Having finished our adventures in Marfa, we started to see more and more wildlife as we got closer to Big Bend National Park. Weaving through endless curving roads ever-upward in slope, we made it at last to our campsite in nearby Terlingua. We pitched our tents and fell asleep early, exhausted from what felt like days in the car and preparing for an early morning and a long day to come. We started with an attempted sunrise hike through the Santa Elena Canyon, which was thwarted by the previous night’s rain flooding all roads into the canyon. Instead, we watched the sun rise between two mountain peaks as we ate a small breakfast and planned our first hike of the day- 7 miles in the open sun to a hidden waterfall.
This trail, called the Cattail Falls Trail, is particularly interesting because it is known to be a sensitive environment. So much so, in fact, that park rangers told us the trail had to be taken off the guide maps in order to lessen traffic to the delicate waterfall. However, hiking was still permitted to the trail given that hikers did not touch the water and remained aware of the sensitivity of the ecosystem of the waterfall. After hiking several miles in direct sun, I could already feel a sunburn growing on my right shoulder and was starting to grow tired. At the first shady tree, we stopped to hydrate and rest before heading back out into the sun. In that shady grove is where I spotted the desert agave, growing by itself in this uncharacteristic shade. It looked a lot like an aloe plant with the long pointed leaves and small spikes. However, on closer inspection one in our group was able to identify it as an agave plant- source of both tequila and the currently popular sugar alternative. As we climbed higher and higher towards the water fall we began to see agave plants all over the place, soaking in the sun rays they enjoy so much. Why this particular desert agave was able to survive in such a shaded spot is still something of a mystery, but it was this unique placement that allowed me to snap a picture of it before we continued our hike toward the falls.
iNaturalist Link: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5977573