Monday, April 15, 2019

Hiking to the Pratt Cabin in Guadalupe National Park in West Texas





Eric & I will hike to Pratt Cabin











Information, Restrooms & an
Educational Video playing on
a loop are available in this
building.






National Park buildings and walkways need renovation from time to time.





The Trailhead leads to
five trails.












Eric and I sign in at the Trailhead Logbook, but don't pay a fee to hike because I have an America the Beautiful Senior Pass





The trail to Pratt Cabin is
labeled Moderate.

Eric & I are off to an easy
start.
 The scenery is beautiful....





We brought our hiking
 poles because we
 don't know what
challenges await.






Bluebowls? poke out of
the dead grasses.





A dry streambed





Stairs lead Eric
& me to...





.... a new vista. 




Eric & a Madrone Tree
growing along the trail.





He stops to play bartender
at this makeshift saloon.











His photos feature
me on the trail.







The slowest hiker always leads the group.  That way he or she doesn't get left behind






at hikers.








Eric takes this
pic with one of
the many 
beautiful views
on the trail.








Eric gets a shot
of me carefully
crossing one of
the streams on
today's hike.





Carefully balancing on rocks while crossing creeks in gusting winds must be the "moderate" part of today's hike.






The trail beckons...





A stone wall & pillars 






The Pratt Cabin is large &
well built, with a stone roof.







Wallace Pratt hiked to McKittrick Canyon in 1921 while in the area conducting business.  The canyon is so beautiful that he bought land, hired an architect and had this house built. 






The nearby garage








Eric and I sit at a picnic table and eat our lunch.  





It's time to head back
to the Trailhead.







The views on our return
hike are lovely...









radiant heat of rocks as 
they bloom.






Our 4.8 mile hike is coming to an end.

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