Itinerary for the camping trip

[rgvumm]

Greetings and salutations:
 
We have finally started nailing down the itinerary for the camping
trip. After much discussion (cussin), telephoning and yes even a
little prayer we have come up with a plan. We met last Wednesday night
at La Feria to study and discuss our up coming trip to the wilds of
West Texas and I believe that we accomplished our mission.
 
As it stands now our little group will leave the valley Thursday
morning and start the long drive to Big Bend Ranch State Park. We are
going to spend Thursday night in either Sanderson or Alpine in hotel
rooms. This decision was made in lieu of the fact that we have never
been to the state park before and we don't want to get there after
dark and have to find our way down 4 wheel drive roads to poorly
marked campsites. We have done this in Big Bend before only to find
that we had to move camp the next day due to reservations (that you
have to be special to get and we never could)  of the site where we
had pitched our tents. The Feds have got no sense of humor (body
armored Rambo want-a-be's that they are).
 
We will set up camp in the state park and spend Friday, Saturday and
Sunday exploring the area. Monday we will break camp and travel to the
National Park where the park archeologist will meet us. Blaine Wise
has been in contact with this gentleman over the last couple of years
and they are finally going to meet. For those of you who don't know,
Blaine's grandfather moved into the Big Bend back in the late fifties
or early sixties and lived as a hermit for several years. The park
ranger has heard of his grandfather and has agreed to show us the cave
that he lived in. The cave is somewhere in the Santa Elena canyon area
of the park and we are looking at this as one of the high points of
our trip.
 
Monday night we are planning to stay in the Terlingua Ranch lodge. It
is a rustic establishment about 20 miles off the Alpine highway and
for those of you have not been there you are in for a real treat.
There is a place on the north part of the ranch called T canyon and it
is as wild and remote as you can get in West Texas. Each time I go
back there it is harder and harder to reach, one day property owners
will completely deny us access to this beautiful and remote part of
our world. T Canyon is a silent cathedral of rock and stone and once
you descend into its depths you become completely lost in the beauty
and splendor of the place. The floor is solid rock polished by
millions of years of water and wind the walls are shear and the drop
off at the neck of the T into the pool 300 feet below is awesome.
 
 I was once there when a mountain lion had made its home in the cave
at the far end of the canyon. We found the den by the smell of the of
the rotting hog carcasses that the big cat had drug to the edge of the
cliff and then dropped into the canyon from above. It apparently had
cubs and was not friendly, we gave that end of the canyon a wide
berth.
 
If you want to see part of the world that no tourists ever see then
come with us on the 30th of September. We chose this time of the month
because there is no moon. The night will be dark and the stars will
seem to sit just out our reach, certainly no higher than the peaks of
the surrounding mountains. Come and sit in the dark, around the camp
fire, and join us as we look at the stars and talk about God. Argue
with us as we discuss our Lord. Experience God as you did in your
youth. Just a group of men striving to know Christ and stumbling along
in the dark. If you miss those simpler times in your life, then join
us, no idea is too wild no belief so sacred that it cannot not be
discussed and ridiculed.
 
We are nearing the time when I need a hard count of those who are
going. I need to make the reservations at the 2 hotels and in the
state park no later than Friday. I know Jim Green, Emet Huntsman,
Clint Callaway, John Callaway, Blaine Wise, Tom Hellums and I are
going for sure. Anyone else who would like to go needs to contact me
at 956-492-5888 or trvre...@sbcglobal.net or on our website address
www.ummrgv.com as soon as possible. I hope all of you can come. As I
have stated before we will leave on Sept. 30th and return October 5th.
Rides are not a problem as we have plenty of vehicles available.
 
 
Jim Callaway UMM Pres.