Photos of Ernst Tinaja
About Ernst Tinaja
Ernst Tinaja is a water carved pool tucked away in a narrow limestone canyon on the east side of Big Bend National Park. The canyon itself is just as photogenic as the pool. The rugged walls are banded limestone bent into waves and curves, with layers running ochre, cream and rust. Give yourself lots of extra time during your hike so you can pause and shoot the canyon walls along the way. Light bouncing off the rock does highlights the folds in the rocky walls and rich colours, so overcast skies and the middle of the day both work well here. When the pool holds water it doubles the banding above it, although after a dry spell the water levels can drop drastically. Low angles along the walls give you unique rocky leading lines to draw your eye deep into the narrows. While you are shooting here make sure to stay back from the sloped rim around the pool, because the limestone is surprisingly slick. Getting here means driving Old Ore Road, an unpaved track that carried ore from Mexican mines to the railway at Marathon a century ago. High clearance is a must for Old Ore Road, and using a four wheel drive is the safer call after rain. The walk from the trailhead is fairly short, roughly 1.6 kilometres in/back, along the canyon floor. There's an entrance fee for the national park, plus you will need a back country permit if you camp at the site here. (Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA)
