garner state park

i had the day off yesterday. it is the time of the year when a slower-than-usual week is not uncommon. additionally, i worked on tuesday which is typically a day off for me. although i have much at home that needs to be done, i needed a day to be irresponsible. i decided to go for a hike.

i grabbed a backpack and headed out for garner state park. i don't think i had ever been there before despite all of the people who have lauded its greatness. it is nearly a two-hour drive from san marcos to the park which is located on the frio river between concan and leakey. driving west out of san antonio on us 90, i stopped at the heb in hondo for some water and food.

some things about small towns don't really change. most people are quick with a "hello." people still make most of their clothing choices at the ranch supply store. like so many small towns in the west and south, there is a railroad line running right through town, parallel to the main highway. i also drove through sabinal, utopia, and bandera where the feel was almost exactly the same.

i understand that this park, being right on a beautiful river, is extremely popular. maybe these expected crowds is one of the reasons i have never been. well, on a thursday in march, the park is nearly empty. i saw a few people at the park headquarters and a couple of people camping in the campground; but, once i got my pack on my back and headed up the trail, i was all alone. didn't see a single person. i did run into a group of goats up on top of one of the hills i climbed, but they wanted nothing to do with me.

my first trail was up "old baldy." i am curious to know how many "old baldy's" exist in this country. i think every county must have one. this was a pretty steep trail and i even had to do a little bit of scrambling. i had planned on eating my lunch a little later in the day; but, the view was impressive and i was a bit tired from the ascent, and i needed a rest.

this first picture is a view from the top of the hill, while the second is a view of "old baldy" from a distance:





i walked about 6 miles over possibly the rockiest trail i have ever experienced. some of the trail was smooth stone surface, some was actual hardpack dirt; but, the majority of the way i was on loose rocks about the size of baseballs and larger. for all of that, i was surprised to not have any pain in my feet, and no twisted ankles. the downside to trails like this was that i didn't get much of an opportunity to look around while i was walking - my attention was focused directly on the trail so i could choose my next step. the times when the trail was steep and the surface was very rocky made for some fun elevation changes.


after hiking about 2 hours, i walked down to the river, soaked my feet for a few minutes, and headed for home. it may seem weird to drive 5 hours for a 2-hour hike; but, i sure had a good time. i think i'll need to do this kind of thing again. maybe lost maples will be next.