Great Shoes & Mexican Animals In The Campground ~ And Javelinas 09Apr25

Keen Zionics Rock... A month before heading to Big Bend, Kala began hiking like a daemon and testing & medicating her knee. I bought new shoes, and hiked with her often. My Keen Zionics are simply great, now after >50 miles of rocky and dusty trails already. These are easily the best low hikers I've owned (and I've had many, the recent of which are ripping ~ hence the need). The Zionics are waterproof with a very solid footbed, even without a shank, and awesome grippy soles. Underfoot feels great with a bit more loft that what I've had ever before, and the slightly declining (toward toe) is also new, but feels great. The fit for me was perfect; I did add a Superfeet hiking thickness insert, replacing the stock one, mainly to best secure my narrower heel. They seem rugged with no cuts and few marks on the sole or outer parts of the upper ~ there's a classic Keen toe wrap which is standing up to funky toe drags over exposed rocks. And both in CO and here in BBNP, there are plenty of those. Heck they even match my Helly Hansen mountaineering pants. The only con I sense thus far it that these shoes are a bit tough to put on my feet. They are not very adjustable either... if they fit you they'll be awesome, if not, you might keep looking. This gear is highly recommended.

Pigs And Mexican Ranch Animals In The Park... There were some weird things about Big Bend Natl Pk, and our Rio Grande Village campground in it. One of those was the free range of Mexican ranch animals in the park and our campground, and even our site. That's right, the campground is irrigated, and tasty to the cattle, burros, and horses raised near Boquillas, Mexico. We encountered them often... and they shit all over the campground often. Mexican cowboys would sometimes come over and wrangle the animals back but they due it less under the current administration. What'd also weird is the Natl Pk workers spent plenty of time cleaning up the cowpies and such. So, Mexican animals are grazing our land (though there's little they can do about the animals crossing the Rio Grande) and forcing additional work for us... it's been this way for a while. The javelinas (collared peckary), a native pig, is also a frequent guest in the campground. For these and the rarer black bear and mountain lions, we lock up our food. We took bear spray on occassion but didn't see them or any lions.