Not that I recommend it, but if you decide to hike alone make sure that you always tell someone where you are and use the restroom before you head out.
Last weekend we woke up Saturday morning and on a whim decided to pack our bags for a road trip through the Hill Country with Gorman Falls at the Colorado Bend State Park as our end goal. A flat tire a couple of years ago while driving to the State Park derailed the visit completely. The thought of going back was always an idea I'd throw around.
Saturday night after driving for 4 hours with a stop along the way for lunch we ended up staying at this hidden gem, Canyon of the Eagles Resort. Thank you Yelp for the recommendation. Be warned though, this isn't resort as in amenities, but glamping (glamorous camping)... as in... no TV or Internet connection, rock hard beds, concrete floor, and wood furniture everything.
No distractions meant an opportunity to get outside. We ended up ripping off all of the bedding and filling the bed of the truck to stargaze. Oh my! I can't even begin to tell you how many shooting stars we saw. Another cool attraction is the Eagle Eye Observatory with an on site astronomer who will answer every question and laser pointer the constellations... and it's all included. Make sure you keep an eye on the dew point time if you think you have plans of sleeping under the stars. You don't want to wake up wet.
Sunday morning we woke up in time to watch the sunrise from our porch on these amazing rocking chairs before we headed to the restaurant, The Overlook, at the resort for a breakfast buffet. This was highly disappointing as they served cold coffee, wait staff with shitty attitudes, and overpriced. The bill came to $40. Ouch! Next time I'll pack a cooler and bring food instead.
The drive from the resort to the Colorado Bend State Park took about an hour and a half. It cost $5 a person which you pay via an "honor bag". Make sure you pay as the park rangers do patrol the area checking your tag to the payment. You don't need to drive the extra six miles to the ranger station, you can pay at the trail head of Gorman Falls. You're welcome for that tip, wish I would have known ahead of time.
The hike to Gorman Falls is a 1.5 mile trail with the last 100 yards being a rocky descent down a steep path. Thankfully this part of the path has a thick gauged wire railing to help support your footing. It is not recommended to bring small children, however, my son is 6 and did just fine. Also saw another couple with what appeared to be a 3ish year old. Once you make it down the rocky path the change in scenery is sudden and extreme. Greenery all around and the falls have a fern-draped grotto which is absolutely beautiful.
The trail is pretty well marked, except at one point the path cuts off in multiple ways. Read the sign because someone was kind enough to etch in the direction to Gorman Falls. We found ourselves scanning the trail for "shortcuts" and being careful to avoid all of the cactus that lined both sides of the trail.
It was somewhat disappointing to arrive at the falls and to see more of a sputter of water and not a roaring waterfall thanks to the drought the area is experiencing. There was bench sitting at the foot of the waterfall where we spent about an hour just listening to the water rushing by from the Colorado River (my favorite part!!!), taking pictures, and people watching before we made the trek back for our ride home.
Next time I'm hoping we can plan better to make a pit stop in Brenham to check out the Blue Bell Creamery.
Here's what I packed for the 3 hour hike:
- Hiking pants, moisture wicking Nike workout tee, Nike sports bra
- Hiking shoes with moisture wicking socks... You'll need a heftier shoe with added foot and ankle support.
- Sunscreen
- Lots of water
- Clif Mojo Bar in Dark Chocolate Cherry
- Lowfat Chocolate Milk... Makes for a delicious recovery drink.
- Bug spray/tick repellent
- Lip balm... Lips get dry when breathing out of your mouth. I especially love the EOS brand in Lemon Drop which has added SPF.
- First Aid Kit
- Phone with an armband and a preset playlist. My playlist titled, "Take A Hike", is full of folk/indie music... being outdoors is that kinda vibe. Here's what's on my playlist:
* Fitz and the Tantrums: The Walker
* Eddie Vedder: Hard Sun
* Of Monsters and Men: Mountain Sound
* nonono: Pumpin' Blood
* Passion Pit: Take a Walk
* Ingrid Michaelson: Girls Chase Boys
* Lenny Kravitz: American Woman
* Kansas: Carry on Wayward Son
* The Beatles: I'm Looking Through You
* The Beatles: Here Comes the Sun
* Opus Orange: Almost There
* Now, Now: Dead Oaks
* Trevor Hall: The Mountain
* The Barefoot Truth: Changes in the Weather
* Colbie Caillat: Brighter Than the Sun
*needtobreathe: The Outsiders
* needtobreathe: The Heart
* The Decemberists: Down by the Water
* Various Cruelties: Great Unknown
* Panic at the Disco: That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)
* Coldplay: Paradise
* Milo Greene: 1957
* Johnny Cash: Further Up on the Road
* Blitzen Trapper: Black River Killer
* Zedd: Clarity
* Keane: Somewhere Only We Know
* Good Old War: Better Weather
* Calvin Harris: Thinking About You
* Red Hot Chili Peppers: Especially in Michigan
* Portugal the Man: The Sun
* Journey: Don't Stop Believing
* Jukebox the Ghost: The Great Unknown
* Creedence Clearwater: Walk on the Water
* Imagine Dragons: On Top of the World
No comments:
Post a Comment