Spring Break Field Trip
Southwest Texas
Spring 1999

Back Row: Brian Martinus, Kelly Ryan, Sean Dockerty
Front row: Bryan Warner, Terry Tackett, Forest (Rock) Haines, Phil Jones.
Front and center: Todd Penner

Day 1. We left Adrian, MI and drove and drove and drove……
Day 2. Still driving… After 24 hours of driving we finally arrived at Llano, Texas where we visited the Llanite Dike, a hypabyssal rhyolitic porphyry with blue quartz phenocrysts. Then we pressed on further south to San Antonio.
In San Antonio, after the group got separated, and slightly lost, we all finally made our way to the Alamo (pictured left).
Day 3. We finally got out of the vans and looked at rocks.
One of several stops included instruction by Rock on how to measure a stratigraphic section and fossil collecting just off US 90.
We also made some new friends at the campground over the next few nights. These curious pig-like creatures are actually not pigs but an animal called a collared peccary. They ate our bagels (without our permission) and entertained those of us who were brave enough to sleep out under the stars.
Day 4. This was the first of our next few days in Big Bend National Park.
We hiked into Boquillas Canyon. And buried Todd Penner in the sand.
We then headed for the town of Boquillas, Mexico. The USA-Mexico is marked by the Rio Grande River (right). To the right of the river is Texas and to the left of the river is Coahuila, MX. The scattered buildings there are the town of Boquillas. The cactus in the foreground is Ocatillo.
This is how we got there. For two bucks each (round trip) this nice gentleman gave us a ride across the Rio Grande River in his boat(?). Well, at least it floated. From there we walked to Boquillas. We all bought great minerals and even a few fossils from the locals.
Day 5. The BIG hike.
We hiked the South Rim trail (14 miles round trip) in the Chisos Mountains. Here we saw Tertiary volcanic and intrusive rocks and had a great view looking south into Mexico. Photo on the right.
Day 6. We hiked into Santa Elena Canyon. Highlights included the Terlingua Fault and an excellent exposure of the stratigraphic section.
Santa Elena Canyon
Day 7. We finally left Big Bend National Park. We headed up to Fort Davis National Historic Site and then on to Guadalupe National Park. Sorry, I couldn't find any pictures.
Day 8. We began our trip home via the scenic route.
Our first stop was at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. These caverns, formed in Permian limestone, contain some of the largest underground rooms of any cave in the US.
We camped at Bottomless Lakes State Park. The lakes there are classic sink-holes as the one shown above. And, yes, it really does have a bottom.
Day 9. After a brief stop at Roswell, New Mexico (UFO Capital of the World) to buy tacky souvenirs, we began our 24 hour drive back to Michigan. And we drove…..and drove….. and drove….