Hamilton Pool Preserve, Austin, Texas 2006

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I first saw Hamilton Pool Preserve on a postcard when I moved to Austin back in 1999. I knew immediately that I had to go to the preserve one day. Seven years later, one sunny Saturday morning in May, I called Tony and we headed to the pool for a day of relaxation.

We drove from Austin to the preserve in less than an hour. We drove through picturesque farm roads and private properties fenced with barbwire to get there. Once you arrive, a moderate hike with plenty of trees and rock formations on the way makes the walk easier and more interesting to bear.

As we got closer we could hear the water splashes and chatter of the people at the pool. Seeing the pool and cliffs for the first time poking out among the trees proved awe-inspiring. Seeing the overhanging cliff area and the 45-foot dripping waterfall made me take out my camera for great photographs.

People sunbathed on a small beach, others swam in the green waters, and some hiked underneath the cliff areas. Nature lovers would fall in love with the preserve. Tony and I decided to explore the underside of the cliff where we could take in a clear sight of the whole pool. We rested on top of some huge boulders that no doubt had been laying there since the roof to this underground river collapsed oh so many thousands of years ago creating the pool.

The two trickling waterfalls interested me the most. One empties out over the natural pool. The second, smaller one falls onto a small dome-shaped rock, just big enough for one person or two to stand on. If you stand right on the rock the waterfall serves as a natural shower, with waters dripping down on you like some 1930's Hollywood black and white movie starlet. I tried having Tony pose for me, shirtless, the waters dripping on him as he closed his eyes and faced up towards the sky channeling his inner starlet. . . but his inner starlet, his inner John Crawford or Grace Kelly, does not exist.

Later, after spending time swimming in the waters, we decided to hike the many nature trails at the preserve. Green trees, brisk and tall, shaded our walk along the trail. We eventually made it to the banks of the Mighty Pedernales River. Tony fell down a small cliff, but we won't judge him for that. He made it out OK with only a sore butt from his landing. The drought's effect on the river immediately stood out. One could walk across it with ease. The water level reached just slightly above my belly. Still, it forever implants itself in my mind as the first river I conquered by swimming (or wadding) across (which tempts me to include #351: Swim Across the Major Rivers of Texas to my list of Things To Do Before I Die.)

Afterward, we hiked back for one last look at the pool. I sighed in satisfaction, then headed back home to Austin. In all, the Hamilton Pool Preserve proved a worthwhile afternoon trip to beat the summer heat.

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