Dan was up for a century today, while Kay and I thought that we'd settle for a metric century. We decided that today we would ride the Willow City Loop, a scenic area with a lot cattle guards and loose cattle. I was advised that the Willow City Loop is among the highlights of Hill Country riding, and that it should not be missed.
Today's route was put together from maps from the Hellweek ride, the Best Bike Rides - Texas book and a Texas Atlas. We started in Fredericksburg, a great little German town that we would probably stay at next time we come to Hill Country. Its not that Kerrville is a bad place, it just seems like there are more riding options out of Fredericksburg.
The three of us headed east on FM1631 toward Sandy. Dan peeled off on FM271 and went to Sandy, where he found the only store on the route. The store had bananas, Gatorade and other fuel that is appealing to riders. Kay and I took back roads to Willow City.
There is a store called "Harry's Store" in Willow City. I was advised not to bother stopping at Harry's Store because the owner is not bicycle friendly. We rode past it and noticed a sign that said "Restrooms for members only," which was interesting. Having packed plenty of water and food we carried on, and we are unable to offer any personal experience regarding bicyclists and Harry's Store.
The Willow City Loop lived up to our expectations. There are beautiful vistas, cattle, cattle guards, wildflowers, low water crossings and hills. If you go, I would suggest doing the Willow City loop in the Northern direction, meaning starting the loop by going through Willow City first and not last. This is the direction that we did the loop, and it seems like there is less climbing by going in this direction.
After leaving the Willow City Loop we took FM965 to Enchanted Rock State Park. Enchanted Rock looks sort of like Ayers Rock in Australia. You can see it for miles as you approach it. The park headquarters were under construction, but there was an opportunity to top off our water bottles at the park. We stayed on FM965 all the back to Fredericksburg. This route was very hilly and there was a head wind of 15+ mph. It wasn't the most fun road, although it was very scenic. Our ride ended with 2 to 3 miles of descent, which we felt we had earned. Next time we'll try taking FM2323, which is just to the west.
Today's wildlife included sheep, cattle and a couple of dogs that chased us down. We also saw Texas Bluebonnets and a lot of red flowers that we can't identify yet.
We rode 62.4 miles and averaged 13.5 mph. Dan rode 97.3 miles and averaged 16.8 mph.
Welcome to Willow City, Texas
One of the descents on the Willow City Loop
The view of Enchanted Rock