Big Bend Sierra Quemada – Day 2 began after a pleasant night’s sleep and counting satellites and shooting stars in a cloudless sky. We knew that today would be a tough hike…. mostly off trail in the wash above Smoky Spring and then off trail up over Jack’s Pass and down again to Dominguez Spring.The beginning of the hike was pretty brushy and overgrown just above Smoky Spring, but after about 1/4 mile, it opened back up to a sandy, gravelly wash with easy walking. After about 2 miles we came headlong into our first (but not toughest) obstacle of the day…….a 15′ pouroff stared us in the face. We managed, without too much difficulty, to circumvent it by climbing up and out of the wash on the right side and continued on the trek.We continued on up the canyon seeing deer on the slopes way above us. They were very skittish, as though they had never seen people before and climbed higher on the slopes as we passed. This canyon is typical of the Quemadas, winding steep walled and remote. Very peaceful and quiet as if we were the only people in the world.Without too much confusion after 3.4 miles, we reached the junction of the wash that led to Jack’s Pass. My first impression was dismay. Although it wasn’t exceptionally steep, or terribly far, the path was choked with rocks and brush. We struggled threading our way through cactus, rocks, sotol and lechuguilla and after about an hour managed to make our way to the top of the pass. Total distance from bottom to to was only 0.5 miles with an elevation change of about 380 ft.I didn’t take any pics on the way up (It was hard enough just getting there) but below is looking back down from whence we came. You can just make out a fence post in the lower left of the photo. This was just one along a line going up to the pass. I assume that this was built by the Fisk family.
This was our approximate path
Looking back toward Mule Ears and Santa Elena from the pass
On top of the pass looking toward Elephant Tusk
We could see Dominguez Spring below us and knew what we had to do, but the path was going to be difficult. The path down was VERY steep, rocky, brushy and gashed by a at least one deep gully.
Taking a well deserved rest and the time to survey our path down, we eventually came up with a plan and started on down.
I must admit that this was a physically challenging and slow trek that needed the utmost care and patience. It took about an hour but we eventually reached the lower slope after descending about 880′ over about 1 mile. We then followed an old fence line until we could drop into the wash that led to the Spring.
By the time we reached the spring we encountered a impenetrable thicket and decided we did not have the energy to go around it that day. We were both whipped after only 5.6 miles. Total elapsed time from Smoky Spring was 7:43. The total elevation change for the day was over 2300 ft. (1400 up, and more than 900 back down). We set up camp and checked out the wounds. Big Bend Sierra Quemada – Day 2 came to an end with a sigh of relief when we made camp.
Our original plan was to move on through Dominguez that day and make camp in Fisk Canyon a mile or so North of Dominguez. Since there was water available near our location and considering what we had just done, we called it a day. Although the views are great from the pass, it is not an easy hike for an old guy with bad knees a little girl with good ones.
We had a good hearty MH meal, pumped some water, rehydrated and turned in early..exhausted.
I had a fitful night sleeping, knowing we would have to get through or around the Spring in the morning and make up the 2 or so miles we came up short on this day.
Jeff Blaylock was also doing a trip at the same time as we were and was planning to do Jack’s Pass in the opposite direction of us. We had the possibilty of crossing paths the next day, either in, or North of Fisk Canyon. I wouldn’t want to climb Jack’s Pass from the Dominguez side and would give him my impressions if we crossed paths. That never did happen and I’m curious if he did that climb and what he thought of it?
Although we knew that we had a long day ahead of us tomorrow, Fisk Canyon should be pretty easy travelling and we were confident we could make our 3rd night campsite without too much difficulty, however……..Big Bend is full of surprises……….