"The Road Less Traveled"

This is a Garth Brooks song the title of which indicates the preliminary route I plan to take the guys in Big Bend National Park. In an effort to be prudent yet let the guys sense the true pleasure of hiking BIBE, I have created a hike that gives them some rest and acclimation time prior to hitting the tougher parts of the trip. We will start out in the Basin which is in the middle of the Chisos and hike up to the South Rim using the Pinnacle Trail the first day. We will get a late start but we should be able to get to the campsite before dark.
The second day will mostly be day hikes exploring the South Rim and a trip to the top of Emory Peak, the highest point in the Chisos at about 7800 feet. This will be a true photographic opportunity because you can see south into Mexico and the Dotson Trail below. From their we will hike over to Boot Springs and spend the night.
Early the next morning we will hike down Juniper Canyon (my knees will not be happy) to the Dotson Trail head. After a short lunch break we will go across the Dotson to either Fresno Creek or the Dotson Ranch House. Hopefully, Fresno Creek will have water so we can get resupplied if not then we will have a water cache that we will get to the next day.
We will get up the next morning and head over to the ranch house just before Blue Creek Canyon Trail. We will pick up our water cache and move up the trail a short distance and spend the night. The next day we will head up Blue Creek Canyon Trail to the Chisos (long hard slog uphill) and spend the night at Laguna Meadow. The next day will be a short downhill hike to the truck in the Basin.
I think this should be a great hike for these guys and one they will remember for a long time. I know that I will always remember my first trip more than any other.