Climb On

Cody White, a junior criminal justice major, maneuvers a crack in a pink granite wall. Photo by Ryan Pinkham.

FREDERICKSBURG — Just north of this Hill Country town is a dome-shaped rock formation where those with an adventurous spirit can camp, hike and climb. This batholith is the third largest of its kind in the world and is the center of a 1,600-acre state natural area — a park frequented by up to 400,000 people a year.

Adventure is the middle name of one University of Texas at Tyler organization that sponsored a weekend getaway to this Enchanted Rock for seven students and the leader of the Outdoors Adventure Program on Oct. 2.

Helaina Patrick, a sophomore history major crimps and smears, her way to the top. Photo by Ryan Pinkham.

Group members ranged in age from 17 to 27 and in experience — from first time campers like junior Jackie Moore, to experienced recreational outdoorsman like Chauncey Deller.

Despite weathering pouring rain, mud, and clouds of gnats, Moore said she enjoyed the experience. “It’s fun. I like it,” she said.

After a six- hour drive from campus, the group pitched their tents at the campground and Ryan Pinkham, a junior journalism major, prepared spaghetti and meat sauce on a Coleman camp stove.

The rest of the group surveyed the rocky tundra in anticipation of the next day’s climb. The camping area located at the base of the rock is overgrown with trees and yellow wildflowers. Herds of deer wandered the camp’s perimeter apparently accustom to human visitors.

Enchanted Rock got its name from the Tonkawa Indians who had inhabited the area centuries ago. During winter, water collects in the cracks of the rock and freezes, causing the rocks to expand.

This makes a cracking noise that echoes throughout the canyon. This sound made the Native Americans believe the rock was haunted, thus the name Enchanted Rock.

Chauncey Deller, a graduate student in business administration, navigates his way up a creek and over slippery terrain on the Echo Canyon trail. Photo by Ryan Pinkham.

A full moon that night guided three of the campers about halfway up to a plateau where they sat and listened to the howls of coyotes in the distance. After a humid night, the students ate scrambled eggs and bacon washed down by cups of very strong coffee.

Guides Chris “Bird Dog” Keister and Taylor Reilly, both professional climbers, distributed shoes, ropes and harnesses. Keister said he has been leading groups of climbers at Enchanted Rock for more than 20 years. He said he earned his nickname as a child when his four older brothers used him to scare up quails during hunting season. The name stuck through adulthood.

The first day consisted of hiking and climbing, sometimes to heights of more than 400 feet. An afternoon downpour made the pink granite walls too slick to climb and forced the group back to camp.

Evening entertainment consisted of a trip to town where Oktoberfest — a celebration of the town’s German heritage — was in full swing. Many of the shops offered free samples of sauces, honey, fudge and a variety of other products.

Sleeping in tents the second night was impossible because pouring rain found leaks in the tents which created puddles everywhere. Five students spent the uncomfortable night crammed into a Suburban.

The morning brought weak sunshine and following breakfast the group set out again to conquer the rock. Its surface sparkles pink and black in the sun. It is a good surface for rock climbing shoes to grip, but rigid enough to scrape the skin of inattentive climber. “Once you’ve climbed up the rock and repelled back down you felt like you’ve conquered nature and all your fear is gone,” Helaina Patrick said.

Jamie Wickware, a senior psychology major said she enjoyed the entire trip. ”It would be fun to do again if it doesn’t rain,” she said.

Hiking up the summit trail toward Enchanted rock. Photo by Ryan Pinkham.