The steep ascent from the canyon floor toward the Scenic Overlook — the hardest stretch of the East Trail, with pacing and safety.
Here it is — the part of the trail that earns its 'strenuous.' The path leaves the easy river bottom now and pitches up, climbing the canyon wall in a steep, rocky, switchbacking pull that gains a few hundred feet in a hurry. This is the toughest stretch of the whole loop, and there's no shame in it feeling hard, because it is.
So let me coach you up it. Slow and steady wins this one — shorten your steps, find a pace you can hold without gasping, and don't be proud about stopping to breathe. There's no prize for speed. Take small sips of water often. Watch your footing on the loose rock and the ledges, and use your hands on the steep bits if you need to; this is uneven ground. If it's a hot day, this climb is where the heat really bites, because the shade thins out as you rise — so pace yourself hard and turn back if you're truly struggling. There is no weakness in that.
But keep at it, because I promise you it's worth every labored breath. With every switchback the canyon drops away below you and the view opens up wider and wider, and in the fall you're climbing up out of a river of color. At the top waits a Hill Country overlook that'll knock the last of the wind right out of you — in the good way this time. Keep climbing. Almost there. One foot, then the other.
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
