On a recent morning, I sat near the precipice of the South Rim Viewpoint, Big Bend National Park. Its 2,000 foot plunge gave me more than a tinge of vertigo. I took deep breaths and swept my gaze over the stunning panorama—from the Chisos, across the Chihuahuan Desert floor, over the Rio Grande, to the Sierra del Carmen mountain range of Mexico.
I’ve spent countless hours hiking in backcountries across America, seeking not only the tonic of solitude, but the thrill of views such as this one. If you had been standing near me, you would have heard me exclaim “Ahhhh…”
A naturalist once told me that her forays into the wild are what “stitch her into the fabric of Creation.” I love that! It resonates with me, especially because my day-to-day schedule can too easily consume me, diverting my attention from the beauty that surrounds all of us.
Sitting there amidst the splendor of Big Bend, I thought of other places in my adopted homeland of Texas that have woven me into the natural world. They exist in the present tense in my mind, no matter how long ago I experienced them.
- Hiking through Palo Duro Canyon, admiring the variegated colors of its geologic formations.
- Closely examining the splendid crystals deep within Sonora Caverns.
- Wandering over a boardwalk through the Big Thicket, marveling at carnivorous pitcher plants, sundews, and bladderworts.
- Kayaking through the labyrinth of bald cypresses draped in Spanish moss at Caddo Lake State Park.
- Strolling along the edge of Aransas Bay near dawn, seabirds squawking around me, a squadron of pelicans passing in silhouette. Light from the rising sun playing over the gulf waters in lava lamp swirls of red and orange.
- Touring Spring Lake at the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, peering through our glass bottom boat at the ancient artesian springs that feed the San Marcos River, alligator gars passing beneath us.
- Lifting my arms in joy at the top of Guadalupe Peak!
And then there’s the wildlife I’ve encountered, our native brothers and sisters of so many species!
- Coming upon a red-shouldered hawk taking a bath in a stream at McKinney State Park.
- Focusing my camera on a baby alligator sitting atop its mother’s head at Brazos Bend State Park.
- Thrilling to the vibrant color of a rough green snake as it slithers across a trail at Phil Hardberger Park.
- Quietly observing a two-tailed swallowtail as it alights on a thistle bloom in Government Canyon State Natural Area, a perfect contrast of purple and yellow.
- Sneaking up on a nine-banded armadillo at Colorado Bend State Park, surreptitiously watching it snort, chuff, and dig for grubs.
- Vermillion flycatchers, painted buntings, green jays!
On another trip to Big Bend, I hiked into Santa Elena Canyon for the third time, escorting a friend who had never been there. It was early morning. We sat on a rock and watched sunlight dapple the surface of the Rio Grande like liquid amber. It was mesmerizing.
My friend turned to me and was about to say something. Instead, she glanced back at the golden ripples on the river, then up the steep cliff walls. We heard the melodic call of a black-throated sparrow echoing through the canyon.
My friend turned once again to face me. Our eyes met, we nodded, then each of us took a deep breath of crisp desert air.
We were stitching!
Krin Van Tatenhoe graduated with AAMN Class 45. He wrote a book about the history of our chapter which you can access on his website here.
