – January 20, 2008, 02:30:28 pm Yahoo Message Number: 88619Use any mapping program to get the zip code, then go yo www weather dot com, insert the zip code, then ask for a 10 day forecast and that should give you a fair picture.Gus Weber
Re: Big Bend Ranch SP Reply #8 – January 20, 2008, 03:58:17 pm Yahoo Message Number: 88622Art and Barbara,We were
Re: Big Bend Ranch SP Reply #9 – January 20, 2008, 06:27:47 pm Yahoo Message Number: 88627QuoteThen La Vista RV Park in Alpine. If you spend any time in Alpine (one of our favorite little towns in that area of Texas), be sure to stop and see the Museum of the Big Bend on the campus of Sul Ross State University. We've stayed at both Pecan Grove RV Park and Lost Alaskan RV Park in Alpine. Forget about Pecan Grove, but Lost Alaskan was nice. Also, Marathon, the small town at the junction of US-90 & US-385 (which goes south to the northern entrance of Big Bend NP) has a nice RV park, the Marathon Motel & RV Park: $12.50 with Passport America. Then there's Stillwell Store & RV Park on CR-2627 off US-385 just north of Big Bend. Full hookups for $17.50, electric & water for $15, or you can dry camp for $5 per person per night. There's a small museum on this working ranch honoring the matriarch of the Stillwell clan, Hallie Crawford Stillwell, which is quite interesting. http://www.freeranger.com/stillwell/Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Re: Big Bend Ranch SP Reply #10 – January 20, 2008, 06:47:21 pm Yahoo Message Number: 88629Peter, Do they still have stables where you an go on horseback to the "Window"? I was there in 1965 and that's what we did.Robbie & Happy the Dog
Re: Big Bend Ranch SP Reply #11 – January 21, 2008, 07:14:31 pm Yahoo Message Number: 88668I can't recall any stables but that doesn't mean they aren't available. River rafting and jeep rides is what I recall. Wrong season for floating down the river. Check out www.visitbigbend.com should be able to find out what is available. cwoasa cwoasa@...> wrote: Peter, Do they still have stables where you an go on horseback to the "Window"? I was there in 1965 and that's what we did.Robbie & Happy the Dog[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Big Bend Ranch SP Reply #12 – January 21, 2008, 07:32:12 pm Yahoo Message Number: 88669Art, You can get normals, precip, etc. from this site for the southern U.S. You can go to other Regional Climate Centers very easily as well. At the bottom of the page, just click on the dots nearest your location. A short pdf file can then be saved. http://www.srcc.lsu.edu/southernClimate/atlas/The PRISM site mentioned on the right side of the that page has some very cool info on climate as well. Instead of jumping to the weather.com site, you may find it easier to go the weather.gov site. Commerical free. Just click on the U.S. map for the location of interest, then click again on the next map to narrow it down for a forecast along with radar and satellite imagery. Yeah, its the National Weather Service, I have to plug my old outfit once in awhile. This site has cool satellite imagery that you can put into motion. The GOES-12 bird covers the Eastern U.S. and GOES-11 covers the Western U.S. Tropical imagery is also available to see what's happening down at Mimi and Jonna's http://www.cira.colostate.edu/cira/RAMM//rmsdsol/main.htmlChuck and Carla 97RB Skye Des Moines