Marfa Flights: Aerial Views of Big Bend Country

V. The Rio Grande: Flying Upstream to Smoky Creek

THE RIO GRANDE Flying Upstream to Smoky Creek V. 49. Rio Grande, Silver Shining River Looking toward Rio Grande Village We had just done a very tight turn with the aircraft to take a photograph looking down on Langford Hot Springs, when I looked to the east and saw the Rio Grande shining silvery in the sunlight. In the distance were Rio Grande Village and the remains of the old cotton fields there. The river formed a winding ying-yang shape as it flowed through the mountains and hills, separating the United States from Mexico. The Rio Grande is a thread of life through the desert, creating a green sash through an arid wasteland. This segment of the river, known as Hot Springs Canyon, is part of the sixtynine -mile stretch that is a designated National Wild and Scenic River. Sadly, bacteria counts in the river are high due to upstream sewage discharge from populated areas. 50. Langford Hot Springs Sixteen miles southwest of Panther Junction Near the confluence of Tornillo Creek and the Rio Grande, the therapeutically soothing waters of Langford Hot Springs are 105 degrees F year round. The groundwater is geothermally heated as it travels deep through faults in the earth’s crust, then emerges here. The Boquillas Hot Springs system has a flow rate of about 250,000 gallons per day. This spot is named for J. O. Langford, who came to the springs to regain his health, then claimed the land under the Homestead Act. The remains of his store and the foundation of his onceimpressive bathhouse are preserved in the Hot Springs Historic District. The water is irreplaceable ancient fossil water that is rich in minerals and said to have healing powers. Langford Hot Springs are open to the public, and many hikers still stop there to soothe their aching muscles, much like the travelers of long ago. The bold abstract shapes of the land cut by the streams are bewitching to see from above. 51. Boquillas Crossing Just east of Rio Grande Village Many of the traditional river crossings where people freely traveled back and forth across the Rio Grande were closed for security reasons after the events of September 11, 2001. The old silver mining town of Boquillas, Mexico, seen on the other side of the river (far left), depended heavily on tourist dollars and suffered greatly from the crossing closure. In April 2013 US Customs and Border Protection and the National Park Service reopened the Boquillas port of entry. Visitors can cross the river in small boats, including one operated by a legendary singing Mexican boatman who is now back in business. Flying Upstream to Smoky Creek : 77 52. Rio Grande Village Big Bend National Park Rio Grande Village was once the cultivated agricultural land of Daniels’ Ranch, irrigated with water from the Rio Grande. Just a stone’s throw from Mexico, the area is now the site of a national park campground. A nature trail allows visitors to traverse the lush wetlands along the river that teem with life, including beavers that have created beaver ponds there. The green area along the river, known as the riparian zone, is one of the best yearround birding locations in the national park. The circular tanks (center) of green and brown water below the ridge are part of a water treatment facility . I composed this image to capture the graceful crescent-shaped ridge, known as the Sierra el Oro on the Mexican side, that is so visually dominant when seen from above—but hard to perceive at ground level. 78 : THE RIO GRANDE 53. San Vicente Panorama Along the Rio Grande Present-day San Vicente, Coahuila, Mexico (center), is located across the Rio Grande near the site of the Presidio de San Vicente, a Spanish fort built in 1774 to protect the area from Comanche, Apache, and bandit raids. San Vicente Crossing (left) was used throughout history as a point to ford the river until it was closed in 2002 as part of the US effort to increase border security. I favor this photo for how it presents this area of rich borderland history using a wide-angle lens to reveal the stirring gamut of geography from the green belt along the river to the thrusting uplift of the Sierra San Vicente (right). 54. The Road to San Vicente...