(Continued from Page 1.)

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