A Snapshot and The Scoop: A Dark Sky Park

Living in a city, and a city in East Texas at that, I tend to not see much of the night sky. Either there are too many lights, or the trees in the surrounding piney woods block out the moon and stars. With that in mind, when I found out South Llano River State Park had just been designated an International Dark Sky Park I knew I needed to check it out. My night in the backcountry of the park was dark and peaceful, but I only did a little stargazing right after the sun set, before I fell into the kind of deep sleep I can only get after hiking all day then snuggling up in my sleeping bag. I wasn't awake until the early hours of teh morning, but I slept beautifully!

Leave me a comment below and tell me about a Dark Sky Park you've visited. Did you see the Milky Way?

Taking a Break at Copper Breaks

Composed. I'm not often desperate for a break from work and life, but occasionally I find myself wishing I could escape for a while to recharge. I needed to do just that at the beginning of April, and had even made reservations at a state park in northwestern Texas to help me get away. Unfortunatley my weekend get-away was delayed by half a day, and I didn't head west until morning had passed. Starting a journey in the middle of the day is highly unusual for me, as I either start before dawn or after work in the evening, and as a result I reached Copper Breaks State Park in the early evening hours of a Saturday. I had intended to hike the majority of the day, then head to my backcountry site, but my late arrival forced me to go straight to camp and set up before the sun set and night descended. 

My late start meant I arrived at camp after only a short hike, so I wasn't nearly as hungry or dirty as I usually am after a day of hiking. Instead of cleaning up and eating I had plenty of time to sit and watch the land grow golden in the evening light, then soften to deep greys as dusk fell. Coyotes started up as the sun dipped under the horizon, while Callie and I heard turkeys squabbling in the bushes below our camp. And the rabbits! Dozens of rabbits crawled out of their daytime hiding places and moved all around us on their way to their evening feasts. As we sat and watched night close in around us I couldn't help but take a deep breath and feel all of my stress melt away with the light. 

While there was still light in the western sky Callie and I retired to the tent. I had left the fly off, knowing it there wasn't a chance of rain that night, so we could see the stars. I journaled while the sky deepened from velvet blue to black, and bright pinpricks sprang up in a spray above our heads. On the eastern horizon the moon rose above the plains of northwestern Texas and lit everything with its pale light. The rest of our night was filled with cool night breezes, an almost-full moon, and the echos of coyotes off of the little canyon walls all around us.

I slept deeper than I had in several weeks, and was still up before the sun. Callie was snuggled in the depths of the sleeping bag when I got up, but I was in no particular rush to start our day so I let her be. I crawled out of the tent and stretched, then pulled my sleeping pad out and settled in to a bit of sunrise yoga on the little platuea above the wash we had camped near, so I could see the sunrise. Long stretches and deep breaths, I all but melted into the ground. There was no wind, and the trees stood quitely nearby as the sky lightened and the clouds were shot through with pink and gold. 

The sun had been up for quite a while before Callie and I finally got back on the trail. We first headed to the park headquarters to check in, then drove around the park for a bit to see what was there. Copper Breaks is a small, sparingly developed park located in the rolling plains of Texas near the Oklahoma border, and it wasn't busy. Definitely my kind of park. I chose a three mile long trail called Rocky Ledges to stretch our legs on before heading home, and Callie was just as excited as I was to get on a good dirt path. The trail wound around several small hills and gullies, taking us along an elevation about halfway between the bottom of the canyons and the top of the hills. At the point farthest from the parking lot the trail overlooked the Pease River and the swath of oak trees that line it. From there the trail descended steeply, but mellowed out as we approached our car. It was a nice little hike, and I can see myself going back for the solitude, if nothing else. I could use another night under the stars. 

What I'm listening to: Flies and Spiders by Howard Shore

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Bird Blinds

South Llano River State Park, deep in the heart of Texas Hill Country, is well known for its bird populations. Many birds, including the endangered Golden-Cheeked Warbler, call the hills and canyons near the river home, and the park does an excellent job keeping the birds in the spotlight. Numbered bird-watching blinds dot every trail, even way back out in the less-used parts of the park, and its up to luck and time of day to decide what birds you might see if you sit still and quiet enough. I was with Callie on my visit, and it was too much much to expect her to sit still long enough to possibly see rare and elusive birds; sure, she'd sit still while she cooled down, but once she recovered she would want to hit the trail again! Maybe next time I'll go back without her and see whatever I can see.

Leave me a comment below and tell me, are you a birder? Do you like birdwatching?

A Snapshot and The Scoop: The Overlook

Callie and I stood at the edge of the bluff, the South Llano River valley spread out below our feet. Thee hike here was short but incredibly steep, though there were plenty of shady spots to stop and catch our breath. Of course, knowing me, something had to go wrong on the shortest hike of the trip, and about halfway there I felt the telltale signs of an impending bloody nose. I stopped, dropped my pack, and blindly groped for my pack of tissues while keeping a hand to the bridge of my nose. I plopped down on the trail to wait it out, internally grateful no one was there to see it.

Leave me a comment below and tell me about the worst thing that's happened to you on a super-short trail. Help me feel a little less alone here!

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Little Lizards!

I am so excited it's Spring! Spring means wildflowers, warmer temperatures, and the return of lizards! Ever since being introduced to wild lizards in the deserts of the Southwest as a child I've always had a fascination with them. I even have a lizard tattoo! This little guy was basking on the pavement not too far away from Callie and I, and only ran away after I had my fill of pictures. Look at how well he blends in to the rocks! Thanks little dude!

Leave me a comment below and tell me about your favorite part of Spring!

An Unnecessarily Loaded Pack

Tenacious. I need to train, I need to train, I need to train . . . The mantra going through my head as I put one foot in front of the other, bowing slightly under the unnecessary fully loaded backpack while walking unnecessary miles to my campsite for the night didn't make me feel better, but it kept me going. Callie and I had escaped to the Texas Hill Country in the middle of March, spring in Central Texas, and had spent the day getting to know South Llano River State Park. We had geared up for a backpacking trip, walking just over a mile and a half to the primitive camping sites in the middle of the park.

At least, it would have only been a mile and a half if I hadn't taken the scenic route. My reasoning had multiple purposes: see as much of the park as possible in the limited time available, take everything with because the trail loops around past the campsite, and besides, I really do need to train. I have a major backpacking trip coming up in May and it's gonna kick my ass if I don't get used to carrying a loaded pack. So, I need to train, I need to train, I need to train.

Really though, the hike was awesome. Hill Country is gorgeous, and with the spring wildflowers in bloom against the green grass and trees, it's perfect. Callie and I followed the trail around the base of the closest hill, then straightened out as the trail dove through a small canyon lined with oak trees. The trail climbed steeply once, taking us out of the canyon and spitting us out on a hilltop. There was zero shade up there, so I made Callie and I put one foot in front of the other to the rhythm of my mantra, puncturing each word with a step.

Callie was hot and tired, and I was trying not to be. Callie has figured out she can walk in my shadow and therefore be in constant shade, so she migrated around me with my shadow as the trail twisted adn turned. I wished I was as small as her. Finally the trail descended from the hilltop and we found shade and relief at the bottom in another canyon filled with trees. We caught the next leg of trail to our campsite, and I was stepping lighter knowing our walk was about to end for the night.

A Riverside Stroll

Primed. We finally arrived at South Llano River State Park, and Callie and I were itching to get out of the car. We had just spent six hours driving to the heart of Texas Hill Country, watching as the country side burst into color with the wildflowers that herald the coming of Spring. The ditches and shoulders on our way down had been carpeted with Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrushes, and daisies so thick that I actually pulled over so I could take pictures. Hello, Texas Spring!

Then it was back in the car with mounting excitement as the state park drew closer. It was going to be a beautiful day and I couldn't wait to get out on a trail again. The first thing we did was drive straight to the river and gear up for a short walk. The trail took us right along the South Llano River, overlooking it in places so we could see it's greenish-blue water, the color I've come to associate with Hill Country waterways.

The trail and the river meander through a wide valley that is lined with bottomland hardwood forests of oaks, elm, and pecan. Buds were already swelling on the branches above us as the lush green grass underfoot gave off the scent of a mown lawn. Prickly Pears dotted the forest as well, though not on the trail as to be a nuisance to hikers.

We saw squirrels and turkeys, as well as other birds too numerous to count. We spooked a herd of whitetail deer and they darted actoss the path in front of us, pausing long enough to stamp their hooves and give disgusted snorts in our direction. A large oxbow lake sits not too far from the river, evidence of a past flood and a change in the flow of the main river. Families with their fishing poles dotted the banks, while other visitors basked in the rays of the spring sun.

Our loop ended all too soon, but it gave us a taste of the South Llano and a note to go back and float part of the river sometime. I want to get out on that water!