Davis Mountains

The Davis Mountains are volcanic mountains, formed under water so they look like fingers of rock pillars.  We are in the Chihuahuan Desert, which is the largest of the four North American deserts (the Chihuahuan, Mojave, Sonoran and Great Basin).  We hiked through the desert-down a canyon, along the mountain ridge-truly spectacular.



Canyon trail




Sid takes a break





Mountain look out

 

Scout Al


Fort Davis is a National Historic Site so we went.  It is strategically placed along the San Antonio to El Paso wagon train route being 400 miles from San Antonio and 200 miles from El Paso.  A covered wagon averages between 12 and 16 miles per day.  The trip took about 4 months to make and that trip must have been hellish.



Fort Davis supply





Wagon train




Laundry day



 These mountains are formidable and the ground is hard and filled with cactus, plus the wildlife. The forts were necessary because of Apache and Comanche raids on the travellers.  Fort Davis is unique in that it had as it's armed force Buffalo Soldiers-a group of African-American soldiers.  Of course, racism was rampant and these men were commanded by white officers.



Our campsite has an abundance of wildlife.  At dusk we were having dinner outside at the picnic table.  Sid wasn't tied up.  We looked at him and saw his ears were up.  Al checked Sid's sightline.  Sid was ready to go-frolick with two deers which had come into our campsite.  So we tied up Sid.  We moved inside to enjoy dessert-brownies made in my new cast iron fry pan (on the bbq).  We heard a really low growl from Sid-Al looked and  began to yell, "Get him in NOW!"  I didn't know what was going on but I pulled frantically on his rope.  Sid was non-compliant.  He wasn't moving inside.  There was a javelina (pronounced havelina) -a wild pig-full grown (about the same size as Sid) roaming beside our picnic table.




Our campsite


Our camera was on the picnic table.  As the javelina went past the picnic table Al convinced me to sprint out and get the camers (since I was closest to the door).  As I opened the door I looked back and caught Al, poised to make a screaming sound.  Can you imagine the skid mark I would have left if Al had succeeded in scaring me?  Not trusting Al, I didn't go.  He went instead and got a quick picture of this thing.  At 5:30 this morning there was a herd of them in our campsite.  They don't get along with dogs.



Javelina on the run

 We saw a poster at the showers this morning warning campers that mountain lions are in the park and to watch carefully over small children.  In true Chevy Chase Vacation form, here we were tying up our dog outside to be preyed upon by javelinas, mountain lions.  We won't let him out anymore without one of us going with him.  That person will be Al.
We're heading in to Big Bend today and likely won't have internet for the next few days.