Even though I had promised my husband that I would not go off on any adventures since we were not as familiar with the area, I could not help but explore the Cypress Waters Trail. After my husband and I parted ways and I grabbed a second cup of coffee to go from Ascension Coffee, I took a stroll and followed the pavement as it veered off from The Sound at Cypress Waters and onto the Cypress Waters Trail.
I cannot say I have been on many hiking trails, if you could even call the Cypress Waters Trail that, since I much prefer stuffing my face than exercising but there was just something about the ambience of the trail that struck a chord with me. As I walked along North Lake (the body of water that the Cypress Waters Trail encompasses), I could not help but take a moment to appreciate the scenery. There were groups of Mallard Ducks in different areas of North Lake as well as baby Cottontail Rabbits hopping about what was left of the foliage due to the transition from Summer to Fall (fellow Yelper Mei-Sa Y. has beautiful photos of the Cypress Waters Trail in the Spring). Since it was November, the air was crisp and cool, cold enough to see your breath in the air, but still decently warm where you did not need a jacket. If you also listened closely, you could faintly hear the ebbs and flows of North Lake as the water moved with the wind.
When I got to the end of the paved trail, I figured that it would not be too bad to venture further onto the gravel area, but then I remembered the coyote warning and all I could hear in the back of my head was my husband saying, "Told you so" after having to go to the E.R. for a coyote attack, so I got back on the pavement and started walking back to "civilization." The walk back was just as mesmerizing and it was fun to see the buildings come into view.
Overall, I would highly recommend the Cypress Waters Trail if you are in the area. There is something about this hike that just makes you feel transformatively rejuvenated and I appreciate that there seems to be a lot of care taken into educating those who use the trail about respecting the animals in the area. I can only imagine just how beautiful this area is during the other seasons as well.
P.S. If you like to listen to music, I would recommend putting on Kid Francescoli's "Moon" on during the hike. read more