We intended to drive to Boca Chica Beach and park at the end of State Highway 4. From there we would walk the few miles to Boca Chica itself, where the Rio Grande enters the Gulf of Mexico. As we drove through the outskirts of Brownsville, we saw flashing lights. A police car blocked the road and an officer motioned for us to stop.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Boca Chica,” I said.
“I’m sorry, but the road is closed. SpaceX is testing and the road will be closed until 10:00 pm.”
It was 8:00 am. State Highway 4 would be closed for the next 14 hours. State Highway 4 is the only access to Boca Chica Beach and the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Boca Chica Tract. SpaceX occupies land surrounded by National Wildlife Refuge and almost on the beach.
We wondered if there is any other location in the nation that Space X could close a State Highway, frequently, and thereby block access to a public beach and to public land.
We made a U-turn. I took my wife to our house (she had to work in the afternoon) and I loaded my Surly bicycle onto the rack and drove to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. When I arrived, I did one of my most favorite rides at the Refuge.
From the Visitor’s Center, I rode Lakeview Drive and then went north on County Road to Last Gate Road. I took it to Cayo Atascoso and then followed Upper West Lake trail along its west side. I rode beneath a dark gray sky. A strong wind blew very light rain into my face. I wiped my glasses every few minutes. The air smelled fresh and heavy with moisture. Yuccas sprouted conical white blossoms alongside the trail. Cayo Atascoso had no water, just animal tracks across its brown silty bottom. I spotted a few animals—White-tailed deer and Nilgai Antelope grazing, Feral Hogs and Javelinas rooting beside the trail, and Northern Mockingbirds singing from perches on the thorny brush. A flock of Roseate Spoonbills flew overhead.
I continued to Lower West Lake Trail along the west bank of the very low water of Laguna Atascosa. At FM 106, I crossed the road and entered Prairie Trail, a four-mile loop. There I spotted a herd of Nilgai and a few deer. A few American Alligators floated with just their heads above water in a pond. A pair of Turkey Vultures perched on dead branches.
I left Prairie Trail and took Gator Pond Trail to Lakeview Drive and then rode back to the Visitor’s Center. I logged almost 32 miles. As always, despite the wind, the rain, and the drought conditions, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge gratified.
