Round the Big Bend
The twists and white-knuckle turns of this sprawling national park in southern Texas are best enjoyed on two wheels, finds Cameron Dueck
A hot, dry wind is whistling through my helmet. My motorcycle hurtles towards a sharp, downhill curve. I downshift, brake and lean into the turn. As I twist the throttle and roar out, the red rock canyon walls flash by in a dizzying blur.
Ahead of me, as far as the eye can see, are curves. Dipping, sharp, suddenly dropping into gullies. Above me are vultures, with huge black wings and crimson heads, wheeling and soaring in the clear blue sky. If I miss one of the curves, or the heat gets the better of me, they will swoop and pick my bones clean before help can arrive.
Big Bend National Park, in the southwest of the American state of Texas, lives up to its name. Few places beat it if you're looking for lonely roads that wind through stark, beautiful scenery. The roads are mostly two lane, with plenty of gravel side routes to explore if you're on a dual sport bike.
The park - which hugs the Mexican border - is an easy ride from cities such as Houston, Austin and Tucson. With 3,242 square kilometres of parkland to explore, you'll wear out your tyres before you see it all. But this is no place for sissies. The spines and thorns of cacti are sharp enough to puncture tyres. The fast flowing Rio Grande, which runs for 190 kilometres along the southern border of the park and includes the canyons of Santa Elena, Mariscal and Boquillas, claims the lives of several waders a year. Four species of rattlesnake and one type of cobra live in these sandy hills, along with tarantulas and scorpions.
The nearest hospital is 160 kilometres away, and no public transport passes through the park. Water and fuel supplies are few and far between, and Big Bend is surrounded by other protected areas - for example, to the west is Big Bend Ranch State Park and across the Mexican border is the Parque Nacional Maderas del Carmen - further enhancing its remoteness and the richness of its wildlife.
It is these qualities that can provide the ride of a lifetime. The maximum speed limit in the park is 45m/h (72km/h). I would never recommend breaking the law for the pure joy of riding, but the roads are empty and the temptation is great …