Our backpacking spring break trip to Big Bend with the Holmsten family was a great adventure and success.

On the road to Panther Junction we saw a javalina eating a road kill.

While the parents packed the backpacks, the kids made a tiny city of cairns.

First we backpacked near Sliprock Mountain on the desert floor.  We had a close encounter with a rattlesnake while climbing the rock topped hill in this picture! The kids made a tepee out of lechuguilla.

The next day we visited the ghost town of Terlingua and Santa Elena Canyon before hiking out to backpack near Mule Ears. At Santa Elena Canyon we crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico. In Teralingua we got to look down a very old and deep mine shaft.

We explored Mule Ears spring and saw Trap spring. At Mule Ears spring we saw two leopard frogs.

Next was the long climb with heavy backpacks into the Chisos mountains for two nights and three days. Unfortunately, our campsite and the Holmsten’s campsite were a mile away. The next day we went to the South Rim and got an amazing view. We also bird watched there too.

We descended the Chisos via Boot Canyon. Unfortunately, our stove wasn’t working, so we had to set out on the trail with empty stomachs.

We spent our last night and day at Ernst Tinaja. On the ride back home we saw a peregrine falcon.