T OYO TA T R A I L S Descending toward the Guale 2 campsite. and I headed into Big Bend Ranch State Park for our rendezvous with Dave and Kim at the old Sauceda Ranch headquarters, which have been updated and converted into the Park’s headquarters and visitor center. There is a bunkhouse available plus free water to fill up your jerry cans, along with hot showers. They even had a store with ice, maps, souvenirs and a few basics. Some very friendly rangers there helped us choose our campsite. The most popular campsite is Guale #2 but it was “occupado" the day we arrived. The rangers recommended another campsite called Chorro Vista with a good view on the east side of the Park. It was a 2-hour drive and they warned us of some steep rocky climbs but one glance at our trucks and they said we should have no problem. You don’t need steel bumpers or lockers but you do need a four-wheel drive, high clearance vehicle and you need to bring plenty of water, provisions and shade to be comfortable in this remote desert at around 4,000 feet in elevation. The highest peak, Oso Peak, is at 5,135 feet. The State Park is a big place, with over 311,000 acres and 238 miles of off-road trails. That is almost a third the size of Rhode Island. And get this: they receive less than 3,000 visitors per year. If every visitor showed up on the first day of spring, each one of them would still have 100 acres all to themselves! We were there for four days and didn’t see any other vehicles the whole time—and that was in “high season.” Chorro Vista was a great campsite, protected on one side by a ridge where we spent a lot of time looking at the 360-degree view of distant mountains, psychedelic bursts of colors from the blooming cacti and a Biblical sunset. After dark, we were treated to a 90-minute lightning show that illuminated the clouds overhead in a way unlike anything I have seen in my lifetime. My camping buddies all loved the Chorro Vista campsite but were looking forward to revisiting their favorite, Guale 2. So the next day, we broke camp and started out on the 6-hour trip to that next campsite. It was a beautiful day with a gorgeous sky and we took our time, stopping at abandoned ranch buildings and photographing the scenery and our trucks. Halfway there, after one of those many stops, my FJ60 wouldn’t start. No juice. Oh no, here we go again…. A lot of people Off-road is not at odds with fine dining. 26