This morning I left the house at 6:15 am and drove 65 miles to the River Place Trail, which is located in North Austin, Texas.   It is a great trail! I went mainly because of the elevation  figuring it would be could training for the Inca trek.  It did not disappoint!  it is an out and back that covers 7 miles if you do the whole thing, which I did.  I started at the Boardwalk Trailhead.  A sign there indicated that there were 2,736 steps and 1,700′ of elevation change.  My GPS showed 1,450 feet of  elevation however.  Whatever the exact number, it was very challenging.  I took my time and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  The trail crosses the creek a number of times and some of the crossings are a little dicey  (slick rocks in rushing water).  I left the Boardwalk Trailhead at 8:05 a.m. and arrived at the Canyon Trailhead at 10:00 a.m. (3.5 miles).  I took my boots off and relaxed, enjoying a snack of blueberries, blackberries, macadamia nuts, pistachio nuts, and grilled chicken.  I started back down at 10:30 a.m.  and arrived back at  the  Boardwalk Trailhead at 12:20 p.m.  I took my grey Osprey pack, so  that  I  could carry a little extra weight.  My pack contained 12 pounds of rice (3 4lb bags), 2 bottles of ozarka water, a small insulted bag with a l lb yeti ice, a container of fruit, a baggie of grilled chicken, a bag of nuts, my Fuji camera,  my Garmen gps,  and my rain pants and rain jacket.  The total weight of my pack was 24.6 lbs.   Other than it being a little windy and a little wet and muddy on some parts of the trail, it was a beautiful day that I enjoyed very much!   Here are a few more pictures of some of the sights from the River Place Trail: