Big Bend National Park in late Feb/early Mar?

[Kawgurl]

Greetings from Canada!  Need some advice from all y'all.  We're taking the bikes down to PHX around the end of Feb/beginning of Mar and was just Googling ride ideas - and Big Bend popped up.  Keep in mind we're used to riding in "cooler" weather - would we be looking for trouble riding down that way during that time of year?  Sounds to me like the weather is a lot like Alberta here (wait 5 minutes, it will change) - but I'd like to hear from some locals.  Please pipe in with anything you have to say about this idea.

Also - if you have experience at the Lajitas Golf Resort, please let me know.  

Much appreciated!

[Kneescrubber]

Welcome Kawgurl!

Based on where you're from I doubt you'll any type of weather you've never dealt with before. It can still be cold (especially at night) but can reach the 60's even 70's during the day. Although I've never stayed at the Lajitas Resort, it looks pretty nice from the outside. There's plenty to do in the area and BB is one of my favorite places to relax.

My report from the last time I was down there, a little over a year ago. http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,69253.0.html

[Kawgurl]

Welcome Kawgurl!

Based on where you're from I doubt you'll any type of weather you've never dealt with before. It can still be cold (especially at night) but can reach the 60's even 70's during the day. Although I've never stayed at the Lajitas Resort, it looks pretty nice from the outside. There's plenty to do in the area and BB is one of my favorite places to relax.

My report from the last time I was down there, a little over a year ago. http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,69253.0.html

Ha - wonderful pics and information - thank you very much. Not sure if we'll make it that far, but this is definitely on my motorcycling "bucket list" now!  

[FJRmgm]

Early March is usually good but it can get cold at night..

I'd stay in Alpine rather than Lajitas  because there is more places to stay and things to do and from Alpine you can go up to Ft. Davis and ride the two excellent roads that go NW and NE to I-10 and back and by the observatory.  And also the scenic loop that's west of town.

You can also ride over to Marathon and then down to the park and west through it to Terlingua and river road there.

You want to ride river road from Terlingua to Presidio because there are more varied geologic rock formations and types on that road than anywhere else in Texas. And you ride through a spectacular canyon.

Be sure to go over to Marfa to check out the "Marfa Lights".

Big Bend is spectacular and because they have had several inches of snow you may get to see more flora and fauna than normal.

You will be glad if you visit Big Bend.  I waited a long time before I finally rode there from Houston but then couldn't wait to ride back again and again.

[jeepinbanditrider]

If you are into camping there's lots of options out there  

[rider1a]

I am going there in the middle of February. I prefer to stay in Fort Davis, which is about 1 hour of so from Big Bend. It is at a higher elevation, so it is a bit cooler. It can get to the 20's at night in early March but near the park which is lower in elevation, you can easily get into the low 80s by then. Unless you dual-sport, the two fun rides near Big Bends is the "River Road" or park road 170 from around Terlingua to Presidio and the "Enchanted Loop" - starting in Ft. Davis, take 118 then county road 166 and back to Ft. Davis. On the Enchanted Loop there is the McDonald Observatory. The Observatory is equipped with a wide range of state-of-the-art instrumentation for imaging and spectroscopy in the optical and infrared, and operates one of the first and most productive lunar ranging stations. At night they have a Star Gazing party using the large telescope. Caution: riding back to Ft. Davis will put you on some really deer intense roads after the Star Party, so be careful.

[Orson]

Greetings from Canada!  Need some advice from all y'all.  We're taking the bikes down to PHX around the end of Feb/beginning of Mar and was just Googling ride ideas - and Big Bend popped up.  Keep in mind we're used to riding in "cooler" weather - would we be looking for trouble riding down that way during that time of year?  Sounds to me like the weather is a lot like Alberta here (wait 5 minutes, it will change) - but I'd like to hear from some locals.  Please pipe in with anything you have to say about this idea.

I went in January 1999 and enjoyed beautiful blue skies and 70 degree weather.

But it could just as easily be snowing and 35 degrees. The weather is just a roll of the dice.

I stayed at the Chisos Mountain Lodge. The rooms are pretty expensive for what are very basic motel rooms, but what you are paying for is the locale. Set inside an extinct volcano some 3000' above the desert floor, the crater has its own mini-biosphere with pine trees an everything. The road up to the lodge climbs 3000 feet in about 7 miles.

And when you look up at the night sky, you'll be amazed at the amount of stars.

Big Bend still remains one of my favorite places  

[satxbonneville]

I am going there in the middle of February. I prefer to stay in Fort Davis, which is about 1 hour of so from Big Bend. It is at a higher elevation, so it is a bit cooler. It can get to the 20's at night in early March but near the park which is lower in elevation, you can easily get into the low 80s by then. Unless you dual-sport, the two fun rides near Big Bends is the "River Road" or park road 170 from around Terlingua to Presidio and the "Enchanted Loop" - starting in Ft. Davis, take 118 then county road 166 and back to Ft. Davis. On the Enchanted Loop there is the McDonald Observatory. The Observatory is equipped with a wide range of state-of-the-art instrumentation for imaging and spectroscopy in the optical and infrared, and operates one of the first and most productive lunar ranging stations. At night they have a Star Gazing party using the large telescope. Caution: riding back to Ft. Davis will put you on some really deer intense roads after the Star Party, so be careful.

It's 145 miles from Ft. Davis to the Park HQ so it's a bit more than an hour but it's a nice ride, especially once you get south of Alpine on 118 - lots of nice fast sweepers.

The Star Party is a great thing - my two boys were absolutely gobsmacked by the Milky Way from horizon to horizon - they grew up in the NE so the really dark sky is not a normal thing for them. I've been to at least a dozen Star Parties and never get tired of the experience.

Concur on the deer after dark. Find a caravan of cars and ride in with them. My wife and I made the ride from Ft. Davis to Alpine after a Star Party...it's a long ride at 20 miles per hour but the freaking deer are so thick that to ride any faster would be suicide.

Good eats at The Reatta (pricy) in Alpine and for breakfast I like Alicia's (cheap).