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Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Hiking at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area in Texas with the Boy Scouts
This past weekend I had a fun time hiking with the Liberty Hill Boy
Scouts Troop 196 up the granite dome called Enchanted Rock. The wind was
blowing strong, making it colder than I expected. We ventured along
Summit Trail, climbing up Enchanted Rock to the top where we discovered
a Geological Survey medal embedded in the rock. Native Americans and
others inhabited the area around the rock going back 11,000 years. On
the far side of Enchanted Rock is a fascinating section of caves, where
we stopped for a light lunch before venturing on along Echo Canyon
Trail. At one point we noticed some rock climbers climbing the facing in
the distance. Three primitive campgrounds are in the park, with pets
permitted but no bikes allowed on the trails. Be sure to get to the park
early as it limits the number of visitors in the park.
Visit the Enchanted
Rock State Natural Area website for more information.
Here is a
video from the hike:
Afterwards,
we took a short 40 minute drive up the road to Cooper's Old Time Pit
Bar-B-Que in Llano
for some mouthwatering Texas BBQ. I had the ribs and brisket, dipped in
their special sauce. You may find former President G.W. Bush there if
you stop in, now that he has more time on his hands. It's his favorite
place for ribs. Next time I plan to try the pork tenderloin,
sausage...maybe the chicken and more of that brisket...
Here is a video from a few years ago from our previous visit to Enchanted Rock and along the Willow City Loop towards Fredericksburg. The park was already full so I took photos from the entrance and we enjoyed the spring flowers that were in abundance along the back country roads.
