Hitting the Trail - 10 miles of heaven in the heart of ATX

One of the top three reasons my wife and I moved to downtown Austin is the Butler hike-and-bike trail. I have traveled to and lived in many areas of the US and Western Europe. In my opinion, there are few cities that have anything to compare to this jewel on the Colorado river. In this post I will reflect on my thoughts about the trail (and the people that use it).

What is the Butler Park Hike and Bike Trail

The trail in the Fall

In the heart of Austin is the Butler hike-and-bike trail at Lady Bird Lake, an urban path that meanders along the waters edge passing skyscrapers, neighborhoods, schools and local attractions. With more than 1.5 million visits a year, the 10-mile hike-and-bike trail is Austin’s most recognized and popular recreational area. The trail's surface is primarily crushed granite which makes for a very comfortable walk or run compared to concrete. About the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail

Route Options

With six bridges crossing the lake there are an almost unlimited variation of loops, figure eights and out and backs that you can take. This provides options for couples taking a stroll up to hard core runners training for next weekends race. BTW, there are lot's of running events in Austin. After a quick search of Running in the USA I found that in 2015, there were ninety five 5K races within a 25 mile radius of Austin. You can probably double that if you count smaller events. Add in 10Ks, half-marathons, the turkey trot, marathons, triathlons, the jingle bell run <insert distance, name and cause here> and you likely have three or four hundred possible running races in the Austin area.

Trail Maps and Facilities:
You can find maps with routes, bathrooms, parking, water fountains etc. on the Trail Foundation Website.

My Routes:

On a personal note, my wife and I walk/run a five mile route at the weekends and a two mile route on week nights, see maps below.

2 Mile Route

5 Mile Route

Taking a Breather

If you decide to take on the trail you need to plan your refueling locations ahead of time. Here are a couple that I enjoy:

• Breakfast at Magnolia Cafe. Located on Veterans drive and Lake Austin Boulevard, you will have to take a short detour and walk about 350 yards from the Mopac foot bridge up Veterans Drive to reach it. This place in itself is pretty much an Austin landmark. Suffice to say it is great refueling spot for the hungry and weary.
• Coffee at Alta. Located in the Austin Rowing Club. A great spot serving great coffee right on the trail overlooking the water's edge.

In the heat of an Austin summer afternoon you really do have to be careful. I myself have experienced mild heatstroke in 100+ degree heat, it is not fun and can be very dangerous. Please, if you do not bring your own water then stop at the water fountains frequently to re-hydrate and don't overdo it. Here are some myths about running in the heat taken from a Runners World article How to Run in the Heat

MYTH Only dehydrated runners are at risk.
REALITY High humidity and intense effort can cause heatstroke in hydrated runners.
MYTH Only long runs cause heatstroke.
REALITY Fast, hard, shorter running in 5-K or 10-K races can also cause heatstroke.
MYTH Heatstroke occurs only if the weather is hot and humid.
REALITY Heatstroke can occur in mild conditions if an athlete is over fatigued.
MYTH Heatstroke victims stop sweating.
REALITY Heatstroke also develops in athletes who are still sweating.

My Trail Pet Peeves

I use the trail at least four times a week and love pretty much every moment I spend on it. I love it in the rain, I love it in the wind and I love it in the sun (actually I have to admit to not loving it so much at 3 pm on August afternoons). I have, however, built up a list of things and people that annoy me.

• People who assume the trail is a dedicated veloway and anyone else using it must be lost.
• People who assume that just because they are running they don't have to keep to their side of the trail when overtaking or (heaven forbid) waiting to overtake.
• People who assume the trail is a dedicated dog park. Dogs are great, dogs on leads are better, dogs on leads that are not 20 ft long are even better.
• People who assume the trail is a dedicated children's park. I have no problem with kids on the trail, it's the ones playing chicken with speeding bikes I fear for.
• People who let their kids hold the dog's leash. Have you ever found yourself between the dog and the kid with the leash around your ankles? My wife has. I believe it is how the Welsh tribes used to bring down deer during the hunt.
• Finally, people like me who get grumpy about bikers, runners, dogs and kids on the trail!

Trail Etiquette

On a serious note, the trail is becoming more and more crowded as people keep flooding into Austin. According the the trail foundation web site 30,000 feet hit the trail every day. In order for everyone to continue to enjoy it, we all need to become more aware. The picture below is of a sign recently added to the trail. It describes how each type of trail user should yield to others. It pretty much says it all but I would add that traversing the trail is not a contact sport. For the good of everyone we should all give a little and be polite. Be aware of your surroundings (turn down the headphones), move over a little if you can, don't travel more than two abreast, no sudden changes in direction, use the bell on your bike, keep the dog (and the kid) on a short lease and wait for an opening to appear before overtaking.

Yielding on the Trail

The People

You will see all sorts on the trail. People walking the dog, couples taking a stroll, people out for their daily run, people commuting to work and many more. Everyone loves to people watch and I am no exception so here are some of my thoughts on the types of people you may encounter.

The Wolf Pack:
The serious runners tend to head out early in the morning, if you are out there between 6 and 7 am look out for packs of high school and college kids steaming down the trail at full tilt. If you are like me, a little overweight and a little (ok well a lot) bald, it can be intimidating and even a little depressing.

The Lone Wolf:
These are also impressive specimens, fit thirty or forty somethings wearing the latest running gadgets pushing themselves to beat their personal bests. Woe betide the person who gets in the way of these machines. After their run, they can bee seen in closest juice bar for a cold press wheat grass and kale smoothie. You may also spot them in Whole Foods, did I mention they also wear a lot of spandex?

The Business Meeting:
Groups of two to five men in their fifties or sixties who come out mostly on weekend mornings. Taking it at a steady pace they can be heard discussing the DOW or which Condo development they are about to invest in. I picture them finishing up their run and heading over to the club for a rub down and a steam.

The Family Reunion:
Three generations of the Robinson family gathering in Austin for their annual reunion. They meander down the trail on Sunday morning spread across the trail like a search party looking for a murder weapon. After their walk they head over to Magnolia Cafe and take up half the room while they work their way through a two hour breakfast.

The Dog Walker:
These come in all shapes and sizes. From the military types with the dog running perfectly to heel two inches behind them and to their side to the lady with three Dobermans tied around her waist. The second example is a well placed rabbit away of a complete train wreck. After the walk it's off to the Taurus Academy for remedial training and then on to breakfast at an outside spot where the dog is tied to the table and proceeds to drag it around the patio chasing the birds.

Moms Morning Off:
Every so often you will see a wagon train rolling down the trail. Dad pushing a stroller with little Ellie inside and Trigger tied to the back, Jimmy on his tricycle and Jill in her electric Barby car ride ride point. They are hardly ever seen all together, Jimmy will often be seen careering down the bank heading to the lake while Jill is on a collision course with an angry looking Doberman. After their adventure, they head back to the suburbs and wake mum up demanding lunch.

Conclusion

Coming from the UK, I hate using this word but the downtown Austin Butler hike-and-bike trail is 'awesome'. To have something like this in the middle of a thriving city like Austin is almost unbelievable. The trail is in no small part the reason Austin is growing as fast as it is, so we should all play a part in making sure it continues to thrive. I joke about the people but without them the trail would feel deserted and soulless, so bring it on weird Austenite's let's see what you've got.

And Finally, Views from Butler Trail

A Cold December Morning on Lady Bird Lake

A Nighttime View of Downtown ATX from Butler Trail

A Sunny Saturday on the Trail