Medina River - North Prong

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

Due to some heavy rains late in the week, the local rivers were running fast and furious on this weekend following Tax Day. In fact, the Saturday Paddlers canceled their outing on the Upper Guadalupe scheduled for Saturday, due to the wet weather and high water. I tried to organize a trip on the Lower Guadalupe for Sunday. The flow there is controlled by releases from Canyon Dam, and is therefore more predictable. My plan didn't draw much interest. Then I heard from Gary that a small group was planning to make a run on the Medina River above Bandera, and would be meeting in front of the courthouse in Bandera on Sunday morning. I had been wanting to run the Medina River for some time, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to scout the river in advance of the Medina River cleanup scheduled for May 1.

And it turned out that the water level was just about ideal. According to the Bandera gauge, the river was running at 1140 cfs when we launched, and at 1090 cfs by the time we finished. Of course, we were about 18 miles upstream from the gauge, and on one prong of the river, so who knows what the level really was on our stretch of the Medina. Whatever the number, the flow made for a great run.

Eight paddlers rendezvoused at the Bandera County Courthouse, coming from as far away as the Houston area. We had an eclectic fleet. Gary, Chuck, and one Dan brought solo canoes, Kathy and Kevin came with a tandem canoe, and the other Dan, Christy, and I opted for kayaks.

Our put-in was the Third Crossing on FM 2107. It was the only one of the three crossings that didn't have water flowing over it when we started. In the photo above, Kathy, Kevin, Chuck, and Gary prepare their boats while the shuttle was being run.

The Third Crossing is just past the bluff which gives Whitecliff Road its name.

Dan paddles past the limestone bluff. Despite the recent showers, the water here was crystal clear.

A view back towards Chalk Cliff, with smoke from a trash fire.

Gary in his trusty Mohawk Probe.

About a mile and a half down the river, we arrived at Chamblee Falls, a ten-foot gradient slide drop that was the most challenging feature we faced this day. We scouted it carefully, and Dan and Chuck acted as the safety team at the bottom of the falls.

Kathy and Kevin went first in the longest of our boats, their Dagger Legend 15.

They were swept a little past the target channel, and the longer boat was pushed sideways by the current.

The result made for some exciting photos!

I see a helmet!

Kevin, sore shoulder and all, was briefly entangled in the overturned canoe. Chuck to the rescue!

Kathy seemed to enjoy the swim.

With a little help from Dan, the canoe was soon ready for further adventures.

Christy was next, and made what was probably the cleanest run over the falls.

Hitting the slot perfectly.

I made it!

Dan also made a stylish run, plunging deep into the pool at the bottom, ...

... then exploding back to the surface.

He looks pleased.

Chuck guides his Mad River Outrage over the drop, ...

... and uses a high brace to keep the canoe upright.

There was less excitement this time as Kevin makes it look easy as he paddles Dan's Mohawk XL over the falls.

Kathy also made a much dryer run, this time in Gary's canoe.

Another high brace saves the day.

The proud couple.

Well, there was no more stalling - every other boat had made the run, and now it was my turn.




































The old-school Perception Corsica seemed to find its own way over the falls, and I was just along for the ride.

Another explosion out of the pool.

With Chamblee Falls in the background, we made our way over a smaller drop.

A goose makes it way back upstream.

The river threw one small rapid after the other at us. We didn't complain.

Dan looks back at the 4-foot waterfall which marked the halfway point of our trip.

Dan in a close encounter with a cypress trunk.

Dan, Christy, Dan, Chuck, Kevin, Kathy, and Gary at our take-out. It had been a 6.6-mile paddle from the Third Crossing on FM 2107 to Freeman Crossing on Hwy. 16. And it had been a great day with a friendly group of accomplished paddlers.

Note: For an additional 76 photos of this adventure, click here to be transported to my Flickr page, then click on "Slideshow."