4 January ‘09
Sunday
Yesterday when we arrived in Sanderson, it was 74 degrees, but this morning when we were ready to leave it was about 38…what a change. The blue sky was now covered with high clouds that blocked out the sun from yesterday and a wind was blowing cold. Fortunately the wind was going to be a tail wind for us most of the day. It ended up pushing us all the way to Langtry and Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site. Langtry was the home of Judge Roy Bean and the community that he developed, named, and ruled over with an iron hand (or gun). His court was held either on the front porch or at the bar of his “Court” (Salon).
Sunday
Yesterday when we arrived in Sanderson, it was 74 degrees, but this morning when we were ready to leave it was about 38…what a change. The blue sky was now covered with high clouds that blocked out the sun from yesterday and a wind was blowing cold. Fortunately the wind was going to be a tail wind for us most of the day. It ended up pushing us all the way to Langtry and Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site. Langtry was the home of Judge Roy Bean and the community that he developed, named, and ruled over with an iron hand (or gun). His court was held either on the front porch or at the bar of his “Court” (Salon).
If the weather was wet it went inside and if it was nice outside it went to the porch. In either case, you really didn’t want to be the defendant in front of Judge Roy Bean…guilty or not… Justice was swift in Judge Bean’s court. When an accused was brought in, Judge Bean removed his toweling apron, hauled out his law book and notary seal, and called a jury from among his customers. Although Judge Bean had the reputation of being the “Hanging Judge”, there are no records of anyone ever being hung from one of his decisions. Seminole Canyon sits at the confluence of the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers.
It also sits high on a hill over-looking a prehistoric rock art collection that was left behind 7 to 10,000 years ago. After checking in, finding our site, and having lunch, we headed out to see were the rivers converged. We had just driven across the bridge that spans the Pecos River but when passing over it I didn’t get too much of a chance to “sightsee”.
The bridge is going through a resurfacing and more, and we had to share a single lane to cross. That single lane was “very single” and it took all I had to keep it off the rail, and at over 300 feet above that water I just didn’t want to check out the view until later. Well that “later” arrived and we found a couple of lookouts to enjoy the views. Without a doubt, the Rio Grande and the Pecos had a lot more water here than the Rio Grande had around Big Bend. After checking out the “convergence”, we drove back to the visitor’s center at the park. We had signed up for a guided hike into the canyon.
Because of the fragile nature of the pictographs and the canyon, the only way to see it is with a park guide. The round trip hike was only about a mile and once we were down in the canyon we found the cliffs above us about 50 feet.
The pictographs were painted on the ceilings and walls of the cliff dwellings but unfortunately they have started to fade badly so those that will come to see them in the future may be out of luck. But on the other hand, it’s only been 7,000 years…