Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston

Bill Holston is a longtime FrontBurnervian. He’s also a lawyer in town who happens to dig nature. So much so that he actually gets outdoors and walks around in it. Insane. Bill asked if we’d be interested in periodic dispatches from his journeys in and around North Texas. I said that of course we would. After the jump, the first installment of Law Man Walking, a series that tackles the misconception that “Dallas nature” is an oxymoron.

Law Man Walking
By Bill Holston

Last weekend, my friend Scott and I went hiking at Cedar Ridge Preserve. I used to take my kids hiking there in the 80s, when it was the Dallas Nature Center. Since 2003 the center has been administered by the Audubon Society. Scott and I have hiked together on trails from the Continental Divide in Wyoming, to the Desert Canyons of Big Bend. But we really enjoy hiking in our local nature areas, and this is one of the best.

The area is surprisingly hilly for the Dallas area, lying on the escarpment that runs along southern Dallas County. The entire property is heavily wooded and it’s possible to get the feeling that you are miles away from the city. The Preserve has trails of varying lengths and difficulties. The longest trail is the Cedar Break Trail, at 1.7 miles. This trail can easily be combined with several other trails to get in a lengthier walk. Saturday’s route took us along the Cedar Ridge Trail, down to Cattail Pond, and back along the Escarpment and Red Bud Trails. We could have added more if we’d wanted to.

The Cedar Ridge trail takes its name from the two types of Juniper trees that grow along the hill ridges. The preserve has both ashe juniper and eastern red cedar trees, evergreens that provide year-round shade. The trees are mistakenly called cedars, but are in fact junipers. Not that they seem to care what you call them.

If you hike the trail clockwise, about three-quarters of the way, the trail crosses a small intermittent creek. It’s a lovely spot to sit and watch for birds. It’s nestled in a cozy little valley, and it’s easy to find a spot to sit and reflect.

We hiked down off the escarpment to Cat Tail Pond, taking a break at another small stream. We sat under a giant cottonwood, listening to the musical sound of falling water. Cat Tail Pond is a wonderful spot, with cattails, sunfish, turtles, and birds. In the spring, I’ve seen the wildly colorful painted bunting in the meadow you cross on the way to the pond.

The Preserve has periodic free guided hikes. I’ve done several over the years, and they have always been very informative and well organized events. The hikes take place year-round, and all are listed on the website. On one of the walks we saw a 3-foot-long coral snake. I have an irrational fear of snakes. Come to think of it, it’s actually quite rational. It’s a beautiful if deadly snake. All Boy Scouts learn the difference between the venomous coral snake and the non-venomous king snake by the clever poem: red on yellow kill a fellow. Red on black, friend of Jack. Recalling this adage, I was happy to see it from a distance. The Preserve also has resident rattlesnakes, water moccasins, and copperheads, but I’ve never seen any of them despite hiking there dozens of times in all seasons. There is a lot of resident wildlife. We saw raccoon scat and footprints.

We ended our hike as we climbed back on the Escarpment Trail, creating a nice loop. There are lovely views across the broad valley that we’d just hiked through. We crossed the woods on the Red Bud Trail, which takes its name from the numerous red bud trees that provide color in the spring. We found a spot with a great overview of Joe Pool Lake in the distance. I remarked with what a surprisingly pretty view this is, and how few Dallasites seem to take advantage. We stood for a moment by a couple of native Mexican buckeyes and Mexican plum trees, taking in the spectacular view. We were back to the car in about two hours, already ready for the next adventure.