the sun... it's so bright!

It's been WEEKS since the last Austin meetup, and now that all those crazy foreigners have left town, it's time for another meetup. There's been entirely too many meetups lately involving TV. How about rock climbing at Enchanted Rock?

If you don't know how, that's cool. We can find an instructor for a very small fee, that will train for an hour or two. We can rent equipment.

Alternatively, if this turns out to be too expensive after some basic research, we could do some other outdoor thing at a different nearby location, including (but not limited to!) a Cave Tour! at Longhorn Cavern or a Day of Adventure! at Pedernales Falls.

So, Tasks:

1) Determine if this is a Good Idea (or if we somehow need to incorporate a television into our plan)
2) Find Our Where and determine costs
3) Pick a Saturday or Sunday in the next month or so

posted by Pants! to MetaFilter gatherings at 5:05 PM (37 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite

Oh god I LOVE Enchanted Rock.

Sadly I live in a different time zone now, but I highly recommend it for those who can make it.
posted by Navelgazer at 5:23 PM on March 24

Oh! That sounds great. I teach classes on Sundays, but I'd love to go on a Saturday.

Another idea: I never get to go to Hamilton Pool, because they don't allow dogs and all of the people I do fun, outdoorsy stuff with have dogs. It's a state park, so there's a charge of $8 per car, but I suspect that any outing we do will involve carpooling anyways.
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 7:30 PM on March 24

I'd love to go, although if there's not a television involved I'd at least like to vote for something that would allow for non-running/jumping/climbing trees activities, as I am definitely not much of an outdoorswoman. Even sitting on a picnic blanket or dangling my feet in a river while other people do the active stuff is fine with me.
And Jesus Christ, that picture of the flash flooding at Pedernales is terrifying!
posted by katemonster at 8:56 PM on March 24

I often hike up Enchanted Rock; it is one of my favorite places in the world.

The first time I went, we left from the IM fields at 11 pm. I had no idea where we were going, just to dress warm, bring a flashlight and good shoes, and get ready to GO TO THE MOON (which in my naiveté I assumed to be a drug reference of some kind)! When we got there it was a new moon, so all I could see was this dark imposing shape on the horizon. As we ascended, I followed behind a man I had only met a few hours before. He had two speakers strapped to his back and they were softly playing the weirdest space music I had ever heard. The air was cold, and people around me were bouncing around like they were on the moon. I will never forget the experience of hiking to the top in the dark with complete strangers, all who were convinced that they were ON THE MOON. We sat on the top and shared stories of space, told tales of the stars and legends of our fellow man. As the sun rose that morning, the strange man in charge played “Thus Spake Zarathustra,” and several people around me pretended they were apes first discovering the 3rd class lever. I will never forget that night. It is the most surreal experience I have ever had.

I have been back many times, chasing the memory of that first visit, and while I have always enjoyed myself, it has never captured the terrifying excitement of that first voyage.

That night, Enchanted Rock was the moon.
posted by Faux Real at 9:23 PM on March 24 [1 favorite]

I'm game, but I'm with katemonster--I don't so much see myself scaling Enchanted Rock, but hiking or splashing around in a river would be fun.

As far as dates go, I'm free April 12, 19, or May 10 (or later).
posted by donajo at 9:39 AM on March 25

I'm down for some outdoorsin. My climbing abilities aren't that hot, but I'll do anything stupid at least once.
posted by fnord at 10:51 AM on March 25

I own a lot of climbing equipment, but not enough to share around a group, and large climbing groups full of newbs are kinda discouraged at E-rock without a guide there. It's honestly a kick-ass place to just hike around and camp. I've been itching to get my toddler out there, as she's been asking me "Can we climb a mountain tomorrow?". I think she'd love being up on Main Dome (I'm a little scared to get her on top of Buzzard's Roost due to that dropoff at Fear of Flying). Warning: there's not a lot of shade out there.

There's a good place for food/drink in Fredericksburg, as well as tons of craft and antique stores.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 10:59 AM on March 25

I'd really like the opportunity to meet other ATX MeFites, so I'll keep an eye on the convo.

Very into the idea of swimming/wandering around/camping.

Am sadly too gimpy for climbing/aggressive hiking.

Dates are flexible, with Saturdays being best.
posted by batmonkey at 11:39 AM on March 25

So it sounds like the actual rock climbing is out, but do we still want to hike on The Moon, or do we want to go to somewhere else?
posted by Pants! at 11:59 AM on March 25

I'm totally in Austin RIGHT NOW. Your timing is terrible. I love Enchanted Rock.
posted by ColdChef at 8:22 PM on March 25

Two things for those who don't know the area: 1)I've seen toddlers walk up the side of Enchanted Rock so no special gear or skill is needed; 2)In Fredericksburg, they roll up the sidewalks early, like 6PM--overbearing chamber of commerce doesn't want it being a night spot.

Will probably be up north around that time but enjoy yourselves and maybe you might get to hear the rock creak.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:29 PM on March 25

When do you leave ColdChef? I'll buy you a beer, at the least for this comment.
posted by Faux Real at 9:11 PM on March 25

I'd be totally up for going up the rock minus any actual hard rock climbing. I haven't been up in a couple of years, and I need to plan a trip over there to visit family soon anyway, so it could be a dual purpose trip. :D

The brewpub there is awesome too. It's open until 10 pm Saturdays and 7 pm Sundays. There's the added bonus of being able to walk around in town while drinking beer which always feels so strange. I totally suggest a stop of the pub.
posted by Orb at 5:23 AM on March 26

Faux RealThanks for the kind offer. I didn't have time for a MeFi meetup this trip, but next time, I will. Thanks.
posted by ColdChef at 7:07 AM on March 26

Jen and I are up for it, I'm sure. Enchanted Rock is one of my favorite places in the world. And I'd definitely be up for going up the dome and hanging around by the crick if there's any water and going to the Fredericksburg brewpub (they got some tasty snausage!).
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:57 AM on March 26

ColdChef, when you come back to Austin, I'll buy you a beer for every awesome comment, story, or witty retort you've posted. I hope you can drink a few gallons. I'll probably have to take out a loan.
posted by fnord at 8:21 AM on March 26

Prior comment should have clarified: I'd definitely go to Enchanted Rock and give it a whirl.

At worst, I end up at the bottom taking pics.
posted by batmonkey at 1:30 PM on March 26

If you stick to the path (which every hiker should do if they love Texas and do not wish to mess with her!) and pace yourself, the ascent is about 45 minutes of walking up a bit of a slope. It’s not bad at all. It is even easier in daylight.

That being said; Hamilton Pool is also amazing, as is Paleface Rock. There are so many cool places within a few hours drive of this town.
posted by Faux Real at 1:50 PM on March 26

Okay, so far we've got enchanted rock, then the brewpub for beer/sausage.

Now: when?
posted by Pants! at 3:57 PM on March 27

Soon?

:)

(still in favour of Saturdays over Sundays, but either is doable)
posted by batmonkey at 6:37 AM on March 28

Okay I'll make some arbitrary decisions. First, April 12th it is. We will meet at Torchy's Tacos (1207 S 1st St) at 8 AM, then park any unused cars on Elizabeth St. If you want to get tacos, get there about 15 minutes earlier.

Then, we'll carpool/drive to Enchanted Rock. Google says it will take 1 1/2 hours or so to get there, so we'll get there around 10 AM. We need to leave this early because the park website says that the park often reaches capacity around 11 AM on weekends and they begin to turn people away.

We'll hike around for a few hours, nothing too strenuous. There may be some splashing involved, so if you feel like extra splashing, bring a swimsuit.

Then, after awhile, we'll go to Fredericksburg for beer/sausage. We'll still need to figure out when to leave. Of course, different cars can leave at different times.

Things you'll need:

1) Water. You'll need water. Bring some with you, at least two quarts per person.
2) Cash. You need 6 bucks to get in, plus whatever else you want.
3) Cool clothing (as in temperature, not trendy. Of course, you can do BOTH!)
4) Comfortable shoes, especially shoes that support your ankles

Things you may want:
1) Something for lunch/snacks while we hike around/splash
2) Swimsuit/towel etc. Please note that swimming is not required.
3) A boom box for space music. Please see the comments above.
4) Other money to spend in Fredericksburg, etc
5) A camera. It's pretty pretty out there, plus it is a meetup.

Before I post this on the sidebar, I'll give people time to make changes/suggestions. I'll post on the sidebar on Monday after work.
posted by Pants! at 4:37 PM on March 30

All my Saturdays in April just got by filled by an unexpected rush of social activity. Have fun, guys!
posted by donajo at 9:18 AM on March 31

I'm tied up on the 12th -- I'd be able to go on the 19th or 26th, but otherwise I'm out.
posted by katemonster at 4:39 PM on March 31

Oh, crap -- what katemonster said. A very good friend's b-day party is the 12th, and I can't miss it. :/
posted by fiercecupcake at 6:08 AM on April 1

Okay, this is the final update on where/when/how issues, based on feedback. The sidebar links here.

WHEN: APRIL 19th, 8 AM
WHERE: First Torchy's Tacos for a few minutes, then Enchanted Rock, then Fredericksburg
WHAT: Some hiking, maybe some splashing, some nature awe, tiny microscopic shrimp, beer, sausage, fun

What you'll need:

1) Water. You'll need water. Bring some with you, at least two quarts per person.
2) Cash. You need 6 bucks to get in, plus whatever else you want.
3) Cool clothing (as in temperature, not trendy. Of course, you can do BOTH!)
4) Comfortable shoes, especially shoes that support your ankles

What you may want:
1) Something for lunch/snacks while we hike around/splash
2) Swimsuit/towel etc. Please note that swimming is not required.
3) A boom box for space music. Please see the comments above.
4) Other money to spend in Fredericksburg, etc
5) A camera. It's pretty pretty out there, plus it is a meetup.
posted by Pants! at 6:29 AM on April 2

the sun... it's so bright! March 24, 2008 5:05 PM Subscribe

the sun... it's so bright!
March 24, 2008 5:05 PM Subscribe