On the plus side, when you’re camping in January there are almost no bugs, including mosquitos, the bane of humanity. On the minus side, even though it’s generally warm here in Big Bend National Park (75 yesterday, 70 today), it’s still winter, and that means many of the trees have dropped their foliage or aren’t flowering or fruiting in ways that call of for the use of adjectives like “majestic” or exclamations like “behold the sumptuous feast of fantastical beauty and wonder that nature has bestowed upon us, Gary!”
Still, there are 60 species of cacti in Big Bend, and while they aren’t flowering, many of them are green, and that’s good enough for me. But I would love to see Big Bend in spring, after a rain, when the Chihuahuan Desert bursts with life desperate to express itself. Maybe I’ll swing back through.
Another plus: avocados at the grocery store were something like 69 cents a pound, which is outrageously inexpensive compared with avocados in Minnesota. This is because while California and Florida do produce their share of avocados, Mexico is the largest producer, and peak season is now. So because I am at least 40 miles of mountainous roads from a real grocery store, I’m kicking myself for buying only four avocados before I came to the park.
Hot sauces, taco sauces, and salsas, too, as you might expect so close to the Mexican border, are also in great supply and astounding variety at completely reasonable prices. And while there is a “village store” at the campground here at Rio Grande Village campground, anything fresh is hard to come by and everything is expensive ($5 for a box of saltine crackers, anyone?). So, bring your own food.
And I did bring my own food, just not enough of it for two weeks. Today I canceled a reservation at City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico for this weekend and next week and decided to extend my stay at Big Bend to the full 14 days allowed. There’s too many hikes, like the one I did today that was described as being “an easy hike, great for families with small children.” It turns out it was more difficult for childless, overweight single men, but the sign said nothing about that. With my legs weak as the end was in sight, I was glad for the saltine crackers I’d overpaid for that were waiting for me in the truck.
I’m actually eating much better on this year’s trip than last, and with just a few minor changes to thank. For starters, the sink in the camper is so small that one cannot fully submerge a normal sized plate. Half a plate at a time is the best you can do, leaving you to eat either with small plates, disposable plates, or hands, sans plates. Additionally, the dish drying rack that came with the camper holds approximately one coffee cup, one plate, and a fork. And so I brought my full size drying rack from my house, and that has made all the difference. I brought my good pans this trip as well, and a crockpot to boot, because I’m a set-it-and-forget-it kind of guy. I think because of these minor hurdles last year, I was almost subconsciously reluctant to cook. (I would like to note that I am aware of the privilege it is that I am in the middle of nowhere and I have a sink and that is incredible and nothing to complain about, but you can complain about anything if you try hard enough. Also, I paid my dues with 40+ years of tent camping).
So my diet, while not great to begin with, at least hasn’t deteriorated significantly this trip, unlike last year when I was eating chicken from a can I’d gotten at a Family Dollar and then puking for days because of poor decisions in aisle 3. This trip I’ve already made a curry and tonight I made a tasty stir fry.
I’ve also noticed that I feel way more comfortable in the camper this year, like I have more space than last year. It’s odd, but if the weather is nice, 90 square feet or so, or whatever it is, seems like just about enough. Just a few less items are to thank for that—one less pair of shoes, one less little couch throw pillow, a computer monitor I never used, a chair and a small table I’d thought I’d work from but never did—all left behind in favor of less stuff—has made a tremendous difference. Less is definitely more when camping, as long as you have the essentials. Although there are some 40 foot luxury motorhomes here, so I suppose that more is actually more if you can afford it.
Tomorrow my vacation officially ends and I’m working from the camper 9 to 5. It’s a bummer, but I can keep the windows open and go on walks around the campground and maybe fish the Rio Grande in the evening, which I’ve still somehow not gotten around to. So while I’m complaining (it just takes a little effort), I’m grateful.
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