Austin makes list of best trail running cities in the world

Austin makes list of best trail running cities in the world

 

Joe Prusaitis runs through the pines on a ranch east of Austin. Pam LeBlanc photo

Like trail running? Welcome to Austin.

This week our city made it to Map My Run’s list of “Best Cities in the World for Trail Running.”

Also making the list were Flagstaff, Arizona; Whistler, British Columbia; Boulder, Colorado; Washington, D.C.; Salt Lake City; Santa Fe; Seoul, South Korea; Queenstown, New Zealand; and the Via Valais through the Swiss Alps.

That’s some pretty hefty company, especially considering the 140-mile Via Valais (which isn’t a city at all, by the way) was designed by runners, for runners and cuts through gorgeous mountain terrain.

I’ve run through Chautauqua Park in Boulder, which made my quads burn in a very happy way, and have heard the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail in DC makes for good running all the way to Pennsylvania.

Joe Prusaitis started a series of trail running races around Austin. Pam LeBlanc photo

Here’s what the company had to say about Austin:

“With more than 20,000 acres of parks inside city limits, there’s plenty of space to run in Austin, even with the booming population. Barton Creek Greenbelt is always a favorite — it starts at Zilker Park and provides a 15-mile round-trip route. The path that runs alongside downtown’s Colorado River is easily accessible and provides views of the water, though it can get crowded. And Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park in north Austin offers an extensive trail system allowing for many different distances, with paths ranging from smooth to technical.”

Nice, and it doesn’t even mention the stuff just outside of town like Bluff Creek Ranch and Rocky Hill Ranch.

Look for my story about trail running in the September edition of Bluebonnet Electric Co-op’s magazine.

 

 

 

 

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I’ve almost finished my book about J. David Bamberger

I’ve almost finished my book about J. David Bamberger

J. David Bamberger spends time every morning reading the New York Times, and spreading the pages out around his favorite armchair as he finishes. Pam LeBlanc photo

I spent a few hours this weekend at Selah, hashing over book titles with J. David Bamberger.

I’ve filled spare weekends and days off for the last few years holed up at the ranch, listening to the 91-year-old conservationist tell me stories about his childhood, his days as a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman, co-founder of Church’s Fried Chicken and, most importantly, his life’s work pumping life back into an overgrazed, worn out patch of land in the Texas Hill Country.

Now I’ve compiled those stories, along with a little bit about my friendship with Bamberger, into a book being produced by Texas A&M University Press. We’re hoping for a spring 2020 publication date.

J. David Bamberger shows off an old family photo of him and his brothers. Pam LeBlanc photo

Bamberger didn’t want his name in the title of the book. “It sounds egotistical,” he told me.

I reminded him that the book is about him, a collection of his stories, and that it’s important to let readers know what’s on its pages. Besides, I told him, his name will only appear in the subtitle, not in the main words splashed across the front cover.

J. David Bamberger, his girlfriend Joanna, and Chris LeBlanc shoot the shit at Selah, Bamberger Ranch on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019. Pam LeBlanc photo

We’ve still got lots of work to do – designing that cover, copy editing the text, blurbs for the back cover, and planning a marketing strategy. Thanks to Shannon Davies for shepherding me through the process.

It’s taken me so long to get to this point that sometimes I felt like I’d never finish. It’s an amazing feeling, knowing now that this project is really going to happen.

 

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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