BBNP 2023. Subtitle “No, it does not!”

[Cav47]

You may wonder why the subtitle, I thought Pants’ report title was gonna be something else. I will tell you later. I bet he already knows why. Lol. Hope you enjoy the entry.

As some of you know, I live in East Central Illinois. Prob one of the worst riding areas in the US. I recently picked up a cherry 22 CRF450RL and really haven’t had much of a chance to ride it with the weather, family obligations, and new principal responsibilities.

Spring break was coming up and my wife knew I was itching for a big adventure and asked me one day. “Are you wanting to do a big ride over spring break?” I thought this could be a trap question so I proceeded carefully. “Well, if you are meaning would I like to go, sure, but are we not going to go anywhere?” She replied, “The boys and I prob will stick around here , so if you think you can figure out a place to ride, I think you should try to plan something.” Still a little skeptical of her intentions, “If you are telling me I can go, I can make a couple of posts/texts to get this rolling”.

A quick flurry of thoughts and a the plan was hatched. We bantered about Arkansas but weather could be a problem, we considered Moab, but that’s a long way and weather historically was not favorable. So…… BIG BEND was the target.

Campground, check
Dates confirmed, check
Include some friends, check

We will figure the rest out later.


After about a week, we nailed down all the necessary details. I turned my recently retired friend Pants loose and bam, the little logistics, for our style of adventure, were complete.

This is gonna be a blast.
I did my token research on both ADVRider, Facebook, and the rest of the web. I reached out to a couple veterans of BBNP for tracks and tips.


Thanks Big Dog


Range could be a problem, so I broke out the MSR bottle to take as insurance. (Never needed it)


I hit Costco and Sam’s for snacks both on the ride down and at camp. You will see some other examples later.


There are no lights where we are going.



I was packed days ahead of time, prepared for almost anything.


We have a new poster sized lamination at school. Had my librarian mock up a couple “test runs”


I even got some wood ready to train in back of the truck as we gathered intel on the forecast. Our old walnut lumber pile was needing to be consumed.


I had parent teacher conferences on Thursday so I couldn’t get away until after 7pm. I had everything loaded up and was on the road by 7:30. Oh yeah, in the meantime, my wife and boys got invited to go to Florida for break by her parents, so there is that. They left before I did that evening.

The plan was to just get south if St Louis and find a truck stop to sleep.

I left in this temp ….planning on it getting way better


About 20 miles from home I put in the campground. Ugh, that’s a long way.


It got colder as I headed southwest.


I stopped somewhere after Rolla at a truck stop for some rest. As the temps dropped, I got out my small sleeping bag to stay warm in the truck.

Early in the morning, I was having a hard time sleeping with all the diesel trucks and I had to pee. Might as well get going.


Perusing some podcasts, this one seemed appropriate.


I always have fond memories of this place from quite a few years ago. On a trip to see my grandpa in Dallas, I flopped quad 10s and two guys at the table were betting into me. My only hope was I didn’t have a bigger stack. I left after one more orbit around the table. Much to the chagrin of the fellas at the table.


Chen of on the 450 at each gas stop.


The plan was to meet Preston, my Alabama friend, in Sweetwater after Pants had a quick re-direct due to weather. We both arrived at the hotel within 15 min. We got situated and headed over to dinner. The chicken was average, but the sauce and sausage was good.


Preston got the brisket. He also said it was average.


We formulated a plan for the next day and hit the rack.


Where else can you get a Texas shaped waffle?


We made a stop at Sam’s Club for a few supplies and then the push for Terilingua was on. We still had a long way to go but with limits like this, the only thing holding us back was the slow traffic, gas mileage, and SNOW!



I thought I left this stuff back in Hellinois.


Preston is right behind hauling his CRF in the Ridgeline.


Sure is pretty, but it needs to go away.




It sure as heck isn’t the speed limits holding us back.


In Alpine we stopped to pee and get some recon. McDonald’s was literally closed due to the weather. People at the gas station were panicking about the weather. Some said snow was a rarity every 8 years or so.


As we descended from Alpine, the snow began to fade.


We got set up and looked around the campground. AJ, Big John, and Kevin were due in today so we had nothing to do but wait.


My Tacoma was used as a wind break as the breeze from the north was very chilly.


Last time Preston's CRF was clean!

Preston was ready to get his drink on.


AJ has arrived.


Real trucks make my tiny truck jealous.


My truck is like the cute little off shoot on this cactus.



Kevin and John are here now. They are staying at a cabin in town and will be warm and toasty tonight.



We went to dinner at a local place. The music was not great. John made a funny comment to only our table about them being music school drop outs or something similar. I am no music aficionado but had to agree, I would at least held them back


Drop outs. Pictured below, not above.


Fire was absolutely necessary


Preston and AJ also brought some wood to burn. Good thing as a bundle in town we later learned was like $11 bucks.


More to come. The riding kinda starts tomorrow.


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[Full House]

Good thing you explained which ones were the "dropouts"1 lol, enjoying your report.

[bigjohnsd]

Next installment in June or July?

[wheatonFJR]

Next installment in June or July?

Well, John...still waiting on yours??

[Intech]

At least Spawn is doing the report....or is she?

[Cav47]

Okay okay, I know this took too long , but I only have my phone to write these on since my phone is where I have the pictures. What does Joe Motocross always say? “Riding always trumps writing about riding”. It was almost 80 today and I had the KLX kickstand repaired. So a little jaunt was warranted.

Before we left, we checked the forecast many times. The report was for upper 20s and north wind. Ugh! Good thing we were essentially car camping from a base camp. A zero degree sleeping bag with some extra layers kemp’s me warm all night except for time I had to get up and pee.

I have learned a few things about camping in cold weather over the years.

#1 Wind convection must be stopped. Remember the truck as a wind break
#2 Ground convection can be awful. I used a decent thermal air pad on top of a Uhaul moving blanket. That helped isolate the cold ground from me and my belongings inside the tent
#3 Dry clothes, especially new socks with no moisture makes a huge difference
#4. A small tent with gear bags strategically placed help provide a nice little nest
#5. Sleeping bag ratings are for survival, not comfort. Having that Zero Degree along with a cheap 40 degree one to trap warm air next to you is the best option in poor conditions.

A friend of mine told me once, “There is no such thing as bad conditions, just bad gear choices!” The right gear makes all the difference.

Since it was so chilly, Preston was in no hurry. AJ had the Taj Mahal of a tent complete with a buddy heater.


After we got organized we headed into John and Kevins cabin they had rented in town. AJ and his wife prepared authentic breakfast burritos ahead of time and he assembled them.




We were very glad to have a nice warm place to eat as the chill relented some.
AJ did 90% of the work. I think I ate 4 of them.

AJ had all the sides and fixens.

I needed to try them all. John had the same idea.
No shame, they were that good.

After some hot tea and a great brunch, it was time to head back to the campground and gear up. We were gonna try some area dirt outside the park becomes most of the road in the park were still closed due to the snow rain they just got.

The plan was to try some roads north of Terlingua out by Hen Egg Mountain.


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[escapefjrtist]

*In* for the adventure. Thanks Cav!

Pics in latest post need help...nothing showing for me.

~G

[Cav47]

Apparently I am having some issues with the pictures uploading. I will keep working on it tonight.


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[bigjohnsd]

Next installment in June or July?

Well, John...still waiting on yours??

No, you are not - I posted daily - but see this for the whole thing in one place as your Alzheimers is acting up viewtopic.php?t=7059

[wheatonFJR]

lol...

[LKLD]

[Cav47]

Here are pictures (I hope) that go with the last post.










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[wheatonFJR]

I know that AJ and C are good at food!

[gixxerjasen]

I know that AJ and C are good at food!

One more reason I'm sad I missed out. I'd have eaten so well I'd blow the crap out of my diet. But riding a DS all day burns it up for sure.

[Cav47]

Turns out Tapatalk had an issue thus delaying the report.


As previously reported the area received both rain and snow the last few days. Our plan was to stay out of the National Park as our intel revealed most of the non paved roads were closed due to poor conditions.

It was cold but we traveled all the way down here, we have all ridden mud before. How bad could it be????


This bad apparently!


New model front tire.


The only way we figured to prevent the mud from building up was to keep the speed up and the rotational force would fling the mud off.

It was fun, heat producing, and a little comical. But we were riding and that was all that mattered.


A couple of the guys are out there somewhere.


AJ knew how to roost the mud off the tires.


The terrain while basically a quagmire was fun and was a real test staying upright.


The landscape was nothing like I have experienced before.


This is Hen Egg Mountain and we approached it from the East off the main road into Terilingua. North County road makes its way through some remote areas north of town.


Preston was slip sliding his 300 very well.


There may have been a little more slipping and sliding than we wanted.


3 out of 4 bikes were covered in mud. AJ also sporting a new “Flintstone” model.


This particular spot was awful. The other 3 behaving me were having a heck of a time.


Notice the Kevins Beta seems more clean than everyone else’s bike??? Yeah, because he spent most of his time out there with the front tire in the air. The dude was crackin wheelies most of the time. Mud can’t hang on a tire it doesn’t touch.


Hen Egg mountain defeated us today, but we vowed to be back and try again.


It was good at times and


The scenery would not disappoint even on a cold, wet, and muddy day.


We got back to camp and Pants had arrived and set up his tent, unloaded his DR (Bush Pig), and pointed out how clean his bike was.


Soon after BigJohn showed up from his pavement adventures. I think he “warned” us about how ridiculous the dirt roads could be. The man knows a thing or two.


Preston made some chili at home and on an evening with these conditions, it was perfect.


This pack of desert wolves wasted no time devouring multiple bowls.

Preston must have been toasting his excellent dish that hit the spot perfectly with a good balance of heat and taste.



We didn’t stay up long as the temps dropped. I don’t have any pictures of after dinner. I think we started a quick fire and enjoyed catching up. John and Kevin dipped back to their cabin and we tucked in.

I tucked into my tent and awoke to a nice cup of tea. This was a new one for me and compliments of the hotel in Sweetwater. I highly recommend it.



Pants and I took a walk through the desert and admired the very different landscape.


We are definitely not in Kansas anymore!


We headed into the cabin where it was Round 2 of the breakfast burritos. They were just as delicious as yesterday.


We went back to camp and suited up after the temps climbed up enough.

Today we head for the park and see what the Big Deal was all about.


More to come tomorrow.


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[wheatonFJR]

See John, a little patience and it happens!

Excellent Josh!

[Cav47]

Here we go with Day 3. Into the park we go! Mostly on pavement since the closures were still in effect. This is the campground crew. Our camping neighbor took this. He and his wife will appear later with a special treat.


The obligatory park sign shot.


Pants and I couldn’t get the others to take the beauty shot, I think they were itching to ride.


As Wayne says “America”. If I recall correctly, the guy in the camper saved the day by providing some duct tape to fix a small leak in the KTM fuel tank. Just goes to show you that there are great people out there.


This is south Texas and there are some real elevation changes.


BigJohn was out defacto tour guide for the day. AJ had been here before but John’s was more recent and AJ spent most of the time off road.


Only way to get the whole scene in was to us the pano feature. Things are big out here.


The perspective here doesn’t do the canyon justice.


Infographic sign


We get closer later. Within a stones throw as they say.



If you look close you can see…….

A big rock. No one is crossing here. The terrain on the Mexican side is not conducive to immigration of any kind. There are much easier places to cross elsewhere for sure.


We head over to another lookout over the desert toward the north.


In the distance is Castolon where we are headed for lunch.


AJ is telling stories about how to take a header into some of the nice and soft plants.


We made sandwiches- meaning Pants did- each day and we brought along some snacks. Here at the Castolon store we found a place to sit and eat.


There is a ranger station here that gives trail conditions, closures, and reports.

Ranger Amy explained to me that River Road was closed. I asked her if it was really closed since we saw a car come out of the trail head. It was at this time Ranger Amy took on a new tone.

R.A. “It is closed!”

Me. “Okay, but we saw a car coming out of there. Are there by other non paved roads open? We are on small dirt bikes”

R.A. “It is possible someone snuck by the gate on the other side but it is closed”

Me. “So it might be open from the other side?

R.A. “Young man, people may have gotten past the gate on the other side because it is a multi hour process to get down to that gate. I suggest you stay on paved roads that are safe.

Me. “Can you tell me if Black Gap and Old Ore are open?

R.A. “Black Gap is un-rideable on motorcycles, you will crash and break your leg if you go there. It is completely unsuitable for travel!” Complete with the eyeglasses pull down and a “Do you understand?”

I am a school principal and I thought I just got brow beat like never before.

Me. “Yes Ma’am.” I walked out defeated and remorseful for asking. It was a long walk back to tell my buddies we had come all the way down to Big Bend to ride pavement.

Literally none of that was embellished. She really looked over her glasses at me.

We left and went and found Mule Ears.

Pants does his best imitation. Gott say it’s good.

We found the Sotol Vista overlook.




The park was so deserted. Mainly because of the location but also due to the poor weather the previous days. People down here are afraid of snow. That’s okay by us. It just added to the remote feeling.


Glamor shots all around.


We decided to ride a few out and backs as we headed toward camp. This is Grapevine Spring looking back toward the south


Pants and Kevin enjoying the pace



Looking north. AJ and Preston were the trailblazer almost the whole time.


They waited for us at the junctions or rougher obstacles.


Here we discuss the merits of ignoring the signs. Remember Kevin is on a full size Tenere! Didn’t seem to bother him one bit.


At the end of the road here we are reminded of the wildlife present.

More in a few.


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[Cav47]

This is the end of Grape Vine Spring.



Maybe there is water out there somewhere.


If you want remote camping, this would fit the bill.


Kevin had to bring the S-10 and make us all feel inferior. Pants is getting whipped by the camelback.


Back on the trail toward the paved main road.


The scenery doesn’t disappoint here on Paint Gap.


Pants got better each day we pushed him out of his comfort zone. Another out and back gave us a chance to ride known terrain. That relaxes you as you know what is coming and surprises are manageable.


This one ain’t too bad.


We headed back and cleaned up for the Starlight. It was hopping and we had plenty of time to check out the old town around the restaurant.


We found the old jail.



The view here from the front porch of the theater makes a good advertisement.


Drinking and driving is legal in this case only.


The entertainment here far surpassed the last restaurant in down. This must have been the graduate class musicians.


I got the chicken fried antelope with the gravy on the side. It was delicious. While the gravy was decent, it was still brown and I will still say it “White gravy is superior to brown!” I know wars have been fought over less, but I said what I said. Lol


I think this was the brisket that AJ got. His dainty self couldn’t finish it. Good for me because he shared.


We came back to camp and got the fire going. Tomorrow we are having beef over the fire. I seasoned them up overnight.



More tomorrow!


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[bigjohnsd]

See John, a little patience and it happens!

Excellent Josh!

"The Spawn" must have come over and shamed him into finishing it up, LOL

[Hppants]

I had the fried Antelope as well. I will acknowledge that the gravy was "brown", but that is most assuredly NOT what a Cajun calls "Brown Gravy".

YMMV.

This trip was so much fun, man.....