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!
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