Haikus We’ve Received So Far – What do you think?

Please comment and let us know which of these you think best expresses Austin Parks Foundation. I’ll be adding more haikus as they come in.

1. Eternal summer
   We might rely on A/C
   But for Austin Parks

2. Laying foundations,
   Town Lake, Barton and Shoal Creek,
   For generations.
3. Trees, a trail, a bench
   A green place built by neighbors
   hands – This is a park.
4. Neighbors gather at
   the park: move rocks, plant trees and
   Celebrate green places

Austin’s Trail Network Needs Your Vision

For the past twelve years there’s been a small but growing effort to increase the number and variety of hike and bike trails in Austin.

While Town Lake Trail is the most famous, Barton Creek Greenbelt the most ridden and floated, and Shoal Creek the oldest, there is a growing movement to link these and other portions of our community together with longer distance trails that more people in greater numbers can use daily.

So, if you haven’t yet heard about the Northern and Southern Walnut Creek Trails, the Town Lake Boardwalk, the Walk for a Day trail, the Cap Metro Rails with Trails study and the Austin to Bastrop River Corridor, you are about to.

We think its time to take the effort up a notch and support those few individuals representing city, county, non-profit, and advocacy groups as well as many, many volunteers who have been working to make these bigger visions happen.

We want to build a map and provide information as well as updates on these and many other projects. We’d like to provide this information on our web site as well as in print. We want to market the vision, support the efforts that need our help and raise funds for signage, seating, shade and other amenities that will improve this planned network.

Can you help us? We’re initially looking for folks who have expertise in mapping and design to help us create the first version of our web pages and printed materials. We’re also looking for help in brainstorming marketing concepts. Please email or call, we’d be happy to have your help.

Greenbelt Guardians Trail at Gus Fruh

Greenbelt Guardians is a mostly neighborhood group that works to improve the trails at Gus Fruh and Homedale access trails. With the water running in the creek and two new swimming dogs (see picture below), we’ve been heading there evenings and mornings to check out the constant 100 cfs flow.

What’s really amazing is all of the work done by Greenbelt Guardians on the new Gus Fruh trail. So, the next time you’re walking down the trail, turn right, vs. going straight down the “old fall line mule trail” and enjoy the switch-backed, smooth surfaced trail that has been completely rebuilt over the past four years by Greenbelt Guardian volunteers. A lot of rock has been placed, gravel hauled and packed into place, and invasive trees and plants cut and pulled out. Its looking really good right now, so turn right and check it out!

Me with my dogs Jessie and Tugboat (on my lap) at Gus Fruh.

Hi, Water

It seemed like a perfect day for swimming, so I paid a visit to Twin Falls. When I saw how parked up it was, I almost turned back – but then I thought, there’s plenty of room in the creek – how bad can it be. Hiking down the trail, things seemed to be in pretty good shape. (A lot of folks must be bringing trash bags and cleaning up after less conscientious park-users. Thanks folks!)

As my friends and I neared the falls area, we could hear a loud roar – no, not the water – the crowds. The water was high and fast, so few rocks were exposed. Most people were standing waist deep or so, drinking beer, blaring boom boxes and enjoying the water. While AC/DC and inebriation have their place, it’s not my idea of a relaxing afternoon atmosphere. We kept hiking to see if we could find a more peaceful area.

Sure enough, a short way upstream was quiet, with just a few folks relaxing on shore and the occasional passing kayak. Perfect, I thought. We stowed our stuff and jumped in. Only to find ourselves being swept rapidly downstream! I grabbed onto a tree branch and pulled myself into a little cove. The tallest of us found a rock to stand on, and pulled the third member of our group over to the shore. We did some swimming in place, then pulled ourselves out. Maybe it wasn’t a perfect day for swimming after all.