Crossing the Paluxy River to start our hike.
Date: July 14, 2018
Location: Dinosaur Valley State Park - Glen Rose, TX
Distance: 5 miles
Trails: Cedar Brake Outer Loop (partial), Denio Creek Warbler Trail. Paluxy River Trail
See the trail map HERE
We started early, my aunt and I, and got to the park about 7:00 A.M. We registered, parked, and started our hike in 79 degree weather with about 79% humidity. At Dinosaur Valley State Park you have to cross the river to get to the good trails, but the Paluxy was only a trickle so we didn't have to get wet this time.
I like hikes with my aunt, or other close friends/family, because you can have those good talks that I'd classify as quality time. We talked, bitched about things, laughed, and overall had a very positive ongoing conversation about life.
The sun climbed higher in the sky, and we started to feel the heat increase while simultaneously feeling perfectly acclimated to the temperature. About halfway through the hike, we encountered some bugs and that was mildly annoying, but no other real issues. I have one horse fly bite, that I didn't even notice until today.
We finished up after five miles, before the real heat hit with a slightly lower humidity, and made our way back to the parking area. We avoided most direct sunlight by picking trails that were shaded by the ridges and scrubby trees thus avoiding excessive exposure. We saw one woman on a mountain bike, but really no one else dared to be out there with us that we could see or hear. Once we arrived back to the parking lot, there were a few more cars, but nowhere near the normal packed lot I'm used to seeing.
Summer hiking, in Texas, is not my favorite and I'm at least a month behind on my quest to hike 52 times in the year with one per week....but I'm not worried. Once the fall hits, I'll have no excuse to hike twice per weekend and maybe even twice per day! I'm longing for the cooler mornings and evenings ahead. Until next time, happy trails!