Lauren Drewes Daniels
Audio By Carbonatix
Trails? Whatever, who needs ’em? My family, on a trip to beautiful Big Bend National Park years ago, was resting at a visitors center after a long day, when a van came speeding into the lot. When the van stopped, a man jumped out and ran to a red phone on the wall like he was serving it a warrant, picked it up and explained to the person on the other end that he and his older friend had ventured off trail and got lost. He had left his friend to the coyotes and rattlesnakes with only an apple and a bottle of water while he tried to find his way back to get help.
Successful mission, I guess, but it left us wondering why the miles and miles of established trails in the park just weren’t enough for these adventurous souls.
The sun began to set, the coyotes began to wail and the park rangers set out to find this person. Alone, at dusk, off-trail, in Big Bend National Park. What a blender that is to be in.
Now, after hearing that story, are you thinking, “I wish I was there to help”? Well, you’re in luck, because Big Bend National Park is looking for Backcountry Patrol Volunteers to assist park visitors.
This volunteer opportunity entails a three-month stay in the park from Feb. 1 to April 30. As part of the job, you will patrol dirt roads and trails throughout the park, assist visitors in finding their campsites, answer questions they may have and advise them of backcountry regulations.
Participants must have their own RV or trailer, with full hookups free of charge in exchange for 32 hours of work each week. For safety reasons, only couples or pairs volunteering together will be considered.
Big Bend is a long way from home for us DFW residents, but the drive down isn’t as bad as it may look. Once you’ve passed Midland and Odessa, you’ll head south, which sends you into areas of our state and small towns that many folks have never even heard of. It’s a vast landscape with lots of mystery, inhabited only by oil and gas equipment, along with a few white trucks and trailers. It’s a life that only those who grew up in West Texas may understand – one we get a small glimpse of while cruising by.
Once you arrive at Big Bend, there’s more than enough to see to keep you busy during your three-month volunteer period. From hiking trails and scenic drives, to kayaking the Rio Grande and visiting small Mexican towns across the border, it’s an eight-hour drive that’ll prove worth it.
If this volunteer opportunity interests you, apply now and prepare for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Just make sure people stay on the trails, please. Don’t feed the coyotes.
