Day Trip: Toe Nail Trail

We were getting a bit restless, so I pulled out a map and looked for a short day trip to some place interesting. I didn't want to go far, though. I finally settled on the Toe Nail Trail.

The Toe Nail Trail is roughly the route that connected Fort Concho in San Angelo to Fort McKavett down on the headwaters of the San Saba River roughly about halfway between Eldorado and Menard. In general, travelers from McKavett to Concho would have picked up the South Concho River somewhere south of Christoval and followed it to Concho. (For more info on Fort McKavett, see "Fort McKavett" from March 2012)

The area around Christoval began developing in the 1870s. People began to move into the area, and a dam was constructed and canals built to furnish water for farming. A post office was established in 1888. The town never was large, and today the population hovers around 400 to 500 folks, with many more in housing developments outside of the city limits. Christoval is close enough to San Angelo to almost qualify as a bedroom community, but it is far enough away to have its own distinct personality. As opposed to Angelo, which has few native trees other than pecans along the rivers, Christoval has large oak mottes all around. Those trees, combined with the spring fed South Concho River, give the little community a unique setting. I wrote some about this little community in March 2017; please see "Backroads Tour: Mertzon, Eldorado, Christoval, and Knickerbocker".

On this trip, we headed south from San Angelo on US 277, detouring briefly through 2 housing developments to just look around. On the northern edge of Christoval, we took Spur 110, which took us through the business district of old Christoval. There really isn't much there today, mostly relics from bygone days. But new businesses do pop up from time to time, such as the recently opened Concho Coffee House and Rootbound Food Company. Most of the businesses these days are located on US 277, including Cooper's BBQ and Hidalgo's Mexican Restaurant.

In town, we turned east onto FM 2088, known locally as the Toe Nail Trail. It follows the South Concho past the local high school on the left and Pugh River Park on the right. A mile or so farther down the road, we passed the entrance to the Hummer House (see "The Hummer House" from July 2017). Just beyond the Hummer House is the Concho Christmas Tree Farm.

From that point on, we more or less had the road to ourselves for the 28 miles to US 190. But there are some points of interest along the road. First, we came to the sign pointing the way to Carmel of Our Lady Grace monastery off Rudd Road. A group of Carmelite nuns live a peaceful and meditative existence on an isolated patch of ground in this remote area. We did not venture the 7 miles of dirt road, though, as we did not know if they accept nosy visitors. But I would like to see the place sometime.

Along the road, we saw some good wildlife. First, I spotted a large bird atop a pole. I didn't get a good look at it, so I turned around, got my camera ready, and headed back. But as we approached, the hulking bird flew away from the road to a roost in an oak. As it began to alight upon the branch, I saw quite a bit of red tint in the tail, making me believe it was a red-tailed hawk. I'm not knowledgeable about birds, so I may be wrong. I was not able to get a picture. He had a large white breast, and was larger than most hawks I see.

We resumed our journey, passing first one deer and then a second along the road. We were able to watch the first gracefully clear a fence to escape us, but the second hardly gave us a second thought as it continued to browse along the roadside. Then I spotted another hawk, much like the first.

At US 190, we turned west and headed to Eldorado, where we stopped to explore the courthouse. Many courthouses have numerous historical items, especially pictures, but the Schleicher County Courthouse doesn't have much.

Schleicher County Courthouse in Eldorado, Texas

The Eldorado water tower.

From Eldorado, we headed north on US 277. Just south of Christoval, we turned west on Allen Road to learn more about the Mount Carmel Hermitage. From Allen Road, a lesser road winds south through the oaks and the scrub brush to the home of the Hermits of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. The actual hermitage is completely surrounded by a tall rock wall. I did not want to violate the mission of these gentle souls, so we did not seek admittance; however, the hermitage is open throughout the year to visitors for special events, and Donna and I have made a note to try to visit at some point.

Welcome to Mt. Carmel Hermitage

Ring of religious statues near the entrance to Mt. Carmel

The hermitage and all of its buildings are behind this rock wall, which completely surrounds the place. What a feat of labor to build this rock fence.

Another view of the hermitage

It is interesting that we have 2 places such as this in the area. I have a high respect for these devoted folks, both the hermits and the nuns, and I admire the faith and devotion that guides their lives. What draws them to remote locations, where rainfall is scarce and the ground is rocky and largely unyielding? It is not unusual to see some of the hermits around San Angelo, as, like anyone else, they must buy supplies, visit doctors, and perform other tasks.

Anyway, we returned to the highway and made our way back to San Angelo. It's always interesting to get out and see the country.

Don't Worry -- We're Still Alive

Not much to post about lately since we've not been doing anything out of the ordinary.

We did drive up to Midland last week to check on some things. Had a nice lunch at Wall Street Bar and Grill, one of our favorite eateries there when we lived there about 20 years ago. Food is still good, but the place is a might cramped. Folks still throng to the place, though. I had my normal charbroiled gulf shrimp while Donna had a beef kabob. Both were very good, and the baked potatoes were excellent, as was the bread.

While driving through a neighborhood there, I snapped the following two pictures. They give an idea of some of the good spring color that is visible all over West Texas these days.

I really enjoy seeing a healthy red bud in bloom. When set against a tree with white blooms, such as in the picture above, I think it is really pretty.

The weather the past few days has been quite warm for this time of year. The nights have only gotten down into the mid 60s, so I've been walking early in the morning. I prefer walking early. The birds are coming to life then, and they are singing all around. And I get to herd deer on my morning walks. One morning, I came across a group of 3, then a group of 4, then two sets of 2 deer each. I do enjoy watching our animals.

Two nights ago, I was sitting on the back patio when a hummingbird came to the stand where the hummingbird feeders normally hang. I told Donna about it. She is in charge of hummingbirds around here. Yesterday, she set out 2 feeders, and it wasn't long before the little rascals found them. I stepped out this morning and caught one hummer chasing another away. Let the hummingbird wars begin! This will go on until fall now.

Rain moved in about midnight. It has been raining off and on ever since. So far, we've had just over half an inch, and I'm hopeful we'll have more throughout the day and into Wednesday morning. We need it. This is some pretty dry country now. If we don't get good rains soon, I expect Lake OC Fisher to completely go dry this summer.

Here Comes Spring

Technically, we still have a few more days until spring officially arrives, but signs of spring are beginning to show themselves all around.

On our recent trip, we saw several trees starting to bloom. I grew up in East Texas, but I usually don't miss it very often -- except during spring and fall. I have always enjoyed watching the daffodils bloom early, usually in February, followed by my personal favorite wisteria, as well as dogwoods and red buds. We don't have much spring color where I live now, but we do have some.

Along Southland Boulevard, there is a wisteria plant whose bluish blooms are hanging over a fence near the road. And there are numerous red bud trees all over town, some of them quite pretty.

I took a nice walk through Rio Concho West the other day, but was disappointed in the lack of color. Most of the trees are now leafing out, but there really aren't many colorful blooms. Later on we'll have some pretty yuccas and colorful prickly pear roses, but right now, I'm not seeing too much color.

Below are some pictures I snapped.

I don't know what kind of tree this is, but I love its beautiful and near perfect shape. It seemed to leaf out overnight. It is just a few houses up the hill from us.

I'm not sure what this tree is, but I would guess it is an ornamental pear of some sort. We have a handful of these in the subdivision.

Although this tree looks like the one in the above picture, it doesn't have as nice of a shape. In the fall, it has some nice colors, as shown in the archived picture below of the same tree I took this past autumn.

This is the same tree as above, but during November.

I'm not sure what this tree is. The blooms seem more like cotton balls than the trees in the pictures above. Could this be a dogwood? I just don't know.

Most of our trees have no color; they just leaf out in spring like this one. We are still waiting for the 2 oak trees in our yard to leaf out. 

This is the only red bud tree I saw in our subdivision, and it is rather pathetic. I do not think it gets much water where it is located next to the road, so it is probably suffering. The color is certainly not very bright, and the blossoms are scant.

I believe this is a mountain laurel. If so, there are 2 in our community. You can tell from the trees in the background that it is not a large plant.

Fort Griffin State Historic Site

Our last stop on our recent trip was at Fort Griffin State Historic Site, located about 15 miles north of Albany, Texas. Established in 1867, the fort's main purpose was to protect settlers and trade routes in this part of the Texas frontier. The post was established on a high bluff overlooking the Clear Fort of the Brazos River. If you drive to the scenic overlook in the 506 acre park, you can clearly see why this strategic location was chosen.

In addition to its strategic location atop a prominent hill, there was also a good water supply and a reliable river crossing. Settlers and others soon gravitated to the area. Before long, a town known originally as "The Flat" was established at the base of the hill, but it later became known as Fort Griffin. The town soon became rather notorious, and catered to cattle drivers, buffalo hunters, and the men stationed at the military post. A number of well known historical figures moved through the town, including Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Pat Garrett, Dave Rudabaugh, and many others. It was, needless to say, one of the more colorful towns of the western frontier.

The post served as a major supply post during the Red River War of 1874-75, which more or less brought the Indian era in Texas to a close. Following this campaign, most native American tribes were forced to settle on reservations in Oklahoma, though a few raids did continue for a while. As a result, the Panhandle area of Texas became available for settlement.

The post was abandoned in 1881. Today, only the skeletons of a few buildings remain. A few buildings  have been restored. Start your tour at the Visitor Center, which has a few displays as well as a short video to provide some background information. Golf carts are available to visitors to tour the post, which is spread over a rather large area. Although most larger buildings were constructed of native stone, several buildings, including barracks, were constructed of wood.

Below are some photos of the post.

View of the grounds from the Visitor Center. Center of photo is the well, while a couple of barracks are visible on left. The skeletal remains of the administration building are barely visible just beyond the well on the horizon.

One of the displays in the Visitor Center

Restored mess hall. Note rock foundation.

Restored enlisted men's barracks. There were 4 rows of such barracks, and each row had its own mess hall.

Interior of an enlisted men's barracks, where as many as 4 soldiers shared accommodations. Note the fire place at end.

Skeletal remains of sutler's store.

Administration building

Exterior of bakery.

Bakery interior. Note ovens in wall.

One of the steers from the official state Longhorn herd located at the park.

Fort Belknap

After visiting Lake Mineral Wells State Park (see previous post), Donna and I spent the night in nearby Weatherford. The next morning, we drove up to Winstar World Casino for a couple of days of gaming.

We left Winstar early Thursday to return home, but we would make a couple of stops along the way. The first stop was at Fort Belknap a few miles west of Graham, Texas. We had passed by this old military post years ago, probably in the late 1970's, but I had forgotten anything about it during the past 40 years or so.

Entrance to Fort Belknap

The post was established in 1851, and over the years would mainly serve as a supply post or base of operations. During the War Between the States, it was abandoned, and the Texas frontier retreated as a result during the war years. Following the war, it was reoccupied briefly, but was soon abandoned for good. During its existence, the fort served as a hub for numerous roads, and the Butterfield Overland Mail route ran through it.

I recently read a book by Cynthia Haselhoff, Kiowa Verdict. The book was a fictionalized account of the trial of Kiowa chiefs Satanta and Big Tree for a raid they led on a wagon train just east of Fort Belknap in 1871. The trial itself took place in nearby Jacksboro, the home of Fort Richardson at the time. This was the first time that native Americans were tried in a court of law for violence against white men. It was very unique and is quite an interesting story.

The fort itself is not that well preserved today. It is out of the way, located just south of Newcastle on a lesser used highway. I'm not sure what organization owns the fort, but it may be the county. I saw no evidence of state control or funding. Most of the buildings standing today were restored or rebuilt in the 20th century, as most of the original buildings were cannibalized by local residents for building materials a century or more ago.

There is a small museum in the old commissary building with some very interesting artifacts, some related to the fort and some not. The grounds are covered with beautiful old trees, and the place is pleasantly quiet and serene.

Museum is located in the old commissary.

Rattlesnake rattles on left, arrowheads on right. There were several arrowhead collections in the museum.

Donna viewing the display cases in the museum.

More of the artifacts in the museum.

Beautiful old trees with some of the restored buildings in the background.

One of the restored buildings.

Group of buildings near the front of the post.

Unusual grape arbor makes a nice, cool spot for gatherings on a hot summer day.

We enjoyed our visit to the old fort. The countryside is really nice, and the Brazos River runs just a few miles to the west.

Lake Mineral Wells State Park

In March 2006, Donna and I hiked a long loop trail in Lake Mineral Wells State Park. A year or two before that, we hiked several miles of nearby Lake Mineral Wells State Park Trailway, which connects to the state park via a spur trail. Now, Donna is not especially good at recalling places, but for some reason, she recently began remembering our hike in the park. She even recalled landscape details. So, by executive order, "we" decided to return to the park for another hike.

The park is located just east of Mineral Wells. It contains about 640 acres, and includes a nice little lake. There is even a location in the park called Penitentiary Hollow which is considered by many to be the most popular place in North Texas for rock climbing.

Unfortunately, because of recent rains, all trails in the Cross Timbers section of the park were closed when we arrived at the park gate. (see park trails map). This is precisely where we wanted to hike. Now, there is another trail in the southern section of the park that was open, but it is very short and we were not interested in it. So, we made the best of a bad situation.

First, we decided to visit the aforementioned Penitentiary Hollow. We parked in the nearby day use area, then made our way down the short path to an area that provided an overlook to the hollow. I then worked my way down a serpentine set of rock steps to the bottom of the hollow. I'm not good at distances, heights, and such, but the bottom of the hollow looks to me to be about 2 stories or so below the land above. Rock climbers will hone their skills on these rocks. It is quite a unique place and worth a visit if you are in the area.

Approach to Penitentiary Hollow. The site was closed to rock climbers on the day we visited.

Lake Mineral Wells. The tops of the rocks at the bottom of the picture are found in the Hollow.

Some of the rocks of Penitentiary Hollow with the lake in the background. I snapped this photo as I was descending the steps.

The Hollow. The trash can gives some idea of the size and height of the rocks.

The steps leading into and out of the Hollow.

Donna with Lake Mineral Wells in the background.

After visiting Penitentiary Hollow, we decided to take a short hike along the Trailway. The Trailway follows an old railroad grade from Weatherford to Mineral Wells, a distance of about 20 miles. Years ago, we hiked 5 miles west from the Weatherford trailhead and back (total distance of 10 miles). We followed the connecting spur trail past a very nice and large amphitheater. A short distance beyond this, the trail then switchbacks down a slope before crossing an open meadow and connecting to the actual trailway.

Trailhead for spur trail from park to Trailway

Once we reached the actual trail, we headed west. We crossed the footbridge that crosses US 180, then turned back.

Amphitheater along the spur to the Trailway

Distant view of the trailway footbridge over US 180.

Our approach to the footbridge.

On the footbridge

Looking west towards nearby Mineral Wells from the footbridge. 

Looking east towards Weatherford from the footbridge.

Once back to the car, we decided to drive around the park. We always enjoy cruising through the camp grounds and checking on potential camp sites and seeing the rigs RVers have. To get from the east side of the park to the west side, you must cross below the dam. On this day, the wind was really strong and was blowing quite a bit of water over the dam.

A park vehicle is crossing below the dam.

We cross below the dam.

Recrossing the dam. In this picture, you can see some of the small whitecaps that were sloshing over the dam.

This is a nice park. There is a small store along the lake just east of the dam. The campsites are well developed, though I did not see any with full hookups. Water and electric sites are plentiful, though. There are lots of trees, and many campsites offer views of the lake. Should we ever RV again, this park will be a place we hope to spend some time.