Marufo Vega
Marufo Vega is among the scariest hikes we have ever done. Before we embarked on this hike, I had read several reports of deaths on the trail from heat and exposure. This hike is far less popular than the other challenging hikes in Big Bend, such as Emory Peak or the South Rim, so you are less likely to encounter other hikers if you get into trouble. All that said, we were doing it on a cool day in late December, so exposure was less of a concern. The challenging and frightening aspects of this hike took a different form.
When we parked, there were only two other cars at the trailhead, suggesting we would enjoy a secluded day. We started the hike to the north across the desert trail, only to be blasted by fierce gusts of wind. I estimate that it was blowing 25 mph, with gusts over 40 mph. As we made the first climb, we entered a narrow passage between two rock bands. In this brief section, the wind speeds increased due to the funneling effect to an estimated 70 mph. My kids had trouble staying upright. We ran into another couple who turned around at this point due to the wind. Determined to see the Rio Grande in its most beautiful stretch, we continued on.
We chose to do the loop through the canyon in the clockwise direction, taking the trail to the left at 3.5 miles. We later descended through a steep slot canyon, in which we again encountered high wind velocity. At 5.5 miles we reached the Rio Grande, which is where our hike got more interesting. There was a short use trail to the river bank, which we took.
In the sand along the river, we saw a partially skeletonized carcass of a horse, which had clearly been recently killed by a mountain lion. The body was fresh and incompletely cleared. The lion was, without a doubt, coming back to finish the job. We then looked up at the cliffs from which we had descended, and saw hundreds of caves, which were perfect homes for hungry mountain lions. We were a long way from the trailhead and by ourselves. We quickly got away from the horse carcass and made our way back to the main trail.
After the brief scare, we ate a quick lunch and moved on to the best section of this hike. For the next 2.5 miles, we hiked southwest along an elevated trail above the Rio Grande. The river was a beautiful light blue hue, not the muddy water seen in this river at other locations. Moreover, the desert mountains, particularly on the Mexico side, were colorful and dramatic. At the end of this section, we took another spur down to the river bed, and then climbed back up the cliff to close the loop. The wind died down in the afternoon and we had nice conditions for the hike back to the trailhead.
Marufo Vega is a true backcountry hike. It is one of the most remote areas in the United States. The scenery is dramatic and pristine. It has a reputation as one of the most dangerous hikes in any of our national parks. It is a long day, clocking in at 15.2 miles and 2820 ft of vertical. I highly recommend this hike, but suggest an honest assessment of your fitness, endurance and backcountry experience before doing it. Like Emory Peak and the South Rim, this is definitely not a hike to do in warmer months.
