Birth Canal

— Canoeing the Rio Grande at Big Bend NP was beyond our expectations. We started early in the morning at the entrance of the Santa Elena Canyon. Our outfitter had the canoes ready to go, or at least we thought so. We had to pick them up at the parking area and carry them to the river. It was not as easy as one might thing, particularly because of the loose sand. Once in the water, all went well. The Rio Grande was not full, but there was enough water to canoe without having to get off the canoe 3-4 times only. Not bad at all. We had a few stops along the way to appreciate the beautiful and quiet scenery along the Rio Grande. When we stopped for lunch, one of the guides suggested we go on a short hike. She said the trail was not marked, and this would really be an exploratory hike. Although a short hike, we had plenty to admire. We had to go through some small pools — very cold water! — and then reached a small passage with water running through it. The guide said that was called the Birth Canal. It was all very obvious to us why they had given that name. Well, we all went through it on the way up and also coming back. The video above shows the return. The photo below shows one hiker coming up the Birth Canal. This was a terrific adventure!