The details of the events are posted on Meetup. If you would like to join an event as a non-member, please contact us to RSVP and get details.
Our monthly meetings are every 4th Tuesday of every month. Anyone is welcome to attend. We offer both in person and Zoom options based on the current health advisories.
We welcome speakers on various outdoor related topics at every monthly meeting. If you have expertise on a topic or know of someone who does, please contact us.
Leader: MarshaK
Distance: 4 -5 miles at a very brisk pace
Difficulty: moderate to difficult
Meet at Marsha’s house before 7:30 am. Group will finish before 9:30 as Marsha needs time to prep for church.
Water is required as well as good walking shoes. Sticks are also helpful.
Dogs must be on leash. Prepare to pick up your dog’s poop. Furnish water for your dog.
Contact MarshaK via email by Saturday evening if you wish to walk with her.
Time for kayaking!
Lifejackets/PFDs are mandatory for this outing!
We meet at the Rowing Dock on the s. shore of Lady Bird Lake, behind Zilker Park (www.rowingdock.com) between 5:30 and 6, planning to be on the water by 6 pm in the sleek new boats with great seats and working footpegs. $15 (cash preferred) will rent your boat, paddle, and lifejacket as we head upstream toward Tom Miller Dam, or downstream to admire the skyline and downtown buildings.
If you are new to TOWN or haven’t been out with us in a while or have an afternoon open, you can’t find a better way to enjoy the heart of Austin than on a cool, leisurely paddle on Lady Bird Lake. Two hours of scenery, sights, and enjoyable chatting to your fellow-TOWNies and their guests, followed by a social hour enjoyment on dry land at venues such as Shady Grove, Maudie’s, Rudy’s Barbecue . . . and the Four Seasons. Not kidding, but not usual, either.
If you have your own boat, you can put in behind the Rowing Dock at no charge. We will help you tote it from your car to the small dock.
It is hard to believe we are into September, so there are ONLY THREE OUTINGS until the end of our Lady Bird Lake kayaking season. If you have been waiting for “sometime” to come, mark your calendar for this Wednesday the 13th, the 27th, when Gail will be hosting, and in October the 11th and try to come to our end-of-season gala on the 25th.
If you are a long-time member and haven’t made it yet this summer, you are new to TOWN, always wanted to try kayaking, or find yourself with a little time and on the south side of the river, join us at 5:30 at the Rowing Dock (www.rowingdock.com) on Stratford Rd just off Barton Springs Road, under and a little west of the Lamar Bridge. We aim to be on the water at 6, and must have the boats back by 8 pm. While the weather isn’t quite so hot now, we all need a nature break to help us keep our to-do list in the right balance.
The cost for two hours’ rental is $15 (cash only), and includes the boat, a paddle, and a lifejacket. If you are bringing your own boat, you are welcome to put in behind the Rowing Dock at no charge, but must bring and wear a lifejacket to be part of the TOWN group. One of us will come with you to help with your launch. Anyone interested in trying an outing with TOWN may come as a guest, and any TOWNIE may bring a guest or several, but need to stay with them to ensure their safety.
Bring water, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, whatever will keep you comfortable during the two hours or so that we are out on the FLAT WATER. Some of us have just found our gloves! Nothing to be worried about here, no rapids or waterfalls, just beautiful views and sometimes startling sunsets or double rainbows, whether we are heading toward the downtown or toward the Tom Miller Dam. The only awkward part is getting into or out of the boat, and that is handled by the professional staff of the Rowing Dock.
Everyone is invited to join in having supper afterward, usually Shady Grove, Jason’s, Panera Bread, or Las Palomas. The conversation is as enjoyable as the paddle.
Please let me know if you are coming, and we can wait for you. Call or text or e-mail if you have any questions,
Leader: MarshaK
Distance: 4 -5 miles at a very brisk pace
Difficulty: moderate to difficult
Meet at Marsha’s house before 7:30 am. Group will finish before 9:30 as Marsha needs time to prep for church.
Water is required as well as good walking shoes. Sticks are also helpful.
Dogs must be on leash. Prepare to pick up your dog’s poop. Furnish water for your dog.
Contact MarshaK via email by Saturday evening if you wish to walk with her.
Hike at Brushy Creek Lake Park
Outing leaders: JennyF & JanB – Please RSVP to MeetUp or email Jenny.
When: Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 @ 10 a.m.
Where: Brushy Creek Lake Park – meet at Cypress Pavilion – 3300 Brushy Creek Rd. Cedar Park, TX
Cost: Free
Who: members, friends, family & leashed dogs
Length: approx. 5 miles
Difficulty: easy
Please RSVP to MeetUp or email JennyF.
Bring for hike: water, sun protection and anything that will make you comfortable.
Bring for after hike: picnic lunch.
Hope to see you there!
PS – It’s Jan’s birthday! Yep, 39 againJ
Jenny
THIS OUTING IS FULL!
Devil’s River Extreme Adventure Kayaking & Camping Trip
September 9/21 – 9/25.
Outing Leader/RSVP: CarrieL
What: Devil’s River Extreme Adventure Kayaking & Camping Trip
Where: Devil’s River State Natural Area – Located in the Middle of Nowhere (67 mi. from Sonora & 65 mi. from Del Rio)
When: Departing Austin area Thurs., Sept. 14, and arriving back home early evening on Mon., Sept. 18
Who: TOWN Women only
I’m so excited to announce this awesome trip! I have wanted to see the Devil’s River SNA since it was established in the 80’s! I’ve called for information many times through the years, but could never find a good or easy way to see it. I have a contact who is arranging a two day kayaking trip which will involve camping on the river one night. We will be escorted down the river. This trip will also (tentatively) include a third day of scenic hiking (4 mi.) across a hilltop ridge and down to Finnegan Springs along the river’s edge. And . . . we will also be given a private tour of prehistoric pictographs. This is an incredible opportunity! It would certainly test our “Outdoors-Woman” skills as the SNA is extremely remote and this would be a rugged wilderness experience! We would be primitive tent camping for three nights – one on the river and two in the SNA. Fortunately, we will be able to drive in our food, water, gear, and belongings.
This trip must be limited to approx. 10 paddlers who have some paddling experience and a kayak, and who are willing to bring a small telescoping fishing pole and do a little fishing along the way. I realize the fishing may be new for many of us. Campers must also be willing and able to “rough it”. And you’re wondering about the cost . . . it is not unusual for local river outfitters to charge in excess of $500 per person just for a trip down the Devil’s. However, for you as an “Outdoors-Woman”, this trip will be very affordable (well under $100). We will likely carpool (even with kayaks) as much as possible, and share cost of lodging on Thurs. night. Of course, we will have added costs of gasoline and food.
The Devil’s River is the most pristine river in Texas, with the cleanest, bluest water in the state. It is the last undammed river in the state. The Devil’s River snakes its’ way through some of the roughest country in Texas. Covering three ecosystems, the landscape is desert with rugged limestone and rocky hills, cliffs and canyons mixed with brush country, and green vegetation along the river. It’s currently a wild place that’s had very little human disturbance, and that’s the thing that makes it such a unique and beautiful place. It’s truly a peace filled oasis in a part of West Texas that is still, for the most part, “unsettled”.
At this time, I will take the names of those who are seriously interested, and I will have more to share as the remaining logistics are being worked out. J
Yours truly,
CarrieL
Leader: MarshaK
Distance: 4 -5 miles at a very brisk pace
Difficulty: moderate to difficult
Meet at Marsha’s house before 7:30 am. Group will finish before 9:30 as Marsha needs time to prep for church.
Water is required as well as good walking shoes. Sticks are also helpful.
Dogs must be on leash. Prepare to pick up your dog’s poop. Furnish water for your dog.
Contact MarshaK via email by Saturday evening if you wish to walk with her.
Our TOWN-Austin monthly meeting occurs each month on the fourth Tuesday.
Our agenda is typically the following: bring your brown-bag dinner or a snack; we gather at 6 pm & socialize; 6:30-7:00 greetings, introductions, business, outings reports and planning; 7- 8 speaker; 8 – 8:15 adjournment and cleanup.
Our speaker for this September meeting is Dr. Karen McGraw and her presentation will be Save the Night—Life on Earth Depends on Natural Darkness. Almost every living thing on our planet uses the cycle of light and dark to trigger life processes. Humans have come to depend on artificial light for nighttime activities. So, how does our artificial light at night effect fauna and flora? It’s hard for us to see what habitat destruction by artificial light looks like. This program helps us understand the effects of artificial light on living things, including ourselves, and how we can reduce the negative effect of our lights.
Additionally, participants will take home a new awareness about the lighting practices, which allow humans to have the light they want or need for nighttime activities while minimizing the negative effects of artificial light. You will see how these practices save energy costs, reduce glare, increase safety, reduce light trespass, limit the negative consequences on the environment, and create a more aesthetically pleasing nocturnal environment for humans.
Dr. Karen McGraw has been passionate about nature for most of her life. Her parents report that one of her first 2-syllable words was “outside,” and that is still where she prefers to be. Karen is a Texas Master Naturalist with the Balcones Canyonlands Chapter, a member of the International Dark Skies Association, a water monitor for the Colorado River Watch Network, and a native gardener and herbalist.
Professionally, Karen is the president of Silver Bear Group, a business and consulting firm in Bee Cave. Karen facilitates workshops on topics ranging from organizational improvement and change management, to naturalist topics such as Texas’ dark skies initiatives and creating Monarch waystations.
Join us and bring a friend!
Time for kayaking!
Lifejackets/PFDs are mandatory for this outing!
We meet at the Rowing Dock on the s. shore of Lady Bird Lake, behind Zilker Park (www.rowingdock.com) between 5:30 and 6, planning to be on the water by 6 pm in the sleek new boats with great seats and working footpegs. $15 (cash preferred) will rent your boat, paddle, and lifejacket as we head upstream toward Tom Miller Dam, or downstream to admire the skyline and downtown buildings.
If you are new to TOWN or haven’t been out with us in a while or have an afternoon open, you can’t find a better way to enjoy the heart of Austin than on a cool, leisurely paddle on Lady Bird Lake. Two hours of scenery, sights, and enjoyable chatting to your fellow-TOWNies and their guests, followed by a social hour enjoyment on dry land at venues such as Shady Grove, Maudie’s, Rudy’s Barbecue . . . and the Four Seasons. Not kidding, but not usual, either.
If you have your own boat, you can put in behind the Rowing Dock at no charge. We will help you tote it from your car to the small dock.
Leader: MarshaK
Distance: 4 -5 miles at a very brisk pace
Difficulty: moderate to difficult
Meet at Marsha’s house before 7:30 am. Group will finish before 9:30 as Marsha needs time to prep for church.
Water is required as well as good walking shoes. Sticks are also helpful.
Dogs must be on leash. Prepare to pick up your dog’s poop. Furnish water for your dog.
Contact MarshaK via email by Saturday evening if you wish to walk with her.