In the Shadow of the Carmens: Afield with a Naturalist in the Northern Mexican Mountains

10. Canon el Oso

Starting high in the Carmens above Campo Dos, and continuing even higher toward Campo Tres where these canyons fork, is the beginning of Cañón el Oso, so named for the many black bears that inhabit this area. It is a long winding canyon of consummate scenic beauty. Starting at Campo Dos and hiking down to Campo Uno is a hike that should not be hurried, but one to be enjoyed every step of the way. I have found something different to stop and photograph or collect on every trip I have made down this canyon. Even on the hottest summer day, the canyon provides respite from the heat under a canopy of oak, fir, and pine. There is a mountain stream with hundreds of mini-waterfalls that rush downward to Camp Uno, filling the lake with water, and then spilling over the dam downward into Cañón de Botella. Eventually the water reaches El Club on the east side and the desert grasslands at Ejido Morelos. I have hiked this canyon in all seasons of the year. Once in December, with about three inches of snow on the ground, Feliciano, Jonás, and I hiked part way down accompanied by three Mexican biologists from Zacatecas. It was bitter cold and windy, but the canyon was a winter wonderland . Everything was covered in white, pine and fir branches bent downward, laden with snow—it was very quiet, and no birds were singing, not even the ever-present Mexican jays. The day was cloudy and dark and the canyon even 10 Cañón el Oso In the Shadow of the Carmens 66 darker, but beautiful. The rocks in the creek all had their tops covered with pristine snow; the only tracks were ours. Another day, Feliciano, Jonás, and I hiked downward to Campo Uno collecting plants, when we were caught in a thunderstorm and sought cover under a huge Coahuila fir. It provided shelter from the storm, which spent itself after a few minutes, and we were once again immersed in sunshine. then start the gradual descent to Campo Uno. Following the creek and crossing it in many places , you see the remains of the old road that connected Campo Tres down through this canyon to the sawmill at Campo Uno. It is amazing that a vehicle driver would even attempt to negotiate the top part of the canyon. The trail follows the creek, and the old road is a series of rocky ledges that spiral downward to the creek bottom, leveling out for a short distance , then climbing, and then sloping gently downward again. This pattern continues all the way down the length of the canyon. Coming around a curve in the trail you see the remains of a bridge. Huge timbers were cut and braced across the creek. Flash flooding took the bridge many years ago. Towering overhead are the sheer cliffs of Cañón Escondido on the east side. Pines cling precariously to the cliff face, and ferns, agaves , and wildflowers dot the lower slopes of the cliff. Continuing downward you follow the creek on a narrow trail, crossing in several places on moss-covered rocks, climbing over deadfalls, and all the way you can’t help but notice bear sign. For many years bears have used this canyon as a travel route. Trees bear the marks of their claws and bite marks, and the trail is littered with old and new scat. In the thick canopy along the trail, you catch glimpses of a bigger patch of blue sky and towering cliffs. Basswood trees are abundant along with flowering dogwood and a host of other Cañón el Oso is a lesson in plant diversity and elevation—you only have to stroll along and look around to note the changes in vegetation as you descend. Starting at Campo Dos, the trail drops off from the road and winds down to a small open area that is predominantly pine and fir. You enter this segment of the trail at the highest point, and Cañón el Oso, 2004 67 Cañón el Oso shrubs and trees. Farther along you catch a glimpse of blue sky and cliffs on the southwest side of the canyon. Abruptly you round a bend in the trail and hear yet another stream rushing downward. This is drainage from the Campo Cinco area. High above in the Cinco, this creek...