We arrived at Brazos Bend about 2 PM last Sunday. We got set up
quickly at our site and were out on the trails within an hour.
That's how
eager we were to get out into the warm sunshine and revisit our favorite spots from last year! It was a beautiful, sunny day in the low 70s
F. and we were groovin' on
the great weather.
Pilant Lake glows in the low
winter sun. (2-6-11)
Since Jim's still having knee problems he decided to ride our
Specialized TriCross bike about eight miles on the roads and trails
instead of running. He had a great ride.
This bike transitions smoothly from pavement to
trail/sand/mud/rocks/whatever. It's a joy to ride and this will be the
perfect venue for us to get in some big (for us) cycling miles. The
roads are fast and safe, the trails mostly deserted from Sunday
afternoon to Friday afternoon.
Perfect.
The trails are also great for running and hiking on Sunday afternoons
and weekdays. They are generally wider, smoother, and flatter than at
Huntsville but there is some hillier single-track trail with roots, too.
I took Cody for a two-hour walk around popular Elm and 40-Acre Lakes
that afternoon, searching for alligators and seeing none.
Large birds of prey perch in a
tree in Elm Lake. (2-6-11)
None?!
I happen to know there are at least 500 adult alligators in this
park, and about half of them seem to live in these two lakes! I was
surprised I couldn't find any, as warm as the sun felt that day.
There were plenty of birds, however. This is a major avian retreat in
the winter, as well as a fly-way for birds that go even farther south
and start heading back north in the spring. Over 300 species of birds
have been spotted in this park.
A large heron is silhouetted
against the blue water in Pilant Lake. (2-6-11)
In our first eight days here I have hiked 35 miles and biked 26 (one
of those rides was 16+ miles) -- and I didn't see any alligators
until yesterday, my seventh day here. I finally saw three 'gators on
land and one in the water.
Yes, I know where to look for them but they eluded me, mostly because
of the unusually cold weather.

THERE you are! Where have you
guys been hiding?? (both photos from 2-12-11)

I have seen lots of deer, rabbits, squirrels, and other small
mammals, as well as a few armadillos and feral pigs.
This is a great
place to view wildlife and as soon as the weather stays warm more
consistently, we'll see a lot more alligators.
LOW TIDE
Joking about the tide -- we aren't that close to the
Gulf!
We are in the midst of wetlands, however, and they are even lower
right now than they were at the end of March last year when the swamp
was drained. Several of the trails were so wet last year that they were
closed the whole month we were here. Now only one trail is closed to foot
traffic and two to equestrians.
I was very happy that first day out on the trails when I saw how low
the water was under the Spillway bridge:

I knew right away that the trails would be in better shape than last
year.
Before
the rangers drained the swamp last year, you couldn't see any of the
concrete under that bridge. Even after they lowered Pilant Slough and Pilant Lake by almost two feet
there was a little more water than that (what you can see above) flowing under the bridge.
Don't think they'll need to drain the swamp this year! You can read
why they do it periodically
here.
There is also a big difference in the level of water in Big Creek and
the Brazos River. Last February a big storm dumped so much rain in the
Brazos drainage area that both streams were very flooded. We didn't see
them at their worst. Still, both were much higher, wider, and muddier
last year in early March when we arrived and receded only gradually
before we left.
Now they are both very low in comparison, and running more clear.
Confluence of the Brazos River and Big Creek (R).
The water level here was about 20
feet
higher during a flood
last Feb. just two or three weeks before we arrived. (2-10-11)
Apparently there has been much less rain in this area than last
winter. The good news is that the trails are in much better shape. So far,
the plants don't look like they're suffering from any lack of moisture. I hope a huge storm doesn't roll
through while we're here.
DANDELION TIME WARP
Brazos Bend doesn't look quite as summery yet as it did when we got
here last year. That's because we're here three weeks earlier. There are more green
plants than at Huntsville State Park, however, so we're happy. We'll
patiently wait for the leaves and flowers to come out.
We are still in the Dandelion Time Warp, my term for the
eternal spring weather we seek all year long at different latitudes and
altitudes! So far, dandelions are the only flowers I've seen at Brazos
Bend this early in the season. The park should be more colorful in two
or three weeks.
Right now the best color in
the woods is provided by bright red berries on two different kinds of
trees: one is deciduous (next photo), one evergreen (second
picture, probably a type of holly):

Above and below: berry shots taken 2-7-11 on the Pilant
Slough Trail

Those are striking in contrast to the deep blue sky.
There aren't many leaves except on evergreen species like pines, hollies, and
live oaks.
It'll be interesting to watch all the little deciduous leaves pop out soon.
No leaves yet along the Creekwood
Trail, but some of the grass is getting brighter green. (2-13-11)
Grassy areas throughout the park are starting to get more green, although
most of the prairie and marsh grasses still sport their
winter browns:
Pilant Slough/Lake along the
Spillway Trail (2-12-11)
One of the reasons I love spring so much is seeing the amazing
transformation in the landscape from bare winter branches to lush growth
from the ground up. It's great fun to see something new each day --
little sprouts peeking through the brown leaves on the ground, another kind of flower, tiny
green or red leaf shoots on the shrubs and trees.
It always makes me feel more alive, too. And it doesn't matter
where I am -- spring is spring all over the USA.
Jim and I have been out on the trails on foot and/or bike every day
since we've been at Brazos Bend, even when it was downright cold. I've explored
almost every mile of trail that's open to foot traffic. What's really great is that more
of the trails are open than last March, when they were much wetter.
There is only one trail that is closed (the newest one, Live Oak) and
I'm hoping it'll dry out by the time we leave. It wasn't open last
spring, either.
Creekwood Trail is still muddy
near the trailhead, but it's far better than it was
when we were here last year. It
is much drier after a couple hundred feet like this. (2-13-11)
I'll show lots of trail and lake photos in each week's update so you
can see how the landscape morphs from late winter to early summer while
we are here. If I can remember, I'll continue to put dates on the photo captions.
Calendars may not indicate it's summer until late June, but it'll
look and feel like summer down here by April.
By then the winter campground hosts
will be gone and the park will be challenged to find volunteers who can
literally stand the heat.
THIS SERIES
It's taken me a while to decide how to present this series of entries
about our long stay at Brazos Bend. (Long for us -- it's rare
that we camp anywhere for more than 2-4 weeks.)
Last year each entry focused on a particular topic like the terrain,
flora, fauna, history, culture, activities, facilities, accommodations,
etc. I had planned to present more detailed descriptions of all
the trails but never did get 'round to it. My focus was more on
presenting information than talking much about what
we were doing while we were here.
Jungle-like view of our campsite
from the woods: the palmettos, grass,
live oaks, and some other shrubs
and trees stay green year-round. (2-12-11)
Since I've already covered so much of the basic information about
this park, I'll try something different this time -- a weekly
update of our activities and things that are new. I'll also
include some additional entries that focus on a particular topic, like
the trails, our new host jobs, and any nature talks we attend.
I think we're going to really enjoy the time we spend here. It's a
beautiful park, the trails are awesome, and it'll be fun to watch
Nature's seasonal changes. I hope you enjoy the photos!
Next entry: the Eagle Lady (Doris Mager) and her birds of prey
Happy trails,
Sue
"Runtrails & Company" - Sue Norwood, Jim O'Neil,
and Cody the Ultra Lab
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© 2011 Sue Norwood and Jim O'Neil