Caprock Canyon 4/9 to 4/12

“Will I get to see the bats if I go on this trip? Or I should say are you going to try and make time to see the bats? Bats are cool. I just put up a bat house in my yard and hope bats move in soon so they can eat all the mosquitoes. I'm going on a 30 mile hike next week and if my foot does OK then I hope to be going on this trip.”

“not really looking forward to walking a 1000' in bat guano....”

“It looks like I'll be at the park on Thursday night too. I'm not sure that I'll have the time or stamina to do the entire 60 miles but plan on starting out with ya'll. I'll have to play it by ear until the time gets closer.

It has been a very wet spring so far in that part of Texas, after sevral years of drought.”

“Hey Chuck D, What part of texas do you live in? We live just south of Dallas”

“Actually Northwest Harris County.”

“Cool, I thought I was going to have a long drive....”

“I live in Walker County. If you want to do some kind of car pool to and from this trip Email me (11wayne@quik.com). Also I will be doing some small backpacking trips in the next few weeks to get ready for this trip. They will be on the Lone Star Trail, and if you are interested in going let me know.”

“Sorry, I meant ChuckD not ChyckD

Also if any one else is interested in going on a small preparation trip on the Lone Star Trail you are welcome. I don't have any dates set at this time just whatever works out. I'm thinking of something like a one or two nighter maybe even a day hike.”

“we lived in lancaster. cool place...untill we got nailed by a tornado....


sounds liek a killer hike ya'll”

“stratdewd, I used to live in Red Oak, I remember that twister!!!!!
Looked like a bombs had been dropped on lancaster.....”

“BigRob,

Right now I'm planning on taking the family with me as far as Breckenridge so I'm a little iffy on the car pool.

Chuck”

“I will get off work at 10:00 a.m. on 4-8-03 and meet a friend at the house. We will throw the bags in the truck and head towards Caprock Canyon trail. I do not know how long it will take us to get there but it will probable be late when we arrive. Can any one cash water for us when you cash your water along the trail? If you can it will be much appreciated and I will pay you for the cost of the water when we meet up. ChuckD the car pool idea is there if things change, otherwise I will meet you at the trail.”

“has anyone talked to chili in the past few days??????”

“BigRob... the same goes for me and my girlfriend for the water cache”

“I will be finalizing this trip this week.

I will try to get a head count on who is in and get the water drops planned.”

“great ... thanks chili.... did you get your Black Belt?????”

“Hyyyy Yah! Got the second dose of it...have about three more doses to go.

My head still hurts from last week.”

“I will change my status to a yes. The only reason that will change is if…
never mind I will go even if it kills me.
If any one has a Zip Code for the area please let me know so I can check the weather.”

“79255”

“Thanks
Quitaque Texas Today

Currently:
72º
Partly Cloudy
Hi: 78
Lo: 57”

“Nice. With a little rain out there, we should get a good wildflower show on this hike.”

“An old railroad path leads hikers to rare canyons and hideaways for nesting bats. Just east of Lubbock, the flat, unbroken land of the high Texas plains plummets into lower rolling plains, forming a dramatic geological feature called the Caprock Escarpment. Along the Caprock, deep canyons slice through red sandstone. Twisted rock formations sculpted by wind and rain, stretch toward the sky. Juniper and cottonwood trees, tall grasses, and wildflowers flourish among the crumbling sandstone and trickling creeks. But those are just the first of the amazing sights you’ll encounter on the Caprock Canyons Trail way, a railway turned hiking trail that stretches 64 miles across the Texas panhandle. The first night, pitch your tent outside a 750-foot-long abandoned railway tunnel and watch as thousands of Mexican free tailed bats stream out of the passage to feed, the group silhouetted against the sky like a living tornado. The next morning, tackle the next stretch of your 17-mile weekend trek from the southern terminus to Monk’s Crossing; you’ll see vacant train stations and wildflowers, but few people on this little known path.
The Caprock Canyons Trail way, formerly the busy Ft. Worth and Denver Railroad route, runs across the High Plains and the Caprock for 64 miles from South Plains to Estelline. If you start at the South Plains terminus, you can trek for 17 easy, down hill miles through flat plains and glowing-red sandstone canyons before encountering another access point. Hike quickly and quietly through Clarity Tunnel. Guano dust isn’t good for you, and loud noises disturb the bats. A hat and long sleeve shirt protect you from droppings.
Caprock Canyons State Park, (806) 455-1492 www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/caprock/caprock.htm For shuttles, call Roland Hamilton at the Caprock Home Center (806) 445-1193”

“Prosecutor are you going to take your dutch oven that you took when we went to the Rid River Gorge?”

“That 10 inch cast aluminum dutch oven weighs 3 pounds. Texas heat + long distances does not equal bringing a dutch oven. But I have since figured out how to "bake" in a 8 1/2 inch GSI hard anodized teflon skillet by coving the skillet tightly with aluminum foil. I can still cook a cobbler, but I save 2 pounds in weight by using the skillet.”

“Ok, ok,,,,we will let you use the skillet.”

“I was impressed with your meal (fajitas I think) when I was eating dried up pre packed food with water added to it. Maybe you can give me some meal ideas that will not require me to carry to much extra weight. Or maybe I can just not pack food and catch me some of them there bats and we can have bat fajitas. What do you thank!”

“I think that I am not going to thank you for cooking bat wings.”

“Probably some prairie dogs along the trail too, they may be a little tough for fajitas but make a good gumbo.”

“ya know chili, can always catch a horny toad or two and have toad legs, or can always do the fried rattlesnake kabobs.....”

“Actually, I have had the fried rattlesnake and I didn't think it was that bad.”

“Fried rattlesnake, mashed potatoes and cream gravy. A true Texan meal.”

“Actually, I had fried rattlesnake in Lower Alabama. Everyone needs to go the Rattlesnake roundup in Opp at least once.”

“Sweetwater has the biggest snake round-up in Texas,my cousin was Miss Rattlesnake of 1974.”

“I'm planning on doing this hike. Will be traveling with BigRob, don't worry, I won't let him cook bat fajitas. Would appreciate water cache also, thanks.”

“chili... when is the trip plan going to be ready????”

“Well, given the scouting report I received this morning, I had to work on this. Originally, I planned to move E to W.

But given prevailing winds direction and speed, we will be doing it the other way.

Trip report will come out tomorrow after I read the maps tonight.”

“I have been looking over the cookbook you sent me, and I may try out one of the recipes on this trip. I’m not that good a cook in the kitchen so no telling what my outdoor cooking will be like. Thanks again.”

“Not that is matters all that much but west to east is the down hill direction. It's also closer to the State Park for the Thursday night stay.”

“whats the drive time from Little Rock? and...

Cotton socks...stop being a whinny baby and help out with the shuttling...If this is a go for me, I'd need to be offtrail by sun morn so that I can do the long drive home and be at work on Monday morn.”

“Starting from: Little Rock, AR
Arriving at: Quitaque, TX 79255
Distance: 612.8 miles Approximate Travel Time: 9 hours 25 mins

Thats not to bad.”

“Starting form Houston
Arriving at Quitaque

Distance 550.8 miles, est time 10.15 hrs”

“I'm planning getting up there fairly early on Thursday, I could do water caches that afternoon.

I can only make the first couple of days of the hike, have to be back home on before Sunday.”

“MapQuest from Mokena, Illinois
1045 miles 16 hours 52 minutes.

I plan on mountain biking a portion of the trail Thursday morning, April 8, 2004, and then camping in one of the primative walk in sites in the South Prong Tent camping area Thursday evening.”

“I plan on being out there by late afternoon on Thursday. Plan is to thru hike it in 4 days or less.

Trip plan will be up shortly.”

“Day One:

Friday

South Plains Terminal to at least Monks Crossing. 17 miles

We would need a water drop here.

Day Two.

Monks Crossing to Turkey, we pass through Quitaque to resupply water/grub and cover a total of 15.5 miles. We can resupply water in Turkey and those leaving Sat afternoon/evening can depart the trail from here.

Day Three: Turkey to somewhere between Tampico Siding and Parnell Station. We need a water drop at Tampico siding. It is a 22 mile haul all the way from Turkey to Parnell and that would be a monster day. In any event, we need a water drop at Parnell.

Day Four: Finish out at Estelline, which is ten miles from Parnell.

64.5 miles in four days. Trail is flat and wide. I am going to strip out everything I think I don't need and will probably have my tent/bag sent around to Monk's Crossing and to Turkey to lighten first two day's load. I don't see any way to get it transported into Grundy Canyon, so unless we want to commit to the 22 miles from Turkey to Parnell, we will have to hump all the gear. Jettison everything except a day pack at Parnell and fast pack the last 10 miles.

Leave to come home Tuesday.”

“Oh, btw, reports are to expect a steady prevailing wind to our backs. I had originally planned this from Estelline to South Plains, but reversed it on getting wind reports.”

“The South Prong Primitive Sites have a capacity of 4 and 2 cars. Do I need to book a another site or 2 to have enough slots for all of us for Thursday night?”

“Might need to book another one.”

“I'll book another right now”

“Have another site reserved fro Thursday night, 30 yard walk in so we won't have too far to carry the keg.”