Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Last June we were annoyed to find a long stretch of River Rd. (FM 170) torn up with heavy road construction. Does anyone know if that work is finished, or will we have to contend with it this year also?

Thanks!
Brad Chambers

It was like that while I was there and my guess is that it would not be done yet.

I would call Wild Horse or Easter Egg and ask them.

Lance

Yeah, I saw that and it was my first trip to the bend and man was I disappointed. It looked horrible and also 90 was torn up between Dryden and Sanderson so two hot spots were wiped out before I could even see 'em. I hope new paving doesn't affect g.b.'s at Sanderson.
Todd Hughes

It is (or at least was) along the stretch from Terlingua to Lajitas... Not "River Road". I would call it Peppers Hill myself.... The most productive stretch was not torn up when I was there last.

But most people stay in Study Butte when the collect in the area and have to drive through it every time they go out, and it would be nasty if it was a during a good rain.

And it may be paved by now, call the area hotels before you head down to check. They will know.

Lance

Lance, is your wife going to let you go this year????? :)

Wayne H.

He is planning to go this summer. We have the days scheduled off. Don't know if we will get all the way down to the river with gas at 2.75 a gallon. He has a supercharged vehicle and needs to use super gas.

May just have to hit 277 and sanderson this year. Just doesn't make sense to go all the way down to hit the river for only 2 days and then hop around.

Thanks,

Steven

I want to make the focus River Road, and do the odd days in other places. The way I see it, I can have more fun on the River anyway. I just like the country out there...

It will run 87 octain without pinging, the problem is that it uses a lot of gas compaired to my Wifes little Echo...
But on 93 Octain it does run a little stronger.

Lance

...that I cant decide between the RR, the Davis Mntns., and Black Gap. So we're forced to base in Alpine, which is close to the Davis, and almost equidistant from the Gap and RR. I'm already saving up for the gasoline bill (I drive an F150 4X4)!

Brad Chambers

Yeah, that is why I am not a big fan of the river area this year. It will cost more than a Cozumel excursion to be out west for a week.

Yes Lance I know you want to hit the River at all costs but change is good. Sanderson isn't bad. Neither is some other locations further east. Plus we can visit Troy H. unless he is out west. He needs to find an Alterna on his property.

Who knows maybe we can do a few days in Verde, a few on the River and a few in Sanderson. I hope we get an Alterna the first night out. Then everything else is just a bonus.

SXO792

I am not a big fan of jumping around from location to location.
Oh well, I am sure we will figure something out.

Right now lets see if our weather can warm us up past 45 degrees.

Steven

Watch the weather, temps and rainfall...

Pick a primary locality to collect, the more to the West the better in my opinion.. River Road is a long time favorite of mine, but I have other considerations too.

Pick a waystation locality on the way down to do a night of collecting on the way in and on the way out...

And just have fun, hopefully meet a few people out that direction... We actually stumbled into a Herp Society meeting last time we passed through Sanderson...

Lately to me, I have to admit... Plan B has been to find the snake, Plan A is to enjoy my time out there. I never come home dissapointed that way.

That's the only way to take a trip! There are sooooo many other things to see as well. Take a walk through the front of Seminole canyon and see the awesome collard and leopard lizards. How about those ringtails!? And bats, and cliff swallows and bobcats and.................! I like to put my feet in the Nueces and watch the frogs and tadpoles. But then again, I'm easily amused! LOL!
Todd Hughes

On the way down to Del Rio I try to take a farm road called 864. It is the cut across road that is sometimes called
Fort McKavett road. I love the stream crossing that is right before you get to the fort. I love stopping and have slept at that location before.

The nueces is nice too. However the only spot I have seen is the famous one underneath the bridge. Do other spots exist?

Yep, it is 35 degrees right now but I can't wait until it starts warming up. So many places to go and so little time.

I need to win the lotto so I can spend more time out west.

Take Care,

Steven

you sure about that Todd?
sound like you got a little German in ya! hahaha

When are you heading out?

Forky

Achtung leiber! Maybe not a leopard but sure looked like one! Definitely awesome collards and other interesting lizards there! We will go May 20-27 and hope for some rain between now and then. Last year must have had an awfully wet winter to have the river so high, so I may have to learn new strategies. That's part of the experience, if you can find 'em in dry and wet weather! Hope to hit 277 and Juno of course but also look around the Sanderson area. Later in the summer I will try for the Bend and Alpine area. The second trip usually isn't planned, I just go when I get that "feeling".I will watch the weather and possibly the dark of the moon, but I think they are mostly where you find them! I want to flip some celaenops too, but mostly want to see a pictigaster.
Todd Hughes

Well Sunny boy, that sounds like a good plan but I plan to be coming back to my old roads dating back to the late 60's and early 70's and call in the milksnakes and alterna the dark of the moon in May. I hope no one has messed them up for me since I found them years ago and popularized the gray-bandit Keensnake or blurry-eyed,Langtry king, take your pick, as we called them back then. Anyway Lancy and Stevey O, you will only see the back windshield of my nitro-equipped Toyota cuatro por cuatro and then nothing but dust, rollup the windows guys and get ready to avoid the nails,glass and double sided sticky tape on the road.

The master of everything technical
wlamoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

You are going to go out west, Bring your laptop, and then it will crash! You will be looking for Lance and I to help you fix it and meanwhile we will be showing you all the animals we observed while you were playing with the computer.

And as far as the quatro y quatro goes...

Picture This Commercial!

Mad German> Jerman engineeeeering in da hooooouse. Vat is dis Bill?

Bill> It is my four by four!

Hot German Chick> Vat is does big lights for?

Bill> To look for snakes.

Mad German> Ahhh it is making my snake crawl back in da hole.

Mad German> If you are ready for us to unpimp your auuuto say vat?

Bill> What?

Hot German Chick> Ooooooh look at dis new German Mark V.

Mad German> Ya does will attract all da snakez and da hustlahz.

PEACE! VEE DUB IN DA HOUSE!

LOL! You sound as though you have a little German in you! LOL!
Todd Hughes

Ah hah!! I see I have insensed you to the point of speaking in tongues. Sehr gut!

Threw away the laptop and went back to transferring data using "smoke signals" more reliable!

Hope to see you guys out on the river road. I will open the road blocks and sell you a ticket!

What do you think of my newest aquisitions, L.t.micropholis and captive bred eastern indigos!

Cheers
Bill

Man there is a heckler on this channel, who could it be.

Cheers
Julius Squeezer.

I got her to 277 once and I think it may be a while before she goes again. Just was not her thing....

My daughter though is 3 now, and in a few years she may get out with me. At that time, Sandy (My Wife) might go again.

But this year is a no.

Lance