South of the Border, at 8000 feet, Mexican Nature Reserve opens

By Jim Glendinning

Courtesy the AlpineAvalanche, April 6, 2000

"Look, down there, just above the trees! You see it?"

Luis was excited, and he wanted me to share his excitement. We were standing on a promontory high in the Sierra del Carmen range, 25 miles south of Boquillas. Luis had spotted a golden eagle, circling slowly just above the tree line. The trouble was that we were looking down onto the treetops, and the eagle wasn't too easy to spot against the foliage.

It was day two of a four-day introductory tour of the not-quite-opened Museo Maderas del Carmen , a 50,000-acre spread on the choicest part of the Del Carmen range, which continues south and east from the Dead Horse Mountains in the Big Bend National Park. Stretching from the desert floor, around 3,000 feet, to close to 9,000 feet at the highest point, the Nature Reserve promises to begin to fill in part of the ecological gap on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and help lead to an International Peace Park, talked about for 50 years, but still not in existence.

Our group consisted of a writer, a photographer and two horse-trails enthusiasts anxious to scope the new territory for trail rides. Our host, Luis Brunicardi M, is the director of the new reserve. We were the second group from the U.S. side to come and find out the hopes and aspirations for the new park, as well as what it had to offer. The aim was to see if we could help in getting it going, through publicity or by sending visitors. I was impressed upon first contact with the energy and enthusiasm of the operation. The Museo, so named for tax reasons, has an 800 number which rings in an office in Monterrey, Mexico. They also have a web site, a publicity video, high-quality brochures, and an English-speaking staff.

Crossing over to Boquillas was simple as usual but, for once, I invested in a truck ($3 per person) to take us and our bags to the Buzzard's Roost Bed & Breakfast, where we were to meet up with the car from the Museo. Luis turned up promptly, and I got a look at the man on whom the hopes of the Nature Reserve's Mexican owners lie. Of Venezuelan nationality, his cosmopolitan background belies his obvious passion for the rugged outdoors. A college degree in business and marketing, plus his experience hosting eco-tourism in Venezuela, gives him a comprehensive edge in this new project.

Twelve miles and 40 minutes from Boquillas, we turn off onto the Nature Reserve property and drive for another hour and a half to reach the small, restored ranch-house called Santa Salome where Luis lives with his wife Teetee when they are on site. Cold hand-towels, scented with eucalyptus, help to wipe off the desert dust. We sample some food and wine as we listen to Luis tells us about his hopes for the reserve, a job he has enjoyed for only seven months. We are at the same altitude as Alpine, and some of us choose to sleep outside on the terrace in sleeping bags. For the next two nights we will be based at El Dos, a former logging camp, and from there will make excursions to points of interest up top.

Next morning, we switch from the Suburban to an open truck and immediately start a steep ascent on a good graded road. First stop is the remains of a fluorspar mining operation, where we pick the herb damiana which grows around the old buildings. As we climb higher, gazing west toward the mountains of Chihuahua, trees start to appear, thickening in size as they gain in height. We see oak, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine and Arizona cypress. Later, we spot some aspen. Logging was the principal commercial activity here for over 80 years until it ceased around 20 years ago. Unharvested dead trees lie in quantities around the sawmill sites, along with enormous heaps of sawdust. But now the birds and wildlife have the area to themselves.

Taking to the trail again, Luis guides us up a steep track, pointing out puma tracks. His enthusiasm is infectious; as he tries to wrap his arms around a Douglas fir at least 150 feet high, he tells us his plans for the Reserve. He wants to establish baseline data on the unusual history and pristine condition of the region. He wants mountain bikers not only to test themselves on the 80 miles of logging roads, but to rope themselves down into the canyons and negotiate the water channels. Meanwhile, less energetic nature lovers can enjoy a high-mountain environment of tall trees, running streams and moderate temperatures even in mid-summer.

There was ice under the outside faucet when we emerged from our tents the next morning and stood around the campfire getting warm and drinking coffee. After huevos rancheros we were offered the choice of hiking or using the four-wheel All Terrain Vehicles as transportation. Our destination was a lookout point towards the north of the Reserve, from which we could see The Sentinel, the highest peak, and in the background the Chisos Mountains. Carpeted by fallen pine needles and dead leaves, the easy trail led us for a couple of hours past moss-covered boulders, around fallen trees to another promontory.

We devoured a sack lunch and afterwards stretched out on a rock, enjoying the Rockies-type view. Luis elaborated on his vision for the Reserve, from the scientific to the recreational. He outlined a plan to complete the tent-based campsite El Dos, with wood platforms and adjacent shower/toilets. In addition to the lodging facilities at the permanent campsite at El Dos, there are cabins at El Club on the eastern side of the Reserve, where the canyon activities take place. There are also plans for an organic nursery on the western slopes, as well as plans to improve the water-holding capacity of a lagoon in the northeast corner of the Reserve.

Before the fajitas supper, there was time to take another sunset hike to a ridge looking west. Forty miles away in Chihuahua state, an erratic thunderstorm stirred and fumed, and the setting sun struggled to cast its rays across the darkening desert floor. The layered effect of mountain ridges, a feature of the Big Bend region, was never so dramatic as it was now, backlit by the fading sun and spasmodic storm. As we climbed back down to the truck, Luis spotted a pygmy owl; later, we returned to camp to find the non-hikers listening to Mexican songs and drinking tequila.

The Museo Maderas del Carmen features several high-terrain habitats, including mountain meadows and forested slopes. Deep canyons cutting into the mountains offer endless exploring possibilities. Untouched for the past 20 years, the ravages of the lumber industry appear slight. Other than the occasional shack, there are few human habitations, while the road system has been upgraded for visitor use.

This new environmental preserve appears most promising, not only because of its beautiful features but because of the motivation and energy of its capable director. Horses aren't part of the formula at present, but this could change later. Prebooked packages (four days and three nights) include pickup and drop-off at Boquillas, transportation in and around the Reserve, improved tent camping, three meals daily, orientation on the Reserve's aims, and guiding services. Introductory rate: $285 for the whole trip. An exploratory trip is planned for June, 2000. For more information call 915-837 2052.

A slide show of the visit to Museo Maderas del Carmen, A.C. Nature Reserve will be held at the Sierra Club Meeting on Tuesday May 16, at 7.00 p.m., in Room 309 of Lawrence Hall at SRSU. The public is invited, and there is no fee.

Verdict: (Photographer) "Like nothing I've ever seen before" (Author) "It's breathtakingly beautiful up there" (Horse folk) "...the possibility of riding from he desert floor into aspen trees."