In October 1993 a snow storm blew in unexpectedly (most weather in the mountains is unexpected). We were planning on leaving that morning but the road was closed and that gave us an excuse to stay longer and do some winter hiking. The snow made the views even more beautiful and a hike on the trails was magical. The snow fell only in the mountains; there was no accumulation visible at all at lower elevations. You really do need to be ready for almost any type of weather when visiting Big Bend.

These photographs were taken in the basin and from the road on the way out.

Nolina erumpens

Nolina erumpens (Beargrass), along with the Agaves and Yuccas, is a member of the Agavaceae (Agave family). The two pictures on the right were taken the prior day. It looks like a large clump of grass, hence the common name.

The photograph on the left is of an Opuntia and Salvia regla is on the right. Go to South Rim to see more shots ofSalvia regla

The snow obviously caught this spider by surprise--it was frozen in the middle of the web. There were frozen webs and spiders everywhere! We did not stay long enough to see if they survived the freezing episode.

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