One More Walk on the Cliff Trail (Okay, Maybe Two. Um...Three)

We don’t stop hiking because we grow old –

We grow old because we stop hiking.”

~ Finis Mitchel

I love this walk.  It's usually where you will find me after my first cup of coffee on the first morning of a visit to the Frio. While not a difficult hike, caution is required. I was a bit hurried on this trip. I did not explore as much as I would have liked...next time...I hope.

But come with me now.

The shop is still pink and this window was open. I didn't stop. I didn't look inside. I kept walking.

The path is an easy one, but the rocky parts bear caution. I surprised a cotton tail here the first morning and a fawn on my next hike.

Follow the path to the climb down to the cliff.

Giant boulders are stacked on the cliff. I've seen rock squirrels here. I always approach slowly, hoping to see them again.

There used to be branches - hand-holds - that made it easier to descend. But now most are gone. So, the cautious older woman takes many of the descents on her bottom. Better safe than sorry.

This old gnarled laurel tree marks the way down.

Yes...almost nothing to hold - wait, what about that tree?!

Some years the trees and plants grow up a bit. Here the Mexican Buckeye sent a branch over the path to the cliff. But I know the way.

Still working on these "pano" photos. From the top of the cliff. I'm not the only one who takes refuge here, but I was the only one this early in the morning.

We watch often watch fish and turtles. From here we can see so much. And the water is clear to the bottom. There is some shallow water, but definitely swimming depths here. Just not deep enough to jump from the cliff.

Another view off the end of the cliff.

Looking towards the path.

Oh no! Someone has tied a rope at the top of the cliff...makes it easier to climb from the river. This is not smart. It is one thing to climb the cliff trail, but another to attempt the slippery side of the cliff. We later removed the rope with permission of the owners.

I need to compare photos from year to year. These boulders are new from my childhood years, but probably fairly recently fallen...The one across the path???

The is the "nose"

In most places the path is nothing...but sometimes it is narrow and slanted. Sometimes the hazard is something just out of reach.

Buckeye pods...

Of course I picked some. I'll be planting them.

More buckeyes.

Redbud seeds. I did not reach out for these.

The nose from the other side.

Looking out on the river.

Back to the trail.

We are almost to the spot we climb down again.

Yes, this is it...about a 4 foot drop.

At the foot of this drop the trail falls off in both directions. Follow the one to the right along the river back to the foot of the cliff. I will do that later for photos of ferns and a recording of the sounds of the spring there. Follow the path to the left along the river to giant cypress trees and the swimming area. That's the direction I will go.

Left or right. I choose left.

So off we go.

Looking towards the rapids.

The path winds a bit.

Ruella

A sunflower

Insects have been at work here.

Ah, we have reached the tall ones - Bald Cypress line the river.

These were once such wild rapids.

This is new. We don't bring our pets. "Pet swim area starts here and goes down river."

Across the river.

The old ones stand here and roots reach out into the river and across the path.

A little further down the path.

The path continues to Buffalo Creek.

A view upstream from the end of the path.

Now, out of time, I'm late to finish breakfast. This is the last bit of path.

Up the road, past the showers (still pink).

Not too far from here are (allegedly) porcupines.

Up the hill

What? No bacon after all that walking? Well, after a few more photos of plants and creatures, we did have our big breakfast. But I forgot to take photos of the bacon.

Pearl Milkweed

Tie Vine

Fox Squirrel - hard at work [At the pond]

A milkweed seed!

Acorns, still green

No bacon, but will a Blue Bell truck do?

SECOND WALK 

DH joined me for this hike. It was primarily to remove the rope at the cliff. But the catfish were swimming and we stood at the edge of the cliff and watched them swim back and forth around the submerged boulders.

DH climbs down. He balances. I hold on.

A sunny view.

The rope was pretty rotten. I cannot imagine people depending on it.

From the top of the cliff we watched catfish feeding. They were big ones.

A nature app I use suggested we might be looking at sharks.

THE FOOT OF THE CLIFF

One last walk before leaving...to get a photo of the ferns at the foot of the cliff and gather the trash stashed here and there along the trail.

On the path. This was taken by accident. I'll be those black shorts were dusty when it was over.

It was a cloudy day. I do love how this place changes so dramatically.

Sometimes it's a bit unreal.

Looking up-stream you can just see the boulders that create some rapids.

I loved this example of Virginia Creeper and Poison Ivy growing side by side. There is Poison Ivy all along the path, but it doesn't bother me (so far).

At the foot of the cliff a spring trickles down providing moisture for grasses and ferns. It's a tangle of roots and foliage.

My first memory of Maiden Hair Fern is from here. My mother loved it.

The trickle fills low spots along the path and then drips into the river.

I thought "Wild Turkey," but now I wonder if it is not an owl.

A small-ish Gulf Coast Toad

Another squirrel gathering food.

Cheeky little devil.

We don't do this in the "wild," but there always needs to be at least one "dinky man." [For you, BFH]

I'd never seen this variety of lizard here. [Common Spotted Whiptail]

Mexican Primrose-Willow

DH models the trash recovered.

NOTES:

There's only one note. Years ago we camped down on the river at a screened shelter. The screened shelters are gone. All campsites are for trailer camping. We used to take the walk up the hill to the office for ice cream on some evenings. It was good to see there is still ice cream to be had.