Lake Livingston State Park YRE
03/16/2013

Lake Livingston State Park is a Year Round Event hosted by the Brazos Valley Trailblazers Volksmarching club. We registered for the event at the Ranger’s Station and got a set of directions. We learned that this 10K event is made up of three sections. The first section goes out on the Pineywood Nature trail. It goes for quite a ways on just dirt trail.

The start of the walk in the woods.

Then we came to a raised boardwalk section. This was a good place to stop to re-tie a loose shoe lace.

View of the boardwalk.

The boardwalk passed this fenced off area. There were tiny wildflowers but they don’t show up in the picture.

There was a nice picnic area where we stopped for a few minutes to rest.

As we walked on the boardwalk we noticed there was quite a few of these little guys. They would jump off the boardwalk when we came close.

We noticed blooms laying on the boardwalk and looked up to find the source. There is a trumpet vine in this tree.

Another nice resting spot built into the boardwalk.

	Stopping to read the display about the birds that frequent the woods.

This butterfly garden doesn’t have any plants yet to attract the butterflies.

We came next to the duck pond. Nice overlook. We didn’t see any ducks here though.

There was a lot of Cardinals flying about though and I managed to catch this one with my camera.

Spotted this turtle sunning himself on a floating log. His reflection makes him look strange.

Returning over this bridge. We crossed it right before the fenced off pond. When we came to the pond again we knew we'd missed the trail back to the ranger station. So we turned around to search for the trail.

Ahah, here is the stepping block we used to get on the boardwalk.

We made it safely back to the ranger station and the first section (5k) was complete. Directions said go across the road to do the next section. We didn't see the trail so we asked the ranger inside and she admitted she wasn’t familiar with the trails and had no idea where it started.

Leaving the ranger station walk on the boardwalk between the parking areas. When you get to the end of the boardwalk look directly ahead. No trail marking present.

Section two is a 3K out and back. You turn right and the lake is on your left side.

We spotted this woodpecker feasting on this tree.

Two boat ramps.

As we approached the half way point there was a store (closed) and lots of people around. The wind was kicking up white water along the edge of bank.

There was a tower you could climb. This was not on the “official” walk route, but that red dot at the top is Ed.

I joined him in the tower and took this picture looking down at the docks.

Back on the trail again, I liked the white fluffy clouds against the pine trees.

There was a nice tree that just asked to be climbed on. I couldn’t resist.

Another picnic area off to the left of the trail.

Another trumpet vine. This one on a decaying log.

When you get to this arched tree you are near the restrooms and the turn around point to retrace your steps back to the ranger station.

Section three (2K) is another out and back. It starts out the same way as Section two but you turn left and walk along with the lake on your right.

The directions say when you come to where the bridge is out, turn around. We saw red tape and a tree across the path. This culvert is about washed out. This is NOT the turnaround.

We continued along the path and came to another downed tree.

We came to a trail to the right which headed down to the lake.

Ahah, here is the bridge that is out.

We passed this trail sign earlier. On the way back we were instructed to turn left and go a short way to see another bridge before returning to the sign and then back to the ranger station.

I walked out on the bridge.