Back from Colorado Bend State Park, TX...

[ROCK6]

We made it back…a nice little trip with a lot of off-trail hiking! Only bad part was the burn-ban…even after we had to heavy afternoon showers. A lot of camp crafts I had planned for my son involved using fire…go figure. We did a few other crafts such as building a figure four, carved tent pegs and even cut some small saplings to make a loop and used our shirt to catch minnows (ala Bear).

Despite not having a campfire, we still made the most of it…my wife’s cooking had to be done over a Coleman stove, not ideal, but it still tasted great! We ended up spending more time hiking and exploring…and swimming in the spring to stay cool.

We did a lot of hiking; the second day my wife got the climbing fever and we climbed down into the creek canyon at the highest point on the trail.

It was a pretty decent little climb down…here’s looking up (you can see my Devildog bag at the top of the highest peak; I had to go down and then back up to get everyone elses gear):

I must say that my Chaco sandals handled the rough terrain pretty darn good. We just climbed up through the creek canyon and did a little bouldering on the way. The regular trail crosses several times, so we stopped at the larger waterfall for a break and then headed back down to the swimming hole.

I’m a little too tired to do any reviews other than my wife bought a WalMart tent fan that ran off batteries. I was teasing her about it…but wow, that thing actually worked!

ROCK6

 

[ROCK6]

I mostly carried my Devildog on the day hikes…two water bottles, FAK, 550-cord, camera, PSK, Silky 130 saw, Swiss Spirit multi-tool (new addition and great features!), bandana, leather gloves, Novatac LED, my Charter .44 SPL Bulldog and small bino’s:

Some of the blade-ware and tools I brought along for the hikes:

Here’s a few more shots of us climbing around a little:

ROCK6

 

[ROCK6]

We had several armadillos visit us…they make a ton of noise moving through the underbrush; they sound like small tanks!

Leo (our mutt) found his own trails, especially when we climbed down into the canyon; he's actually a pretty decent rock-climber himself:

Here’s a morning visitor that Leo didn’t chase off:

Our last night, we had a baby raccoon visit. He was a small little guy and actually came a little too close to my son (sniffed his shoes!). Needless to say, the little pesky guy was pretty cute:

Small word on headlamps…they’re worth their weight! All three of us used them extensively; either setting up camp in the dark, fending off the night-time critters (actually Leo did that quite well), getting that early morning cup of Joe started, or reading a good novel during a thunderstorm…I’ve always carried a decent LED light with me, but when you need two hands, a small, light LED headlamp is worth it’s weight. I used my Zebralight (single AA), my son used a Petzle Tikka-Plus and my wife used a Princeton Tec Scout (very small and uses coin lithium batteries).

ROCK6

 

[j williams]

Stellar man. Looks like a nice park, w/ a little good climbing, and an awesome swimming hole. Youre right on bout the chacos, they are versatile footwear, and a headlamp is a pretty indispensable piece of kit. And with no fire, a pretty neccesary one.

Great shots in there too. You like that devildog? I passed it uo and got a S.O. tech go bag instead, but I was looking at em pretty hard.

 

[texastonydobbs]

Excellent picture and Hope ya'll had a good time,looks like fun, Please PM me the place name and info,I like to do that this summer...Thanks Tony

 

[mtnfolk mike]

great pics man...:thumbup: i love TX.. i's been waaay too long since i've been there...

 

[tknife]

Great pics Rock. looks like the perfect plcae to cool off after a hot hike. You all are great climbers, even the dog scrambling up the waterfall!

 

[Ron53]

ROCK,

Great pics! Makes me anxious to get home! My wife and I are definitely going to have to visit Colorado Bend and Inks Lake while I'm home this time. See you in a little over a week at the gunshow in Austin.

Ron

 

[ROCK6]

Great shots in there too. You like that devildog? I passed it uo and got a S.O. tech go bag instead, but I was looking at em pretty hard.

mneedham has a much better strap setup as that was my only complaint. It's okay if you're wearing a heavy shirt, but it chafes pretty bad if it's against the skin. I'm really liking it for a lumbar type pack which just holds my day-hike essentials:

Since I was wearing a pair of swim-cargo trousers with the flimsy belt, I only carried my two folders (Ritter RSK and Spyderco Military), chapstick, whistle and lighter with my shorts, the rest went into the Devildog. Of course I had my trusty Filson Packer hat, walking stick and Oakely sunglasses...

ROCK6

 

[j williams]

I like the looks of them, and they seem to hold alot of gear, but I went with the so tech cause I liked its size. looked like it could fit in tight spots easy, and be swung around for easy access. Ive never owned a SO tech, so If I dont like it Im gonna snag up a devildog.

 

[ejes]

Very nice stuff Rock6! Thanks for posting those.

 

[siguy]

looks like you guys had a blast.

bummer about the fire ban, but it also can help you think about how you would do it if you couldn't get a fire started...

sounds like a great trip, its good that you got out there and enjoyed it:thumbup:

 

[HighDesertWalker]

Great post rock. I like all the hiking shots with a lot of variety in the terrain. I'm gonna have to check out those Chaco sandals. :thumbup:

 

[SpookyPistolero]

Nice pics, looks like a great time. Dig the Charter Arms :thumbup:

 

[texastonydobbs]

That Victorinox multi-tool is awesome...I have one and it is great...

 

[Mountainman38]

I must say that my Chaco sandals handled the rough terrain pretty darn good. We just climbed up through the creek canyon and did a little bouldering on the way. The regular trail crosses several times, so we stopped at the larger waterfall for a break and then headed back down to the swimming hole.

ROCK6

VERY cool pictures of you and your family! I love the water, and that's exactly the sort of trip I'd like to take my family on when I get the chance.

I like living in the Puget Sound area, but we don't have nice creeks and pools to swim in like that. Plus, it's only gotten up to about 80° here so far, so swimming hasn't been that attractive.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[ROCK6]

looks like you guys had a blast.
bummer about the fire ban, but it also can help you think about how you would do it if you couldn't get a fire started...

I brought along a few of the backpacking stoves along with my large Coleman 2-burner. Between the Optimus Nova, Snow Peak Giga Ti and the Jetboil, the Jetboil continues to be the easiest to get a quart of water boiled. Used mostly for coffee in the morning and boiling water for the dishes, it continues to be my backpacking stove of choice.

I'm gonna have to check out those Chaco sandals.

HDW, I did a bunch of research and opinions were split between love and hate. They are heavier than most Teva or Merrell sandals and they have a little more abrasive sole. I won't kid you, I had to where them around town and the house for a few weeks before taking them this trip. I also won't say they are the most comfortable, but you do (or at least I did) get use to them and they did quite well at scrambling down rocky cliffs, off-trail hiking, through water and rugged trails. I normally a boot guy, but the Vibram soles make this a great pair of hiking sandals.

Dig the Charter Arms

Thanks Spooky; I did a lot of looking around and reading about the good'ol Charter Bulldog Pug prior to getting back from Iraq. I wanted to find an older model with a more positive reputation, but no luck. Since the manufacturer has changed about four times, there's been more negative than positive feedback. The more recent manufacturer had the most positive marks, so I took a chance. So far, it's been great! I have about 150 rounds through it and both lockup and timing are spot on, with no issues at all. I usually run cowboy loads through it and for a 2.5" barrel snub, it's more than accurate out to 25-30 feet. I'm confident the snake-shot will decapitate a rattler or moccasin within 10 feet based on the pattern I've had.

That Victorinox multi-tool is awesome...

I have to agree that I really do like it. It's much more svelte than the titan Swiss Tool. The blade is unique and fills a great niche...I really don't use the regular blades on other multitools since I usually have a folding knife of two. One of the nicest tools is the little chisel / wire stripper. It has a few nice edges for scoring, chiseling and carving. I'll continue to carry my Charge for work, but the Spirit is going to be riding along for off duty adventures!

ROCK6

 

[ROCK6]

I like living in the Puget Sound area, but we don't have nice creeks and pools to swim in like that. Plus, it's only gotten up to about 80° here so far, so swimming hasn't been that attractive.

Thanks for sharing!

Ha! I was just up there in June (Fort Lewis). My parents live in Grapeview (know where that is?). It was colder than a ditch diggers booty the first week I was there!!! I really miss the area and there are some nice pools to swim in, but it's mostly glacier water and quite cold There are a few nice springs around here in Texas, but I truly miss real mountains and the evergreens...

My parent's garden:

Field Training Site...hard to beat huh?:

ROCK6

 

[texastonydobbs]

I have to agree that I really do like it. It's much more svelte than the titan Swiss Tool. The blade is unique and fills a great niche...I really don't use the regular blades on other multitools since I usually have a folding knife of two. One of the nicest tools is the little chisel / wire stripper. It has a few nice edges for scoring, chiseling and carving. I'll continue to carry my Charge for work, but the Spirit is going to be riding along for off duty adventures!

ROCK6

yeah me to,I carry a LM wave to work and on my off days I like to carry the victorinox Spirit,I like the design of it...great multi-tool...

 

[texastonydobbs]

Beautiful area Rock6,Grapevine is almost an hour north of me...