Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge

There is a Spanish word, “Balcones,” which means "balconies" in English. This is what the first Spanish explorers named the hill country just west of what is now Cedar Park, because the hills looked a like a series of balconies.

Today, the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge encompasses many thousands of acres of rugged hills and canyons. Located a little north of the Colorado River and Lake Travis, and just beyond the western edge of the city of Lago Vista, the refuge is an important habitat to many types of wildlife and native plants.

Balcones Canyonlands provides a sanctuary for several endangered species. Neotropical birds like the Black-capped Vireo and the Golden-cheeked Warbler are at the top of the list. Other birds too, over 250 species, have been spotted around the refuge.

In addition to birds, the Canyonlands is home to many other species, including but certainly not limited to butterflies, dragon flies, spiders, snakes, turtles, frogs, lizards, skinks, bats, armadillos, squirrels, rats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, deer, feral pigs, and Tooth Cave Pseudoscorpions.

A few of the plants found in the refuge include Ashe junipers (referred to as “Cedars” here in the hill country), Live oaks, Shin oaks, Spanish oaks, Cactus, Mexican-buckeye, Texas persimmon, Texas mountain-laurel, and the Mountain grape, which is only native to Texas.

The refuge is open to the public and offers the visitor a number of entry points, hiking trails and observation decks. The entrance road into just one of the areas, the Warbler Vista area, on RM 1431, just west of Lago Vista, is an unpaved road with an uphill grade as you head in. Restrooms are available (along with a newly paved parking lot), but no water is provided. Please leave the dog at home, as pets are not allowed in the refuge.

There are three walking trails at Warbler Vista; Cactus Rocks Trail (0.6 miles), Ridgeline Trail (.75 miles), and Vista Knoll Trail (1.2 miles). The trailheads are well marked, and the hill country and lake views from the Sunset observation deck are outstanding. Interpretive literature is available in a box near the restrooms.

What you may see or hear during your visit to Canyonlands depends on the time of year you visit. Spring and summer are the peak seasons for Neotropical bird watching, while fall is the time of year when migrating Monarch butterflies, on their way to winter in Mexico, pass through the refuge. I was lucky enough to see one on my visit today.

One side benefit of the sanctuary's protection of endangered species and other wildlife, is the fact that the protected area is a huge tract of hill country land which will never be developed. This ensures future generations the ability to see this remarkable part of Texas, unfettered by residential and commercial development.

The refuge is open during daylight hours, and there is no admission fee.

Hippie Hollow

They don’t call them “nude beaches” anymore apparently, the new terminology is “clothing optional.”

Hippie Hollow is a park run by Travis County, and is located on the banks of Lake Travis just outside of Austin. Despite the huge size of Texas, the park can boast that it is the only public clothing optional park in the state. The park is available for swimming, hiking, bird watching, and, well, you know, that “clothing optional” stuff, which leads to other types of “watching” it seems. Lake Travis is nearly 65 miles long, but boats just happen to drop anchor in the water off the park. Visitors, clearly not dressed for hiking, swimming, or bird watching seem to really like to visit this county park, despite the fact there are also a half-dozen other county parks.

As the story goes, the area has always been a spot where swimming in the buff has taken place. But in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the area took on the name, “Hippie Hollow,” and the name stuck.

At one time, there were no age restrictions to get into the park. That has now changed. You must be at least 18 to enter. It is also interesting to note, that while most other Travis County parks charge a vehicle $8.00 a day for a permit, Hippie Hollow charges all of that, plus a $2.00 surcharge. I wonder what that’s all about?

There are two questions you probably want to ask. Where is the photograph which normally accompanies the blog, and did you go with or without clothing? There are no photographs for obvious reasons, and yes, since clothes are optional, I opted for clothes.

A Distinction Without A Difference

The springs in Austin, Texas, known as Barton Springs, have been important to people for centuries. Long before the springs were dammed to create the recreational Barton Springs Pool, Native Americans and Spanish explorers alike made good use of the spring water.

In more recent times, Barton Springs has served as one of the top recreation spots in Austin, where people can swim in the pool built around the springs. It has long been asserted that the water temperature was a constant 68 degrees year round, and this had quite an appeal, especially during Austin’s extremely hot summers. But apparently, this assertion is not true.

The Austin American-Statesman recently reported that the 68 degree temperature was a “myth.” Based on the findings of a local hydrogeologist, the temperature is not 68 degrees, but 70.9. The hydrogeologist said he has been on a “personal crusade” to change the public’s perception about the water temperature.

With all the things to worry about in this world, it is remarkable that a man is on a “personal crusade” to change the “public’s mind” over a couple degrees. This is water temperature of one Texas spring we are talking about, not the warming of our planet. But, to each his own.

When all is said and done, anyone who has jumped into the pool on a hot August day or during a cooler day in January will say that the water is chilly to cold in either case. A couple of degrees one way or another makes absolutely no never mind to a swimmer who can’t tell the difference anyway. The distinction the hydrogeologist is making is clearly a distinction without a difference.

Some Things Folks Just Have To Learn For Themselves

It was last Thanksgiving when it all started, and at least for this one time, I can blame my wife.

My wife, I suspect, is one of the few people that swim in Lake Travis all year long. I’m sure there are others, but I don’t see them. Anyway, as is her custom, she gets up early and heads down to the lake. As the drought deepened last year, and the “sometimes peninsula” where we live grew, she would drive her car further out and closer to the water to park before her daily swims. This all came to an abrupt end on Thanksgiving Day 2008.

I was enjoying sleeping in on that holiday morning when my phone rang. It was my wife. Matter-of –factly mentioning that her car was stuck in the mud; she calmly asked me to come down and help push it out. Knowing my wife’s propensity to understate the gravity of a situation from time to time, I woke up my two boys, home for the holiday, as insurance.

When we got down there, it was immediately apparent that all the pushing in the world would not dislodge a car up to its hood in mud. My sons were laughing, but I was not amused. This was a job for AAA.

Surprisingly, despite being a holiday, the call for help was answered promptly and soon a truck was out on the sand with us. After nearly getting stuck himself, the driver finally got the car pulled out, and after giving the car a bath, we enjoyed the rest of the day. We all learned a lesson that day about staying well away from the water’s edge with any type of vehicle. The trend my wife started that morning, however, would live on.

It seems that our family lesson had to be learned repeatedly by others. Since that holiday morning last year, we have watched with increasing amusement as hundreds of golf carts, cars, police cars, trucks, tow trucks and jeeps have been stuck. We’ve seen it all. Golf carts, for reasons unknown, driving straight into the lake. Trucks pulling trucks pulling other trucks getting stuck. We’ve learned to predict the vehicles which will get stuck with uncanny ability. Most amazing, are the “repeat offenders” who for some reason continually drive to the same place and expect a different result. You would think after nearly a year of watching people digging out, folks in our small community would start putting two and two together and stay out of the mud. Nope. It is now just a couple months shy of a year since my wife started it all, and the mud and sand claimed two more victims today. Some things folks just have to learn for themselves.

A month or two ago, my wife had to call AAA again for some car trouble. The AAA driver got out of his truck took one look at her and said, “You’re the lady who got the car stuck in Lake Travis last Thanksgiving.”

The End Of A Long Hot And Dry Summer?

Summer 2009 was particularly hot in the hill country. Austin recorded 68 days with temperatures at or above 100 degrees fahrenheit. This is one day short of the record set back in the 1920's.

With the rains last week, temperatures have cooled off considerably back into the mid 80's. The hill country, in the midst of a two-year drought, needed the rain. Everyone was excited when the dark clouds rolled in and the skies opened up. But we need so much more. Lake Travis is currently just a tad over 631 feet above mean sea level, which is nearly 50 feet below a full lake pool. The "old-timers" who have experienced many droughts over the years say when the rains finally come, the lake will fill quickly. With the coming El Nino, the hill country is expected to experience a wet fall and winter.

Despite the drought, and the lower lake level, there is still a lot of recreation on the lake. Boats, although fewer than normal, are still plying the waters. And my evening swims in the lake attest to the fact that there is still plenty of water for whatever activity one enjoys. So, despite some of the rumors, the lake is not "gone" and it hasn't been closed. It's still here, albeit smaller, providing lots of fun and enjoyment.