HIKE THIS RAVINE
Inner Loop gem unveils new hiking trail for Houstonians to explore
Apr 23, 2019, 5:28 pm
Hike this new ravine in the Houston Arboretum. Photo by Christina Spade.
This article originally appeared on CultureMap.
Houstonians who're fed up of outsiders (Austinites, especially) deriding our fair city for its lack of elevation and beauty have a new comeback. A hidden, Inner Loop gem has revealed a new trail and ravine and — gasp! — elevation that's completely explorable.
The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, tucked away near Memorial Park on 4501 Woodway Dr., has unveiled a newly designed ravine trail as part of the nonprofit's Master Plan. The public can traverse this new trail, which boasts a "true riparian ecosystem" with elevation changes not typically seen in the Houston area, according to the center.
Hikers and visitors can expect two new bridges spanning the ravine to allow the flow of flood waters; a winding switchback concrete trail even provides ADA accessibility to the north bridge and expansive views across the ravine.Seemingly perfect for a spring stroll, the updated area also has a boardwalk system that brings visitors into the heart of the ravine and native plantings that increase bio-diversity and prevent erosion of the ravine slopes.
Due to flooding, erosion, washout, and other disturbances, access to the ravine and its trail system were closed for three years, while the Arboretum and several partners developed resilient solutions. The ravine is located in the northwest corner of the site.
Continue reading on CultureMap to learn about the Arboretum working with Design Workshop, Inc.
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Astros stumble again as Braves complete gut-wrenching series sweep
Apr 17, 2024, 4:51 pm
Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander will make his season debut Friday night at the Washington Nationals.
Houston manager Joe Espada made the announcement Wednesday.
“Getting him back is huge because it brings a level of confidence to our team, a boost of confidence that we’re going to get someone who’s been an MVP, a Cy Young (winner) on the mound,” Espada said. “It's (good) for the morale and to get stuff started and moving in the right direction.”
The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder. He made two rehabilitation starts, the first for Triple-A Sugar Land on April 7 before Saturday’s start for Double-A Corpus Christi.
Espada wouldn't say how many pitches the 41-year-old would be limited to but said they'll keep an eye on his workload.
“We've got to be careful how hard we push him early,” Espada said. “I know he’s going to want to go and stay out there and give us an opportunity to win, but we've got to be cautious of how hard we push him early in the season.”
Verlander wasn’t thrilled with the results in his rehabilitation starts, but he said Monday that those games were valuable in getting him prepared to come off the IL.
He allowed seven hits and six runs — five earned — in four innings against Frisco on Saturday. He struck out three, walked one and threw 51 of 77 pitches for strikes.
Verlander allowed six earned runs and struck out six while pitching into the fourth inning for Sugar Land on April 7.
The Astros have gotten off to a tough start with Verlander and fellow starters Framber Valdez and José Urquidy on the injured list. They enter Wednesday's games last in the AL West with a 6-13 record.
Espada hopes Verlander can be the boost the team needs to get on track.
“It’s good to get him back in the rotation,” Espada said. “With what he means to this club just to get him back on track, getting some innings from him (to) build our rotation with the pieces that we need to move forward is exciting.”