Visitor Assist & First Bluebonnets!

A routine patrol day was interrupted by the need for visitor assistance today. A lady had hurt her knee badly while hiking down Juniper Canyon Trail. She and her husband encountered the west district backcountry volunteers so I was called to assist them by transporting the visitors up to the Chisos Basin where their car was parked.

Despite her injury she was not in need of immediate medical attention, so we had a nice visit on the drive up to the basin. Down where we started the weather was overcast but the sun was shining at the Basin. I enjoyed a short lunch break in the parking lot where I saw a mother Carmen Whitetail deer and her youngster feeding in the lodge area. They are not very afraid of people!

Later in the day I patrolled East River Road and got some cool photos of birds and (for me) the first bluebonnets in flower! What a bright spot in the day! The day ended with the usual cleaning up poop at campsites and evidence of a car skidding into some bushes and losing part of its bumper - all in a days work! Ha!

The wind gusts today were 40 mph and the temperatures are dropping to 17-23 degrees by morning. Just for a short while, though, as the 60-70s are promised by the weekend.