By Brandt Mannchen

It was nice to roll out of bed knowing that I was only 15 minutes away from the outing I was leading.  I was selfish and had scheduled the June Houston Sierra Club outing at East End Park, a wonderful almost 160-acre park on the West Fork of the San Jacinto River near Lake Houston in Kingwood, a few miles away from my home.

I had hiked the trails at East End Park, along the shores of the West Fork of the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston, on several occasions.  The hike I planned would cover 2 miles and we would see the lush upland and riverside forests, coves, and the river.

As soon as I got to the parking lot, I saw Beth and Arlene.  Soon Jackie and Annie arrived and then Rosemary, Corinne, Angie, Hayley, Maris, Jason, Nancy, and Elaine.  We were 13 strong.  A lucky number!!!  After a little “trail talk” about safety, camaraderie, and what we would see, we were off.

Or not.  Just as I was about to wheel around and lead the group, I saw a familiar tree half-hidden next to the trail.  I introduced everyone to the Prickly Ash, Hercules Club, and my favorite name, Toothache Tree.  Zanthoxylum clava-herculis does just what the name implies.  Native Americans, explorers, and settlers used the leaves and bark as a remedy for tooth aches.  It works I told the group.  I had tried it and my mouth numbed up just like the “field guide” said it would.  How wonderous is that!

We zigged and zagged along the serpentine, graveled, and easy to walk trail.  Our first stop, after we passed a bayou cove, was Pelican Overlook.  The bench, and friendly Bald Cypress trees, made this an easy place to talk about the river, its ability to shape the land, create sandy terraces and levees, and backwater mud flats. 

We admired the grove of large Southern Magnolias that grew along the trail.

We moved along and stopped at openings along the West Fork and admired the Polk Weed (“Polk Salad Annie”, you know Tony Joe White, look it up) and how the river, during Hurricane Harvey and at other flood times, had scoured the deep sands and opened them up to new plant growth.  A rejuvenation or “succession” as ecologists call it. 

A bicyclist came by and told us that a woman was looking for us.  A few minutes later, Taylor arrived.  We were very glad to see her.  She told us about the traffic jam that made her late.  The group was now 14, and not the lucky 13.

We wandered past another cove and across a board walk where we saw Lizard’s-Tail blooming and noticed cypress knees and a Red Maple which sat in a watery wetland.  We hiked past Eagle Point and then Alligator Alley.

At Heron’s Rest, we stopped for a water break.  Someone shouted out “Deer!” and we watched three White-tailed Deer swim to the park from an island in the West Fork.  I trained my binoculars on a large, white bird and admired a Great Egret that flew just above the water.  A fuzzy and very “cool” looking caterpillar captured Jackie and Annie’s attention and several photos were taken.

We walked a bit further and arrived at “Otter Point”.  We said hello to a fisher, his wife, and a barking Dachshund.  After we enjoyed the beautiful view of the river, we started back.  That’s when I saw a small, Rough Green Snake, cross the boardwalk.  It was so small, looked so much like a twig, that it would have been easy to miss.

We retraced our steps and followed the boardwalk across an extensive wet forest with many blooming Lizard’s-Tail.  Out of the full shade of the bottomland forest, we entered the “Meadow’s” full sun.  As we walked, I pointed out verbenas, Bee Balms, Mexican Primroses, and Mexican Hats that were blooming.

We reached the parking lot and the end of our hike.  We had seen a lot!  I recognized the value of this park, not only as a flood buffer but for the spirit it renews in me.  But most importantly, I realized that East End Park provides me with a release and relaxation from the hurried, loud, human-dominated world.  This realization was signified by my sighs and thoughts of returning soon.

Photos courtesy of Damaris.