Out of Big Bend and Connected Again
©Bert Gildart: I suspect readers have endured enough of my rantings about illegal borders crossings from Boquillas, Mexico to Big Bend, America, but this setting so intrigued me I simply had to share it. Those are the Chisos Mountains in the background and the river, of course, is the Rio Grande. Note the rider heading toward Big Bend.
Posting this and the other three images is now easy, as we’re in Marathon, Texas, and once again have reliable access to the Internet.
Just hop on your horse, give it a nudge and in about three minutes you've made the crossing from Mexico to Big Bend National Park. That's in America, Texas to be precise.
Yes, the above image shows a resident of Boquillas stealing across the Rio Grande – but I believe that if I were destitute I’d take chances too. The rider is hoping to sell a few of the items shown just below. All were made in the tiny village of Boquillas, and the folks there need the money. They’re isolated from the rest of the world, and 9/11 brought America dollars to a screeching halt.
L to R: Boquillas, Mexico purchases on a cliff overlooking the Rio Grande and Big Bend NP. Residents of Boquillas cross the river and then position works of art on
rocks in Big Bend. Residents of Boquillas then monitor sale items from their side of the Rio Grande.
At the moment we’re in Marathon, Texas, meeting a good friend of mine. We’re celebrating a very significant milestone, or at least that’s what the Bible says, calling it his “three score and ten.” We’ll be here for a night or two, but then, we’re all heading back to Big Bend for a few more days in this incredible example of the Chihuahuan Desert. At least in Big Bend the news is not as dire as what we’ve just learned about another mass shooting, this time in Connecticut.
So tragic!
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FOUR YEARS AGO:
*Pero, The Luckiest Mouse Alive
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4th ed. Autographed by the Authors
Hiking Shenandoah National Park
Hiking Shenandoah National Park is the 4th edition of a favorite guide book, created by Bert & Janie, a professional husband-wife journalism team. Lots of updates including more waterfall trails, updated descriptions of confusing trail junctions, and new color photographs. New text describes more of the park’s compelling natural history. Often the descriptions are personal as the Gildarts have hiked virtually every single park trail, sometimes repeatedly.
Big Sky Country is beautiful
Montana Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Treasure State
Montana Icons is a book for lovers of the western vista. Features photographs of fifty famous landmarks from what many call the “Last Best Place.” The book will make you feel homesick for Montana even if you already live here. Bert Gildart’s varied careers in Montana (Bus driver on an Indian reservation, a teacher, backcountry ranger, as well as a newspaper reporter, and photographer) have given him a special view of Montana, which he shares in this book. Share the view; click here.
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
What makes Glacier, Glacier?
Glacier Icons: 50 Classic Views of the Crown of the Continent
Glacier Icons: What makes Glacier Park so special? In this book you can discover the story behind fifty of this park’s most amazing features. With this entertaining collection of photos, anecdotes and little known facts, Bert Gildart will be your backcountry guide. A former Glacier backcountry ranger turned writer/photographer, his hundreds of stories and images have appeared in literally dozens of periodicals including Time/Life, Smithsonian, and Field & Stream. Take a look at Glacier Icons
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
