One of the more distinctive mountain formations in Big Bend National Park is known as “Mule Ears”. My husband insisted on calling them “Rabbit Ears” since there were so many jackrabbits in the park and we only saw a few mules.
Please click the image to view a larger version.
As we hiked along the trail to Mule Ears Springs in the evening before sunset, we passed a group of teenagers coming the other way. They all carried huge backpacks – the first among them looking exhilarated and the last looking dejected and utterly annoyed. It was a school group of some sort and they had just finished their first night camping alone in the desert. They had to hike out to the location, set up their own camp, prepare their own dinner, sleep by themselves listening to the coyotes, break camp in the morning and hike back out. That’s quite a summer camp! It really is a love it or hate it kind of place.
Here is another image I made of the Mule Ears with an Octillo cactus in the foreground.
I wish I was a part of the teenager group, would’ve surely loved it 🙂
Great pics 🙂
Hi Sid, I know! What a great experience for the teenagers. I’m sure that even the ones that looked all dejected at the time will look back on it one day and appreciate it. It must have been kind of scary tenting alone in the wild though. Thanks for your comments!
Love it! Missing the ocotillo!
Thank you kindly Karen!
Looks like a really cool location Anne. Has all of the great colors of the southwest
Hi Len, it was a pretty cool spot all right. We loved Big Bend. Thanks for your comments, as always.
Nice shots, Anne. I hope to visit that area someday…maybe!
Hi Mark, you really should visit Big Bend, it is one of my favourite spots on our entire trip this year! Thanks for your comments.
Beautiful images Anne! Beautiful place to be! I will be glad to take the place of anyone who is annoyed by camping overnight in the Great outdoors 🙂 especially if it is Big Bend!
Hi Ron, thanks for your comments! I’m not sure if those kids were annoyed or just plain exhausted! Maybe hungry and exhausted if they had to make their own dinner and breakfast. I think it must have been a great experience, even if they don’t appreciate it right away.
Beautiful photos Anne! Did you guys camp??? I love hiking and camping and can’t wait to get back out on the trail when I get back to the states!
Hi Adam! We are travelling in an RV, so we are staying in campsites, but living at home if you know what I mean 🙂 I like the national park campsites because they are in rugged locations with fewer people, especially in the west. Before this year long trip we were travelling in a camper van, which is also great because you get the security from animals when you have a hard-sided vehicle and you can get into any regular campsite. We would usually go for a month at a time in the camper van. Thanks for your visit!
Fascinating mountain. Mule Ears is a clever title. There’s a peak high above the Chamonix valley of an almost identical shape and it’s called Aiguille de l’M. You can see why! There’s a restaurant of the same name too!
Hi Andy, I can never figure out why they would name a landmark and a restaurant something so difficult to pronounce. I mean, if you are in another country then I get it 😉 I like “mule ears” too! Thanks for your visit and comments.
Big Bend is one of my favorite places on earth! So beautiful! I want to go back soon!
Me too! I’m going to try to get back there this winter. Thanks for your visit and comments Lana.