Hike Report: Inks Lake State Park

I’ve wanted to hike Inks Lake State Park for some years now, but never seemed to get around to it. On our recent trip to Blanco State Park, we decided to make the short drive north and visit this popular park.

We put together a hike consisting of parts of 3 trail systems and their “connecting” trails. When you check in at the office, be sure to pick up one of the trail maps just to the inside right of the door. I neglected to do this because I thought the official Inks Lake State Park facilities map was a good map of the trails, but it does not show all the trails, nor does it name them. At this time, this trail map is not available online.

We began our hike at the parking area next to the park headquarters. Initially, we followed the “green” trail, which heads south on a good crushed rock surface. The green trail is actually the “Lake Trail.” The complete trail is 2 miles, and we walked almost the entire length. At less than a quarter mile, we arrived at our first decision. A side trail veered west, and no sign was present to direct us. But the park map showed such a trail, so we continued south, which was the right decision. The first of many sizable granite outcroppings rose up before us, and an arm of the lake appeared on our right.

Trailhead near park headquarters. These kiosks are located at major trail junctions throughout the trail system.

Granite outcroppings such as this are very common along the trail.

Arm of Inks Lake near the start of the trail.

Down the trail, another trail junction appeared, this one marked with an “Interpretive Trail” sign. Again, the map showed a trail heading east confirming our location, so we continued south. Near the end of this hike later in the day, we would come out on this trail. We crossed a small foot bridge, and walked briefly along Park Road 4. At some point here, there is another trail junction, but I never saw it. This part of the trail is simply a loop, and we were on the right-hand part of the loop. It took us up and over small granite covered hills. Wildflowers and prickly pear cactus were in bloom, and there are many views of the lake.

Prickly pear in bloom along the trail.

The trail affords numerous good views, including this one of the Inks Lake dam.

Along much of the trail, including the section we were currently on, the trail crosses very rocky areas where no trail is visible. But if you look closely, you can see where people have walked before, and there often is a “trail” of sorts on the rock. But also look for the painted blazes. At this point, since we were on the green trail, we sought out the round green blazes painted on rock surfaces. From time to time, flat metal posts were present. Occasionally, you may need to simply stop and look about before spotting your next blaze, but they are there.

At this granite outcropping, you can clearly see the trail worn across the rock over time. Numerous rock cairns also populate the rock. We stopped so that Donna could build her own cairn.

At the next signless trail junction, we decided to head south. We almost immediately crossed Park Road 4 on this “connecting” trail, then hit a trail junction with a kiosk. This was the blue trail, otherwise known as the “Wilderness Trail.” It’s total length is also 2 miles. It “circles through juniper woodlands over rough grounds” according to the kiosk info. We followed this loop trail in a counter-clockwise direction. At this point, we were “off” the park map and relying solely on what we had seen on the kiosk map. From that map, we knew this trail had only 1 other junction besides the one we had entered the trail from, so we felt confident.

I find things like this tree growth interesting. Pioneers might have cut off the growth and fashioned it into a bowl of some wort.

This little beauty is about to burst forth. You can find beauty everywhere in nature.

Notice the blue blaze in center foreground, as well as the rocks lining the trail.

In places along the Wilderness Trail, grass and other plant growth began crowding the trail. In some places, it was chest high.

Overall, we would follow the Woodland Trail for almost all of its 2 mile length. This was the longest section of the hike. It took us over an hour. We were constantly working our way up or down hills, threading our way through boulders. There were also sections of very tall grass we found ourselves walking through. The Hill Country has enjoyed good rain this spring, and the lush countryside was evidence of this. In a couple of places, the growth was chest high. The trail itself was always worn and visible, but the grass and brush would crowd in from the sides. Near the end of this trail, we spotted a mature doe grazing, but she darted off as soon as she became aware of our presence.

After more than an hour on this trail, I was beginning to wonder if we would ever hit our trail junction. But we finally found it, and another kiosk was available. We took the connecting trail east. At some point, according to the map, the connecting trail should have had a junction with a south trail heading off to a youth camp area. I never saw this trail, though. I did see a 2 wheel track intersect our trail from a northerly direction at an angle. We followed it for a short distance before it veered off in a southerly direction, but I did not see a sign.

It's always reassuring to come across a kiosk on a trail.

At our next trail junction, we picked up the Pecan Flats Trail, or yellow trail. The total trail length is 3.3 miles, but we took the left junction north for only a mile or so before we worked our way back across the Park Road to rejoin the green trail at the fork where I mentioned the “Interpretive Trail” sign earlier. But this left part of the Pecan Flats Trail is very scenic, with good views of the lake and a distant view of the dam on Lake Buchanan. This trail also has numbered markers, so pick up an interpretive guide at the headquarters to help you identify things along the way.

Distant view of the Lake Buchanan Dam.

Wildflowers looked great on the hike. We were too late for the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes, but there were plenty of other flowers to see.

Deer near the end of the hike.

The scenery is great on the trails. The hike does require some effort. It seems as if we were almost constantly climbing or descending, working our way slowly around rocks and boulders. Although the elevation change is not much throughout the park, the constant up and down can tire you out. And be careful walking around the boulders. Some have areas where rattlesnakes can be resting out of sight.

We encountered only 1 group of 4 senior citizens on our hike, accompanied by their unleashed dog. Otherwise, we had the trail to ourselves even though the park was bristling with visitors. Road noise from Park Road 4 is fairly constant. Otherwise, it was a nice and peaceful hike.

San Marcos Day Trip

While staying at Blanco State Park, we spent one day in the San Marcos/New Braunfels area. Our initial purpose in the day trip was to shop at the outlet malls in San Marcos.

We took Highway 32 from Blanco to San Marcos. About halfway, near the little community of Fischer, is a scenic area known as the "Devil's Backbone." We pulled into a roadside park on the north side of the highway and enjoyed the view.

View along the "Devil's Backbone" on an overcast and occasionally rainy day.

There are 2 outlet malls located just south of San Marcos along I-35: San Marcos Premium Outlets and Tanger Outlets. These are large outlet malls, much larger than the ones we've shopped before in places such as Conroe, Hillsboro, and Terrell. We spent most of our time at the Tanger mall because it had the stores we were most interested in. We were disappointed, though, in the prices. These were not outlet prices. Now, everything is normally higher in the Austin area, and I guess the same goes for outlet malls. But the thing I like about outlet stores is that I can find the precise size of pants I like. Most department stores usually carry pants with inseams in the even numbers. The best fit for me is an inseam of 31, and it's very difficult to find this size in normal stores. I was able to find some pants in the Haggar store in my exact size, so that made the trip worthwhile for me.

We ended up spending only 2 hours or so at the mall before we moved on. Just down the road in New Braunfels is a Camping World, and we wanted to stop in and check on some chairs and other things related to camping. We ended up buying only some step covers.

Since we were in New Braunfels, I had a hankering for some chile, so we went downtown to the Phoenix Saloon, which we visited a little over a year ago (See "New Braunfels, Texas"). This time, we sampled a large bowl of their sirloin-based chile with a double shot of fire. It was good. I thought it had the right amount of heat for me. I don't like really spicy food, but I do like some burn, especially in the back of my throat. My fire-eater wife, though, thought it was a bit mild. Next time, she can try the "Ring of Fire".

From New Braunfels, we took Highway 46 west back to US 281, then followed that highway north to Blanco.

Blanco State Park, May 2015

Donna and I spent the week of May 5-12 at Blanco State Park. It was our first time to stay here in about 3 years. That's a shame, for this is such a nice little park.

The park isn't very large, and there are no real hiking trails though there is a nature trail along the river. But walking the park roads is nice and provides opportunity for exercise. Donna also got in quite a bit of fishing while there. I don't know if she caught anything; I know we didn't have a fish dinner during our stay there.

One of the nice things about this park is that it is actually located in the town of Blanco. From the park, you can easily walk to downtown and other areas. In fact, there is a paved trail connecting the east end of the park to the historic square and downtown. If you look at a map of the park, please note that north is pointing down, so you are sort of looking at things upside down -- at least in my mind.

The park is popular with visitors and locals alike. It's easy to fish along the river, and a swimming area below the dam is popular with families. Kayakers also like the calm river here.

Families enjoy swimming in this area below the dam. The low water crossing is about 100 feet downstream.

Another view of the swimming area, this one taken from the low water crossing.

Since our last visit, they have made a few changes at the park. For example, on our previous 2 visits, we camped in site 10 within a little circle or ring (see park map). However, that section is now reserved for 50 amp rigs. 30 amp RVs are now assigned to the inner sites of the loop just to the west of the restrooms. Specifically, these are sites 11, 12, 14, 16, 21, 23, 25, 27, and 31. Both the 30 amp and 50 amp sites have sewer connections.

We stayed in site #12, which was well shaded. All sites are paved and have a covered picnic table. Our site was perfectly level, and that is always a pleasure. All utilities are conveniently grouped together. Each site has a fire ring and a covered picnic table, which came in handy for enjoying the easy rain.

Campsite 12. Lots of shade and a nice covered picnic table. Since it rained often during our stay, we spent a lot of time sitting around the table under the cover.

This is a popular little park. When we arrived on Tuesday, only 3 sites in our area were available. Unless you book a month or more in advance -- as we did -- it is difficult to secure a spot on weekends.

The park hosts do a good job in the park. They were constantly cleaning sites after people left, mowing the grass, and doing all the other things that keep a park in good shape.

Dam upstream from the park. Note kayaker off to the right.

Tree growing sideways

Wildlife viewing area in western part of park.

Black squirrel eating bird feed in wildlife viewing area. Black squirrels are common along Spring Creek in San Angelo, and we see them just about every time we visit there.

Texas asparagus. These yucca are just about ready to bloom.

Donna and her new best friend. This duck came to visit every day.

I noticed a city police vehicle make rounds through the park on a regular basis. I appreciate that; it gives a sense of security.

On our prior visits to the park in our Rockwood trailer, we were able to pick up numerous television stations. However, on this trip, we were limited to only 3 stations, and they were never clear. I'm not sure whether the issue was weather, location, or the antennae on this trailer. There is also WiFi in the park, but it is not secure and it is very slow.

To read about one of our earlier visits to Blanco State Park, click the link below:

• "Blanco State Park, February 23 -- 25, 2011"

Hill Country Trip Overview

Donna and I just returned from a wet and cool 10-day trip in our trailer. We left San Angelo on Tuesday, May 5, and spent a week in Blanco State Park in Blanco, Texas (more about the park in another entry). It rained on us as we drove there, but let up while we set up the trailer. Once we were set up, though, the heavens opened and we had a good rain, perhaps as much as 2 inches.

And that was just the start for us. It rained on us at least a little bit every day while we were gone. Some days, the rain was light, but some days it was heavy. After a week at Blanco, we then journeyed to Kerrville where we stayed 2 nights at the Kerrville-Schreiner Park. It rained on us as we traveled, but let up again long enough to let us set up. We were even able to take a short hike on the day we arrived, though we did so in a constant mist.

The next day, the rain really came down in Kerrville. I have no idea how much it rained, but it was considerable. We truly felt “trapped in a trailer” on that day. But that is part of the RV lifestyle. You have to take each day for what it is. We felt snug in our trailer knowing we had all the comforts.

I’ll start publishing entries from our trip as soon as I can. Even though we endured a lot of rain, we really had a good time. And I’ll never complain about the rain. This country needs a good soaking, so when it comes, we are grateful.

Trailer Life: Navy Showers

When staying in our travel trailer, we essentially enjoy all the comforts of home. We have a kitchen complete with 3 burner stove, oven, and microwave for cooking. We have a double sink for kitchen cleanup. We have a small refrigerator with separate freezer for keeping food fresh. We have a queen sized bed where we can get a good night’s rest. We have a television with both antennae and cable hookup. And we have a bathroom complete with flush toilet, sink, and shower.

But we don’t live in our trailer as we do in our homes. This is especially true when taking showers. Normally, we take “navy showers” when we are in our trailer. A navy shower is a way of taking a shower while conserving water. The practice of navy showers originated on naval ships where water had to be conserved. It basically involves turning on a shower long enough to get thoroughly wet, then turning it off. At this point, you lather up and do your basic washing. Once this is done, you then turn the shower back on and rinse off. Various studies show that a basic residential shower can use up to 60 gallons of water by leaving it on for the duration of a shower, while a navy shower may only use 3 gallons or so.

We adhere to the practice of navy showers in our travel trailer, but for different reasons. First, our water heater is only 6 gallons, so there is a limited amount of hot water available. Keep the water on too long and you’ll be rinsing in cold water. Brrr! Second, unless you are connected to a fresh water system, you may have a limited amount of water available for a shower. This is a situation similar to being on a naval ship. Most of the time, though, we are in parks with water hookups. Third, even if you are connected to fresh water, you may not be connected to a sewer, so you have to contain your used water in a storage tank, which is limited in size. In our case, we have a 32 gallon grey water tank.  Finally, it’s not a bad idea at all to conserve resources. Leaving water running for no reason is simply wasteful, and our fresh water resources are limited.

The shower in our travel trailer has a push button for turning the water on and off. So, once you get the water turned on at the temperature you like, simply push the button to turn the water off. When you turn it back on, it will be at the same temperature as when you turned it off. This makes it easy to conserve water.

Trail Maintenance

Last week, I posted an entry ("Walking at San Angelo State Park") in which I indicated that one reason we were road walking was because some of the trails at the park were becoming a bit overgrown from spring rains.

Well, this past Saturday, Donna and I went out to the park for a 5 mile road walk. We took the shorter of the 2 routes I detailed in the entry referenced above. From the parking area, we walked southwest along the main park road. As we neared the headquarters, we heard quite a bit of activity. Through breaks in the brush, we were able to see clusters of people doing some trail maintenance on the Tasajilla Flats trail. A group of probably a dozen or so young people -- boys and girls both -- were armed with shovels, clippers, weed eaters, and other tools, and they were spread out for at least half a mile along the trail cleaning it up.

What a great way to spend a few hours. Donna and I have often thought of volunteering our time in such activities, but we just haven't done so yet. Guess it's time to get online with the Texas Parks and Wildlife site and see if there are any listings in their volunteer section.

Trailer Life: Leveling Your Trailer

If you've followed my blog for long, you know that I have several recurring subjects, such as "Hike Reports," "On the Road" entries, "Good Eats" reviews, and "Trip Reports." I'm starting a new subject today called "Trailer Life" in which I'll deal with issues regarding travel trailers. Now, I'm no expert on travel trailers by any stretch of the imagination, but I seem to get by. And if you enjoy the RV lifestyle and can pick up a tip or two from these entries, then I'm satisfied.

For the first entry on this subject, let's look at how we level our trailer, which is one of the first things we do upon arriving at a campsite. I have attached levels to the front and side of the trailer so that I can see at a glance whether or not the trailer is level. If it isn't, then I get out my boards and back the trailer on these boards. I use 2"x10" boards with beveled ends for this purpose. These boards are wide enough for the trailer tires to fit upon.

Level on front of trailer. This level indicates how level the trailer is from side-to-side.

Level on side of trailer. This level indicates how level the trailer is front-to-back.

Close up of level. Bubble is dead center, right where it should be.

Leveling boards, wide enough to accommodate the tires.

I've used these levels enough over the years -- on this and other trailers -- to know at a glance just how unlevel the trailer is and how many boards might be needed. So, with Donna's help, I place the trailer in the site exactly where we want it. At that point, I check the level on the front of the trailer to see how level it is from side-to-side. If it is level, then we can disconnect and get on with our other chores. If, however, it is not level, then I estimate how many boards are necessary to make it level. I get these out, place them right beside the trailer tires, then have Donna pull up or drive back -- whichever is the most practical. I then slide a board (or more, if I think necessary) over and line it (them) up with the tires. Donna then pulls the trailer on the board(s), and I recheck the level. If it is level -- or very close to it -- we are then ready to disconnect. If it is still not level, then we repeat the previous step and add another board.

Once the trailer is level from side-to-side, we can then place chocks under the tires and disconnect the trailer. Once the trailer is disconnected, I then work on leveling the trailer from front-to-back. To do this, I check the level on the side. I then raise or lower the front of the trailer using the electric hitch I have. This is a simple process, much more so than leveling from side-to-side.

Once the trailer is level from front-to-back, I then check the side-to-side level again. If it is not perfectly centered, I then use my stabilizing jacks to finish leveling. Let me point out that the purpose of stabilizing jacks is to stabilize the trailer, not level it. Ideally, they should just make snug contact with the ground, enough so that there isn't much or any movement when you walk through the trailer. But I do use them to fine tune the side-to-side leveling. I'll discuss the stabilizing jacks more in another entry.

Let me say a final word or two about the boards. They offer the advantage of ease of use. It is easy to pull a trailer on them, and it is safer than other methods of leveling. I watched a couple at Huntsville State Park recently as they used a collection of wood blocks of various sizes and shapes. The process lasted no less than 20 or 30 minutes as the husband would move some blocks under the tires and the wife would pull or back up an inch or two. Not only did it take a great deal of time and effort, but I thought it was dangerous.

But using boards like mine has the disadvantage of weight and space. My boards are about 5 feet in length, so they weigh quite a few pounds; when you are towing, you want to avoid adding pounds. And then there is the issue of storing them. I carry mine in the bed of the truck. When we return home, I park the trailer on the boards to keep the tires off the bare ground.

I'm happy with this process. The boards provide a firm and stable surface for leveling the trailer, and the ease of using them is a big plus.