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Abstract

erent world. A person could forget they are in a desert for at least a little while.150 years ago when the west was being settled, and this area was still in contention with settlers, Mexicans, and Indians, the area was more green and the river had more flow.<figure id="1a61"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*6OIaa5HLRmzPZsWxQEE21w.jpeg"><figcaption>Another view of the river. All photos by James Jordan</figcaption></figure>Dams have been built and that has caused a smaller water flow, and the environment has changed. There was a lot of silver mining in this area 100 years ago, and all the trees were cut down to have fires that were needed to work with the silver.Once the trees were gone, there was nothing left to hold the soil in place. Once a drought came along the topsoil was blown away, leaving nothing but sand. That made the area turn into a desert fast and the grass never came back.March is the dry season so the water level is low. In the fall the level is high enough for rafts.We ran aground a few times in the canoe, but it was easy to push off with the oars we had.It is still a very remote area. Our guides told us there are very few people living on either side, and it is a lon

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g way to civilization from here.Before 9–11, no one here paid much attention to the border. Folks on the Mexico side sent their kids across the river to go to school. After the 911 attacks the U.S. got more strict with the border.In one case a Mexican town depended on infrastructure and supplies from the American town. Once we got more strict with the border, folks in that town had nowhere to go to get anything they needed. That area is a ghost town now.<figure id="8aa0"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*8JIIi4CdfnHrlN4QPo7xwA.jpeg"><figcaption>Nothing but desert as far as you can see.</figcaption></figure>There is a Mexican National Park on the other side of the river, so there is a national park for hundreds of miles on both sides of the border. There are still border patrol people around. You can go across the river easily enough, and our guide told us you can get cited with a misdemeanor if you cross the river.There are virtually no “illegals” entering the U.S. from this area. The river is easy to cross, but hundreds of miles of desert with no water or anything else is not easy.Like I said in another post, if you could do that, you should get a medal instead of being deported.</article></body>

West Texas Travel

Riding the Rio Grande

The area around the river was not always the desert it is today

The Rio Grande was not dangerous by any means but I was not willing to risk my camera, so used my phone for a picture. All photos by James Jordan

A canoe ride down the Rio Grande is about as peaceful as you can get. The flow is slow and the water is not deep. We went on a guided tour before we left Big Bend, National Park. The tour was in a state park by the same name, which is just an extension of the park itself.

We were not very familiar with canoeing and we were given some basic instructions, which were good enough.

You would have to really mess up to turn over, but it could happen. There were some “rapids” that were a little tricky, but our guides helped us through.

Steering a canoe is not as easy as you would think, and we went down one rapid backward. We got to a point where it was going to be too hard to turn around, so we just went back and it worked out fine.

Tall brown grass on both sides of the river creates a different world. A person could forget they are in a desert for at least a little while.

150 years ago when the west was being settled, and this area was still in contention with settlers, Mexicans, and Indians, the area was more green and the river had more flow.

Another view of the river. All photos by James Jordan

Dams have been built and that has caused a smaller water flow, and the environment has changed. There was a lot of silver mining in this area 100 years ago, and all the trees were cut down to have fires that were needed to work with the silver.

Once the trees were gone, there was nothing left to hold the soil in place. Once a drought came along the topsoil was blown away, leaving nothing but sand. That made the area turn into a desert fast and the grass never came back.

March is the dry season so the water level is low. In the fall the level is high enough for rafts.

We ran aground a few times in the canoe, but it was easy to push off with the oars we had.

It is still a very remote area. Our guides told us there are very few people living on either side, and it is a long way to civilization from here.

Before 9–11, no one here paid much attention to the border. Folks on the Mexico side sent their kids across the river to go to school. After the 911 attacks the U.S. got more strict with the border.

In one case a Mexican town depended on infrastructure and supplies from the American town. Once we got more strict with the border, folks in that town had nowhere to go to get anything they needed. That area is a ghost town now.

Nothing but desert as far as you can see.

There is a Mexican National Park on the other side of the river, so there is a national park for hundreds of miles on both sides of the border. There are still border patrol people around. You can go across the river easily enough, and our guide told us you can get cited with a misdemeanor if you cross the river.

There are virtually no “illegals” entering the U.S. from this area. The river is easy to cross, but hundreds of miles of desert with no water or anything else is not easy.

Like I said in another post, if you could do that, you should get a medal instead of being deported.