You shouldn’t hug people right now, but you can still hug trees

You shouldn’t hug people right now, but you can still hug trees

I hugged a bunch of trees in my stepmom’s backyard today. Chris LeBlanc photo

I’ve never considered myself that much of a hugger, but man do I miss clamping my arms around my friends in these days of social distancing.

I have to resist the urge every time I see someone I care about. It’s like I’m on a retractable leash. I start going in for contact, then back away at the last moment, when I remember we’re living through a pandemic and we’re not supposed to get within 6 feet of each other.

Someone put a surgical mask on a tree on West Rim Drive. Pam LeBlanc photo

Since I can’t hug my human friends, today I decided to hug trees. I’ve always considered myself a tree hugger anyway; this was just a more literal illustration of how I feel about nature.

And you know what? Feeling that rough bark under my arms and getting a nice deep whiff of oak or cedar or mesquite made me feel a little bit better.

Go out and hug a tree. I’m pretty sure they hug back in their own slightly stiff way.

Double hug from a double tree. Chris LeBlanc photo

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Spider Mountain Bike Park suspends operations during pandemic

Spider Mountain Bike Park suspends operations during pandemic

 

Spider Mountain is suspending operations starting this weekend. Pam LeBlanc photo

Spider Mountain Bike Park in Burnet is suspending operations starting this weekend.

Officials at the chairlift-served mountain bike park say they will continue to follow federal, state and county guidelines and assess a reopening date on a day-by-day basis.

“The COVID-19 crisis compels us to make difficult decisions for the well being not only of our guests and employees but also of Texans as a whole,” said managing partner James Coleman.
Check for update on the park’s website, spidermountain.com. Spider Mountain’s accompanying lodging, Thunderbird Resort, will continue its normal operations.

Read my story about Spider Mountain at https://www.austin360.com/entertainmentlife/20190228/how-chairlift-from-new-mexico-is-changing-things-for-central-texas-mountain-bikers.

The park is located 60 miles northwest of Austin.

A cyclist rides the lift to the top of Spider Mountain on Feb. 9, 2019. Pam LeBlanc photo

Camp Gladiator adds free live-streaming workouts you can do at home

Camp Gladiator adds free live-streaming workouts you can do at home

Camp Gladiator, an Austin-based bootcamp with more than 3,500 locations around the country, has started offering free, live-streamed workouts. Photo courtesy Sage Watkins/Camp Gladiator

With gyms closing and social distancing the norm, it’s getting tricky to keep up with a regular fitness routine.

I’ve taking to solo runs and early morning bike rides, but some new options are popping up.

For the first time, Austin-based Camp Gladiator is launching a series of free, streaming workouts

Camp Gladiator’s Facebook page.

The workouts, led by certified personal trainers, will be streamed three times a day, at 5:30 a.m., 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at 8 a.m. Saturday. If you can’t tune in live, you can access the video workouts any time of day at HERE.

Camp Gladiator is also offering printable, at-home workouts for those looking for quick, 30-minute sessions they can do at their own pace. The downloadable workouts are accompanied by two-minute videos led by a personal trainer who walks through the exercises before you get started. Find the workouts HERE.

 “We are working to keep everyone happy and healthy during this time as best as we can,” says Camp Gladiator trainer Sage Watkins.

Since launching the live streams, the videos have received more than 30,000 views.

Alley Davidson started Camp Gladiator in Dallas after winning NBC’s reality TV show, “American Gladiator” in 2007. The company now operates more than 3,500 locations around the country.

 

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Big Bend National Park limits services amid coronavirus

Big Bend National Park limits services amid coronavirus

Pam LeBlanc checks out the view from the South Rim at Big Bend National Park in January 2019. Chris LeBlanc photo

Big Bend National Park remains open, but has limited some services.

Visitors centers and entry stations will close, and back country camping is open only to sites available through advance, online reservation. The hotel will remain open, but restaurant services will be limited.

Here’s the full press release from park officials.:

Effective Tuesday March 17, 2020 until further notice:
-All Big Bend visitor centers will be closed including Big Bend Natural History Association bookstores
-Entrance stations will be closed
-All formal interpretive programming and special events scheduled for the next 60 days will be cancelled
-The Boquillas Port of Entry will be closed effective March 18, 2020
-Camping permits will be impacted – group campsites will be closed when current parties vacate
-Backcountry camping will be restricted to those sites available for advance reservation on recreation.gov
-All activities will be restricted to the CDC’s guidelines of 10 persons or less including guides
-The hotel will remain open, the bar will be closed, the salad bar will be closed. The restaurant will attempt to maximize takeout meals
-Restaurant and patio capacity will be restricted and tables spread out to maximize distance between diners, patio dining will continue through April unless there are negative trash or animal impacts.
-The RV campground at Rio Grande Village will remain open.

Please note that park staff realize these are significant changes to daily operations, and will negatively impact the business of many park partners, concessioners and area businesses. Park staff feel strongly that these restrictions are in line with CDC’s guidance. They will work to keep the park open so that visitors can enjoy the open, solitary spaces. But they will keep both visitor and employee safety at top of mind.

Full details will be released by Big Bend National Park staff tomorrow, this briefer has been shared with the permission of the superintendent. We will post any information from the park here as soon as it is received. Thank you for your patience as we all work through these challenging times.

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Trying to stay fit while practicing social distancing? Try fly fishing, gravel riding and more

Trying to stay fit while practicing social distancing? Try fly fishing, gravel riding and more

Chris Johnson, owner of Living Waters Fly Fishing in Round Rock, shown here, and Aaron Reed, author of “Fly Fishing Austin,” took me fly fishing this morning on Brushy Creek. Pam LeBlanc photo

​I know myself, and I know that if I don’t swim, bike, run, scuba dive, paddle, hike, plant a garden full of potatoes, rappel down a high-rise building, crawl through a cave or uproot trees at least once a day, things go south quickly.

Just ask my husband, who’s forced to reckon with the aftermath when I miss swim practice.

And now, along with fitness programs all over the city, my U.S. Masters Swim team at Western Hills Athletic Club has cancelled practices for the foreseeable future.

I can’t sit still, and I know I’m not alone. We’re all trying to practice social distancing while staying fit. Fortunately, here in Central Texas we’ve got lots of options.

Need some ideas? Check out these suggestions for ways to burn stress without mingling too closely with others:

Sheila Reiter and Chris LeBlanc pedal gravel roads south of Luling. Pam LeBlanc photo

  1. Ride a gravel bike in the country. I headed to Palmetto State Park between Gonzales and Luling on Saturday with my husband and one other friend. We paid our entrance fee, parked and struck out on a gorgeous 35-mile ride on low-traffic, dirt and gravel roads in the area. We passed a raucous donkey, spotted an early eruption of wildflowers, pedaled around fields of cattle and enjoyed a slower-paced tour of the gently rolling terrain. Not sure exactly where to ride? Check my article in Bluebonnet Electric Co-op’s magazine this month for route ideas. (https://www.bluebonnetelectric.coop/Community/News/articles/2020/Magazine-Stories/To-Grind-or-Not-To-Grind)
  2. Go fly fishing. This morning I joined Aaron Reed, author of “Fly Fishing Austin,” and Chris Johnson, owner of Living Waters Fly Fishing shop in Round Rock, for some casting on Brushy Creek at Champions Park. We tromped along the creek, waded in up to our knees, and cast and caught (well, they did; I just got some nibbles) a slew of sunfish. The land smelled like wild mint and onions, and the cold water swirling around my calves reminded me that nature is still there to recharge us. Bonus? Fly fishing relieves stress. The repetitive motion is meditative and soothing, and the green surroundings make me happy.
  3. I’ve taken to solo, early morning runs through my neighborhood. Some running groups are still holding practice, but advising members not to linger or socialize afterward. It’s not a bad time to remember the joy of running alone, too. Just make sure you tell someone where you’re going, when to expect you back, and wear brightly-colored clothing or lights if it’s dark.
  4. Get in the garden. Weeding, trimming and planting are great ways to squeeze in exercise, and it makes your yard look pretty, too. I planted potatoes, basil and tomatoes this week, and made headway tearing out weeds thriving in my yard. Hauling sacks of mulch, raking leaves and loading lawn detritus into trash cans is great functional exercise.
  5. Hiking’s another thing you can do solo or with a significant other. Use this time to discover some lesser-known parks, like the Doeskin Ranch Unit of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve near Liberty Hill. State parks are still open, and offer amazing spaces to get outside and move – without brushing shoulders with tons of other people.
  6. Head to West Texas. Now sounds like a great time to do a multi-day bike trek through Big Bend Ranch State Park, where you can spend a day spinning through a lunar landscape populated by prickly cactus, tarantulas and javelinas.

West Hansen paddles the Colorado River. Pam LeBlanc photo

  1. Go paddling. Central Texas offers plenty of options for beginning to advanced canoeing and kayaking. For placid waters, head to the Colorado River south of Austin or a short stretch of the Blanco River inside Blanco State Park. For trickier terrain, paddle the San Marcos River. Other options? The Llano River near Castell or Lady Bird Lake right here in Austin. Read more in this article I wrote for the Austin American-Statesman. (www.statesman.com/NEWS/20170918/Dip-a-paddle-in-these-Central-Texas-rivers-and-lakes)

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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