El Solitario, Winter/Spring 2011 Page: 2
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Wildlife Calling Cards:
Tracks and Signs
You don't always have to
see wildlife to enjoy wildlife;
animals often leave clues about
their movements and daily
routines. Scat can reveal an
animal's diet, so don't be afraid
to look. Remains of other
animals (in carnivores), plants
(in herbivores) or both (in
omnivores) may be discernable.
Look for whitewash (bird
droppings) on cliffs and beneath
trees to signal the presence of
a roost or possible nest site.
Watch for owl pellets under trees
and utility poles, where these
nighttime hunters regurgitate
indigestible bone and fur. Look
for narrow animal trails that
mark routes to food, water or
shelter. Notice the marks left on
small tree trunks from antler
rubbing or gnawing by mule deer.
Observe animal tracks in soft
ground or mud. Skunks and
raccoons walk flat-footed,
whereas gray foxes and coyotes
walk on their toes, leaving behind
claw marks. Mountain lions
and bobcats also walk on their
toes, but typically with retracted
claws. Mule deer and javelina
leave distinctive hoof marks,
whereas rabbit tracks are laid
down in sets of three.
Mule deer
tend to prefer
arid, open
habitat. Watch
for them
traversing
rocky hillsides
during the
morning and
early evening
hours.
Javelina;
occupy brushy
areas with
abundant
prickly pear,
where they
are activemainly in early
morning and
late afternoon. These animals
often bed down in dense brush
during the heat of the day.
Less common
that its cousin
the Scaled
Quail, Gambel's
Quail is found
primarily along
the Rio Grande
corridor. Look
for its tell-tale
crown feather--a forward curling
topknot, and listen carefully for its
cry-like call.Fresno-Sauceda Loop Trail
designated an "Epic" ride.1 "
J -1
-4
. d "y t . P o -. -.. .. '.
J.- -1+The International Mountain
Biking Association (IMBA)
has designated the Fresno -
Sauceda Loop Trail at Big Bend
Ranch State Park an "Epic"
ride. IMBA has designated
fewer than 50 Epic rides in
the U.S. and Canada. The Big
Bend Ranch SP designation
is the only mountain-bike
ride designated as Epic in
the state of Texas, and only
one of two in the southwest-ern U.S. Epics are selected by
IMBA staff, including their
regional directors, who decide
which trails in their area are
having the largest influence
on riders, land managers and
decision makers. IMBA board
member and Mountain Bike
Hall of Fame inductee Hill Abell
describes the Fresno - Sauceda
trail as "a huge day in the
saddle and super challenging."LINKS:
The Epic ride is a variation of Ride #23 in the Big Bend Ranch Biking Guide.
The guide is available on the TPWD website at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/
findadest/parks/bigbend_ranch/ and at Big Bend Ranch State Park.
The IMBA Epic ride description is at www.imba.com/epics/fresno-sauceda-loop
The TPW magazine article describing the Epic ride is at www.tpwmagazine.com/
archive/2009/nov/ed_1/Water requirements: 200 - 220
ounces of water per day while
riding (the equivalent of two
large Camelbacks)
Plan ahead of time: Get your
bike and gear together, and
arrange guide services and SAG
support. Hard-soled shoes are
recommended for walking in
rocky arroyos and creek beds.
A GPS unit is helpful. ALWAYS
CARRY TWO SPARES.Maps and trail guides: Visit the
TPWD website (www.tpwd.state.
tx.us) before your trip. Online map
sources include Google Earth,
USGS (www.usgs.gov) and TNRIS
maps (www.tnris.state.tx.us).
Commercial outfitters:
Terlingua-based Desert Sports
(432-371-2489) is the nearest
outfitter and guide service. SAG
and guide support are highly
recommended for multi-day
trips through the park. Bikes are
available for rent at commercial
outfitters and at the park.The Fresno - Sauceda Loop
Trail winds through recently
opened Fresno Canyon in the
eastern section of the park
with frequent climbs and
sometimes steep descents. Parts
of the trail are single-track,
and other sections are double-
track 4x4 roads. In addition
to spectacular scenery, the
trail winds past abandoned
cinnabar mines, desert springs,
turn-of-the century ranch ruins,
deserted homesteads and Native
American pictograph sites.
Texas Parks and Wildlife staff
writer Karen Hoffman Blizzard,
who wrote of her experience
in the November 2009 issue
of Texas Parks and Wildlife
magazine, calls the trail "the
quintessential Epic ride. It takes
you out of the ordinary and into
the Zone."BIG BEND RANCH
BIKING GUIJE
THE OTHER SIDE OF NOWHERE
~G
- . es -
-Access and Lodging:
Information about access, park
lodging and camping may be
found on pages 5 & 8 of this
publication. Offsite, Lajitas
Resort and Spa (www.lajitas.com)
offers 103 rooms, a restaurant
and other amenities. Chinati Hot
Springs (www.chinatihotsprings.
com) offers cabins, a community
kitchen, spring-fed hot pools, and
a "cool pool."2 1 EL SOLITARIO I TEXAS PARKS AN WIL LIFE APARTMENT
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Texas. Parks and Wildlife Department. El Solitario, Winter/Spring 2011, periodical, January 2011; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1495398/m1/2/?q=aRCHIVES: accessed June 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.