Bandera Mountain — Wednesday, Jul. 20, 2022

Construction on the usual approach road on weekdays led me to park at Exit 42 and hike up to the regular trailhead. There is construction at this entrance, too, construction that had obliterated the start of the trail I remembered from a year ago; I used my decades of backwoods experience and foot-high letters that spell out "trail" to find the trail, perhaps 100 yards up the road from where I parked.

This trip report exists to show photos of the entrance and exit of the trail from Exit 42, and to urge anyone reading it to do this hike right away, while the flowers are still at their peak. It is incredible out there right now.

Exit 42, Bandera Mountain, Ira Spring Trail to Mason Lake, and back. 9.4 miles, just under 3500' gained and lost.