Slideshow of WalkingMan Tour 2008 Outer Mountain Loop

Walking Man Tour 2008: The Outer Mountain Loop

I have completed the WalkingMan Tour 2008 in Big Bend National Park. This year it was The Outer Mountain Loop, 30 plus miles of mountain and desert trails through the Chisos and the desert valley below the South Rim.

The primary purpose of these trips each year is for me to have extended time in the wilderness to experience solitary time with God to refresh my spirit and to celebrate my sobriety. This year I celebrate 19 years on 12-12-2008. This happened in wonderful ways.

It was a great trip with excitement and some terror, lots of solitude and more exhaustion. I'm glad I went, and I'm already anticipating the next one.

I had been planning for this trip since last year’s hike to the South Rim, so by Sunday, December 7 I was aching to leave. I left Tulsa at 10 am and took off for Fort Stockton to stay for the night. I arrived around 7 pm and got settled in so I could leave early on Monday. My plan was to get to the park by 7, stash my water and extra food at Homer Wilson Ranch and then make it to Panther Junction to get permits as soon as they opened.

Homer Wilson Ranch

This all went pretty much as planned. I got everything cached and drove to Panther Junction where I met Ranger Flippo (nice guy) who put me through the solo hiker routine. I have been planning my agenda for weeks now, and thanks to Big Bend Chat.com, I was adequately informed. He checked my water supply and informed me that Boot Spring was dry but Fresno Creek was flowing. Night One was to be zone camping in Lower Juniper (CO3), Night Two was at Fresno Creek (CO4), Night Three was in the Blue Creek Zone (CO5) and Night Four in LW1.

Ranger Flippo took pictures of me with my pack and also of the sole of my boot, then I was off.

My backcountry permit:

I got to the Basin and hit the trail a little after 9 am heading up the Pinnacles Trail with a full load. I was focused spiritually this day of preparation/confession. I used the heavy pack to remind me of the load of sin that I have carried and the Christ carried for me. This kept me on track especially when the load got heavy and I felt tired.

The Pinnacles Trailhead

I prefer to get the tough part of the hike over with early and this was difficult with 8 liters of water. Temp was 65 degrees and I broke a sweat early. I took my time however and got several pictures of Casa Grande and the Pinnacles.


Last year I hiked this part predawn and so had not seen the view. Wonderful.

I had mental struggles with quitting at this stage. As this part of the Pinnacles trail is very steep, and I was finding myself tired within the first hour, the enemy was telling me to give it up now and just dayhike. I did not need to go through all that was to come. I kept up my focus on how Christ carried my weight of sin using the Jesus Prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God , have mercy on me a sinner" as the centering point.

After an hour on the trail I puffed around a bend and saw a mother bear with two cubs. Actually we surprised each other. Mama went right with one cub and the other cub went to the left of the trail. I was busy trying to get my camera out and missed getting the bears but got some good shots of cactus. The bears disappeared quickly, and my heart was pounding! Bear sign was everywhere on the trail throughout the day as they seemed to be enjoying the juniper berries and pine nuts.

I may have missed the bear, but I did get a shot of a deer!

I’m always amazed at how tame they are. I thanked God for the opportunity to safely see the bears.

At Pinnacles Pass I was encountered a group of teenage hikers from England and Australia who were headed up to Emory Peak. I had a good visit with them as I got my breath. A short mile later I arrived in Boot Canyon and took a pack off break for lunch.


I had three books with me for the time away. One was "The Divine Hours for Christmastide" by Phyllis Tickle. This book has prayers for 4 stations of the day: Morning, Noon, Vespers, and Compline. I prayed the noon prayers at Boot Canyon and here was the encouragement from this: "Glory be to him whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; glory be to him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen." This gave me assurance and courage to continue on in my quest.

Also I was reading "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction" by Eugene Peterson. The first chapter of this book, that focuses on the Psalms of Ascents, was on discipleship as endurance. Jeremiah 12:5 "If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses?" and this quote from Nietzsche "The essential thing "in heaven and earth" is...that there should be long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results in the long run, something which has made life worth living." All of this encouraged my heart to continue, one step at a time.
I checked Boot Spring but no water. There was one pool but not enough to bother with pumping since I still had adequate supply.

Lunch was a Powerbar, energy gels, and GORP.

Next was the Juniper Canyon Trail.

The first section made me glad that I took a break earlier. Very difficult and rocky climb out of Boot Canyon, and again I am tempted to quit but once I got out this was the view:



I headed down Boot Canyon, grateful for the break, but this trail was steep and rocky and was very overgrown. I was wearing convertible pants rather than cotton so I was hoping they would handle the trip. I saw no water on the Juniper trail, and I chose not to look for the Upper Juniper Springs. I was still carrying enough water for tomorrow.

I came to the stone steps


and passed Juniper Camp, then began looking for a campsite for the night. I had gone nearly 9 miles and wanted to get settled before dark. I found a good spot just into the zone camping area.

Boot Canyon from my Monday campsite

Here was dinner- my Esbit stove did well for one person.

As I said my evening prayers the sun began to set and the views were fantastic. "The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him."


The moon was nearly full and the temperature was in the 60’s so I was able to sleep without the fly. The wind blowing through the canyon this evening was quite peaceful. The stars were beautiful once the moon was down, and I got a great night’s sleep.

Day Two 12-09-08

Tuesday morning broke warm and clear. It had been a great night to sleep in the desert, enjoying the moon and stars. Now sunrise was coloring the canyon walls.

The focus for this days devotion was Repentance. From Eugene Peterson "In my distress I cry to the Lord, that he may answer me: "Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue." Psalm 120:1

and from Mencius "Before a man can do things there must be things he will not do."

I had peanut butter and turkey jerky in a tortilla for breakfast, and this made me very thirsty. I had brought plenty of water, or so I thought, but dinner last evening and the thirst today had me with 3 liters to make Fresno Creek and water. If there was no water in Fresno, then this 3 liters would need to last until my cache at Homer Wilson Ranch. Thirst was a part of my pilgrimage for the day. I focused on repentance for my sins, how Christ carried my sins for me, and how He thirsted as he carried my burden. I realize how rarely I thirst, actually I never feel thirst. But I would this day.

I was rested and eager to complete Juniper Canyon. I broke camp and took of at 8 am. Juniper was very overgrown, shrub and cactus chest-high. I pressed on and met a couple who were going to dayhike Juniper Canyon to the NE Rim. We spoke for a short while and wished each other luck. They stated that they had hiked the Dodson part way yesterday "all the way to the ranch" and had not seen water. I realized that they probably meant the Dodson Ranch and not Homer Wilson, but still my mind began to think of the possibility of no water until the end of the Dodson trail. What would I do with only 2 liters of water to get all the way? Also, I was glad that I didn't have to hike back up Juniper this day!

I arrived at the Dodson Trailhead by 9:30

and took a short break before starting the Dodson Trail

I was planning to get to Fresno Creek for camping today and perhaps explore around that area, so I took off. The beginning of the Dodson Trail was reasonably flat


but as the hike went on the trail became progressively more difficult-each draw being steeper that the previous. I was continuing to use the Jesus Prayer as a focus as well as remembering my sin and thirst as repentance.

The views of the South Rim were grand. This was my first time to experience the Chisos from this perspective



I also developed a deeper appreciation for Harv Dodson and family. They must have been hardy folks to survive in this environment. I arrived at the Dodson Ranch


and poked around a little, but I was eager to press on. I was using water fast this day as the temperatures were in the 80's. I still have over a liter left, but my mind continues to consider the possibility of Fresno being dry. My focus on Christ however is crystal clear. I feel closer to Him than I've felt in months! The opportunity to have constant prayer and to experience life with Him is wonderful. I still feel thirst, but I share it with him.

After hiking up the draw between Dodson Ranch and Fresno Creek I topped the saddle and saw water in Fresno. I was flooded with relief and hurried down the hill to fill my bottles.


Fresno was flowing well, in fact I went overboard and pumped more than I actually needed. I drank plenty and my prayers for this noonday are "How priceless is your love, O God! your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings. They feast upon the abundance of your house, you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the well of life, and in your light we see light." I was thrilled with the provision of water!
I found the Fresno Creek campsite and, it is one of the best on the OML. I set up the tent

and admired the view

It was 2 pm by the time I got settled so I chose to rest and read in camp rather than take the steep hike out of Fresno. I was reading out of my third book "Walking with God" by John Eldredge. Spiritual warfare was the theme and praying with and for others. I had dinner at 3 pm and by this time the clouds were heavy on the South Rim and it was beginning to sprinkle on me in camp. The wind had picked up and I needed to use a wind shield to heat water. I had left my pack cover in the van, so I took out my food bag and put the pack into the tent.

By 4 pm it was stormy and raining hard. I was dry in the tent, but had some concerns over the wind. First I was very thankful that I had set up camp and not tried to go further. If I had gone on I would have been caught in the storm. Second, God had provided water, I had more than enough. Third, I had the pack in my tent so it was more stable. Finally I was having to take authority and trust God. My fearful heart asked "What would I do if the tent shredded?" But my spirit prayed although it was intense. I prayed out loud during the storm, rebuking satan and claiming God's promises. The wind continued to increase and if felt as if the tent would fly apart. I was using my hand to stabilize the tent, but I was beginning to get cold. Finally, as I was getting hoarse from praying and cold from trying to hold the tent together I heard God's voice ask me "you've tried your hand. Would you like to try mine?" I surrendered at that point and something in my heart was changed. I took my hand down, put it inside the sleeping bag and waited. If the tent was going to fly apart, it would just need to do that. Lord, I trust you. The wind continued to blow. I could hear the wind drop off the Rim and begin to roll down the valley, knowing that it was going to hit my tent again, but now I was trusting in God. The idea I got was of Jesus asleep in the boat when the storm raged and I was sleeping with Jesus in the bottom of the boat, rather than being on top with the fearful disciples. This gave comfort and I found myself going to sleep.

Along with the rain was a drop in temperature. While it was dry in the tent the outside temp was in the lower 40's by now. I slept fitfully and sometime in the night the storm ended although the wind continued.

The nearly full moon came out and brightened things up, clear and cold.

Day Three: December 10, 2008

I awoke the morning after the storm to 34 degree temperature and snow on the Chisos.

The prayers for this morning are: "Blessed is the Lord, for he has heard the voice of my prayer." and "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." I realize that God has met both of these prayers and my focus on this day is Blessing using this prayer "I am the beloved one on whom his favor rests."

The views were even more incredible as the morning progressed. My tent was covered with ice and the water bottles that I had left outside were slushy. I made coffee, admired the view, then broke camp and prepared for the day.

I needed to get moving to warm up and the climb out of Fresno Creek did exactly that. By the time I got to the Elephant Tusk trailhead, I was warm and perspiring.

The sun was beginning to evaporate the snow on the South Rim making for a neat picture

I was grateful that I was able to see this after the storm of last night. I had been on the trail for three days and had not seen a human for over a day. The relaxation I was seeking was beginning to happen. God was near and speaking. I am the beloved on on whom his favor rests! I was enjoying the feeling where my only responsibility was to be me in God's presence. All I had to do today was keep moving, enjoy the sights and make camp before nightfall. Good stuff!

Snow on a cairn in the desert

I headed down Smoky Creek. The ranger had warned that hikers often miss the Dodson junction with the Smoky Creek trail, so I was being especially watchful since the creekbed was very overgrown. I didn't need to worry. The cairns at the junction were hard to miss.

As I left Smoky Creek I came across two hikers who were doing the OML counterclockwise. They had spent last night in Blue Creek Canyon, telling tales of hearing and then seeing a mountain lion. We swapped stories of making it through the storm (they had snow) and moved on.



The climb out of Smoky Creek led to the saddle that overlooks the Homer Wilson Ranch. As I topped the saddle the view was outstanding



I spent some time taking pictures from this vantage point and getting prepared for the long decent to HWR.

Mule Ears Peak from the Dodson Trail

Santa Elena Canyon from the Dodson Trail

The hike from the saddle to Homer Wilson Ranch, although beautiful and downhill, seemed endless. It was nearly 1 pm by the time I got there and to the bear box to the cache.

Carousel Mountain

Homer Wilson Blue Creek Ranch House

I had over packed for the trip. I offloaded extra clothes and other uneeded supplies to make the hike up Blue Creek Canyon the next day as light as possible. Once reloaded I was ready to start Blue Creek and find a campsite for this night.


With my pack about 15 pounds lighter I was off. Hiking in the rocky creek bottom was a lot like walking in sand, very tiring and tough on my calves. In a short while I had come to the Red Rocks area

And then past
I had read reports of good campsites 2-4 miles up the canyon, so I pressed on wanting to make as much distance up today to make tomorrow's hike as short as possible. I felt a little worried that I may not be able to find a good spot in time, but I felt the voice of God continuing to speak to me "I have something to show you, just go on. Watch and see how we will have a spot by 2:30." I trusted in God and it felt wonderful.

By 2:30 I had found a good spot and set up camp very thankful to God for his leading.



By now the temps were in the 60's and I changed clothes and dried everything out after yesterday's ice. It felt good to sit in the sun and complete my journal and prayers.

From Psalm 36:5-10 "Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; you save both man and beast, O Lord. How priceless is your love, O God! your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings. They feast upon the abundance of your house; you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the well of life, and in your light we see light. Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, and your favor to those who are true of heart."

From Eugene Peterson I read that the next step in the Song of Ascents is worship "I was glad when they said unto me, "Let us go unto the House of the Lord." This is my focal prayer for tomorrow. I will worship the Lord.

As the sun began to go down the temperature dropped considerably and I needed to get inside the tent. The moon was full this evening and the night view was incredible. It was bright enough to cast a shadow, and I spent quite a while admiring the sky.

Day 4: 12-11-08

Another chilly night with temps in the low 30's. The bright moon made it a beautiful night, but the cold kept me from sleeping well. As I broke camp this morning I was beginning to reconsider my plan to spend another evening out, especially if the High Chisos were snow-packed.

I headed out up Blue Creek and saw the caves in the canyon wall
I was praying the prayer of worship "I was glad when they said unto me "Let us go unto the house of the Lord."
I started to climb and at first thought "This isn't so bad. I've probably gotten used to the trail by now. Maybe Blue Creek is not so tough after all"

I caught my first glimpse of Emory Peak


with Santa Elena behind me


These views improved as I climbed. By now I was into the switchbacks and feeling the strain. Blue Creek is really that tough! I found myself resting at each turn, very thankful I had lightened my pack yesterday. I continued to worship even thought I was wearing out. "The only way out is through" was another word from God to me.

The snow continued to get deeper as I gained elevation but thankfully there was no ice, so footing was secure. I finally topped Blue Creek Canyon at 10:30 am very tired, but thankful for the experience.

Now I had a choice to make: stick with my original plan and camp in the snow at Laguna West 1 and visit the South Rim or take the 3 mile hike downhill to the Basin with a warm room and a bath. What to do?

I bailed! The South Rim will still be there when I return next!

I celebrated my 19 birthday at the trailhead, leaving my 18 year coin in a spot where it can be found in upcoming trips. I touched my rock to its native soil and agreed to carry it one more year. After thanking God for my soberity, I was ready to continue and complete the Outer Mountain Loop.

I had anticipated a leisurely stroll down the trail but the snow had complicated matters. While my mind was trying to say the trip was over the reality of the snowpack kept me focused. I was committed to remaining "walkingman" and not becoming "fallingman"

Although somewhat slippery, the snow made for beautiful hiking. I began to run into other hikers making their ways to the Rim and it was enjoyable to share stories with them. My body on the other hand was beginning to feel the effects of 4 days out and over 30 miles of travel.

I arrived at the Basin elated and exhausted. A young couple met me and asked to take a picture of them before they took of to climb Emory Peak. I did and they returned the favor


Off I went to Homer Wilson to pick up my stuff from the bear box and then to Panther Junction to inform the rangers of my change of plan and that I had made it out safely.

I'm still in awe that I made it.

Lessons learned on this trip:

1. I packed too much stuff, I can really lighten my load
2. I need to manage my water better. I wound up carrying too much at times and at other times got a little close. It probably would be best to cache at both Juniper Canyon and Homer Wilson in future trips unless Boot Spring or Upper Juniper are flowing well. Fresno Creek was a lifesaver and perhaps my favorite spot on the Dodson Trail.
3. December is an excellent time to hike the desert. Even the storm didn't detract from the pleasant daytime temperatures and the nights were livable.

God was good and near. I'm sad that I have to go back to the secular world, but I will attempt to maintain the closeness gained from this trip.

Day 5: December 12, 2008

I am in Del Rio, TX I'm sober, sore and happy. Today I celebrate my recovery by enjoying Texas barbeque in several places.

City Market in Luling, TX

Inside City Market

Here's lunch at City Market

Up the road a short way is Lockhart, barbeque capital of Texas

Smitty's in Lockhart

Smitty's dining room

Smitty's Pit Room

Lockhart's Courthouse

Louie Mueller's in Taylor, TX

Louie Mueller's Dining Room

Dinner at Louie Mueller's

The Taylor Cafe, actually a bar. I'm glad I'm sober.

This was a fantastic trip this year. I completed a great hike and survived. I got away and spent intimate time with God and got to enjoy Texas barbeque. I'm truly blessed.