Have a great trip Mariana! Make sure you have plenty of water and plenty of room for pictures on your camera! Thanks for commenting. Safe travels! Mark
Very nice video of your trip! Makes me want to go back and see Big Bend again. Thanks for taking the time to document your hike and for sharing it w us !! 👍
Thanks Michael. Will check out your channel. Looks like we visit a lot of the same places! Just got back from Great Smokies. Gotta get to work on that video. Safe travels! Mark
What an amazing view at 17:33. I am not even a novice, starting with Lost Maples (also watched that video of y'alls and have a list I plan to hike, leading up to Mt. Humphreys. Thanks to you guys, I now know about this hike here--this will be a good one for me. What type of potential communication are you using at 21:16 (top right on table)?
Thanks for the comment CwB! The communication device is a DeLorme (now Garmin) InReach for Smartphones that can send simple messages or SOS in emergencies. It is an older model that can connect to a smartphone for mapping and custom texting. I have since replaced in with a Garmin InReach Explorer+ which does not require a smartphone and has more features. Thanks again for watching! Safe travels! Mark
Awesome video, just got into backpacking and I noticed your floor mat at 6:58, where can I find one of these? I've seen many on Amazon but they are bulky, none are as thin as yours.
Thanks for the comment! Sorry to take so long answering your question. The silver mat was cut from a roll of something called "Double Reflective Insulation" found at Home Depot. Very light and has many uses. On cold nights I put it under the tent. I also use it in the vestibule of my tent to have a clean place to kneel getting in and out. Very versatile, lightweight, and not expensive. The bubbled plastic layer between the foil covering makes it comfortable for sitting/laying/kneeling on the ground. It's not quite enough padding to sleep on, at least for me. Hope that helps. Thanks again! Mark
Real hikers stir their coffee with their thumb! ;). Thanks for this video. This is on my list to do. I was going to do a loop from the Basin, to Laguna, down the Blue Creek Trail and back to Laguna and the Basin via the Dodson Trail. However, carrying all that water and a bear can, I made it to Laguna stopped there for the first night and went back to my car at Laguna in the morning. That trail kicked my butt! It was more deceiving that it looks! But. I will try again! Happy trails!
My wife hiked the south rim trail by herself in the 1970s. As she rounded a sharp bend in the trail she startled a large cougar in the trail that jumped up and ran down the hill side. In perspective, we now we live in WA state and have a huge cougar that periodically makes the rounds on our property. Just carry bear spray.
Thanks Nigel very much for your comment. Big Bend will always be one of my all time favorite places to hike. Incredible views from South Rim that are hard to put into words. Hope pandemic subsides and your aspiration to hike there is fulfilled! You'll never forget the experience. Mark
Excellent video! Great job! I loved it for a few reasons 1) NO music! I go into the back country to hear nature--the quiet, the wind, the animals, the water, NOT music. 2) you kept the camera aimed at the scenery, not at you. 3) you explain where you are & what you are looking at--your comments are good & to the point 4) the google earth additions were a nice touch 5) your stills at the end were excellent. Keep up the good work & I look forward to watching more of your adventures! --Chris in Colorado
Thanks Christopher! I really appreciate the detailed commentary. Every point you make is exactly what I try to incorporate into each video. Can't thank you enough for confirming what I believe a hiking video should be about. Mark
Thanks for this! It's nice to see older people out doing this who aren't Olympic athletes (like me!) bragging about how far or how fast they went; people just enjoying nature. I'm planning to go there next winter and this video has given me a good trip to do!
This is really a great video.....even without the cheeseburger pic :-) Just came back from this similar route we did Thanksgiving week. Laguna Meadows, East Rim, Juniper Flats. Did lots of car camping in the desert and Davis Mountain State Park. That area is such a special place.
Thanks for the comments Jimmy! Big Bend is one of my favorite places, especially when most other places get too cold in the winter season. We were considering a hike there in late December but it seems like the backcountry sites are all taken on the new online reservation system. Those campsites used to be 1st come 1st serve at the visitor center a day or two before hiking. It may be different this year. Over Thanksgiving we hiked Sylamore Creek in northern Arkansas. Beautiful place! It'll be my first video in quite some time thanks to Covid. Hiking stories & cheeseburgers sound like a great idea. You can usually find Cheryl and I at Culver's on El Dorado just about every Saturday between 11 & noon. Just look for my white Chevy Equinox in parking lot. Thanks again! Mark
Thanks for the comment! Make sure to take plenty of water especially if you are going multi-day. Hopefully the spring in Boot Canyon will be flowing. There is a forum called Big Bend Chat that sometimes has recent posts about water availability. Its a beautiful hike - Enjoy!
I have a daughter living in Seattle and am very jealous of all the hiking opportunities you have there. Its a beautiful area. Keep up the great work on videos!
Is it feasible to do that same trip in 2 days and 1 night? How many hours did it take to get to each camp? Excellent video by the way! It was very well balanced with the commentary.
Yes, it could be done in two days if you're in good physical shape. At our age, we don't cover the distance as quickly as we used to. Plus, I spend a lot of time with camera work. And a lot depends on the campsite you are able to get when you reserve the day before. Get in line early at visitor center to get best sites. SE rim sites are awesome but would take 6 - 7 hours to get there if you make good time and that's a best guess. Remember that in winter, daylight hours are short so get on trail early. And don't forget to be well supplied with water. Hope you have a great hike! Mark
This is an inspiring video! I'm a fit 60+ senior planning my first hike and doing it at BB. Any advice on a training program to get acclimated to the weight and stamina this hike requires? Thank you!
Thank you for the comment! Not sure if you have any local trails with hills to climb but if so, taking a trial run or two with full pack would be a good idea. I would also suggest walking 3-4 miles several times a week. I've also used the stair stepping machines at a local gym to simulate climbing. At home I use a treadmill and set the incline as high as it will go. Whatever you do, try to get heartrate up and maintain it for 25 - 30 minutes. In Big Bend, water is the biggest concern and it can add many pounds to your pack especially on the first day. You will be surprised how quickly you go through water. Its not just the sweating, but the heavy breathing that will dehydrate you quickly in that dry environment. That is why we took the less strenuous Laguna meadows route on day one. The steady climb is not too bad if you pace yourself but it can be challenging for those of us in the 60+ age group. We had close to 3 gallons for the two of us so it was slow going. My pack was close to 50 pounds. Make sure to hydrate up before heading out and if you survey people finishing their hike, ask them about the availability of water on the trail and if the spring is flowing. Salt/electrolyte tablets are also a must. I take one before, during and after hiking. If you develop cramps at the end of the day or overnight, its often due to the loss of electrolytes. Camping the 1st night at Laguna Meadows site #3 was a good stopping point. Our 2nd night was at the Colima #2 campsite and made for a great base camp. Luckily, we found water at the Boot Canyon spring and filtered it. If we hadn't, our water supply would have probably been close to running out by the 3rd day. After setting camp at Colima, we took water, camera, and light pack with some snacks to the rim. Finally, keep an eye on the temps. This time of year it can be pretty warm. I usually don't attempt hiking Big Bend if daytime highs are over 80. The heat can really be a factor. My favorite months are late Nov - March. I hope that helps! Safe travels! Mark
Water: 3+ gallons. We were lucky to find some water along trail that we filtered. Don't depend on it though. Food: Mountain house freeze dried meals/Oatmeal/dried fruit/granola bars/cheese/beef jerky Food: Avocados, Ramen, hard candy, coffee & drink mixes, Pack-it Gourmet cheese spread & crackers Stove: Jetboil Minimo w/ 3 100g isobutane cannisters Water Filter: Sawyer Squeeze, water purification tablets Tent: North Face backpacking tent - 3lbs/2 person Sleeping: Sleeping bag 15 degree rating & 2 inflatable pillows. Air Mattress: Big Agnes Air Core SLX Backpack: Gregory Baltoro 65 & Gregory Deva 60 Trekking Poles: REI brand Clothing: Lightweight quick drying long sleeve shirt, zip off long pants, synthetic underwear/t-shirt, wide brim hat Footwear: Solomon Quest 4D boots, Smartwool socks, lightweight camp-shoes/flip flops Jacket: Compressible down puffy for cold eves & morning (it gets cold in mountains Nov - Mar!!!) Rain gear: waterproof lightweight jacket & pants, packcover Other: 1st aid kit, Leatherman multi-tool, Black Diamond Headlamp, coffee cup, eating utensils, saly & pepper Other: rope, extra batteries, large wet wipes, electrolytes/salt tabs/ibuprophen, sunscreen, map Other: camera, gopro, memory cards, drybags for tech gear/phones, sunglasses, whistle, charging block w/usb cables We usually hike in cool months Nov - March. It can get down below freezing so be prepared. Also, make sure you take PLENTY of water. Its heavy on that 1st day but you will use more than you think. Check ahead for permits & pre-hike lodging. Get to ranger station early for 1st come 1st served backcountry sites. You can reserve up to 48 hours ahead (I think). The optimal locations go quick. Camping during TG/Christmas/Spring Break fills up quickly and closest lodging is miles away in Study Butte. We try to stay at Chisos Lodge the night before hike but reservations must be made way ahead of time unless you luck out with a cancellation. Hope you have a great hike! Its a beautiful place. Make sure to hike out to south rim!!! Mark & Cheryl
Mid October sounds like a great time to hike Big Bend. Regarding water, we took a little over 3 gallons total (1.5 gallons each) plus we took a BIG drink before we headed out the first day. We divided the weight in proportion to our ability. Packs were very heavy. That is why we took the Laguna Meadows trail instead of going up the Pinnacles trail to reach the backcountry. On day 2 we were lucky to have the spring in boot canyon running but it was only a trickle. It took an hour to fill three bags. There was water in some of the shady places in boot canyon but the water was a little green from lack of flow. We would have been OK if the spring/pools were dry but probably would have run out late on the last day. A lot depends on how warm it is. If daytime highs are above 80, you might want to squeeze in an extra liter or two. Yes, the first day will be very heavy but by the end of the day you will have used up close to a gallon. Remember, you can always get rid of some water but you might not be able to add to your supply. Another thing we did was to hang around the trailhead and ask returning hikers if there was water at the spring or in the pools along boot canyon. The three+ gallons we took satisfied our drinking & cooking needs. The extra we found at the spring allowed us to ease up on the rationing and let us wash and wipe down with a damp cloth. Just feels better getting the sweaty salty feeling off your skin before climbing into the sleeping bags. You can check a discussion board at the website "Big Bend Chat" for current info on water availability. We used the Sawyer filters. Take the larger size. The smaller ones will clog up sooner especially if the water isn't clear. Hope that helps! Have a great hike! Mark
I'm planning my trip to Big Bend and it will be my first backpacking. Thank you for sharing all of this, I'm getting very excited!
Have a great trip Mariana! Make sure you have plenty of water and plenty of room for pictures on your camera! Thanks for commenting. Safe travels! Mark
Mariana Verzi me too! It’s me and my friends first camping trip
That’s so cool Mayte! Let me know how was it 😊
Very awesome !
Thanks Crypto! Appreciate the comment!
Very nice video of your trip! Makes me want to go back and see Big Bend again. Thanks for taking the time to document your hike and for sharing it w us !! 👍
Thanks Michael. Will check out your channel. Looks like we visit a lot of the same places! Just got back from Great Smokies. Gotta get to work on that video. Safe travels! Mark
What an amazing view at 17:33. I am not even a novice, starting with Lost Maples (also watched that video of y'alls and have a list I plan to hike, leading up to Mt. Humphreys. Thanks to you guys, I now know about this hike here--this will be a good one for me. What type of potential communication are you using at 21:16 (top right on table)?
Thanks for the comment CwB! The communication device is a DeLorme (now Garmin) InReach for Smartphones that can send simple messages or SOS in emergencies. It is an older model that can connect to a smartphone for mapping and custom texting. I have since replaced in with a Garmin InReach Explorer+ which does not require a smartphone and has more features. Thanks again for watching! Safe travels! Mark
Awesome video, just got into backpacking and I noticed your floor mat at 6:58, where can I find one of these? I've seen many on Amazon but they are bulky, none are as thin as yours.
Thanks for the comment! Sorry to take so long answering your question. The silver mat was cut from a roll of something called "Double Reflective Insulation" found at Home Depot. Very light and has many uses. On cold nights I put it under the tent. I also use it in the vestibule of my tent to have a clean place to kneel getting in and out. Very versatile, lightweight, and not expensive. The bubbled plastic layer between the foil covering makes it comfortable for sitting/laying/kneeling on the ground. It's not quite enough padding to sleep on, at least for me. Hope that helps. Thanks again! Mark
Awesome, thanks for the info!!
@@mhammann57
18:27 awesome view
Real hikers stir their coffee with their thumb! ;). Thanks for this video. This is on my list to do. I was going to do a loop from the Basin, to Laguna, down the Blue Creek Trail and back to Laguna and the Basin via the Dodson Trail. However, carrying all that water and a bear can, I made it to Laguna stopped there for the first night and went back to my car at Laguna in the morning. That trail kicked my butt! It was more deceiving that it looks! But. I will try again! Happy trails!
I guess real hikers burn their thumbs a lot! Ha! Thanks for watching and I hope you can check this hike off your list soon. Safe travels! mark
If I can see the trail through satilite that means the trail is well marked and maintained.
-- Very Nice! Thank you.
My wife hiked the south rim trail by herself in the 1970s. As she rounded a sharp bend in the trail she startled a large cougar in the trail that jumped up and ran down the hill side. In perspective, we now we live in WA state and have a huge cougar that periodically makes the rounds on our property. Just carry bear spray.
Washington state is a beautiful place for hiking. Yes, carry bear spray! (And don't act like prey! :)
Good video 👍 Impressive and very distinctive scenary. Hope to get there one day when this Pandemic has calmed down.
Thanks Nigel very much for your comment. Big Bend will always be one of my all time favorite places to hike. Incredible views from South Rim that are hard to put into words. Hope pandemic subsides and your aspiration to hike there is fulfilled! You'll never forget the experience. Mark
Excellent video! Great job!
I loved it for a few reasons 1) NO music! I go into the back country to hear nature--the quiet, the wind, the animals, the water, NOT music. 2) you kept the camera aimed at the scenery, not at you. 3) you explain where you are & what you are looking at--your comments are good & to the point 4) the google earth additions were a nice touch 5) your stills at the end were excellent.
Keep up the good work & I look forward to watching more of your adventures!
--Chris in Colorado
Thanks Christopher! I really appreciate the detailed commentary. Every point you make is exactly what I try to incorporate into each video. Can't thank you enough for confirming what I believe a hiking video should be about. Mark
Awesome video mr hammann I enjoy seeing your endeavors!
Thanks Chris!
Thanks for this! It's nice to see older people out doing this who aren't Olympic athletes (like me!) bragging about how far or how fast they went; people just enjoying nature. I'm planning to go there next winter and this video has given me a good trip to do!
You will love Big Bend. Winter is the perfect time to go but can get cold. Take plenty of water!!! Thanks for watching. Mark
This is really a great video.....even without the cheeseburger pic :-) Just came back from this similar route we did Thanksgiving week. Laguna Meadows, East Rim, Juniper Flats. Did lots of car camping in the desert and Davis Mountain State Park. That area is such a special place.
Thanks for the comments Jimmy! Big Bend is one of my favorite places, especially when most other places get too cold in the winter season. We were considering a hike there in late December but it seems like the backcountry sites are all taken on the new online reservation system. Those campsites used to be 1st come 1st serve at the visitor center a day or two before hiking. It may be different this year. Over Thanksgiving we hiked Sylamore Creek in northern Arkansas. Beautiful place! It'll be my first video in quite some time thanks to Covid. Hiking stories & cheeseburgers sound like a great idea. You can usually find Cheryl and I at Culver's on El Dorado just about every Saturday between 11 & noon. Just look for my white Chevy Equinox in parking lot. Thanks again! Mark
@@mhammann57 See you in January, we are about to do some winter hiking in Hot Springs area, maybe a night or so on the Quachita Trail.
Excellent healthy activity for couples to share together. Beautiful area!! Thanks...
Awesome vlog, very informative and the maps were great! I will be hiking there end of April, looking forward to it!
Thanks for the comment! Make sure to take plenty of water especially if you are going multi-day. Hopefully the spring in Boot Canyon will be flowing. There is a forum called Big Bend Chat that sometimes has recent posts about water availability. Its a beautiful hike - Enjoy!
Jan/Feb 2020 this was our 7th trip to Big Bend. We have hiked over 70 times in our stays at Big Bend, Yes !!! bring LOTS of water.
Thanks for the comment! With all that experience you should start guiding for BBNP!
Beautiful area! Great video - thanks for sharing - we’d like to hike in that area too - when it’s not too hot :)
I have a daughter living in Seattle and am very jealous of all the hiking opportunities you have there. Its a beautiful area. Keep up the great work on videos!
@@mhammann57 thank you - hopefully you get to do some hiking up here on visits 😊
Is it feasible to do that same trip in 2 days and 1 night? How many hours did it take to get to each camp? Excellent video by the way! It was very well balanced with the commentary.
Yes, it could be done in two days if you're in good physical shape. At our age, we don't cover the distance as quickly as we used to. Plus, I spend a lot of time with camera work. And a lot depends on the campsite you are able to get when you reserve the day before. Get in line early at visitor center to get best sites. SE rim sites are awesome but would take 6 - 7 hours to get there if you make good time and that's a best guess. Remember that in winter, daylight hours are short so get on trail early. And don't forget to be well supplied with water. Hope you have a great hike! Mark
@@mhammann57 Thanks for the the info and advice Mark, much appreciated!
This is an inspiring video! I'm a fit 60+ senior planning my first hike and doing it at BB. Any advice on a training program to get acclimated to the weight and stamina this hike requires? Thank you!
Thank you for the comment! Not sure if you have any local trails with hills to climb but if so, taking a trial run or two with full pack would be a good idea. I would also suggest walking 3-4 miles several times a week. I've also used the stair stepping machines at a local gym to simulate climbing. At home I use a treadmill and set the incline as high as it will go. Whatever you do, try to get heartrate up and maintain it for 25 - 30 minutes. In Big Bend, water is the biggest concern and it can add many pounds to your pack especially on the first day. You will be surprised how quickly you go through water. Its not just the sweating, but the heavy breathing that will dehydrate you quickly in that dry environment. That is why we took the less strenuous Laguna meadows route on day one. The steady climb is not too bad if you pace yourself but it can be challenging for those of us in the 60+ age group. We had close to 3 gallons for the two of us so it was slow going. My pack was close to 50 pounds. Make sure to hydrate up before heading out and if you survey people finishing their hike, ask them about the availability of water on the trail and if the spring is flowing. Salt/electrolyte tablets are also a must. I take one before, during and after hiking. If you develop cramps at the end of the day or overnight, its often due to the loss of electrolytes. Camping the 1st night at Laguna Meadows site #3 was a good stopping point. Our 2nd night was at the Colima #2 campsite and made for a great base camp. Luckily, we found water at the Boot Canyon spring and filtered it. If we hadn't, our water supply would have probably been close to running out by the 3rd day. After setting camp at Colima, we took water, camera, and light pack with some snacks to the rim. Finally, keep an eye on the temps. This time of year it can be pretty warm. I usually don't attempt hiking Big Bend if daytime highs are over 80. The heat can really be a factor. My favorite months are late Nov - March. I hope that helps! Safe travels! Mark
@@mhammann57 Thank you! That sounds like a great plan. I have a retention pond so I can use it for "hill" training as the basin is usually dry.
@@mhammann57 That's very good info!! Thanks
Thanks for sharing!! What did y’all take for supplies for three days?? We are planning a trip
Water: 3+ gallons. We were lucky to find some water along trail that we filtered. Don't depend on it though.
Food: Mountain house freeze dried meals/Oatmeal/dried fruit/granola bars/cheese/beef jerky
Food: Avocados, Ramen, hard candy, coffee & drink mixes, Pack-it Gourmet cheese spread & crackers
Stove: Jetboil Minimo w/ 3 100g isobutane cannisters
Water Filter: Sawyer Squeeze, water purification tablets
Tent: North Face backpacking tent - 3lbs/2 person
Sleeping: Sleeping bag 15 degree rating & 2 inflatable pillows.
Air Mattress: Big Agnes Air Core SLX
Backpack: Gregory Baltoro 65 & Gregory Deva 60
Trekking Poles: REI brand
Clothing: Lightweight quick drying long sleeve shirt, zip off long pants, synthetic underwear/t-shirt, wide brim hat
Footwear: Solomon Quest 4D boots, Smartwool socks, lightweight camp-shoes/flip flops
Jacket: Compressible down puffy for cold eves & morning (it gets cold in mountains Nov - Mar!!!)
Rain gear: waterproof lightweight jacket & pants, packcover
Other: 1st aid kit, Leatherman multi-tool, Black Diamond Headlamp, coffee cup, eating utensils, saly & pepper
Other: rope, extra batteries, large wet wipes, electrolytes/salt tabs/ibuprophen, sunscreen, map
Other: camera, gopro, memory cards, drybags for tech gear/phones, sunglasses, whistle, charging block w/usb cables
We usually hike in cool months Nov - March. It can get down below freezing so be prepared. Also, make sure you take PLENTY of water. Its heavy on that 1st day but you will use more than you think. Check ahead for permits & pre-hike lodging. Get to ranger station early for 1st come 1st served backcountry sites. You can reserve up to 48 hours ahead (I think). The optimal locations go quick. Camping during TG/Christmas/Spring Break fills up quickly and closest lodging is miles away in Study Butte. We try to stay at Chisos Lodge the night before hike but reservations must be made way ahead of time unless you luck out with a cancellation. Hope you have a great hike! Its a beautiful place. Make sure to hike out to south rim!!! Mark & Cheryl
We’re going in mid oct. did you take 3 gal per person? Because that makes my pack around 58 pds we’re out there 3 days, 2 night.
Mid October sounds like a great time to hike Big Bend. Regarding water, we took a little over 3 gallons total (1.5 gallons each) plus we took a BIG drink before we headed out the first day. We divided the weight in proportion to our ability. Packs were very heavy. That is why we took the Laguna Meadows trail instead of going up the Pinnacles trail to reach the backcountry. On day 2 we were lucky to have the spring in boot canyon running but it was only a trickle. It took an hour to fill three bags. There was water in some of the shady places in boot canyon but the water was a little green from lack of flow. We would have been OK if the spring/pools were dry but probably would have run out late on the last day. A lot depends on how warm it is. If daytime highs are above 80, you might want to squeeze in an extra liter or two. Yes, the first day will be very heavy but by the end of the day you will have used up close to a gallon. Remember, you can always get rid of some water but you might not be able to add to your supply. Another thing we did was to hang around the trailhead and ask returning hikers if there was water at the spring or in the pools along boot canyon. The three+ gallons we took satisfied our drinking & cooking needs. The extra we found at the spring allowed us to ease up on the rationing and let us wash and wipe down with a damp cloth. Just feels better getting the sweaty salty feeling off your skin before climbing into the sleeping bags. You can check a discussion board at the website "Big Bend Chat" for current info on water availability. We used the Sawyer filters. Take the larger size. The smaller ones will clog up sooner especially if the water isn't clear. Hope that helps! Have a great hike! Mark