Headding for the Texas Hill Country

It was raining heavily. Nine of us left Colleyville at 10 AM this morning and headed toward the Texas Hill Country, hoping we had not completely misread the weather forecast. The farther west we drove, the more the weather improved. By the time we sat down for lunch at the Smokestack Restaurant, the rain had completely stopped. My fish and chips were just what the doctor ordered.

With happy bellies, we headed to Palo Pinto Mountains State Park and started our afternoon hike on the Texas and Pacific Trail. One of the park rangers at the office was a very nice lady named Heidi, who shared that her parents were originally from Bern, Switzerland. What a coincidence! Apparently, you can find a little bit of Switzerland in the Texas Hill Country.

We got a good taste of the Texas Hill Country, with its mix of rocky terrain, open spaces, and different types of vegetation along the way. We also spotted some muddy footprints that looked like they might have belonged to coyotes or bobcats. Fortunately, none showed up to introduce themselves. It was pretty obvious that the area had received a lot of rain over the previous two days, and we had to pick our way around the muddy sections of the trail.

About two miles in, half of our group decided it was time to turn around. The hardcore hikers kept going for another mile before turning back to meet the rest of us at the parking lot. Just then, we were sprinkled on by a light rain shower.

About an hour later, we were all comfortably settled in at the Best Western in Eastland for our traditional planning meeting, complete with happy hour drinks and snacks. Everyone signed the photobook, “Aubra and the Geezers,” which was dedicated to our leader, in celebration of our 26th Geezer Hiking event since 2014. Twenty-six events are quite an accomplishment, especially considering that none of us is getting any younger.

We are a pretty diverse group, coming from all kinds of backgrounds, and somehow we all end up enjoying the same things: getting outdoors, exploring new places, telling a few stories, and sharing a few drinks along the way.

Dinner at a nearby restaurant, followed by more planning and plenty of conversation, rounded out a successful and fun Day 1. At 55% chance of rain, the weather cooperated, the hiking was enjoyable, and everyone made it through the day with good spirits and, most importantly, no injuries.

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