The Window’s Edge

— Yesterday I posted a view from the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive showing the Chisos Mountains. If you look at that image closely, you can see a small V-shaped cut in the mountain. That’s the other side of the Window. To hike there, you’ll use a moderate trail that is 5.5 miles (8.8 km) roundtrip. Going to the window is easy since it is all downhill from the Chisos Lodge area. However, you need to keep in mind that there is a 984-feet (300 m) elevation gain on the return. This is very popular trail and offers good views of rolling hills and vertical rocks, plus the occasional black bear, roadrunners, Mexican Bluejays and deer. When you finally reach the end of the trail, you are the narrow sole opening for all the water runoff out of the basin. The rock can be slippery since it’s very smooth. On this particular hike, it was dry. Just a couple more steps from where I made this shot, you would fall over and down 220 feet (67 m). The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive is way in the horizon at the base of the blue mountains on this photo, past the Chihuahuan desert.