The relentless desert heat drove us back to the Chisos Mountains, where we decided to tackle the Windows Trail – one of Big Bend’s must-see hikes. At the visitor center, we encountered what would turn out to be the first character in our day’s story: a volunteer guarding the trailhead and ensuring everyone had enough water. We watched as he turned away the hikers ahead of us for insufficient water supplies. When our turn came, we presented our three liters, earning a skeptical “That’s probably not enough” (spoiler: it was fine) along with warnings about the steep climb and promises of shade and water at a campground on the return should we need it.

The trail revealed itself gradually, dropping through classic Chisos terrain. Mountains rose around us while a narrow notch in the peaks framed the desert plains below like a natural window. Though we descended quite a ways, the trail’s mild switchbacks made for comfortable hiking. A couple miles in, the landscape transformed as we entered a steep canyon filled with oak groves, Mexican Buckeye, and Texas Lignum in bloom – a welcome respite from the exposed desert.

The path eventually narrowed into a wash where someone had carefully built steps for the tricky spots. At the end waited another pour-off, this one plunging about 200 feet. The slick rock approach got our attention, but solid ledges made it safe to take in the view. I loved watching the mix of people here – a woman who didn’t look like a regular hiker but was clearly enjoying herself, a family whose kids bounded around while their mom insisted on the “four points of contact” rule they’d apparently learned at Arches.

We found a quiet side trail on the return that led to a western viewpoint of the desert floor – the perfect lunch spot away from the crowds. The climb back wasn’t nearly as daunting as warned, and we had plenty of water despite the early warnings. We celebrated at the visitor’s center with ice cream sandwiches, where I struck up a conversation with a fellow Oregonian from Newport. He showed me around his Four Wheel Camper while we talked about the state of Portland.

On the way back to camp, we stopped at Dugout Wells where an ancient windmill still pumped water to a green oasis in the desert. We met a local sipping a Modelo in the shade. He was from Oklahoma and owned some land near Terlingua . His tales of the area convinced us to try both the hot springs and the Boquillas border crossing. He told us about bringing supplies to kids in the Mexican village just across the river and how the whole place runs on solar power.

We ended our day at the hot springs, where the remains of an old resort and its palm trees hint at its past life. The site sits right on the Rio Grande, where old bathhouse walls still catch hot water before it joins the river. With the air hitting 95 degrees, we started with a cooling river dip. I loved the mix of people here too – families splashing alongside tattooed hipsters, everyone finding common ground in the healing waters. Though the spring was barely warmer than the air, it felt surprisingly good. As we bounced back up the rough road to camp, where we made dinner, enjoyed another spectacular sunset, and settled in for our work week.