2022 - West - May 3 - Big Bend TX - Tinaja Hike

 Tuesday, May 3:

Took a nice jeep ride on Old Ore Rd to the Ernst Tinaja trail. 

A tinaja (pronounced "tihn-AH-hah") is a microhabitat created when a rock depression fills with water that later disappears. 

We call them - desert hot tubs.

The hike began easily enough down a rocky wash.

Then things got interesting - 

Here is an example of a tinaja.

Meanwhile, the canyon walls were amazing.

Another tinaja - this one dry.

The next few pictures were taken by Vaughan - my fear of heights and bad knees kept me back sitting in the shade with my knife out and my whistle in case a mountain lion found me tempting.

It was a beautiful hike. 

Now - here are some nature shots I took along the way - free range mules, birds and cactus.