Conquering the Lighthouse Trail

On a whim, I decided to go hiking in the Canyon today. Been spending far too much time inside lately. I also noticed that it had been generally overcast with almost no rain, just a few thunderclaps. And given that today was generally cooler than the weather the preceding couple of weeks, I figured I ought to seize the day!

A gorgeous picture of the clouds starting to roll in:



The entire time I was afraid these clouds would pour on me, particularly since I didn't have a ziploc baggy for my new[ish] camera. I got lucky though, and just enjoyed the shade and the beauty.



I don't remember the exact distance, but I think I was a good mile and a half or more in before I could even see the lighthouse on the horizon:



On the final approach:



A good (long and wide) shot of the trail leading up to the lighthouse. Notice the lack of civilization anywhere in sight - gorgeous!:



A path leading up to the tip top of the lighthouse. Given how narrow and unsteady it is, and how much I don't like heights, I have yet to bring myself to tackle it:



In context, bottom right. The path leads to the very tip top left pinnacle of the formation. Only seen people up there once:



A gorgeous view of the storm front off in the distance. Never reached Canyon, but it was amazing watching the clouds swirl in the wind streams high up:



After spending some time up on the formation, had to eventually come back down. This unfortunately is easier said than done. The very steep and relatively smooth climbs associated with the last quarter mile of the hike, like the one pictured below are what make it challenging. Not physically, necessarily. There's simply nothing to hold onto in order to brace yourself, and nothing but rocks to catch yourself on if you fall.



I feel obligated to end the photos with one of Sneaky Snake. I walked by him (quite literally) on the way back from the lighthouse formation. I probably got within 1.5' or 2' before I realized he was there, did a funny little jump as if it would somehow outsmart the snake, then ran about 8' away. When I realized he hadn't moved at all, I decided to sneak back up a bit and snap a picture. I can't say for sure what type he is, but it has a strong resemblance to this guy. Especially if you look at the second picture. Maybe I got lucky today.



Definitely fun, second time I've done this by myself. Notes for next time: Bug spray and a walking stick of some sort. The bug spray is absolutely necessary because the horse flies are pretty horrendous out there. They bite. It hurts.

And a walking stick primarily for the descent from the formation. Difficult not having something to stabilize yourself on very smooth, sandy, 45% grades, heh.

Hopefully I'll have a chance to actually hike one of the other trails in the Canyon in the next week or two. (After my knees recover! About six miles round trip.) Only ever done the lighthouse in Canyon, and I'd like to experience more of it while I'm still here.

Venting Some Frustration

I live in the Collegiate Station Apartment Complex in Canyon, TX. Rent is low, utilities are low, the grounds are mostly clean, and the residents are mostly quiet. It's even pretty close to campus. The few times I've had complaints, they've almost always been resolved within the week. The management has never seemed top notch, but it's never been horrible either. Did I mention that rent is low?

My one consistent complaint with the complex is that they use Pavlov Media as their cable and internet provider. Ninety-five percent of the time it works just fine, perfectly acceptable. Then there is that five percent of the time (like now) when it comes and goes in spurts, and generally sucks more than dial up. When you talk to the apartment complex's main office, they tell you it's not their fault, and that you should call Pavlov Media.

When you call Pavlov Media, you get someone (often speaking English as a second language) who gives you the run around. After thirty minutes of arguing about it, they finally understand that the internet isn't working, at which point they tell you that it's fine on their end and you should talk to your apartment's main office.

The end result is several days of torturously living like you're in the early 1990's (what did I do before internet?) hoping for the satellite connection and routers to miracle themselves to a consistent working state. I admit, I'm totally dependent on the internet. It provides my entertainment. I get ninety percent of my news from it. It's a communication medium with many people in my life. It's a general reference tool for anything I become inquisitive about. Heck, it's even where I pay some of my bills. So when it disappears, I'm rarely sure what to do with myself. I guess I'll have to read a book...

Beautiful Night in Canyon

It's an absolutely gorgeous and still night outside. Very silent and quite. Completely undisturbed. One of the nights that will make me miss Canyon. Neither too hot nor too cold. Still. Fresh. The kind of night that makes you want to wake up early the next morning to see the sun rise. (Not that I will... far too late into the morning for that.)

Makes me realize how close I am to my time in Canyon (and in college) coming to a close. And being out there alone, it's easy to reflect upon all the evenings I've spent out there with friends. Over the summer, 4th of July with fraternity brothers. Evenings after exec councils. (And sometimes followed by a visit to my girlfriend when we first started dating and were both super busy.)

It's easy, with the Panhandle wind and incredibly unpredictable weather, to overlook evenings like this. So I'm glad I was able to appreciate at least one more while I'm here. Probably won't be the last, but I don't really know that.

You only live once.