Pro tip: Don't go hiking after three days of rain unless you are prepared to get your feet a little dirty.
It had been two weeks apart. Two weeks we got to spend with our families from Dallas to Austin. Two weeks of me working landscape jobs with my dad, and two weeks of Kaylee sitting on a couch at her house. Memorial Day Weekend rolled around and I went up to Tyler, TX to help my sister move. Quick shoutout to my sister, Amy, and congratulations for her acceptance into Mays Business School at Texas A&M following in her little brother’s footsteps! Kaylee was with her grandparents in Killeen, TX. An idea sparked to help us get back together sooner than anticipated. We met in College Station on my way back to Smithville and were able to ride together from there. Back together at last, and that meant back to the outdoors.
Our first state park we would visit would be one in Smithville itself. About a three minute drive from my front door, Buescher State Park has a lot more to it than I had thought. I had been to Buescher a few times before, but that was just to go fishing. I had never explored the park or hiked the trails, so everything Kaylee and I did was brand new to the both of us.
We got to the park around 10 in the morning and drove straight to a ‘Point of Interest’ indicated on the trails map for the park. It was for a bridge (which we knew Kaylee would enjoy) and rockwork made by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) back in the 1930s. If you remember the Bastrop State Park post then you will remember the CCC. The CCC built many things around the area and everything that has been preserved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife is on display in the parks today. Buescher has evidence of the CCC within its boundaries. Unfortunately, the trail that led down to the rockwork and bridge proved difficult to find. Our first attempt was a bust. However, on our way out of the park at the very end of our trip, we found the trailhead hidden (and poorly marked) in the brush. Thankful that we found it, we walked down to where the CCC had carved paths in the hillside and inlaid rock to help make a clear path down. A skinny bridge was erected over a creek that connected the rockwall that was built on either side of the creek. We took a few pictures and went back to the truck and out of the park at the end of the day.
Now let me backtrack to after the first try at the CCC Crossover; before we left for the park we made an itinerary to walk a woodland trail that connected back to another set of trails at an overlook point. At this overlook we would split off to another trail that wound its way down into a gulch (called Pine Gulch) and looped back up to the top of the gulch rim and finally back to where we began our journey with another scenic overlook in between. This trek would total around 6 miles of trails and nearly 400 feet of elevation change. A pretty challenging trail all-in-all. To our surprise, the elevation change was not the most difficult part of this journey.
We started on the Winding Woodland Trail that traced a path that split the main park road and the northern park boundary in this part of Buescher. It would be 1.5 miles until we hit the overlook connection point for the next trail. Those 1.5 miles would be the most challenging part of the day. It was decently flat, but recent rains had saturated the ground to the point where there was standing water and plenty of mud to go around. We were constantly trying to dodge the mud and keep our feet dry. This did not happen. Hunt Branch is a creek that crosses paths with the Winding Woodland Trail and it was flowing. We had to cross it to continue on our way, so we sucked it up and got our feet wet. The rest of the trail was no different. Constantly looking about 3 feet in front of us to ensure we wouldn’t be stepping in soft mud. It’s not the best way to hike and enjoy nature, but we were still out so we made the most of it.
We came up to the overlook area around 11:30, close to lunch. We had our lunch packed and ready to go, and there were a couple of picnic tables at this spot. This was as good a spot as any to stop and have lunch. But first, pictures. The overlook gave views from the top rim of Pine Gulch a little over 100 feet above the pastureland below. The view was an interesting contrast between pine forest and flat grassland. It made us wonder if that has been the natural setup for millions of years, or if the pastures are the result of human interaction with the surrounding woodlands. We took ring pictures, couples pictures on the timer, and some individual shots on each side of the gulch that we thought would give the best background. Lunch came and went quickly. Kaylee and I don’t really mess around when it comes to eating. Especially after tackling a trail of mud. Onto the next trail, a loop that tumbled down and climbed up Pine Gulch. Adequately, it is labeled Pine Gulch Trail.
This trail was a great hike through the Lost Pines. As in Bastrop State Park, we saw the contrast of the burned down trees and the new baby loblolly pines replacing them in the aftermath. This trail remained dry for the most part, the gulch rim acted as a slide for the runoff down to the bottom and into a creek. Other than being able to take in the surroundings of the hills, drops, and trees, we had an encounter with a buzzard that shot up from the trail and swooped over our heads on its way into a nearby tree. Gave Kaylee (and admittedly me) a little scare.
Kaylee and I really enjoyed this trail. For the length and elevation change it had, it really didn’t seem like it was that challenging. Plus the landscape around us was quite a treat to look at and a sight to behold.
For the walk back to the truck, we made the decision to walk down the road in lieu of taking the muddy way. Park Road 1-C actually connects Bastrop State Park to Buescher State Park, just 11 miles between. The road is actually state land, but it does have private residences along the way. People make the drive between Bastrop and Buescher down Park Road 1-C for scenes of the pine trees and views from the top of a bluff that rises up from Bastrop to Smithville.
We were able to hit another overlook on the road which wasn’t too exciting, but with Kaylee’s photography skills she was able to capture the best side of the overlook. Continuing down the road, we walked underneath the cover of trees that overhang Park Road 1-C as we reentered Buescher State Park. Close to where the truck was parked was another ‘Point of Interest,’ a cedar elm tree that is a former state champion for that species of tree (did anyone else know that there were competitions for trees?). Once we made it back to the truck this is where we decided to look for the CCC Crossover again and lucked out to find the hidden trail.
It was great to be back in nature, and of course back with each other on these adventures. We still have a little time together before we part ways again. We are headed up to Dallas next to be with Kaylee’s family and check out some state parks in that area. Next stop, Mother Neff State Park on the way up to Dallas.
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