Wolf Mountain Trail at Pedernales Falls State Park

To most people, yesterday was Black Friday, a consumerist holiday that it seems like nearly every American store in existence participates in. Even pet stores have Black Friday sales. I remember all of our efforts at Petsmart while I worked there, getting hyped up about how great our sales would be. We would spend hours merchandising and getting things ready only to be sorely disappointed by sales by the end of the day. My attitude toward this tradition and toward consumerism in general has changed a lot since then.

I had been quite happy to see so many nationwide retail outlets not open on Thanksgiving. I was even more appreciative when other retailers announced that they would be closed on the day after. One of our favorites, REI, was one such store. Last year, Chris and I spent our day after Thanksgiving hiking in Bastrop. This year, REI encouraged their employees and members to do the same thing with a campaign called #OptOutside. We were already planning on visiting a state park anyway, so we were happy to participate as well.

The last time the two of us visited Pedernales Falls State Park was before I started this blog! Just a few months before our wedding. The weather had been quite different; it had been warm and fairly dry. In fact, the falls weren't much in the way of falls at all. Most recently, our trek was accompanied by a lot of rain!

The Wolf Mountain Trail is approximately 7 miles, winding around both Wolf and Tobacco mountains. It is considered "challenging" but after completing it I would consider it challenging in a few areas only. Two or three switchbacks are considerably rocky. There are a number of creeks to cross and wet feet to be had, but if that's challenging to you then yes, the trail is challenging.

The weather brought rain the day before. Before leaving the house, I checked with the park via Facebook to see if any of the trails were closed due to weather. They responded very quickly and with certainty that they were safe, but closed to horses.

Other travelers recommended this trail for its vistas. We found only a few spots where the horizon was clear enough to see anything. As far as the foliage during this time of year, Balcones Canyonlands has this trail beat. The colors here were still pleasing to the eye, but not great for leaf-peeping.

At one portion of the trail you will encounter a historic structure and artifacts. The bent nails are especially cool! And look, purple glass!

It was at this meadow filled with tall grass and yellow flowers that we felt the frigid breeze of a cold front moving in. So chilly it surprised me enough to gasp. I had never felt anything like it; walking along at 70 degrees only to have a chill wind whip around you face and arms.

Expecting rain shortly, we donned our waterproof jackets. Also, expecting our canine companion (poodle child) to disapprove of inclement weather, I fashioned a sling with which to carry him. He spent the rest of the trip like this, even when the rain ceased. I offered to let him walk again and he refused.

By the time we got back to the car the temperature had dropped to 53 degrees. On the way home it dropped even further into the 40s. Also, the dog was the warmest and driest of all three of us. In fact, aside from his head and face he was 100% dry. You're welcome, Rusty.

I just love the color of fallen leaves.

I like them enough to get my feet wet for a good shot.

And having a family of wary deer wandering around us was pretty cool, too.

To access the trail visitors pay an entrance fee of $6 each. Primitive campsites can be found along Wolf Mountain Trail, too, and reservations can be made online through the park website. Maps are provided at the ranger station, but if you want to print or download your own you can do so with this PDF or KMZ file for GIS devices. For data on our personal experience, visit my AllTrails record. It provides details like distance, speed, and elevation, though it is not 100% accurate.