Pierce Wanderings
Texas Hiking (and elsewhere)
Cedar Hill State Park – Red Trail 5/17/14
May 17th, 2014
Hike: Cedar Hill State Park – Red Trail
Weather: sunny, clear, mid-70s
Hikers: Ian and Court
Length: 11.37 miles
This may be our last Dallas area hike before we move back to Austin in July, so I’m very happy we got to do the entire 12 mile loop. We got out to the trail head just before 8am and hiked for almost 5 hours. The wildlife was abundant to say the least. We saw 5 rabbits, two hawks, a lizard, a road runner, and two snakes! The snakes were crazy. More on that later.
When we hit the trail it was actually closed due to wet conditions, but when we finished they had opened it up. The trail was pretty much dry as a bone. We only saw three groups of bikers and one other group of hikers. This was our longest hike together and we both did very well, barring a little sore feet towards the end. The weather was great and we were very lucky to get this trail in before the real summer heat hits.
As I said, we saw two snakes. The first was across the trail getting some sun and we gave it a wide berth and went around. I’m pretty sure it was just a rat snake. He was very long and thin and once we started to go around, he got a little scared and started up a tree in the middle of the trail.
The second snake, which I didn’t get a picture of because I didn’t want to mess with it, was a big rattlesnake. We both stepped right over his head and didn’t realize it until we were pretty much past him. The weird thing was he didn’t rattle at all and didn’t seem phased by us in the least. Court was in the lead and saw him just as she was stepping over him and as soon as she said “snake” I was stepping over him as well. He was lying in the tall grass with his head right on the side of the trail. He wasn’t coiled or anything, just laying out perpendicular to the trail. I went back to double check and sure enough, it was a rattler. Yikes.
The trail was very green and there were a lot of wildflowers, mainly Firewheels and Texas Stars, throughout. Most of the Bluebonnets are gone for the year unfortunately. Towards the end of the hike Court found a tick on her neck, but luckily it hadn’t bitten her yet. Then we found three more on our gaiters when we got back to the car! Yuck.
Hopefully the next hike I log will be in the Hill Country. We’ve hiked pretty much all the good trails in the Dallas area and it’s time to get back to our true home.
Ink’s Lake Overnight 5/2/14
May 2, 2014
First Overnight!
Location: Ink’s Lake State Park, near Burnet, TX
People: Ian, Court, Greg, Cat, CV, Biff, and Sam
Weather: day – low 80s, night – low 50s; clear
We went out to Ink’s Lake on Friday afternoon and Greg and Cat met us there. We intended to do some of the Pecan Flats trail, but we ended up actually not even leaving the campsite. We didn’t have too much time out there and had to leave relatively early the next morning, but we had a blast nonetheless. Our campsite was great and backed by a large granite outcropping that made it feel kind of like an amphitheater.
This was our first time to use several pieces of gear, including our Coleman tent and our MSR Windpro II backpacking stove. I bought a Thermarest Z Lite sleeping pad (thru hiking standard) to use and we borrowed another sleeping pad (self-inflating) and two sleeping bags from my mom. One sleeping bag was the old, heavy Coleman that I grew up camping with and the other was a newer Northface mummy bag. I also snagged a free groundsheet (painter’s plastic) from the construction workers at my office.
It became quite apparent that CV was not having a great time. He stayed in the tent or in his bed by the fire for the majority of the night. But we were glad we at least let him experience it. Biff and Sam had a blast. It was also Cat’s first overnight and she had a great time. We brought sausages from Whole Foods and cooked them over the open fire for sausage wraps and we all imbibed a little too much and partied into the night around the campfire.
It got down to the low 50s at night and I woke up around 3am for a restroom trip, upon which, I saw the Milky Way for the first time in real life. It was stunning. I was using my Thermarest and the mummy bag, while Court had the self-inflating and Coleman combo. She definitely had the better night sleep. I think the mummy was too confining for me, as I’m not used to staying in one position all night. It was warm though. We slept with the rain fly off and could see some of the stars through our roof.
The next morning we woke up with the sun and cooked breakfast on the Windpro II. This was the first real test of this stove and it worked great. We made coffee and breakfast tacos with scrambled eggs, cheese, and the leftover sausage from dinner. We just brought a pot and pan from home and it worked great. I can’t wait to finish out our kitchen gear and make some backpacking meals on the trail.
We had to break down camp right after breakfast and get back to town, but we are definitely going to come back at some point and do the Pecan Flats trail system, which is around 7 miles total. This trip was very successful, despite no hiking, and we all had a really good time.
Turkey Creek Trail 4/13/14
April 13th, 2014
Hike: Turkey Creek Trail, Emma Long Metropolitan Park, Austin, TX
Weather: Overcast, humid, mid 70s
Hikers: Ian, Court, Biff
Length: about 3 miles
Our first hike in over a month! Almost forgot how to do it. This was also Biff’s first hike since his back surgery and he did really well. We had to carry him up and down stairs and big rocks and over one of the creek crossings, as he’s still not allowed to make big jumps due to his back. He was very happy though and was completely worn out afterwards.
There was some water in the creek, but way lower and slower flowing than the last time we did this trail back in December. The trail was very green and had a lot of bluebonnets at the higher elevations as well. There were also a lot of other dogs on the trail, most off leash, but Biff stayed on leash and got along well with all of them, although one pit bull mix puppy was a bit aggressive and was packing with about five other dogs. Other than that, we all enjoyed the hike immensely. We got to the Fern Wall at the far point of the loop and even though the ferns weren’t all the way out yet, it was very beautiful. It’s so nice to have this little trail so close to home.
Court also tried out her new Patagonia hiking shoes that we picked up with our REI dividend the day before, but is going to return them for some Brooks with better arch support. We are also planning on our first overnight (just car camping though, no true backpacking yet) on May 2nd at either Inks Lake or Blanco State Park. We will be using the tent that Court’s brother gave us for Christmas and borrowing a couple of sleeping bags and pads from my mom. This will be my first overnight since I was a kid and am very much looking forward to it.
Cedar Hill State Park – DORBA Trail (Green) and Talala Trail combo 3/1/14
March 1, 2014
Hike: DORBA Trail (Green) and Talala Trail combo, Cedar Hill State Park, Cedar Hill, TX
Weather: warm, upper 70s, sunny
Hikers: Ian and Court
Length: 3.92 miles combined
We got out to the trail a little after noon because Court had to get up early and go to her surgery rotation that morning. She was supposed to be done by 9, but they kept her there till almost 11, so we had to adjust the hike a bit. This was ok because she was a tired girl.
We ended up doing the 3 mile loop of the DORBA trail, the green loop, and then a quick 1 mile out and back on the Talala Trail to an overlook of Joe Pool Lake. The weather was great, especially considering it would get down to the teens the next night. Early spring in Texas has crazy weather.
The trail was a little greener than the last time I hiked it, but the trees were all still bare. Hoping to come back later this spring or summer and get the whole 12 mile loop in.
Elm Fork Trail 2/17/14
February 17, 2014
Hike: Elm Fork Trail, near Denton, TX
Weather: sunny, upper 60s-lower 70s, breezy, beautiful
Hikers: Ian
Length: 10.8 miles
I went for another solo hike on this President’s Day. Court was a little sicky and stayed home, though I think she could have made it. Biff is still recovering from spinal surgery and his hiking days unfortunately might be over. But we’ll see.
I went back out to Elm Fork and did all of it this time. I didn’t hit the trail until about 10am, but there was only one other car at the trail head when I started. It was a beautiful day and one of the first days of the year where the weather felt like spring. It even got a little warm, but I will take that over cold any day. I only saw one other person on the trail today. It was nice having it all to myself.
I got all the way to Sycamore Bend Park, which is the official end of the trail, and stopped to have lunch overlooking the lake. It was very peaceful and nice to have that as a halfway point.
My feet did pretty well, considering this is the longest distance I’ve gone so far. I got one tiny blister on the inside of my heel, but nothing to complain about. I also got to rock my new Dirty Girl gaiters today. These are super light and certainly do their job, along with having some awesome designs. Of course I went for skulls.
I told Court she has to come out on the next hike. While solo hiking is fun, I would much rather have her out there to share it with me. I wanted to end this post with a quote from John Muir regarding the word “hike” that I tried to emulate today as much as possible.
“I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to ‘saunter’ in the mountains – not hike!” – John Muir
Cedar Hills State Park – DORBA Trail (blue) 1/20/14
January 20, 2014
Hike: Cedar Hills State Park – DORBA Trail, Cedar Hills, TX
Weather: cool, mid 50s, sunny
Hikers: Ian
Length: 7.97 miles
This was my first solo hike. It is MLK Day and Court had to go to work, but I was off, so I decided to get a hike in. Hiking solo is definitely a different experience. You are out there alone with nature and your thoughts. My pace was quite a bit quicker too, roughly 3mph average, compared to our usual 2mph. I still prefer to hike with Court though. This trail was very pretty in January and I’m betting will be much better in the summer, but a lot hotter as well.
The trail winds through the woods and along Joe Pool Lake. It is also a bike trail, but it wasn’t too busy today. I saw 5 or 6 bikers, but no other hikers. It is very well marked, even though there are some silly signs along the way like Rattlesnake Alley and Poison Ivy Gulch that made me think of the old west town at Six Flags. I started at 9am with blue skies and the sun warmed me up pretty well about an hour into the hike. It was nice to do a loop trail, as the last few hikes have been out-and-backs. I prefer loops much more because everything you see is new.
At one point there were two orange barrels on the trail which I found out were supposed to actually show you where the trail turned, but there was another trail right next to them, and if you’re coming from the hiking direction (going against the biker traffic) there is no signage, so I got off trail for a quarter mile or so, but figured out my error and got back on track.
There wasn’t too much wildlife, but the end of the trail provided quite the encounter. Earlier on, I saw a quick cottontail and something reddish scampering away from the trail. I’m going to say it was a fox, because I want it to be a fox. About 50 feet from the trail head, at the very end of the hike, I was stopped dead in my tracks by a 4 foot long snake in the middle of the trail. I think it was just a rat snake (EDIT: upon further research, it looks like a Copperhead! Good thing I didn’t mess with him!), but it was quite startling. I went around him and he didn’t seem to mind. I guess he was just trying to get some warmth from the sun on a cool January day. Court would not have dealt with that real well. I am going to bring her out here next time though and maybe do the 12 mile trail.
Pilot Knoll Trail 1/12/14
January 12, 2014
Hike: Pilot Knoll Trail, near Denton, TX
Weather: low 50s, warming to low 70s, breezy, sunny
Hikers: Ian, Court, Biff
Length: about 8 miles
We couldn’t have asked for better weather for the first hike of 2014. It was somewhat chilly to start the hike, but it quickly warmed and ended up being extremely pleasant. This is the sister trail to the Elm Fork Trail that we did back in October. Starting at the same place, Old Alton Bridge, we went south across the bridge for this hike. It was muddy in the morning and we had to stop regularly to scrape our shoes so the mud didn’t build up too much and add pounds to our feet! We also tried out the new camelback water bladder that Brian got us for Christmas and it worked great. I think I will stick to water bottles, but Court really liked the camelback.
The trail started off parallel to the road for a while, but eventually turned into the woods. The ground became sandy rather than muddy about a mile in and was much easier to traverse. One of the big differences from the Elm Fork route is there is much more horse traffic on this trail. We ran into a really friendly horse named Casey that wanted to stop and say hi instead of moving on down the trail. A few nose rubs later he went on his way. Biff was a bit nervous. He doesn’t like horses for some reason.
We didn’t see much wildlife on this trail either. I think the horse traffic probably kept a lot of animals away. At one point, the trail went alongside a horse farm and we saw a few horses actually fighting! One young black horse kept messing with another horse and had to be reprimanded by one of the older horses. Court got some video of it and it was quite the sight. Edit – Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF4hOKOEUq8&feature=youtu.be
The trail eventually led down to the lake and ran alongside it for a while. We turned back just past the 4 mile mark and headed back to the car. The app claims we only went 7.73 miles, but it really should have been slightly over 8 if we turned around at 4, so that’s what I am recording. This trail wasn’t as wild as its sister, but still very pretty and a good hike for the DFW area.
Barton Creek Upper 12/26/13
December 26, 2013
Hike: Barton Creek Upper, Austin, TX
Weather: Cold, upper 30s, overcast
Hikers: Ian, Court, PJ, Jack, Biff
Length: 5.95 miles
We met PJ and Jack at the trail head around 8:30am on the morning after Christmas. It was cold! There weren’t nearly as many cars at the trail head as the last time we did this hike, about a month ago with Ike and MB. We had to cut that last hike a bit short due to time restraints, so we wanted to get all the way to Highway 360 this time.
Luckily, Court had given me a new hiking jacket for Christmas, so I had an extra layer besides my Patagonia base layer. It turned out to be barely enough. If it had been any colder I would have probably needed a puffy jacket. Gloves would have been a nice addition on this hike as well, but we were ok.
The water is still pretty high, but has gone down a bit since the last hike. The falls and rapids are still flowing nicely though. Also, the tree that had fallen across the trail last time had been cut up and cleared. Biff did well the entire way. He actually got a burst of energy towards the end and bounded up the 300 foot elevation gain without issue.
We reached the highway and could have gone a little further to extend the hike, but I think we were all a bit chilly and decided to turn back, having reached our initial destination. The trail gained elevation out of the creek towards the end and it was a slight climb up to the highway. We were all feeling it a bit the next day in our legs. It was good to have PJ and Jack along for the hike and I’m sure we will do more with them in the future.
Turkey Creek Trail 12/1/13
December 1, 2013
Hike: Turkey Creek Trail, Austin, TX
Weather: mild, overcast, low 70s
Hikers: Ian, Court, Biff, CV
Length: about 2.5 miles
The trail was very wet and muddy and very heavily traveled today. Turkey Creek Trail is located in Emma Long Metropolitan Park, off City Park Road. It is extremely dog friendly and most people had their dogs off leash. The water was still flowing very well from the previous month’s rains and we crossed the creek multiple times, to CV’s chagrin. There is no real explanation as to why CV hates water so much, but I don’t think I’ve seen another dog match his disdain. We eventually had to turn back before we could finish the loop because CV was so miserable. He doesn’t mind the trail, but crossing the water is where he draws the line. I even had to carry him across one of the crossings.
I also forgot to turn the trail app on until about halfway through, so we only got a partial record of the trail. The hike was very pretty even though the trees were missing a lot of their summer foliage. We gained quite a bit of elevation at one point, going up the cliff away from the creek, but decided to turn back down to keep CV from having to climb too much.
Biff loved the water and got in deeper than he has in a long time. I think we crossed the creek at least 7 or 8 times total. We plan to come back in a couple of weeks without CV (I don’t think he would complain about staying home) to finish the trail properly. We will probably get to the trail head a little earlier too and beat some of the crowds.
Barton Creek Upper 11/09/13
November 9th, 2013
Hike: Barton Creek Upper, Austin, TX
Weather: Cool, cloudy, drizzly, low 60s
Hikers: Ian, Court, Ike, MB, Biff
Length: 5.09 miles
Isaac and Mary Beth joined us on this hike, along with Biff. The trail head was near Westlake and the hike took us south towards our regular Green Belt starting spot. It has rained a lot in Austin in the past few weeks so the water is way up. I haven’t seen the water this high or flowing this fast in years. There were actual falls and rapids in the creek. You’ll have to excuse the amount of water pictures, but I wanted to have a record of the water actually being this high.
The trail descended steeply at the beginning, heading down to the creek. It was pretty muddy due to the recent rains and it was a bit drizzly at the beginning. Great hiking weather. There were quite a few other people hiking today and a lot of dogs too, but Biff behaved very well. His backpack has been chafing him a bit, so we’ll need to augment it somehow. The trail basically followed the creek the whole way. There were several trails at differing elevations and we moved among them as we went. There was even water streaming down a cliff face onto the trail at one point. The water combined with some autumn foliage made for some great photos and a great hike.
After the initial descent, the trail was pretty flat. We had to duck under a fallen tree across the trail about halfway through. We also saw three guys who decided to take advantage of the rarely full creek and go for a swim, despite the chilly temperature. I did not envy them, but to each their own.
There was a large cave carved out of a rock overhang that Isaac dubbed the Hobo Cave. He then went into the intricacies of the Hobo Code and all that entails. The full trail is actually almost 7 miles long, but we had to turn back a little early due to time constraints. The ascent back to the trail head was pretty tough, but a nice challenge to end the hike. I’m sure we’ll repeat this hike in the future.
Test Edit for YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3KrWy_2jqs&feature=youtu.be
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