Just like that river twisting through a dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
~ Rio, Duran Duran  

It was mid-afternoon when we pulled into the parking area at Daniels Ranch in Big Bend National Park. The ranch, located about a mile west of Rio Grande Village, is one of the last remaining examples of pioneer farming in the area. There is an adobe farm house there, but the most striking feature of the landscape was the grove of enormous, golden cottonwood trees that stood in a grassy field opposite the parking area. We marveled at the off-season color as we slung on our daypacks before walking farther down Daniels Ranch Road to the trailhead. We were about a hundred yards from the Rio Grande and the U.S.-Mexico border.

When we gained the trailhead it was marked, both with the rustic metal signs that…