Tuesday, August 13, 2019

That First Time

The first time I visited the area, I got to this point on Highway 118 and thought to myself - who the hell could live out here?  I think about that every time I pass this spot...since moving here 11 1/2 years ago.  75,103,94,0,W
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14 comments:

Margery Billd said...

It was 105 yesterday and only l02 today. When I first went to west Texas, it was 107 plus every day and I did not use air conditioning or fans and was o.k. when young.

August 13, 2019 at 6:11 PM
MsBelinda said...

I remember you recounting that anecdote on a long-ago post. The important thing is how you feel now. I remember you having to go to Big Bend Motor Inn to be able to make your posts.

I can not believe I have been following your blog for eleven years. Time sure flies by.

August 13, 2019 at 6:42 PM
MsBelinda said...

Looks like they have done some work on the roads.

August 13, 2019 at 6:44 PM
David Johnson said...

When I came out to visit and seen the mountains I got a calming feeling. Was nice but I had to go back to the kiddos, one day soon hopefully it will be able to find a place for that calming feeling again

August 13, 2019 at 7:00 PM
intermittent marathonian 00 said...

West Texas: Either you get it, or you don't.

My friend's observation from over 30 years ago.

August 13, 2019 at 8:45 PM
Ronald Mahan said...

----Never will forget the first trip to Terlingua Ranch in 1970. My father, twin brother, and I were all travelling in Don's pickup truck. We got as far as Alpine - and had to find a motel - because it was snowing and the road south to the ranch was closed due to snow. Next day the weather cleared & we drove to the ranch and found our new property -- which looked like a waste land - with poor prospects of any huntable game. Never the less - we set up our two tents - one for eating & one for sleeping. Plans for the next day were Don & Dad would go hunt on one of the Hunt Parks - and I would stay & hunt our property! ---------------------------- I hunted our property the next day & never fired a shot! Not even any rabbits living on that wasteland - that Dad had purchased sight unseen.-Don & Don also did not kill anything in the Hunt Park . ---------------------------------------------------------- The next day - Don & I hunted another Hunt Park & Dad investigated his option of swapping the land for another property with improved hunting prospects! I did kill a male Javelina in the Hunt Park - but no deer were seen. --------------------------- Then we all travelled to Cedar Springs Range to look for huntable property. The roads going there were very rough. When we got to the highest part of that range - we started seeing lots of mule deer! Dad told our guide - this was the property he wanted. And the guide said it could obtained by swapping the other 20 acres (bought sight unseen) for the 20 acres we were looking at. Dad told him to write it up.! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------then we all hunted on our new 20 acre tract the next day and Dad shot a buck mule deer that day! -----------------------------The next day we hunted our new property again - and Don killed another buck mule deer! -------------------------------------That ended our hunting and we loaded up for the trip back to Tomball, Texas! We got almost to Alpine & had a flat tire. Then we had to unload most of the gear to get to Don's spare tire. The rest of the trip was made without any problems. And Dad was pleased with the new 20 acre tract he had obtained, We had shot two deer there - on our first hunting trips to the land.

August 13, 2019 at 11:01 PM
wickets said...

ditto on what msbelinda said on time flying

August 14, 2019 at 6:36 AM
Off Grid Research said...

Back in 07 when I was driving the 8 hours from Austin to Terlingua to look at land it was about 40 miles from Alpine on US 67 when I questioned what I was doing... But once I could see the Chisos and other mountains I remembered why.

August 14, 2019 at 7:32 AM
Ronald Mahan said...

I love this place so much - I drive a 2700 mile round trip - almost every year to get to our Mahan Hunt Camp! As we got older - we do not walk the hills as well - and now - we mostly hunt doves & quail on our own property. Getting to be so many other cabins in our valley just north of Jack Eden Mesa - I would not want to fire my deer rifle - for fear of hitting a nearby cabin! My father placed the second cabin in this valley almost 50 years ago! There was an old Ranchers cabin at the west end of the valley - but it had fallen down before Dad placed his cabin in the valley.

August 14, 2019 at 8:24 PM
Ronald Mahan said...

For those who do not know it - we had a famous terrorist build the very first cabin in this valley! It was the Unabomber - who had moved to near the west Coast - when he started smiling his bombs - to kill political opponents! His brother now owns the property - and he & his lovely wife - are good friends of the Mahans. They have also built a large vacation home on that original tract!

August 14, 2019 at 8:35 PM
Margery Billd said...

I never knew he went there. I thought it was only his brother and his first place was underground.

August 14, 2019 at 10:31 PM
remmij said...

…could it have been the well maintained roads & soothing pavement color?…
the hi way never ends

August 14, 2019 at 11:01 PM
JohnT said...

Great pic J.

August 15, 2019 at 12:44 PM
Ronald Mahan said...

Margery Bild - you are correct - the first place there was built underground. Then - they built a very small cabin - which was used until about 5 years ago - when the large vacation home was built. That small cabin is still there! I have never seen the first underground dugout. That area is subject to a lot of standing water during heavy rains - and it must have been difficult to keep water from flooding the underground dugout! We never go down that road when we have wet weather - because the road will be under water!

August 15, 2019 at 2:35 PM

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