MikeHikes's Logbook

Stats
Total Log Entries: 580 (Rank: 2nd)  [List Them]  [Map Them]
Total Distance: 4,666.20 Miles (Rank: 2nd)
Average Distance: 8.05 Miles

Average Rating: 4stars (4.19)
Average Difficulty: halfstar (0.93)
Average Solitude: 4point5stars (4.63)

Earliest Log Entry: 1/7/2014
Latest Log Entry: 1/25/2025

Average ratings are based on the published values and not the values entered in your own log entries.

Photos
Flowers at the Trailhead

Quite a few yellow flowers blooming at the Burkett Park trail head. [San Angelo State Park]
Log Entries
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Loop + Roadrunner Loop
San Angelo State Park - 1/25/2025  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: halfstar Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 9.90 Miles Duration: 5 hours

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral (N) > Winding Snake > Burkett Park         3.4 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > TTasajilla Flats > Playground parking area    3.4 miles

Leg 3 -  Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area    3.1 miles

Temps started at 33, ended at 61. Mostly sunny with steady 10-20mph SSW breeze.

Easy hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails.  The initial cold and fairly strong winds kept most of the animals and birds in place so not many were seen.  As the temps warmed, they became more active.  A few groups of deer were seen as were numerous smaller birds, no larger birds were spotted until the end of the hike when I saw Black Buzzards.

Not much to report except it was a nice hike!

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground Parking Area.

Shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.  IMPORTANT - WATER IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

Water and shade areavailable at campsites along Roadrunner Loop and there are three places where toilets and info kiosks are located.

Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction Loop
San Angelo State Park - 1/18/2025  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3point5stars Difficulty: halfstar Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 7.50 Miles Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Leg 1 - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Roller  Coaster > West Potts Creek > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction    4.0 miles

Leg 2 -  5 Points Junction > Flintstone (S) > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground (S)> Potts Creek (ENE) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park      3.5 miles

Temp started at 33, ended at 44.  Clear and sunny w/5-10mph NNE winds.

Easy hike along dry and easy to traverse trails.  Not many birds or animals out while hiking due to the cold.  All trails were easily passable.  There is still water in a few areas but lack of rainfall is hurting the environment.  A few deer and a small group of javelinas were spotted as I drove out of the park.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.

Water, shade, and info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.

Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.

South Shore - Playground parking area to Isabel Harte Loop
San Angelo State Park - 1/12/2025  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: halfstar Solitude: 4stars
Distance: 4.30 Miles Duration: 2 hours

Route -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad Trailhead > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > service road (N) > Chaparral > Playground parking area     4.3 miles

Temp started at 44, ended at 50.  Sunny w/steady 10mph Northerly wind.

Easy hike along damp to dry trails.  All trails easy to see and traverse.  Small birds were visible this morning as well as a small group of deer.  There were more people on the trails than expected but it was not a large number, just more than expected.

LOTS of White Crowned Sparrows (photo attached).  Also saw Mockingbirds, Pryluxoiia, a Loggerhead Shrike and a few Golden Fronted Woodpeckers.  Weather was cool and the wind was constant but it was still a very nice hike.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parkign rea.

 

North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook - Short Figure 8
San Angelo State Park - 1/3/2025  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 1star Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 7.80 Miles Duration: 4 hours

Leg 1 -  Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > service road (W) > Badlands > River Bend Trail > service road (N) > Cougar Overlook     4.2 miles

Leg 2 -  Cougar Overlook > Javelina > River Bend (N) > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp (N) > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Lower Big Hill > service road (dirt) (N) > Dinosaur Trail (N) > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead    3.6 miles

Temp started at 34, ended at 52.  Sunny then overcast with a steady 5mph Northerly wind.

Easy hike along dry and familiar trails.  It's been a few months since I've hiked at the North Shore.  What surprised me the most is that the North Concho River has water in it and it is flowing - albeit a V-E-R-Y S-L-O-O-O-W flow but a little flow is better than no flow.  Because of the cold, there was minimal animal activity except for a few deer and a Great Horned Owl sitting at the top of a bare tree.

As the day lightened, more birds were seen including Cardinals and ducks (photo attached) but not in great numbers. 

This was the first hike for the year -

Starting mileage - 4636.7

Avg hike distance - 8.05

NOTES -

Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are availabvle at Bell's Trailhead.  Water and shade are available at nearby campsites.

Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Cougar Overlook.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets are available at the River Bend Campground.

South Shore - Playground parking area to Armadillo Ridge Loop
San Angelo State Park - 12/30/2024  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: halfstar Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 9.60 Miles Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad Trailhead > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > Roller Coaster      3.3 miles

Leg 2 -  Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park     3.5 miles

Leg 3 -  Burkett Park > Winding Snake >Chaparral > Playground parking area    2.8 miles

Temp started at 50, ended at 80.  Sunny with a 10-15mph Westerly breeze.

Relaxing hike along dry and familiar trails.  NUMEROUS deer were seen south of Burkett Park.  Quite a few birds were out as well including hawks (photo attached), a Great Horned owl, various small birds and some large flocks of black birds traveling to the lake. 

Nothing really happened - it was just a relaxing hike.

FINAL HIKE OF 2024 -

Miles at beginning of year --  4298.3

Miles at end of the year    --- 4636.7

Miles hiked for the year    ---  338.4

Number of hikes for year   ---  41

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parking area.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.