Day 29 - Big Bend part 3

I gave myself two very different options this morning: Option 1- if my shin pain was gone and I felt good I would ascend the Chisos mountains tallest 7900 ft Emory Peak and then while up high hike to the south rim of the range-- a total journey of 16 miles with 3000 vertical feet gain/loss-- a tough day hike, but Grand Canyon rim-river-rim and Superstition's Battleship hikes had been tougher. Option 2 was a complete rest day-- no hiking, just reading and relaxing in the pleasant Chisos Basin.

I took Option 2. I needed option 2. I walked up to a park bench overlooking the "window" and read The Wise Man's Fear-- a lord of the rings-style fantasy novel for five hours. I brought snacks with me and enjoyed this peaceful shaded spot alone-- amazed with how few people came by. It was great. See the bench and the view behind me.

At 2pm, I decided I would drive back along the scenic road to Santa Elena and hike the 1 mile hike there in daylight. After six miles of driving though I noticed that my right shin, the one giving me pain, was hurting. I tried using my left leg to brake and felt the same muscle pain point. Aha. The shin splint was from driving 1000 miles a week (with hiking not helping). I pulled over, enjoyed the view for a while, and then drove back to Chisos. No more driving today either.

Then I found wifi! Yes, by the restaurant there was a reliable and fast connection, so I camped outside on the patio and checked email, sent some updates, a little news, then started creating this blog. I had wanted to create the blog as the first 25 posts were just emails to family only-- but didn't have time or wifi. This was the perfect time, so I researched blogging, settled on blogger and created some posts from my emails. Three hours later I had 15 posts up and going (only using my phone) and then the sun started setting. More people had come for dinner, slowing the wifi down to nofi, so I left and went back to my bench for the perfect view of the sunset. Pics below. Tomorrow I leave early from Big Bend and head north to Guadalupe and Carlsbad.

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Day 51 - Canyonlands Needles Pt 3

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