Marfa Flights: Aerial Views of Big Bend Country

II. Along Texas Highway 118: Heading South from Alpine, Texas

ALONG TEXAS HIGHWAY 1 18 Heading South from Alpine, Texas II. 14. Cathedral Mountain Silhouette East-southeast of Marfa Cathedral Mountain rises like a Gothic ruin from the One-O-One Flats. Haley’s Peak, the 6,800-foot summit, is named after Lawrence Haley, who operated a 15,000-head sheep ranch on 37,000 acres of land there in the mid-1880s. Early explorers described the Trans-Pecos plains as land covered with luxuriant grasses. High stocking rates of livestock, wildfires, and erosion led to rangeland degradation. Currently Cathedral Mountain Lodge operates a restaurant in this area that offers scenic views of the legendary ranch. Heading South from Alpine, Texas : 29 15. Mountain Ridges at Sunrise North of Cathedral Mountain, looking southeast On my first flight, we took off from Marfa in the early-morning darkness, headed east toward Alpine, then south along Texas Highway 118. As the sun rose near Cathedral and Goat mountains, I could see the layered ridges of the Del Norte Mountains to the east, looking over Calamity Creek, which takes its name from disastrous flash floods. The peaceful, dreamy mood of the dawn light of this scene appealed to me. 30 : ALONG TEXAS HIGHWAY 118 16. Goat Mountain Southwest of Alpine Viewed from the southeast in the morning light, Goat Mountain, a layer cake of volcanic ash and lava, rises to an elevation of 6,750 feet, about 1,750 feet above the surrounding lowlands. On the other side of the mountain is an old smugglers’ route coming up from Mexico, still in use today. The low-angle light accents the soft texture of the rippled terrain as seen from the air. 17. Canyons on Nine Point Mesa Sixteen miles west of Persimmon Gap The high-contrast side lighting reveals the ruggedly beautiful terrain of this remote part of Nine Point Mesa. From left to right are Pipeline Canyon and Cartwright Canyon. In the distance, looking south across Nine Point Draw, are the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park. Here the ridges lead the eyes into the distance, expressing the vastness of this uniquely Texas land. : 33 18. Looking into Pipeline Canyon Nine Point Mesa Away from the tourists driving on Texas Highway 118 are these dramatic escarpments and valleys on the southeast corner of Nine Point Mesa. I captured this dramatic view as we dipped the left wing of our Cessna to look almost straight down into the canyon below. Details such as this photograph are part of the visual narrative of this book, much like a close-up of a person’s face in a movie, to reveal an expression. 19. A New Home for Bighorn Sheep Nine Point Mesa Ranch In a joint venture of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Sul Ross State University, the Texas Bighorn Society, and Nine Point Mesa Ranch, this mesa is being stocked with desert bighorn sheep. The animals are being captured on Elephant Mountain, thirty miles away, and then transported by helicopter. The bighorn reintroduction effort in the Big Bend region has been a particular success. I felt wonder seeing the titillating shape of the mesa top from the air, especially the ribbonlike edge. 20. Corazones Mountains Terlingua Ranch East Corazones Peak (center) rises 5,045 feet above East Corazones Draw, looking southwest toward the Christmas Mountains. To the left of the mountains near the shadow of Whitehouse Mountain is Terlingua Ranch Lodge and the gravel runway of the Terlingua Ranch Airport. In the farthest distance (top), twentyseven miles away, is the downstream mouth of Santa Elena Canyon where it emerges from the cliff face of Mesa de Anguila and the Sierra Ponce. 21. Marfa Lights, Backstage West of Texas Highway 118 Cathedral Mountain is toward the north, with the OT Mesa in the foreground. Goat Mountain (upper center) forms the backdrop for people viewing the nighttime Marfa Lights, the mysterious phenomenon seen across the flats behind the mountain. 22. Kokernot Mesa in Morning Haze South of Alpine This is the view looking southeast down Dark Canyon toward Texas Highway 118 and Calamity Creek. The haze seen here caused problems during the...