PAMELA LEBLANC: FIT CITY

Red carpet? More like mossy trail for this film fest

Banff film festival highlights the mountains

By Pamela LeBlanc
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, March 27, 2008

Some film festivals tend toward glitz and glam and long ball gowns. Not the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, which draws more of a hiking boot-and-backpack crowd.

Show up at the Paramount Theatre for this year's festival, which expands to two nights, and you'll see folks you usually see at the park or on the trail. Brace yourself for a couple hours of cool award-winning films about remote cultures, wild places and the critters who live there.

The traveling film festival, making its third appearance in Austin thanks to local sponsor Whole Earth Provision Co., features the best of more than 300 documentary submissions from the Banff, Alberta, film competition held in November.

Last year's lineup included a hilarious short film about a brood of duck hatchlings and a longer film about a couple that cycled across Mongolia. Stunning. This year's lineup includes a documentary about a woman obsessed with BASE jumping that's sparked plenty of discussion about addiction to extreme sports. Also look for films about rock climbing, kayaking, mountain expeditions, snow skiing, mountain biking and (one that I'm especially looking forward to) the life of a badger.

Saturday's show, dubbed "Radical Reels," focuses on the more adrenaline-fueled sports films. Doors open at 6:30 and screenings begin at 8 p.m. Get there early to peruse booths manned by TreeFolks, Austin Parks Foundation, Patagonia, SmartWool, Deuter Packs, New Balance, the Austin Area Garden Council and MSR Equipment. Sunday's lineup features more nature and culture flicks. Doors open at 4:30 and the movies start at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $18.50 for one night or $32 for two. Tickets are available at local Whole Earth Provision Co. stores, the Paramount Box Office at 713 Congress Ave. or at www.gettix.net. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Austin Parks Foundation and TreeFolks. For more information, call any of Austin's three Whole Earth Provision Company locations: 4477 S. Lamar Blvd. (889-0992); 2410 San Antonio St. (478-1577) ; or 1014 N. Lamar Blvd. (476-1414).

Changes on the trail

Lots of hike-and-bike trail news to report:

The conversion of Cesar Chavez Street to a two-way street between San Antonio and Brazos streets has created a headache for many trail users — including me. It's a challenge getting around the construction zone.

The end result, though, should be worth the temporary inconvenience. Besides widening the street and making it two-way, crews are building a 32-foot-wide esplanade — with two rows of bald cypress trees and some park benches — between Congress Avenue and Guadalupe Street. Cool!

In the meantime, city officials ask pedestrians and cyclists to pay attention to barricades and follow posted detours. Not everyone is doing that, but ignoring or removing barriers can earn you a $1,500 fine.

Remember, the hike-and-bike trail along Cesar Chavez Street is closed from Congress Avenue to Shoal Creek. Pedestrians should use the sidewalk on the north side of Cesar Chavez Street. The pedestrian bridge on the west side of South First Street also is closed. Use the east side instead. The hike-and-bike trail should be opened by the end of March and the road conversion should be done by the end of May, says Rick Colbrunn, project manager.

• Anyone who's run on the trail before the sun rises or after it sets knows how tricky it can be to negotiate. New low-level lights should make it easier to traverse.

Crews are installing 16 small yellow-filtered lights between the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge and the Mexican American Cultural Center. The project is a collaboration between the Austin Parks and Recreation Department and the Town Lake Trail Foundation, and follows a pilot program of lights on the south side of the river.

"We got very, very positive feedback, so we wanted to extend it to other areas," says Susan Rankin, executive director of the Town Lake Trail Foundation.

The lights are being installed in places that lack ambient lighting and at the same time have a tripping hazard such as a tree root or a change from concrete to crushed granite. The lights will be timed to go on a few hours before dawn and off a few hours after dusk.

More will be added in the future.

• Notice the signs along the trail between Lou Neff Point and the pedestrian bridge over Barton Creek? That's the site of a pilot ecological restoration project. The Town Lake Trail Foundation is working to plant native grasses, trees and shrubs in the area. Look for more cypress trees coming soon.

It's part of a broader effort by the nonprofit to keep the trail healthy by removing species of plants that don't naturally occur there, such as privet, Chinese tallow and chinaberry. Another undesirable? Grapevines that grow so thick they snap tree limbs and shade out native trees.

"I think it's some of most important work we can do out there," Rankin says. "Non-natives compete with native trees, which are important to wildlife and birds for nesting and food and habitat."

Pitch in at your park

It's time to sign up for the sixth annual It's My Park! Day on April 12.

Last year, I spent half a day planting native species around the new Deep Eddy bathhouse. Besides a free T-shirt, I got some exercise and the satisfaction of doing something good for my community. And whenever I go to the pool now, I can admire a little bit of my handiwork.

Volunteers are needed to help out at nearly 40 projects around the city from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tasks range from painting playscapes to removing invasive plants or gathering trash.

About 1,300 volunteers helped out at last year's event. Why should you join in? "To protect the investment you've made as community to buy land and make improvements, and to give back to the great park system we enjoy," says Charlie McCabe, executive director of the Austin Parks Foundation.

Register and pick your project at www.austinparks.org. For more information, call 477-1566.

The foundation also is looking for community groups to adopt parks on a recurring basis. Groups that adopt parks can apply for grant money to make improvements. The next deadline to apply is May 15.

AIDS ride in April

Start training now for this year's Hill Country Ride for AIDS, set for April 28.

The main route covers about 50 miles of winding Hill Country back roads. Or opt for a shorter 10-mile loop or an Olympic extension that adds 20 miles. All routes are fully supported, with pit stops every 15 to 20 miles and support vehicles. Riders of all ability levels, from beginners to serious cyclists, are invited. It costs $55 to register, and all riders must raise at least $500 ($250 for kids). Last year's ride raised about $575,000, and this year organizers are shooting for $650,000. In eight years, the ride has raised more than $2.5 million for people living with AIDS. To sign up, go to www.hillcountryride.org.