Lost Maples State Natural Area 11/09/08

[stingrey]

http://picasaweb.google.com/stngrr/LostMaples11908#

Well, the leaves were changing... That is certain! Also, the deer were out. The weather was awesome, and getting to the park early did pay off. Called my dad last night and asked if he was interested in an outing, and he said that he was going to ask me the same thing since he'd just heard Steve Brown talk about Lost Maples on the news. I told him, though, that I wanted to head out no later than 7 a.m. Though he wasn't thrilled about waking up early to drive from Floresville to meet me at 7, he said he'd be here.

We headed off at our appointed time and didn't stop 'till we got to the Lost Maples Cafe where we had breakfast. Took me almost through that entire drive to tell dad about the October Bender and all of the adventures that we embarked on. Was definitely a good story to retell. Finished up breakfast and headed out will full bellies.

The park was already busy when we arrived at about 9:20, but it wasn't overly crowded... Yet... Went in to "check in" and to get my Lost Maples walking stick medallion for my already well adorned Buc-ee's rattlesnake topped medallion stick. After waiting in a line of six (there were two lines w/the same amount of people) I made it to the counter, confirmed that the east trail was still the trail with the best display, and we headed off to our intended hike.

The hike was pleasant other than the large groups that were starting off at the exact same time. Thankfully the maple trail was not as traveled, so we went left where everyone else went right and avoided the crowds from that point forward. The people that were on the trail began to thin out even further as the trail went on, though there weren't so many people that I lost sight of the location itself. Everyone was pleasant, and in most cases people were not hinderances. The only exception was one family who for whatever reason sat in a row blocking almost the entire width of a steep portion of the trail, but even they were quickly navigated around.

Before that situation we crossed some water here and there. At one point a family with some dogs was not far behind us. When the family got to the water, their large golden retriever had decided that enough was enough and he lay down in the cool water and made the owners wait while he lazily laid in the cool water for a few moments.

As we climbed higher, we noticed that the colors were less and less startling. Everything was green again, which in itself is nice in its own way. From the upper viewpoints it was obvious that most of the color was by the water and in the low lying areas. Almost as quickly as we'd reached the top, we found ourselves on the way back down the other side of the loop. Dad stopped at the water and I asked him if he saw any turtles. Not sure why I mentioned turtles specifically, but he looked and said "no".

I walked to the water's edge and it was as if I'd summoned the turtles somehow. I said "look, there's one", and then there were four... And then there were seven... And then there were maybe a dozen turtles all in various stages of submersion, some on groups, some were loners. Whatever the case, I started to wonder if that same trick might work in Big Bend... Next time I'll have to ask whoever I'm with if they see any mountain lions.

We continued on through the end of the trail without incident. No more people blocking the trail... Walking out through the overflow parking area, it was apparent that there were more people in the park all of a sudden. Turns out that "more" was the understatement of the year. As we left and took a right turn out of the park, the line of cars sitting at a standstill on the road waiting to get into the park did not end for almost 1/3 mile or further. It was nuts! People who had arrived as a group were having people in the group walk to the park ahead of the cars presumably so they could just get on with their hike or register for the day. Either way, they were in for a long, crowded day.

http://picasaweb.google.com/stngrr/LostMaples11908#

[Al]

stingrey, very well told report, great photos . . . specially of the turtles.  Wonderful shots.  Thanks!

Al

[TexasAggieHiker]

My wife and I were out there a month ago.  The retriever you saw reminds me of our golden.  Carrying a pack wore her out.  When we stopped to filter some water, she decided it was nap time.

[stingrey]

Haha, that looks EXACTLY like what we got to see. Thanks for posting the pic!

[walkingman06]

Great shots, stingrey.  Thanks for the report also.  Well done!

[riverrat]

Oh, man! I am so jealous! I need a hill country fix something awful! The Ponds look so clear! I don't think I've ever seen the water that clear. When did they put that footbridge in? It's near the waterfalls, right? I know that place was starting to get "worn" from so many feet not staying "on trail". I can remember sitting very near that spot one thanksgiving with my family watching a slow trickle of water coming across from the Ponds to form the very first waterfall I'd ever seen there at LM. That was an awesome moment that even the kids remember (they were 7 and 5 at the time; now 18 and 20). It took about an hour for the water to finally "fall".

Thanks for the memory!!

[oldfatman]

The bridge was put in since my trip last spring.  It is near those waterfalls.  There are also falls on the west trail.

[whickums]

What day did you go?  I was thinking about doing an overnight trip there during the week but I don't know how busy it might be.  I've never been there but the pictures I see really make me want to go.

[stingrey]

The water was unbelievably clear!I wish I'd taken more water shots after looking back on the pics when I got home.

I was there on Sunday, but my friend had problems finding parking on Friday when she went with her kids. Being said, though, you should check their site for availability in terms of campsites if you want to do an overnighter. Depending on the day of the week(end) you'll be headed out, it could be a long shot for the next week or so!

[TexasGirl]

Enjoyed your post and photos, natch, Stingrey.  Thanks for sharing!  TG

[Boot Canyon 1 Cougar]

Stingrey,

Killer photos. Gosh, its been a long time since I've been to Lost Maples.

Did you see many folks camping out in the primitive camping?

Re: the crowds, I bet the elevation gain up onto the top ridge may thin out the hikers.

Sounds like if there is a way I can wrangle a trip during this week--and avoid the crazy weekend crowds--it would be quite rewarding.

With this cooler weather, camping should be outstanding.  I was camping at erock last Saturday, and the Moon and the clear sky and the cool breeze was perfect.

Thanks for the report and the photos.

[stingrey]

Lost Maples was an absolute blast! Thanks for the comps, guys!

There were a good amount of people leaving (and still set up in) the primitive camping areas... We did not see a lot of people heading in, probably because it was Sunday.

The elevation gain did do well to thin the crowds. and my prior activity just a few weeks back really helped me to easily take on that relatively easy 5 miles or so.

It would definitely be in your interest to get out to Lost Maples if you can get a chance, though most of the action happens almost immediately at either side of the east trailhead... Esp. at the beginning of the loop where the normal parking area is vs. the overflow parking area.