The weather on Day 3 was also mostly clear and beautiful. Our destination was the basin inside the Chisos Mountain caldera. We took a right turn before getting to Panther Junction and climbed into the forested mountains. The lower forests were comprised of Piñon Pine, Drooping Junipers, and Gray Oak, while at higher elevations we saw Douglas Fir and Arizona Pine.
Again, we saw numerous magma intrusion formations as we descended into the basin, as well as, around the basin walls. I was sure glad we knew what we were looking at and could reflect on the volcanic violence that occurred there. It sometimes looked other-worldly!
Within the basin, there were campgrounds, various lodging facilities, a restaurant, a visitor center, and a number of trailheads. We hiked the shortest and most convenient one, which gave us a great look at the mountains forming the caldera, provided views to the west through a deep V-cut called The Window, and put us in touch with nature.
I wanted to tackle a longer trail, so just as we exited the basin we stopped at the trailhead for the 4.8-mile roundtrip hike to Lost Mine. The trailhead began at 5,650′ and climbed to 6,750′. I stopped at what I thought was the summit because there was a large number of hikers milling about. But as I began taking pictures, I saw from both my Elevation and AllTrails apps that the summit was a quarter mile further south. I pressed on and captured this picture of two others who knew the truth.
And Great views from the top.
MFI didn’t want to hike the trail with me. Fortunately, the rangers at the visitor’s center told her there were benches about a half mile or so up the trail. During my descent, she was waiting on one and shared her encounter with this hungry Jay begging for a handout. The only other wildlife we saw on Day 3 was a small herd of deer grazing on our left as we finished the trail together.
Day 3 was quite different from Day 2 but equally enjoyable. We agreed to return for one more day in the Park before moving on to other interests.
