Santa Elena Canyon

…Get a few scenic shots of Santa Elena Canyon, maybe find some wildlife tracks to photograph, and then settle in for the night. You'd think after all my years guiding in the outdoors, I'd have been prepared for every possibility. But as I eased my van into that rough parking lot near the canyon, the quiet pressed in on me like a heavy blanket of dry air.…

…But as I eased my van into that rough parking lot near the canyon, the quiet pressed in on me like a heavy blanket of dry air. It was that specific hush that you sometimes get in the desert, the kind that makes you question your own breathing. Stepping out, I noticed the sign that read Trailhead, though the wooden plank looked like it had seen better days.…

…I pulled off the dusty highway into Big Bend with a plan so ordinary it almost felt naive in hindsight. Get a few scenic shots of Santa Elena Canyon, maybe find some wildlife tracks to photograph, and then settle in for the night. You'd think after all my years guiding in the outdoors, I'd have been prepared for every possibility.…