kenv
Trail Wise!
Posts: 974
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Hello
Dec 7, 2016 7:14:55 GMT -8
Post by kenv on Dec 7, 2016 7:14:55 GMT -8
Glad you found your way back. I'm also in Texas -- DFW area. I hail from New Braunfels, about halfway between San Antonio and Austin. This puts me within 30 minutes driving time to three nice rivers and a nice lake. So lots of water sports and RV/tailgate camping, but precious little hiking. I've done Enchanted Rock a few times, hiked Guadalupe Peak (highest point in Texas at 8750 ft) a few times, and done some other hiking, but finding good backpacking here is hard. The Davis Range in west Texas offers some Alpine like hiking trails, but they're much drier than I'm used to requiring me to pack a lot of water. The nearest backpacking of the style I'm used to is in the mountains of New Mexico, so a 10+ hour drive. Where do you go for your backpacking fix?
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Hello
Dec 7, 2016 7:35:51 GMT -8
Post by trinity on Dec 7, 2016 7:35:51 GMT -8
Where to you go for your backpacking fix? I go to NM as well. I spent a number of years living right up the road from you in San Marcos, which is a nice area, but kind of a wasteland for hiking. I survived there by getting into kayaking and canoeing, and spending a lot of time on the San Marcos and Blanco rivers. The best backpacking destinations I know of in central Texas are Hill Country State Natural Area and the Goodwater Trail. Hill Country is mostly used by horse people, but has three decent primitive backpacking campsites. It is a large park with lots of trail. The Goodwater Trail around Lake Georgetown is an underutilized gem, about 26 miles, with three primitive campsites and many developed campgrounds. It's in a heavily populated area, but feels very remote in some sections. Lost Maples State Natural Area is beautiful, with some great backcountry camping, but it is small and heavily used. Other good hiking destinations in central Texas are Government Canyon State Park, Pedernales Falls State Park, and Colorado Bend State Park. Oh, and if you haven't been to South Llano River State Park and the adjacent Buck Wildlife Management Area, be sure to check it out, pretty good hiking, and one of the most beautiful rivers in the state.
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mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217
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Post by mk on Dec 7, 2016 15:38:33 GMT -8
Where do you go for your backpacking fix? We haven't hiked NM yet -- but have been to both Guadalupe and Big Bend twice. Only did one night on the trail in Big Bend, so mostly day hiking in those parks so far. We were just in Guadalupe a few weeks ago and had planned to overnight at one of the sites just shy of the peak, but the forecast was for overnight temps in the teens with 35 mph winds. So we made a basecamp in the campground and day hiked Guadalupe Peak and McKittrick Canyon. Early November is beautiful there. I've also backpacked the Grand Canyon (3 times) and Colorado once. We've driven to pretty much all our hiking/backpacking trips, and try to get in at least two trips a year. I'm pretty new to backpacking, having started only a couple of years ago. So my wish list is long ... (and I'd like to try some places where I don't have to carry/worry about water!)
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2016 7:45:03 GMT -8
I don't have a lot to add beyond my other neighbors above. You mentioned hiking Guadalupe Peak, which is a wonderful hike, but IMHO that park has a great deal to offer beyond that. I've been hiking and backpacking the Guads more or less annually since 1992, and have only been to the Guadalupe Peak summit twice. GUMO is one of the few National Parks that keeps detailed visitation records on all of it's backcountry camp sites. GUMO camp site usageYou can see that Guadalupe Peak gets the lion's share of visitation, but I like some of the lesser-visited sites; Mescalero, Wilderness Ridge, Bush Mountain, etc. Years ago, Pine Top was the most-visited backcountry camp site, but since around 2007, Guadalupe Peak overtook it and is more frequently visited these days. I used to backpack Bastrop State Park, but regrettably, a major fire turned the area to toast. Pedernales Falls is almost in my back yard, and has some nice backcountry camp sites with views overlooking the canyon of the Pedernales River. Like you, I've backpacked the Limpia Canyon Primitive Area in Davis Mountains SP, which is nice. There's also good backpacking in Big Bend Ranch State Park in addition to the National Park. The Rancherias Trail is the best-known backpacking trail there, but I did some base camping in Fresno Canyon and enjoyed it a lot.
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mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217
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Hello
Dec 8, 2016 12:10:52 GMT -8
Post by mk on Dec 8, 2016 12:10:52 GMT -8
that park has a great deal to offer beyond that. I definitely want to go back and hike some other trails. The little I've seen so far has been beautiful.
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kenv
Trail Wise!
Posts: 974
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Post by kenv on Dec 9, 2016 6:32:36 GMT -8
Backpacker called. They want their hat back Ain't gonna happen.
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kenv
Trail Wise!
Posts: 974
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Hello
Dec 12, 2016 5:57:45 GMT -8
Post by kenv on Dec 12, 2016 5:57:45 GMT -8
You mentioned hiking Guadalupe Peak, which is a wonderful hike, but IMHO that park has a great deal to offer beyond that. Carlsbad caverns are nearby. The hike from outside the caverns down to its inner bowels is fun and often spectacular. The whole place is a huge tourist trap, but worth both the effort and the entrance fee.
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