Down South...Day Ten...Wednesday, December 9, 2009...Camping Next to the "Big House"

Sitting around in the dark last night got old pretty fast...so...I was off to bed around 8:00PM. The temperature only dropped into the 50's last night and, with my sleeping bag and liner, I was very comfortable...slept like a rock.
By 7:00AM, I'm up and making coffee...heat the water, grind the beans, into the French press...a great cup of coffee! I cook breakfast...two "easy-over" eggs, leftover steak and potatoes, orange juice.
Bob and Jay stop by, and I've saved my steak bone for Jay...he is one happy dog. Then Bob asks me how I like camping next to the "Big House" Big House?...for a moment, I'm thinking that I've gone through another one of those wormholes that I seem to encounter whenever I travel...somehow, I've been transported from Texas to Ann Arbor.
Sensing my confusion, Bob points to an impressive mountain peak (see photo)..."That's Casa Grande over there...the Big House". Ah...now I understand.
I'm hiking today so, after breakfast, I load up m pack...cameras, water, some snacks...the usual. The most photographed natural feature in Big Bend is the famous "balancing rock"...that's where I'm headed. To get to the trail, I've got to travel 7 or 8 miles down a primitive road...dirt, gravel, rocks...no problem in the Escape.
It's a short 1 1/4 mile trail, and the first mile or so is pretty easy...a level sandy walk through the desert. The last 1/4 mile, though, is not so easy. To get to the "balancing rock", I've got to climb up the ridge over a series of sharp switchbacks...up and up...being careful to maintain a good foothold every step.
Then, I turn a corner, and there it is...very impressive! Looking out and down from the top of the ridge, I can see the trail back far down below. A few photos, then I look at my watch...wow...it's already 3:00PM...gotta get moving because it's a race against the clock before darkness falls.
Back at camp, I cook up one of my famous grilled cheese sandwiches...potato bread, butter, Nueske's bacon, manchego cheese...a gourmet meal in the wilderness. After dinner, I sit in the Escape, listening to the radio until 8:30PM or so. I have a big bottle of "pre-mixed" White Russians...so I have a few of those before bedtime. Another "early" night.