Travel Mazes: Day 9 – May 31st, 2025: Big Bend National Park & Heading Home

It was my last morning in the mountains. The sunrise streamed directly through my car window. I opened the door and, for the first time, used time-lapse to capture the beauty of that moment. For so many reasons, I didn’t want the morning to end. It was absolutely silent—one of the most magical sunrises I’ve ever seen.

But like everything in life, we’re in constant motion. Everything changes, moment to moment. Nothing remains the same.

I reorganized myself, packed my backpack, and started driving toward the Emory Peak trailhead (10 miles), the highest point in the Chisos Mountains and all of Brewster County. It was almost 8 a.m. when I began the hike. Surprisingly, unlike any other park I’ve visited, there was a ranger station at the trailhead. Rangers were asking hikers if they had enough water and snacks, their estimated return time, and offering guidance on what to do if they encountered a bear or mountain lion.

The trail was relatively easy for most of the way up. I was amazed by the richness of nature in this park, especially the variety of birds—many I had never seen before, including countless bluebirds. I was also surprised to learn that Big Bend is home to both mountain lions and black bears.

I didn’t see many hikers until the last half mile, which was very steep—that’s probably why people slowed down. Oddly enough, I realized I’ve come to really enjoy the steep parts of hikes. In fact, I found it fun. The ascent to the peak was about five miles (Strava clocked my roundtrip at 10.27 miles).

At the summit, I met a few hikers, a group of three from Texas, one of whom works for Nelnet, a Lincoln, Nebraska-based engineering firm company. I also met Eddie and his brother. Eddie lives in a small border town, and his brother lives in Austin. They were both kind and polite. We exchanged cameras to take photos of each other and swapped social media contacts.

Coming down was fast—as usual, I’m nearly unstoppable on the descent. I finished the hike by 12:15, just a little over four hours. After visiting the gift shop and bathrooms, I saw Eddie and his brother again. We chatted briefly and took a group photo.

By then, I was ready for snacks and cold drinks, gearing up for the 16-hour drive home. With almost a full tank, I drove straight to where home is, Lincoln, NE and my first stop was Odessa, Texas. Put gas and order a pizza. While waiting, I chatted with the owner. He asked about my journey, and I vented about getting a second windshield chip today, thanks to loose gravel. He mentioned something about Bitcoin mining and how many Chinese and Russians are moving to the area because of it. Honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about.

A few hours later, curiosity got the best of me, so I looked up some podcasts on Bitcoin mining. Eventually, I learned a lot I didn’t know before. Driving along Hwy US-277 was eye-opening, with so many industrial zones and oil field constructions.

When I reached Oklahoma City, I argued with myself for a while about whether to stop, but I decided to keep going and finish the entire 16-hour drive. I listened to every podcast I’d downloaded and every song I could find. The drive was smooth until about an hour before reaching Lincoln, around 2 a.m.—I saw so many raccoons, deer, foxes, and rabbits that I was worried I might hit one.

Thankfully, I made it home safely, just before 4 a.m. I felt a mix of sadness that the journey was over, but also comfort in being back. Sad to leave but glad to be back.