Larry sent me the following report put together by Bunny. Thanks Bunny for a report and the photos ... I was too tired to even pick up a camera which is VERY unusual for me.
I'm glad y'all had a good time. It was great to see everyone and I look forward to getting togetheer again in the fall when it is cooler to open up some more trail!
Tony
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ESCONDIDO DRAW - JULY 25-27
Thank you Hurricane Dolly! Expecting to be blazing hot for the end of July in Ozona, we were surprised to have very pleasant weather! Overcast skies and a pretty constant breeze blew on Friday and Saturday with Sunday coming around for a more typical west Texas day. Artie and I even slept with just the windows open on Friday night and the cool breeze brought the bigger blanket out by morning! Couldn’t have asked for better weather!
Upon our arrival late Friday afternoon, Larry Lancaster, Mike Zumwalt and son Zach, and several other TMTC members had nearly completed cutting the first trail. Calling it a day, it was back to camp for cooking and comradery. Joining the campout was John Flowers and son Bryce with friends Patrick, Kyle, JB and Sidney.
Saturday’s goal was to finish cutting the first trail, but of course you have to run it to where you left off, right? Doing this, we had some fun before the work began. The last section was cut and cleared, bringing this the first cut trail in Escondido Draw! This trail had been scouted by Larry and Artie way back in April. In truth, this trail still has an easier route section to be cut that is densely covered cedar. When it is completed as planned, it will have the main trail and two alternate "loops" that add some off camber challenges.
The TMTC was holding their meeting in Ozona that afternoon, along with meeting and greeting some of the Ozona locals. The locals furnished hot dogs and hamburgers to those attending. Back at camp the rest of the day was spent just cruising the ranch roads, getting ourselves familiar with the lay of the land. Artie and I went scouting for more trails. After walking up a couple of draws we found another good possibility, flagging it to return again.
Sunday morning saw most everyone leaving out to head home, but Larry and us hadn’t had enough. We went to look at our scouted trail and decided it was worthy of being trail #2 to be cut for next time. This trail will begin easy and work its way up to a category 5 or better. We hope to have a bail out spot for those that do not want to complete the extreme part of the trail. The final elevation gives you 4, yes 4, waterfalls before you top out the ridge! Each waterfall has a platform, so if a rollover does occur, you should just land it there and stop. One waterfall may require a permanent wench point.
Escondido Draw is definitely out yonder, but what it brings to the outdoor enthusiast is just that. The feeling of being absolutely away from all hustle and bustle. Stars shining brightly with no outside lights interrupting their beauty. Silence - ever heard it? What a place to unwind - not completely - cause cell phones do work! Drawbacks at this point is that it has VERY dense vegetation of scrub brush and cedar. It is HARD WORK cutting trails. It is hard to navigate just to scout trails! There are no tall hardwood trees, so camping under the shady spot of an oak tree really doesn’t exist. This is the ground floor – there is MUCH work ahead. For some, this is part of the fun - being part of the pioneer spirit, blazing that trail, being the first to drive over it, just knowing your sweat and hard work got you there. Helping in the formation of a new area is a worthy cause to many. Personally, I think this is going to be a great place to come to for folks in central Texas.
Bunny Erfurt, Bandera Texas
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Not exactly bike photos, but you can get the idea of the terrain that we are dealing with