I’ve been a bit negligent in keeping up with my blog as my travel schedule has increased and things in these last 4 weeks are getting a little compressed with work and personal matters that need to be tended to before I leave in a little over 4 weeks.
I’ve related before that I’m anxious to get started, now, I feel like a kid the night before Christmas, fortunately a busy schedule has helped keep my mind off of the Camino.
We did another loop around White Rock this morning, 9.25 miles +/-. Our pace was a little slower than usual as Rick is walking himself into shape and, as he admits, he’s not going to be the fastest guy there. We all have to find a pace that suits us physically and mentally.
We saw a lot more people training with packs and a several people asked us what we were training for and many were genuinely interested and wanted to know more.
One couple were running by and asked, when we told them, they stopped and came back to walk with us and ask questions. If you’re reading this, sorry we didn’t get your names. I’m Keith and my fellow Pilgrim is Ann. I hope you check back beginning on 5/16 when I head for Spain and I begin the Camino on the 19th. I also hope you get the opportunity to do this or something that catches your imagination.
We also spoke briefly with a young woman who was headed for Peru to walk the Machu Pichu trail which is ironic because Ann and I have discussed that same trail, maybe this is not just a coincidence…
Walking now is like an old habit and I miss it when we don’t go out on Saturday mornings. I think I’m like a walking crack-head, I gots to do it! Probably not the worse habit in the world.
Paul Gongora (Mr. G) is on board, hope he can find the time to do a little more of Spain in general while he’s there. Him wearing the same clothes day after day is going to be funny to watch. You have to know him to fully appreciate that statement.
A bit sore but I’ll be fine in the AM, after our walk (and a shower), I rewarded myself with a Jalapeno Egg Burger from Eureka…a beer too.
Sitting smack dab in the middle of Texas is Colorado Bend State Park, truly a hidden gem. If you enjoy the beauty of the Hill Country, this park is a must.
Ann and I started our day Saturday morning in the early morning light and with a hint of the rain to come later in the day.
The Gorman Falls trail, which started out on a gentle downhill slope quickly turned very steep as we neared the little valley which hid the falls. From a distance we could hear the falls as it invited us to continue our descent.
What we found at the bottom was a small but beautiful falls created by the water from Gorman Springs somewhere up above finding it’s way to the Colorado River, further below. We spent 20 minutes admiring this treasure.
Gorman Falls
Unfortunately, if you go downhill, sooner or later you have to climb out…and climb we did. We wanted to see the source of the water falling over Gorman Falls so we headed up to Gorman Springs and the trail that took us to the source of the spring itself.
Hidden in a little canyon, deep in the woods was a stunning and primitive area which existed in its own microclimate. While the day was relatively cool, even on the hottest of days, this little Eden would be shaded and probably 10-15 degrees cooler that the surrounding area. The running water was soothing and the vegetation was multiple shade of green in the light that filtered through the dense canopy. I was amazed by the huge ferns growing in their natural terrarium.
The spring emerges from the base of the limestone walls and the water is crystal clear and probably 70 degrees. Swimming is not allowed to protect this special place and the Guadalupe Perch who make it their home. I bet a hundred years ago it was a special place.
Ann at Gorman Springs
As we had only done about a mile and a half at this point, we had to abandon our hidden treasure and get started if we wanted to get in some serious miles. Once again we started climbing back up towards the park entrance where we headed west on the north rim of the Tinaja Trail which is listed as Very Challenging.
Well, looks are deceiving. As we followed the north rim, this beautiful trail overlooks the valley below which hides the spring, creek and falls that we’d just visited. For about a mile, the going was easy and the trail was gentle on our feet.
When we arrived at the Tinaja (bowl), we enjoyed our Camino picnic and some stunning scenery. As we finished up, we were joined by 3 generations of a family from Michigan and we shared notes on what was to come as they had entered from the south. Good news for them, not so much for us as the challenging part was about to begin.
The south rim enjoyed the same vistas but they came at a price as the Very Challenging part had begun. Far more up and down with tricky footing. It seemed like there was more up than down but that may just be me and the down was probably harder anyway. I must give credit to our training regimen and preparation for the Camino. While it was strenuous and we did huff and puff a bit, we both agreed that we enjoyed the challenge.
The Tinaja Trail was a tough 2.8 miles when it intersected the Cedar Chopper Loop which we took for a short distance to reach the Old Gorman Road trail which was about a mile of easy walking. Along this trail, there were 2 areas marked that showed what appeared to be entrances to recently exposed caves.
Earlier we’d agreed to meet Susan at 1:00 unless she heard from us by noon. I managed to get a signal and call to tell her to make it 1:30 as we were about 2 hour away from our rendezvous point.
Because we’d already done the Gorman Falls trail, we decided to take the park road back to our meeting place. Apparently, like every other road or trail, this one too went up hill. Every time we reached the top, there was another hill to climb, probably like the first day from SJPP to Roncesvalles. Around every corner, there was another stretch and another bend in the road. This went on for about a mile and a half.
Now, before you start saying it was only 1.5 miles, my pack started out at 22 lbs. and we had spent the day on far tougher terrain than we will generally see in Spain. All in all we did a little over 10 miles, the last part in the rain. It really was a confidence builder.
If you think I was enthused by Colorado Bend, you would not be mistaken. Inspired may be a better word, this area is incredible. I’m sorry that Leighton, Renee and Rick missed it. L&R came in late Saturday and missed it on Sunday because the skies opened up on us during the early morning. We have though started planning a revisit in the Fall.
We may have recruited a new Pilgrim, Mr. G or Paul Gongora in the adult world. Paul and I met a the school that I volunteer at, he’s a teacher there (shout out to Ben Milam Elem.) By the way Mr. G, everyone in the front office thinks you should go, just saying.
Six weeks out, one more training walk down at the ranch in Bosque County, everyone should be there for that as some of us leave the next week. Achy old bones are holding up, boots are broken in and everyone seems to be smiling. How bad can that be?
Well, apparently we’re all getting the equivalent of Cabin Fever in anticipation of our departure for the Camino in 7 weeks.
I’ve written previously about my concerns and self-doubts. Was I in good enough shape, did I have what I needed, was I carrying too much stuff, too little. For me, I got over that a couple weeks ago.
It appears though that my comrades are now approaching that same point, like I did, maybe they’re overthinking or trying to plan for every contingency. I realized that I was doing that and I let go. Whether I made the right choice, only time will tell. While reading other blogs, I’ve come across this quote several times “the Camino will provide.” In a few weeks, we’ll find out if it does and if it’s good or bad.
Colorado Bend is coming up next weekend and it should be fun but also challenging enough to make us aware that we’re working for it. A friend of a friend told Renee that they did not train with their packs and they also said that the first days were tough, one thing may have had to with the other. I’m glad that we’ve been training with our equipment and I know it will pay off.
I’m ready to go and I would leave tomorrow if I could.
Time’s flying and I can hardly believe that I’m now only 8 weeks out from departure. I’ve been really busy and I guess that’s accounted for the days slipping by without much notice.
R, B and Layden are in town and it’s great that we get to spend time with them, hopefully Brian can get a recruiting job here in the area especially with another grand baby on the way. With them in town and my travel schedule, my training has taken a back seat. It was really kind of odd that I wasn’t walking last weekend.
I need to get back on my schedule and keep pounding the miles out. With Colorado Bend coming up in 2 weeks, I’m hoping that I’ve done enough to meet that challenge.
My training insecurity may be overblown but, it’s real so I keep training to stay ahead of it. After CB, we have our final big walk in Bosque County at D&S ranch. I plan on going back to Cedar Ridge to get some more time in on the elevation changes. With the weather warming up, we’ll all be carrying more water which is more weight.
After all this time, discussing the Camino, training for the Camino and more discussing, I received my Official Credential so, I guess I have the blessing of the Catholic Church…I was sweating that.
It’s actually the little things like receiving the credential that have brought me the most joy. This little piece of paper, blank other than my name and where I’m from, will be stamped dozens of times to document and validate my journey across the Camino. Still puzzled as to why it means so much to me.
Los Tres Amigos (Leighton, Ann and Me) did another off the books walk on Saturday, this is 3 weekends in a row for Ann and me. This week we did just under 9 miles around White Rock Lake. One of us, I won’t mention any names, may have had a hang-over but it wasn’t me or Ann.
Once again, we set out together but we allowed our individual paces to set in and it was generally me in the front and Leighton bringing up the rear. We’ve discussed and agreed that there is no expectation for anyone to slow down or speed up. If you want to walk, walk. If you need to rest, rest. Ann has no problem with a steady pace, her only disadvantage is that her legs aren’t as long as others so there’s a natural advantage for me.
Sometimes it is nice just to walk in silence but most of the time, I think we generally like the company of at least one other person, I know that I do.
A friend and teacher at Ben Milam who likes to write told me that I should write something that was private each time I blog, he did this when I volunteered that I was having a problem expressing everything that I wanted to because I consider myself to be a private person. I appreciate his advice.
Considering that, I was concerned that maybe I was not fit enough for this trip, especially the first day over the Pyrenees. Everyone that talks or blogs about it says it’s the toughest day on the Camino. I think I let that get in my head.
After our outing at Cedar Ridge, I pushed myself pretty hard with my pace and I intentionally attacked the climbs to test my cardio, my knees, muscles and mostly my drive. While we did not do 15 miles, my confidence was renewed and I feel that it will not be the beast I’d built it up to be. Check here on May 19th to get the low-down.
I tried to walk with a full pack yesterday, I was carrying 3L of water so that was 6.6 lbs. of water on top of my pack and equipment at about 14 lbs. I could definitely feel the extra weight but I grew accustomed to it and as I consumed the water, I lost the weight. Except for a few legs of the Camino, I don’t plan on carrying more than 2 L of water…1 L = 1Kg or, 2.2 lbs. Ounces = pounds, pounds = pain!
Thrilled that Rick is in, he booked his flights last week. He was, in many ways, the person who got this whole crazy trip started. It would have been somehow incomplete without him.
I know that I’ve rambled a bit but I also feel more comfortable in my rambling so, you may have to get used to it.
I’m travelling a lot the next couple of weeks and with L,B and Chuck in town I’m going to have to get my workouts in wherever I can. Playing golf twice in the next couple weeks will get some walking in but I need to make sure that I get some dedicated walking in as well.
Our return to Cedar Ridge yesterday was a success, I think everyone gained some confidence in their individual stamina and I believe that while we still need to work on our fitness, any lingering thoughts or fears are probably gone.
I can tell you that I wondered about the first day, all the blogs and the people that I’ve talked to that have done it said it was the toughest day for them, I think they talked me into believing that and it worked.
The upside to that type of fear for me is that I worked myself harder. Personally, I’ve been training for this for 18 months. Whether it’s just general fitness, my ‘walkouts’ or my almost daily distance walking, I feel that I’m prepared. I will continue to work harder for the next 2 months.
Yesterday at Cedar Ridge, we all pushed the assents/descents. I purposely worked very hard on my pace and climbing, leaving the group behind several time, the challenge was to beat my fear of Day 1. It’s obvious to me that my treadmill workouts were very beneficial.
We all went to Café Momentum last night, I wrote about their mission earlier, to a person, we all commented that we were in much better shape and, the stiffness and aches that we experienced 5 months ago were minimal this time.
We’re all carrying our packs at or near our Camino weights and getting the final tuning done. My pack feels great as do my boots. Leighton is still trying to get his boots right, his orthotic is still giving him problems. Renee has her new pack, it’s small but she seems to like it and, it forces you to go minimal.
Renee and I had a running conversation this week about the schedule and length of some of the days. After looking at the rough draft, it was clear that there were some long days that could be avoided with a little tweaking. There are however, 2-3 that are just going to be long. The best understanding that came out of the conversation was that we each walk our Camino. If you’re tired or hurting, stop. If you want to walk on, keep going. No obligations nor expectations. We’ll meet up along the way.
A little update. First time at Cedar Ridge, we did about 5 miles, this time my Garmin says that I did about 7 miles and a more brisk pace.
Last week, I mentioned the unusually warm weather and in keeping up with Texas crazy weather, this morning we started our walk in the mid-30’s. Fortunately, it was clear and the wind was not too bad.
With another 9+ miles under our belts, I think each walk get’s easier than the last. White Rock Lake and the trails that link it were our walk today, with our early start, we missed all but the heartiest runners and cyclist on the first part of our walk but it became very busy on the way back.
Once again, it was Ann and Me, L&R did much the same walk but started at 11:00 just as we were finishing up. Our conversation today covered a wide spectrum and religion was one of our topics. As an atheist, I don’t share Ann’s beliefs but I do share her desire to lead a positive life. I’m always pleased when people with different beliefs, cultures, opinions, etc. can see that there are often more commonalities than there are differences.
We’re all ramping up for our longer and more realistic walks, we have our next walk back at Cedar Ridge which is less linear and has regular elevation changes. This was my favorite walk so far followed by LLELA and then Arbor Hills. All three share a diversity that the other walks do not have.
My travel plans are finalized, equipment is in order and now it’s just making sure that I’m in shape and prepared to go. I’m about 11 weeks out so I ordered my credential yesterday, that may take 4-6 weeks but I wanted to have it so I did not have to wait in line for one in SJPP.
Today, February 18th started out in the lower 60’s an is now in the 80’s. It’s not uncommon for it to be warm in Dallas in February but it shouldn’t be day after day, month after month and year after year. Anyone that says that there is nothing going on with the climate is a jack-ass.
Changing the subject, while some of the Pilgrim’s were hanging out in Costa Rica and another was taking care of family business, Ann and I decided to take an urban walk. We got started at a little after 0800 and headed down the Katy Trail to Victory Park where we took to the streets working our way towards Trinity Groves.
As we approached I-35 it got a little dicey as we worked our way through the construction zone and into a suddenly decent area on the west side, when the construction is complete, this area will be much improved from what is has been all my life.
Across Riverfront Drive, formerly Industrial Blvd., we got on the old Continental Ave. Viaduct now repurposed and called the Ron Kirk Pedestrian Bridge. What a great use of a resource that would have otherwise turned into an eyesore. The bridge is clean, there are some great views with play areas and lots of families making use of it.
We walked on to Trinity Groves and back to the bridge where we took a break. As is our custom, we spent our time discussing deep thoughts and solving the problems of the world.
At just under 5 miles, we started our trek back north retracing our earlier steps. We did walk through Victory Park, a first for me other than the Stars game I attended. At the foot of the K-T, the crush began, like last weekend, the trail was mobbed.
Head down, one foot after the last we made it back to our trail-head and decided to go to the top just to finish off the day. The trip was 11.26 miles in 3 hours/25 minutes and roughly 26,000 steps.
Trinity Groves Urban Walk map.
I cannot lie, I’m a little stiff for the effort. The trick is, don’t sit down! It was a great day and we know that we can do the miles, not the question is how much pain will be involved as we do it day after day.
While the Pilgrims are walking the Camino, many of our friends will be invading other parts of Europe during the same period.
Obviously, we will be in Spain most of the time, with 3 of 5 arriving in France/Spain in early to mid-May. Another group of friends leave for Italy on May 13th for several weeks and Susan and Leah arrive in Madrid on June 20th and meet us in Santiago on the 22nd. The next day, they jet off for Paris.
Out of a group of friends that have been travelling together for almost 40 years, this is the largest group of coincidental travelling we’ve done together…small world.
Stoked that Ann has her flights lined up and that Robin will be able to join her for the hump over the Pyrenees, as I mentioned before, it’s as shame that we won’t be able to see her or maybe, that she won’t be able to see us, I like it better that way.
It’s also the first trip where the second generation Hot Lips are travelling together sort of. Same trip, different segments. Welcome Robin and Leah. The only hope for the Boys is if Benjamin can make a trip someday. Otherwise, we’re waiting for Gen. 3…come on Chuck!
We’re grinding out the miles, Thursday we did most of the Katy Trail, over 6.5 miles before dark. Saturday, while L&R were complaining about having walked a mile in airports (on their way to Costa Rica), I hit the KT early and knocked of almost 10 miles for the day, glad I started early because it was a full on traffic jam as I finished up a little after 1100. For the most part, all the moving parts are holding up with no problem. I know at this point that if I can do 10-12 miles, I can do 15-20, there may be some expletives involved but I can do them.
I’ll be creating a You Tube account this week and begin the process of learning how to use it and working on efficient ways to get content created and uploaded for the kids as Ben Milam Elementary. Creating useful and interesting content is my biggest challenge.
Last but not least, I’m trying to shake the Spanish language cob webs out of my brain, I apologize to my former Tutor, Senora Monina Gilcrest, I didn’t keep up my speaking skills, you were right. Mi amigo mejor ahora es Rosetta Stone.
Well, there’s a saying, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry” and in this case, our planned trip to Colorado Bend State Park have to be changed.
We’ve all been trying to visit Café Momentum, a restaurant designed to help post-release juveniles find a craft and a job in the restaurant and food services industry. Café Momentum is both classroom and restaurant. What a great idea.
So, instead of Colorado Bend the first weekend of March, we’re going to do Cedar Ridge again and then go to CB the first weekend in April.
No harm, no foul and we get good food and to support a great cause. There’s a link for more info on Café Momentum.
