Two Very Different Walks, Part 1 - Sunday, Apr. 22, 2018

Sunshine, and lots of it, made it an easy decision to drive to Boerne, Texas, 45 minutes away from our house. The temperature was coolish with a chilly breeze for most of our 10k walk. Randolph Roadrunners Volkssport Club hosted the guided walk today. We had people from San Antonio, Kerrville, and even Pennsylvania!

After signing in at the Comfort Inn at 9:00 a.m., we drove to our respective start points. The 10k and 6k walkers had different start points. 

The 10k walkers parked in downtown Boerne and took the Old No. 9 rails-to-trails path to the nature park. We crossed over a bridge and caught a glimpse of Fern Brush Falls.

Fern Brush Falls

The flags in Boerne City Park are at half-mast for Barbara Bush.

Herff Spring flows into the restored marsh at the Cibolo Wilderness Trail and on into Cibolo Creek.

Herff Spring

Antelope Horns (Asclepius asperula)

The four of us who did the 10k caught up with the 6k walkers at Cibolo Nature Park, the destination for today's walk. Wildflowers are in bloom, bluebirds are nesting in the boxes, and we had a lovely time.

On our walk, we covered most of the trails in the park, including a boardwalk section. Some good news for everyone who likes the Old No. 9 rails-to-trails bike path, it is being extended. We saw some of the construction on it today.

As we entered the nature center, we saw the Cibolo Preserve Natural Habitat Laboratory for Research. Didn't anyone ever tell researchers that "natural habitat" does not include big barbed wire fences?

Proof we were here. [Photo by Robert.]

The restroom building had a pretty mural on it. I particularly liked the ringtail portion of it, so I enlarged that.

Mural on restroom

If you want to see dinosaur tracks, they have those here too. Paleontologists decided that the larger prints belong to a giant tridactyl (3-toed) theropod from the Early Cretaceous Period about 110 million years ago.

Giant Tridactyl dinosaur trackway

Bull Nettle (Cnidoscolus texanus)

The playground

The main trail along the river

Volksmarchers coming out of the woodwork!

Cibolo Creek

A yellow-bellied flycatcher, perhaps?

Tree of Life Arboretum

Here's where we crossed new rails-to-trails construction through Boerne City Park and Cibolo Nature Center. 

Miles of new trail on the way!

A beautiful red husky

The photo below shows our group crossing a boardwalk over a spring-fed pond. 

Doesn't the following photo remind you of The Beatles' Abbey Road album cover...only no Beatles, and no road? It's the thought that counts. 

From the spring, marsh, and the forest, we crossed grasslands.

A Bluebird on the nesting box (sorry,
it's a bit blurry)

Our walking group today

Heading back through Boerne City Park

Agricultural Heritage Museum in Boerne City Park

Such a pretty walk with great people!

The bridge out of the park

Engelmann Daisy (Engelmannia pinnatifida)

The thistles are little works of art!

Old No. 9 bike path...don't forget
you're crossing a road here!

After a very satisfying 10k walk, we headed back to our cars to get on with the rest of the day. Bob and I continued on to our next destination, Six Flags Fiesta Texas. 

Continued in Part 2...