boatsandballs

Canyon Lake - New Stairway

2011-12-11T22:27:00.014-06:00

Work continues on the house at Canyon Lake. These images show the construction of the new stairway leading to the second floor bedroom.

Note: Click on any photo to enlarge.

Oak treads and risers on the second run.

The complete stairway, prior to the installation of banisters. The scaffolding is for the drywall work and painting in the entry way, which is now two stories tall.

The second landing was raised about 13 inches, leaving enough headroom for a new doorway to the garage. This allowed us to remove the old doorway, which led from the garage to the utility room, and to convert that room to a bedroom.

The oak flooring obtained when the 1960 addition to the Kings Highway home was demolished by the new owners now has a second life. It replaces the dreary, old carpeting. The wood flooring also provides a nice foundation for the Fisher piano given by Dad to Mom when they were dating. I can almost hear Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C Sharp Minor, Op.3, No. 2. Well, maybe one of these days!

Canyon Lake - Deck Construction

2011-11-12T23:20:00.053-06:00

Note: Click on any photo to enlarge.

The construction of the entry way deck for the Canyon Lake house is progressing quite nicely. The deck will make the access to the front door much easier than the old stone stairs, especially for us older folks. Thanks to Nelson for the "fan" design concept for the stairway up to the deck. This design was implemented nicely by Jimmy Guerra.

The stairs open out towards both the entry gate and the pool.

The view from the entry gate.

Looking down at the deck from the second floor walkway (on left), and another view from the gate (on right).

The deck will connect nicely to the existing porch.

The curved section of the deck above the old stone stairs is quite attractive. Thanks again to Nelson for that idea, and to Dan and Jimmy for bending that two-by-six.

The view of the underside of the deck from under the porch.

Views from the pool.

Saturday Paddlers - Guadalupe River

2011-10-29T05:43:00.040-05:00

Note: Click on any photo to enlarge.

Emboldened by their semi-success a week earlier, the Saturday Paddlers again ventured onto the Upper Guadalupe. They were hoping that the recent break in the year-long drought would enable them to paddle one of their favorite stretches of the river -- from Zoeller Lane to the Sisterdale bridge. The water was flowing at 36-38 cfs, according to the Comfort gauge. This proved to be barely adequate, and some walking and dragging of boats was required. But if the water was marginal, the fall foliage and clear skies made up for it.

Kathy discovered that her Hydroskin Farmer Jane wetsuit was up to the task. She was able to paddle her sit-on-top kayak in the cool weather and still stay warm.

Joline's hat protected her from the sun.

Dude navigates for Mollieo, followed here by Phylis.

Did I already say that the fall colors and weather were quite nice?

A hawk perched on a tree at the top of the ridge kept an eye on us. It may have been the one which we heard fussing at us earlier.

Leslie beyond the limestone overhang.

We stopped for lunch at our usual gravel bar. Enjoying the treats are Mollieo, Kelley, Kathy, Phylis, an alert Dude, Leslie, ____, Susan, Miguel, Joline, and Nancy.

The boats also enjoyed the break.

Joline skillfully balances a cookie on her knee while enjoying a treat. I need to get one of those chairs.

Bald cypress reflected as we paddled.

Susan and I paddled ahead after lunch. We were able to retrieve my shuttle vehicle from the put-in and get her on the road back to San Antonio before the others arrived at the take-out.

Yes, there was a fair amount of walking involved at this water level. Here Susan navigates at the bottom of what is normally Violet Rapid.

A parting shot of the scenery we enjoyed all day.

Note: For an additional 18 photos of this outing, click here and then click on "Slideshow."

Saturday Paddlers - Guadalupe River

2011-10-22T22:15:00.041-05:00

The record drought has taken its toll on the upper Guadalupe River, and has forced the Saturday Paddlers to look elsewhere most of this year for paddling opportunities. However, a couple of rain showers this month lead the optimist among us, otherwise known as Dear Leader, to give the river a try. For two consecutive weekends, the group was given orders to explore some of our favorite stretches of the Upper Guadalupe. The plan this time was to make the run from Bergman Crossing (at Edge Falls Road) to the State Park.

Note: Click on any photo to enlarge.

The river was running at 29-32 cfs during our trip. The photo above, taken from the Edge Falls Road bridge, shows the low water level. Many more boulders than usual were fully exposed. We were regaled at lunch by Susan and Reiko with stories of a more exciting (well, for Susan anyway) exposure the previous weekend.

A view upstream, taken while I was waiting for everyone else to return from the shuttle.

Joline pretends to paddle (and gives instructions) while I push the canoe through a shallow channel. Thanks to Mike for these action shots.

Reiko apparently decided to walk the river rather than use a boat.

Susan "explores" during our lunch break.

Susan, Ann, Reiko, Joline, Cynthia, Scott, Doug, Atusko, and Mike enjoying lunch. Gary is wearing his cloak of invisibility.

Cypress trees kept an eye on us.

Mike rests on the large cypress next to our lunch stop.

Cynthia, ...

Otusko, ...

... and Doug head downstream after lunch.

Note: For an additional seven photos from this outing, click here, then click on "Slideshow."

Saturday Paddlers - Lower Guadalupe River

2011-09-24T23:00:00.041-05:00

And now for something completely different! After several months of the San Marcos River being their only choice for moving water during our record drought, the Saturday Paddlers looked closer to home. A decision was made to try the Lower Guadalupe River. More specifically, the stretch of river pioneered by the Sacrificial Lambs back in May of 2009 (click here for a description of that trip). We would launch our boats at the downstream FM 306 crossing and take out about 5.5 miles later at Rocky Beach.

The last time we had paddled this section was in March of last year, when we were blessed with a water level of 579 cfs. That trip featured some exciting rapids and several swimmers, as detailed in this repor t. Even though the water level this time would be only 73 cfs, that would still be more than the 69 cfs experienced by the Sacrificial Lambs. So we knew that there would be enough water to avoid a lot of walking and dragging of boats. And with a starting time of 10:00, we felt confident that we would miss most of whatever tubers were brave enough to float the river at such a low water level.

Don navigates past the 4.5 mile dams, or what is left of them.

We enjoyed our favorite lunch spot at the confluence of Mountain Creek.

My remaining photos were shot at Bear Creek Rapid, which has been renamed by the tourist industry as Devil's Playground.

Shari slides through the final drop.

Bill and Cyndi enjoying their first outing with the Saturday Paddlers.

Sisters Margaret and Gayle. No, not nuns.

Joan having fun.

Joline displays the latest fashion in eyewear.

Larry showing off his power stroke.

My apologies for not catching Sandra in action, not that there was much at this low water level.

For an additional eleven photos, click here and then click on "Slideshow."

Rio Chama - May 2011

2011-05-23T21:52:00.258-05:00

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

Late afternoon sun on Chama Wall.

For the third year in a row, we were lucky enough to get a weekend permit for the Rio Chama. Instead of the middle of August, this time we landed a spring season date in the permit lottery. Our launch date was Friday, May 20.

Our merry band consisted of nine people and their trusty boats: Kathy and Henry Amen (14' DRE cataraft), Amy Arisco (new Nova Craft Supernova Solo canoe), Jon Carlson (Mad River Outrage X solo canoe), Scott Dooley (14.5' Wilderness Systems Tsunami kayak), Donald James and Mike Scudday (Dagger Dimension tandem canoe), Zoltan Mraz (Old Town Penobscot 16 tandem canoe), and Gary Tupa (SOAR 16 inflatable tandem canoe).

Kathy and I drove on Wednesday to Albuquerque, where we spent the night with our good friends Steve and Kathy Altobelli. Don flew into Albuquerque on Thursday morning. The three of us then made the (mostly) scenic drive to Cooper's El Vado Ranch, stopping along the way in Espanola (not so scenic, except for the cool lowriders) to meet Mike for lunch. We arrived at the campground around mid-afternoon and were greeted by Zoltan, who had arrived the evening before to wisely claim our favorite camping area for the group.

Shortly after arriving on Thursday, I started the process of assembling the cataraft. The first step was inflating the tubes. The little electric hand pump didn't help much, so we resorted to the foot and barrel pumps. Then the frame was attached with various straps, following the list we had prepared at home. Finally, the seat was bolted onto the frame. Kathy and I admire our handiwork in the photo by Donald below.

We were greeted at the campground on Thursday with occasional rain, sleet, and even snow. Luckily, I had decided to rent one of the rustic cabins, and its covered porch gave us a good staging area for all of the group gear. It also provided a place for Mike to pitch his mattress and sleeping bag for the night, while Don shared the cabin with Kathy and me. The others set up their tents at the campsite, but did join us for frozen margaritas in the cabin. And the shower was quite popular both Thursday evening and Friday morning, as was the kitchen for coffee in the morning.

My main reason for having the cabin was to shorten the time that would be needed on Friday morning to pack all of our gear and load it securely on the cataraft. Although I'm not sure why, I have a reputation for being less than swift when it comes to getting everything ready to go. So I made good use of the two (plus) hours required for others to shuttle our vehicles early Friday morning, and was almost ready to launch by the time they returned in our minivan and finished loading their boats. We hired a shuttle service to deliver that vehicle to the take-out on Saturday. If I remember correctly, we were heading down the river slightly before noon. A new record!

Hundreds of violet green swallows, like the one captured by Donald in this photo, entertained us with their flying acrobatics for the first several miles. Were they gathering insects for little ones waiting eagerly in their mud nests clinging to the rock overhangs?

Before long, we were also ready for lunch. A little less than four miles down the river, we pulled over at the Ward Ranch historic site to eat and soak in the sun, which had now started to break through the overcast sky.

Zoltan working on his tan (photo by Donald).

Our destination for the day was 7.5-mile camp. I'll let you figure out how far downstream that is from the put-in. This was a very nice campsite that Mike, Gary, and I had spent our first night at on our first Rio Chama trip, back in August of 2009. When we arrived, we were pleased to find it unoccupied, and quickly set up camp.

Kathy and I were responsible for Friday night's dinner. Note the ten pounds of beef tenderloin steak on Gary's nifty grill. And Mike's dutch oven is being warmed in preparation for his wonderful dessert of homemade peach cobbler. A nice photo by Amy.

Like last year, my cataraft rowing duties largely prevented me from taking any photos while on the river, except on our final day. So my photos are mostly of our campsites and the hikes we took from them.

The morning after our first night on the river, the moon peaks over the ridge behind our camp.

Moon setting over the groover.

At 8:00 in the morning, the temperature was still a little nippy, and we gathered around the campfire with our coffee and hot chocolate. Later, we enjoyed Mike's wonderful "Mountain Man" breakfast.

Donald, Kathy, Jon, and Scott kept a watchful eye on the clouds as we pondered our hike for the day. We decided to duplicate my journey from two years earlier up the mesa behind us -- but this time without getting caught on top at sunset.

There was no established trail, and frequent rest stops were necessary. Kathy joined us for the first part of the hike/climb up the mesa.

Mike examines the canyon across the river from us.

Zoltan enjoys the view while catching his breath.

Looking across the river as we near the top.

Reminder: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

Once we reached the top, this was our view to the west.

Snow capped peaks to the east provided a nice backdrop for Donald.

Scott with the canyon on the other side of the river behind him, and peaks to the east behind him.

Looking north to El Vado Lake, visible in places as a thin blue line.

We couldn't decide who was older.

Scott, Donald, Zoltan, Mike, and Jon, with Aragon Rapids and Canyon visible in the distance on the left. We would pass through the rapids on Sunday.

Mike used my camera so I could be included with the group.

An Indian paintbrush and a small blooming cactus.

Probably not a good idea to be up here on top during a lightning storm.

Looking back up to the top after making my way back down from the mesa.

We had another fantastic dinner on Saturday. Here is Amy's photo of Mike's dutch oven with a perfectly cooked southwest chicken casserole.

Mike enjoying his coffee and the rather spectacular sunset.

We all enjoyed the campfire.

After two nights at the campsite, and a tasty breakfast of vegetarian eggs florentine (supplemented nicely by leftover tenderloin) prepared by Gary, we were ready to head downstream on Sunday morning. Thanks to Mike for using my camera to take this photo of Kathy, Donald, Jon, me, Zoltan, Gary, Scott, and Amy.

We stopped for lunch at Cebolla Canyon, where Rio Cebolla (more of a creek than a river) joins the Rio Chama. Here Amy crosses the not-so-treacherous Rio Cebolla. No onions were found.

Our lunch spot. The shade was welcome, as it was getting quite warm in the sun. In fact, I decided to shed my wetsuit once we landed.

Navajo Peak is situated at the confluence of the two rivers. There is a trail to the top - maybe next time.

Jon, Scott, and I hiked a short distance up Cebolla Canyon.

Crossing the river was not a challenge.

Our cataraft was tied up at the mouth of the river. Here we get ready to head back down the Rio Chama.

Amy snapped this photo of Kathy and me as we pulled away from the smaller river back into the Rio Chama. Looks like I forgot to put on my pfd, which was draped over the back of my seat.

We made camp at the Chama Wall campground, which like the other campsites was unoccupied on Sunday. As you can see, we had a nice view from our tent.

After setting up camp, six of us headed up the slot canyon behind us. The going was somewhat challenging once we entered the narrow canyon. Zoltan uses The Force to prevent this large rock from tumbling down onto us.

With Kathy following right behind, I walked past a coiled rattlesnake. When Kathy grabbed me and said "snake," I reacted by almost backing up to where it blended into the background.

As I grabbed my camera, the snake finally noticed us and started to uncoil and slither away.

The three-foot rattler heads to the protection of a boulder.

After the excitement of meeting wildlife up close, three of the group decided to head back to camp. The climb up the canyon was becoming more difficult, but the snake may have had something to do with their decision. Donald, Jon, and I continued on, but not for very far. The sky was threatening rain. On the right above, Jon stands ready to assist us up one of the more difficult spots.

Donald's self portrait of the three of us before we headed back to camp.

A large downed tree near our tent.

The happy Hungarian.

Gary in his normal pose. Mike making biscuits in his smaller dutch oven.

A family of Canada Geese claimed the opposite riverbank as their own. After first entertaining us with a honking symphony, the parents returned later with their three goslings. Two are visible in the photo above. After the show, we enjoyed a nice chili dinner prepared by Jon, along with Mike's biscuits.

On Monday morning, after enjoying Scott's breakfast of pancakes and sausage, we packed our boats for the last time. It was time to head out of the Chama Canyon proper on our 14.5 mile paddle to the Big Eddy take-out. And it on this stretch where two of the three Class III rapids are located. We stopped at the Chavez Canyon put-in for lunch, then continued down the river.

Scott paddles through the beginning portion of Meandering Rapid (Class II), which is quite long and passes around a large island.

Gary and Amy skillfully maneuvering in the rapid.

Zoltan begins his run into Meandering Rapid, with the usual scenery as a backdrop.

Rendezvousing at the bottom of the lengthy rapid.

The next challenge was Skull Bridge Rapid, a fun Class II+.

Donald and Mike came through unscathed (this time).

Amy approaches Skull Bridge. Not visible are the couple who were standing on the bridge, and who photographed Kathy and I as we led the way through the rapid.

Amy and Gary in the wave train.

After pulling over just past the bridge, we continued through the remainder of this third-of-a-mile-long rapid. The biggest waves and holes were at the end of the rapid, as seen below.

Gary and Amy, again.

Jon crashes through.

Donald and Mike working hard as they get some air time in the trusty Dagger Dimension. Note the look of determination on their faces.

Despite being in what is essentially a touring kayak, Scott handled the rapid with aplomb.

Sure looks like Zoltan was having fun.

Next up was Gaging Station Rapid, a Class III rapid that may be the most challenging on our 31-mile stretch of the Rio Chama. Kathy and I went first. After skirting the large rock at the entrance to the rapid, we got hung up on the next boulder on our left. I struggled to free us, digging into the swift current with one oar, then the other, then both.

After what seemed like forever, but was probably only half a minute, the cataraft slowly started to spin away from the rock. The boat turned so that we were now sideways to the current and could look upstream - just in time to see the carnage. Bearing down on us were an empty (of people) Dagger Dimension leaned over on its side, a paddle, and a swimming Donald. Donald wisely pushed himself to the side to avoid being trapped between our upstream pontoon and the canoe. Just then, the cataraft freed itself from the rock, to be replaced by the sideways canoe. It looked like it was going to be wrapped.

As the cataraft headed back downstream, we spotted Mike navigating the rock garden on river right. It sounded like he was speaking in tongues, but I don't think it was from religious inspiration. Looking back upstream, we saw that the canoe had somehow dislodged itself from the rock and was heading downstream. I decided that retrieving the canoe was a better idea than getting caught in the rocks trying to assist Mike and getting in his way as he maneuvered to the bank in the swift but shallow current.

We kept an eye on the paddle up ahead of us and the canoe behind us as we continued down the rocky rapid. I didn't want to get caught in the shallows, so we waited until there was some quiet water on river right. We moved into position in front of the canoe and Kathy grabbed the painter on one end. As we nudged the canoe over close to the bank, Kathy stepped off the front of the cataraft into the water, smashing her big toe on a rock. But she was able to hold the cataraft against the river bank as I grabbed the canoe's painter, waded to shore, and pulled the bow of the canoe up onto dry land. While we were busy doing this, Jon raced by in pursuit of the paddle, capturing it another forty yards downstream.

One problem is that our two refugees were now on opposite sides of the river, and the steep, rocky face on river left made that side impassible. Mike was able to walk along the bank to where we had his canoe. I recall that there may have been some more speaking in tongues, but I might be wrong. Anyway, we emptied the canoe of water and got it ready to go again. Gary walked back upstream with a couple of throw ropes to see about retrieving Donald, who was on the opposite bank. You can see them in Amy's photo below, with Gary in the foreground on the left and Donald in the distance above the river on the right.

Wisely not wanting to swim across the river, Donald climbed up to the road, which fortunately was close to the river at this point. After taking the road to where it curved away from the river, he worked his way down the somewhat steep and slippery bank to where Jon had pulled over on river left. Kathy and I ferried the cataraft over to that side and picked up Donald. We decided to have him ride with us for the remaining mile and a half to the take-out. Although I completely botched Screaming Left Rapid (Class III), we made it safely through, then past Overhang Rapid, and on to Big Eddy Take-Out.

Other than some bumps and bruises, and perhaps some bruised egos, the toll from this mishap was one lost paddle and one lost water bottle. Not to mention some wet cameras. Fortunately, all of the other gear in the canoe was securely tied down. The two groups who landed after us both said they had spotted the lost paddle in the rocks at the beginning of the rapid, but in each case too late to do anything about it. Of course, this was the first time on the river for this paddle and its companion since they had been extensively repaired, at no little expense. All in all, however, we all felt lucky that no major damage had been done.

It took a while to disassemble the cataraft, load the trailer, stuff everything else into the van, and head off to Albuquerque. Amy's photo shows Jon strapping his canoe to the trailer, while Mike and I look incredulously at the amount of gear that still needs to be packed in the van. The other fellow was from the group that landed right after us.

It had been a great trip. The water was flowing at about 620 cfs throughout our four days and three nights on the river. This made the rapids more technical, but was high enough to let us get the cataraft down the river without getting seriously stuck on the rocks. Having others share in carrying gear made that possible. I think all nine of us are looking forward to another journey on the Rio Chama.

Note: For an additional 106 photos from this adventure, click here to connect to my Flickr page, then click on "Slideshow."

Note: Here is a link to Kathy's blog posts about our Rio Chama trips. The top four posts cover this year's journey. And, of course, her prose is much more elegant than mine.

Diablos vs. Great Wall

2010-11-14T06:00:00.054-06:00

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

Although apparently unable to pose properly for a team portrait whenever an attractive woman walks by (note that only Coach is polite enough to pretend that he is completely uninterested), the Diablos did gather after their last game of the Fall 2010 season. This final match found them competing against Great Wall. I came out to the new S.T.A.R. soccer complex to watch my first Diablos game since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in January.

Rob displays his tenacious defense.

Ozzie stands tall while defending a free kick. What courage!

Niki sends the ball forward to a streaking attacker.

Arthur gets some air while heading the ball towards (well, maybe not quite towards) the goal off of a Diablos corner kick.

Not sure what Peter and Rob are doing here.

Josh modestly congratulates his teammate after scoring the game's only goal. Note the keeper retrieving the ball from the back of the net.

Mark passing after intercepting the ball.

Aries played keeper the second half, combining with Rob for a shutout.

Jose passes the ball to Peter at midfield.

Chris likes to sprint.

Mehran harasses a forward.

Arthur sends the ball to a sprinting (see, I told you) Chris.

"The other Mark" dribbles as Chris instructs.

George (third from left), a former teammate, walks off the field with Rob, Mark, and Arthur.

With the victory over Great Wall, the Diablos captured second place for the season and clinched a spot in the playoffs held at the end of next season. This time they posed correctly for the team photo.

Coach, Mehran, Ozzie, Arthur, Mark, the other Mark, and Josh met at Rudy's after the match. Well, I guess that I was there, too.

Note: For an additional 18 photos from the game, click here to connect to my Flickr page, then select "Slideshow."

Sally Soccer

2010-08-21T21:44:00.075-05:00

Just a few days after returning home from Colorado and New Mexico, Kathy and I made the journey north to Austin to visit the kids. The highlight was watching two of Sally's co-ed soccer teams play at Northeast Metro Park in Pflugerville.

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

We caught just the end of the first game. Here Sally is involved in some action in front of the goal.

The second game was an end-of-season match for FNA, and had a kind of celebratory flair to it. Here Kathy holds one of the many posters made for the game. In this case, one of the few that could be pictured here.

Sally in action.

Sally and a teammate (in this case, another Alamo Heights graduate) take a water break. Hal and Carey, meanwhile, enjoyed some stronger beverages generously provided by the team and its fans.

Who knew that the beautiful game could be so painful?

Despite many opportunities, it seemed that neither team was going to score.

Evidence of rampant commercialism was everywhere.

Soccer is definitely a contact sport.

A teammate gets ready for takeoff.

Sally celebrates making the sole goal late in the game. FNA wins 1-0!

A raffle was held after the game. The grand prize was a ball signed by all of the players. Awesome!

The happy family poses after the game.

Note: For 75 additional photos of these games, click here to connect to my Flickr page, then click on "Slideshow."

Saturday Paddlers - Guadalupe River

2010-07-17T03:04:00.046-05:00

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

Honey Creek

A large group of paddlers showed up to run the five-mile stretch from the Guadalupe River State Park to Nichols Landing. The river was flowing at just under 200 cfs, according to the Spring Branch gauge, which is located about 5.6 miles downstream from our take-out.

When we arrived at Nichols Landing with our vehicles while running the shuttle, the parking lot was too full to accommodate most of our cars. The Comal County attendant on duty was not particularly helpful, and didn't provide us with any alternatives. Not really a very good operation for the launching point of an official State of Texas Paddling Trail. But worse was yet to come from our friendly Comal County officials. More on that later.

The river at the State Park was a madhouse, full of swimmers and those floating on tubes and swimming pool toys. One clueless tuber asked Kathy how long it took to "get back around." Kathy tried to explain the linear nature of a river, but was too busy dodging swimmers and tubers to successfully make the point. I guess not everyone understands the difference between a river and a water park.

Mike checks his watch as the Saturday Paddlers get ready to launch at the State Park. He was paddling the Dagger Dimension whitewater canoe solo, in preparation for our upcoming trip on the Rio Chama. The experiment was a success, even though a thwart thwarted him from sitting in the bow seat and paddling the canoe with the stern leading the way. Of course, sitting in the stern position without a passenger up front meant that the bow was high and out of the water. After a while, we lessened the trim problem somewhat by placing Robert's ice chest in the canoe and as far forward as possible.

Several of us paddled a short distance up Honey Creek to look at the small waterfall (see photo at beginning of this post). Some got a little tangled up as we turned around to head back to the Guadalupe. Above, Mike snaps a photo of Joline, below, as she tries to avoid being run over.

Nancy

Limestone bluffs added to the scenery.

At our lunch stop, we enjoyed a variety of cold treats. I served frozen margaritas and Robert provided ice cream sandwiches and fruit bars. I won't describe how Reiko entertained us with her frozen fruit bar. You'll just have to ask her.

Kathy

Cynthia

Linda

Sandra

Joan

When we arrived at Nichols landing, one of those who had found a space in the parking lot gave those who had not a ride up to their vehicles. Because of "No Parking" signs along Old Spring Branch Road, they had driven the half mile to the intersection with Spring Branch Road, and parked in a clear area off to the side of that major road. Despite the complete absence of any signs prohibiting parking next to or along the road, they arrived to find parking violation tickets on their windshields. I witnessed the parking attendant at the Nichols Landing parking lot being upset when the paddlers left the full lot to head up to the main road, and can only surmise that he called a buddy in the sheriff's office to teach us a lesson. Or maybe the County needs the revenue generated by fines. In any event, they certainly don't seem interested in promoting tourism and the commerce generated by visiting paddlers.

The tickets were dismissed when the paddling criminals dared to show up at their court hearing. The County prosecutor admitted that there had been no violation, but warned them that they would be ticketed again if they parked next to the main road! Go figure. Better yet, contact Comal County officials to let them know what you think about their hospitality.

Note: To view an additional eight photos of this outing, click here to link to my Flickr page, then click on "Slideshow."

Guadalupe River

2010-07-05T02:57:00.024-05:00

While the Saturday Paddlers used the Monday holiday to run a stretch up near Waring, five us decided we were ready for something involving a little more adrenalin. Or perhaps we wanted to live up to the name of this blog. Anyway, with the gauges showing there was more water downstream from the recent rains, we chose the FM 311 to Rebecca Creek Road section of the Guadalupe River. According to the Spring Branch gauge, the river was running a little over 450 cfs. The five hardy paddlers were Joan, Julie, Mike, Robert, and me.

After I dropped off my van and trailer at the take-out, and after a short delay due to confusion about on which side of the bridge I would be parked, Joan picked me and my boat up and drove us to the FM 311 bridge. The others were waiting for us there.

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge. Use back arrow to return.

Thanks to Robert for all of the photos. I had decided to use the shortest boat in my stable, a Dagger Mamba 8.5, and so did not bring my camera along. The photo above shows me sneaking around some downed timber to get to the drop on river right at Mueller Falls. Mike and Julie, who like Joan and Robert took the swift channel to the left of the island, are seen surfing in the background. They had gone ahead and were able to verify that my path was not blocked by any debris not visible from above.

I showed off the latest style - protecting my head from both the sun and the rocks. Definitely dorky.

We stopped just below one of the rapids for lunch. Robert's photo caught me in the act of serving the frozen margaritas. Perhaps I should have waited until after Rust Falls to drink mine.

While the others scouted at Rust Falls, I went ahead and ran it on far river right. There usually isn't enough water on that side. I made it through successfully, and then returned for another go.

Julie and Mike took the usual route on river left, avoiding the main falls.

Joan did the same.

I decided to return back upstream and run the horseshoe section of the main falls, something I had successfully done a couple of other times at lower water. I first acted as the safety as Robert successfully ran the drop. Julie then positioned herself between the trees just below the drop with my throw bag, and Mike waited below. Unfortunately, I gave everyone the show they had been waiting for. Trying to avoid the water crashing in from my right, I hit the drop just a little too far to river left. This meant I ran into the submerged roots of the large cypress guarding the entrance. Since the roots were sloped, my boat rolled over onto its right side and I ended up upside down at the bottom of the falls. Boat, paddle, and one sandal continued on downstream as I grabbed the rescue rope thrown by Julie. No damage done - unless you count my pride.

Despite my mishap, it was a good run and we all had fun. Thanks again to Robert for providing all of the photos. Sorry we didn't get one of him to prove that he was really there.

Father's Day on the San Marcos River

2010-06-20T02:42:00.023-05:00

Virgin Voyage of the Riken Raft

As you may know, I got a really great eBay deal on a used whitewater raft. It even included a trailer. Just one small detail - we had to drive to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to pick up the bargain. Kathy and I made the trip in May, and now had the raft (along with a few other purchases) sitting in the garage. What to do?

Plans were made for Father's Day. We drove up to Austin on Saturday evening, pulling the trailer behind us, and spent the night with Hal and Carey in their new home. On Sunday morning, I headed alone down IH-35 to Buda for a "quick" shopping trip at Cabela's. Kathy and the kids gave me a head start, and then drove to San Marcos. They had a beer near the courthouse square as I completed my shopping. We then met at the Cape Road crossing of the San Marcos River, towards the end of Thompson's Island. We left Sally's car there, and headed in the van to City Park for our launch.

We carried some additional passengers with us - three clueless young men who had floated from the park down to the road crossing, thinking that there was a shuttle to take them back. They were getting ready to walk back to the park (one of them in bare feet, as he had lost his sandals on the river), a 2.3-mile hike to the other side of the Interstate, carrying their inflatable pool floats. Two of them rode in the trailer, perched atop our raft. As it turned out, their vehicle was in a prime parking space at the City Park. After unloading the raft from the trailer (with their help) and unhitching the trailer, we were able to park our van in their spot. We used the hand pump to top off the raft, loaded the beer cooler and other necessities, worked our way past the numerous picnickers, and slid the raft into the water. We were underway.

Kathy, Sally, Carey, and Hal provided the power strokes, while I sat perched on the stern and steered. There were a lot of people in the river, most of them tubing. Very few of them appeared to ever check their rear view mirrors to see what was catching up to them. The young swimmers jumping into the first chute at Rio Vista Dam were particularly unaware of the floating behemoth bearing down on them. I'm not sure how many bodies we ran over at the falls. I do know that my paddle contacted at least one head as the raft climbed over the huge standing wave at the bottom of the first drop. Fortunately, no damage done, and perhaps one swimmer learned a valuable lesson.

About two miles downstream of the Park, we arrived at the top of Thompson's Island. We chose not to run Cape Falls, which leads to the main channel of the river on the right side of the island, as we had been advised that there was a large downed tree blocking that channel. As we stayed left, we spotted this Yellow-crowned Night Heron on the left bank. She wasn't particularly happy to see us, but didn't take flight, either. From there, it was only a few hundred yards along the left channel, an old mill race, to our take-out at Cape Road. Once there, Sally drove me back to City Park to pick up the van and trailer. Soon the kids were headed back north to Austin and Kathy and I were on our way south to San Antonio. It had been a great Father's Day.

Bandera Canyonlands and Medina River

2010-06-19T23:03:00.065-05:00

Note: Left click on any photo for full screen view.

About thirty people gathered early on a Saturday morning at the third crossing of the North Prong of the Medina River on FM 2107. We were there to participate in a North Prong Medina River Watershed Tour sponsored by the Medina River Protection Fund. Our kind hosts were Judy and Jerry Pierce. Shown above is Judy giving a brief introduction at the crossing. From there, the Pierces led us up Mickle Creek Road to their Lonesome Hills Ranch, the site of our tour.

We hiked up a small ravine, passing by several small springs. The water table had risen after most of the juniper had been cleared from the ranch, and there was quite a variety of trees and plants. Above, Jerry explains the work they have done at the ranch as Bob Brischetto, who helped organize the tour, listens.

Blackberries were starting to ripen on this bush. They were quite tasty.

With no livestock grazing, the grasses and flowers were quite lush.

After the severe flooding in 1978, the Corps of Engineers had constructed several dams along the Medina River tributaries. One of them created this lake at Lonesome Hills Ranch.

After the formal tour was over, about a dozen of us accompanied our hosts on a driving tour up FM 2107. The road crossed the North Prong several times as we gained elevation, and the scenery was very nice.

At one crossing, the river spilled over rock ledges between large bald cypress trees.

We speculated about how long ago this boulder had broken free from the rock face.

Nancy found a comfortable seat.

Looking down about fifteen feet to the shallow river.

With our headwaters tour over, we drove back to the town of Medina to pick up the boat trailer and vehicles we had left there on the way up to the North Fork. Of course, we also had to eat lunch at Love Creek Orchards Cider Mill and Country Store, which is where we had parked our gear.

After lunch, ten of us launched our kayaks at the Camp Bandina crossing. Earlier that morning, on our way up from Bandera,we had left a couple of vehicles at the Peaceful Valley Road crossing, about 3.5 river miles downstream from our put-in. Those deciding that the day would not be complete without actually getting on the river were Stan, Joline, Nancy, Dan, Cynthia, Bill, Bob, Linda, Laurel, and I. Sorry I didn't get a group photo.

Joline, Cynthia, and Dan pretended to be enjoying themselves.

Some deeper water gave Dan an opportunity to practice his roll. Cynthia was ready to provide any assistance that might be needed.

Along the way, Bob worked hard to remove some of the invasive water plants that had established a foothold in one section of the river. Sorry I didn't get a photo of his efforts. The roots those plants have are really large.

A merry group (Joline, Nancy, Stan, and Linda) at the take-out. Looks like Stan's whistle worked well in calling the wildlife.

Note: To view an additional 22 photos of this outing, click here to be linked to my Flickr page, then click on "Slideshow."

Guadalupe River

2010-06-05T05:33:00.046-05:00

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge, then use back arrow to return to return to this blog post.

Five renegades decided to break free from the herd and hit the river on their own schedule one Saturday morning. These rebels, who will go unnamed (for a few seconds), launched their boats at the Zoeller Lane crossing a couple of hours ahead of the Saturday Paddlers. Some were heard to intone: "Early at last! Early at last! Thank God Almighty, we are early at last."

Bing always seems to be happiest when fishing (or sending impolite jokes by email). Kathy, on the other hand, seems most content when just sitting in the water.

Bing's friend from work, Teresa, who was joining us on the water for the first time, explores the shoreline at our lunch break.

Kathy and Susan enjoying the current.

Correction: Bing is happiest when he catches a fish.

Kathy and I briefly explored Violet Creek. Susan and Teresa glide by the mouth of the creek on their way to Violet Rapid.

Now that is determination.

Kathy was more relaxed.

Teresa seemed to enjoy the challenge.

I point out the way as Susan "assists" me in moving my canoe back upstream to run the rapid a second time.

After my second run through the rapid using the river left route, I start back upstream along the right bank to try that side.

It's amazing how much the river changes at different water levels and after even minor flooding. We were now able to take the river right passage through Violet Rapid without facing water that was too shallow, a change from recent years.

Kids, don't try this at home. Unless, of course, you have a river in your back yard or a large bathtub.

For an additional 31 photos from this outing, click here to go to my Flickr page, then click "Slideshow."

Saturday Paddlers - Medina River Cleanup

2010-05-01T05:11:00.075-05:00

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

Eleven Saturday Paddlers participated in the Tenth Annual Medina River Cleanup, an event sponsored by the Medina River Protection Fund. Our group was responsible for Section 4. This 3.0-mile section started at Moffett Park in the town of Medina, and ended at the low-water bridge at Chenaults Lane. After the flooding of two weeks earlier, the river was running at a healthy 370 cfs or so. This brought the river up much closer to the overhanging branches in many spots, making for a more challenging run.

We were in three canoes and seven kayaks. In addition to those pictured below, David Plylar joined in the effort, but, as usual, was so much faster than me on the water that I failed to get a photo of him. But he was there!

Miguel, ...

Joline, ...

Kathy and I in the Dagger Dimension, which was put to use as a garbage scow, ...

... and Steve brought up the rear as the others pushed ahead. We were kept busy using the bolt cutters to remove wire from the trees and banks.

It had been a while since Don had paddled with the Saturday Paddlers.

Gary and Joan looked for flotsam, ....

... while Anne, Steve, and Susan concentrated on the jetsam.

After unloading our treasures at the Chenaults Lane crossing, which marked the end of our section of the river, we stopped there for lunch and margaritas. Although David had to head back to San Antonio, the rest of us continued downstream in order to get in a few more river miles. As it turned out, we also picked up a fair amount of barbed wire and other trash as we paddled through 3.7-mile long Section 5. But with the river running fairly high, it was a nice run with a few interesting features.

Medina River scenery, but without the usual twists and turns.

Joline was her normal shy self.

A sudden splash, and the next thing we saw was Steve's body floating past. We had to revive him with the promise of barbeque.

An old dam at the junction with Laxon Creek, and less than a half mile from our take-out, presented another challenge. Everyone except Miguel, Steve, and I portaged around this obstacle. Miguel made it through before we got there with the camera.

Nothing quite like paddling the best tandem whitewater canoe ever made! My lovely passenger wisely decided to walk around this obstacle.

Steve crashing through the wave at the bottom at the bottom of the drop.

Our decision to continue past our assigned section of the river, along with the time required to retrieve by foot the bolt cutters which I had accidentally left along the river bank in Section 5, made Steve and me a little late for the free BBQ dinner served back at Bandera City Park. Perhaps that explains Steve morose demeanor. Actually, although we missed out on the chicken and sausage, we had plenty to eat.

I'm not sure what triggered this expression! Perhaps Joline was letting me know what she thought about all of the work I had gotten her into that day. Or maybe she has spotted the dessert on my plate.

Gary with his best Steve impression.

Bob Brischetto, the cleanup coordinator, handed out nice posters produced by Texas Parks & Wildlife to the section heads. It was a nice touch, and the scene from the Devils River is quite lovely.

Musical entertainment was provided by the Mesquite Trio, augmented her by a fourth, and formerly known as the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Steve, Miguel, Kathy, and Joline relaxing after a productive day and a nice meal. Looks like they're ready to jump back in their boats and head down the river again. Well, ..... maybe not exactly.

The wildflowers on Hwy. 16 not far from Bandera were spectacular. Kathy and I had to stop for photos of this field of Thelesperma.

To view an additional 30 photos from this excursion, click here to switch over to my Flickr page, then click on "Slideshow" near the top of that page.

Medina River - North Prong

2010-04-18T09:42:00.111-05:00

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."

Saturday Paddlers - Guadalupe River

2010-04-03T10:33:00.063-05:00

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

Thirteen proved to be a lucky number, as that many paddlers were rewarded with a beautiful Easter Saturday on the Guadalupe River. The Comfort gauge indicated a flow of 200 cfs for our trip from Kiehler Park to the Zoeller Lane crossing, a distance of about 6.2 miles.

Claire's sunny disposition matched the weather.

Larry also seemed pleased with our good fortune.

I was finally able to catch a good shot of David.

We stopped at our usual lunch spot next to a small but noisy rapid. Despite the lack of margaritas, no one complained.

David took off a little early, as usual.

Claire and Nancy enjoyed a refreshing swim. The rest of us weren't quite so brave.

Kathy and Stan prepare to launch after lunch.

Margaret and Reiko gather their belongings.

Disdaining the usual route on river left, Claire and Miguel try the center passage, available now because of the higher water.

Was it the wind or the gel?

Alexandra takes the river left route.

Reiko and Margaret followed suit.

As did Nancy.

Courageous Kathy ventured through the middle.

Gayle and Darrell also chose the center route.

Did I mention that it was sunny?

Left-side Larry.

Miguel and Kathy in the slow stretch after the Waring crossing.

The river narrowed again, making for some fun riffles.

Springs were still flowing from this year's rains. A welcome change from the last two years.

Limestone ledges near the end of our journey.

We came across this field of verbena on the Waring-Welfare Road, just before the Little Joshua Creek crossing.

Seven of us met at Popo's Restaurant to replenish our stores. David and Nancy kept us entertained with their lively discussion of politics and religion. The rest of us, being less brave, concentrated on our hearty (but definitely not heart-healthy) meals and the plates hanging on every wall.

Note: For an additional 51 photos of this journey, click here and then select "Slideshow."

Saturday Paddlers - Lower Guadalupe River

2010-03-13T14:12:00.149-06:00

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

Sixteen paddlers in 10 kayaks, three canoes, and one inflatable enjoyed beautiful weather and some high water by paddling the Lower Guadalupe River from the downstream Hwy. 306 bridge to Rocky Beach on River Road. This was the same stretch of river scouted last May by the intrepid "Sacrificial Lambs." A big difference is that this time the river was flowing at 579 cfs instead of 69 cfs, so no walking or dragging of boats was required. It also meant that the rapids were much more exciting. This was reflected by the fact that six of the paddlers went for a swim in the cold water - not counting the two who actually did so intentionally, as explained below. Kathy's photo above shows the great weather and scenery.

The Cast of Characters

Hal, in only his second kayak trip, celebrates after successfully running the 4-1/2 Mile Dams in Kathy's kayak.

Jim crashes through the rapids below 6 Mile Dam.

Kathy after a clean run past 6 Mile Dam in my old-school whitewater kayak.

"Captain" Kirk and Gary also in the rapid after the drop at 6 Mile Dam.

Ann on the slow stretch next to Lazy L & L Campground. The river backs up here before plunging through Bear Creek Rapid (now known as Devil's Playground).

Susan, still dry at this point, paddling through Devil's Playground.

Steve looking to surf in Devil's Playground.

After making a clean run through Devil's Playground, Nancy pulls into an eddy to watch the action.

David and Don, also at Devil's Playground, in their inflatable kayak.

Carey, despite being on a river in a kayak for the first time, handled the boat like an expert.

Joan watching the mayhem at Bad Rock Rapid.

David (in his cloak of invisibility) was difficult to photograph, as usual.

Lee at the end of Bad Rock Rapid.

Kathy (again) and me at the end of "S" Turn Rapid, which runs to river left of the island just past our lunch stop at Mountain Creek. Thanks to Gary for the photo.

4-1/2 Mile Dams

Just a short distance downstream from our launch were Dams 2 and 3 (the second and third dams down the river from the outlet at Canyon Dam, and located about 4.5 miles from Canyon Dam). Steve became our first swimmer when, after running the gap at Dam 2, he paddled back upstream to play in the turbulence.

Nancy, Joan, Ann, and Gary pass through the remains of Dam 3 as Carey, in the bow of my canoe for the first half of the trip, and I watch from below.

Ann, Kathy, and Jim paddle by after successfully negotiating the two dams.

Kathy snapped this photo of the limestone bluff we paddled past just before passing under the bridge at Fourth Crossing (these River Road bridges are counted starting at the New Braunfels end and ending upstream near Sattler).

6 Mile Dam

About a half mile past Fourth Crossing, we came upon 6 Mile Dam (Dam 4). Negotiating this obstacle is tricky, as the water runs through a rock garden after dropping over the dam. When running this section the previous May, we had all had to get out of our boats to push and pull them through the rocks because of the low water. There was plenty of water this time.

Joan and Jim towards the end of the rapid below the dam.

Steve gives directions and stands by to assist as Kathy makes the sharp right turn after dropping over the dam through the channel on river left.

Don and David had no trouble with the whitewater.

Lee and Susan help Ann, our second swimmer, empty her boat, as others line up along the opposite bank.

Lunch

We stopped for lunch (a favorite activity of the Saturday Paddlers) a short distance below Dam 4. Our chosen spot was on a large limestone ledge where Mountain Creek joins the river. Gary caught nine of us, including the elusive David, in his photo below.

Hal, the youngest male in the group, couldn't resist the rope swing hanging out over the river from the tree overhead, just out of reach from our perch on the rock. His leap carried him to the rope and further out over the river.

The entry could have been a little more graceful.

Man, this water is cold!

Hal seemed to be enjoying himself as he climbed out of the river. But he didn't do it a second time.

Not to be outdone by the younger generation, Kirk decided to take the plunge.

After enjoying lunch and the show, we prepared to launch again.

Immediately below our lunch spot, the Guadalupe splits in two as it passes around an island, seen above in Kathy's photo. The right channel usually doesn't have enough water to paddle, but on this day the river provided us with a choice. Most of us picked the left channel, a fast run which culminates in "S" Turn Rapid, also known as 6-1/4 Mile Rapid.

As seen in Kathy's photo, even the right hand channel had plenty of water, along with some very large boulders. Having had a close encounter (of the unkind kind) with one of these behemoths more than thirty years earlier when the river was running at 2,600 cfs, I decided to take the usual left hand route around the island.

David waited downstream as the rest of the group completed their runs past the island.

Lee, Don, and David at the end of "S" Turn.

After paddling through the Ponderosa Bridge Rapid (as Kathy sang the theme song from that old TV show) and 7-1/4 Mile Rapid, where we warned away from its mate and nest on the small island by a Snow Goose, we came to the long, slow stretch alongside L & L Campground. The water backs up here before it is squeezed at Devil's Playground (Bear Creek Rapid). It is on this stretch that we paddled past the only group of tubers that we saw on the river this day. Pictured below on this lazy part of the river are Hal, Nancy, and Joan.

Devil's Playground

Carey and Joan sailed through the rapid without a problem.

Lee paddled back upstream to play in the surf, as David and Don passed by in the inflatable.

Gary maneuvers past the rocks and through the waves.

Jim went back to find some surf, ...

... as did Kirk and Steve.

David climbs back into the boat. He and Don went for a brief swim after paddling back upstream into the rapid.

Kathy, Carey, and Hal watched the action from just below the rapid.

Bad Rock Rapid

A quarter mile or so below Devil's Playground is Bad Rock Rapid. At this water level, there were several large "hippos" - barely submerged boulders. Susan was in the lead and bravely located and marked the rock for the rest of us by becoming the seventh member of our group to go for a swim.

Ann paddles through the rapid (above), as Hal waits at the bottom of the rapid for Carey to complete her run (below).

Lee waits in an eddy as Jim plows through the rapid.

Joan brushes past Bad Rock as Nancy sneaks by closer to shore.

Several paddlers, including Kirk above, went back to play in the various features.

Jim caught a wave and became the eighth, but not the last, member of our group to discover the joys of swimming in the Lower Guadalupe. Well, you're wondering, if he was the eighth of eight swimmers, how could he not be the last? The answer is below.

Steve, who was our first swimmer, was also the last. He and his boat parted company around one of the hippos when he went back to challenge Bad Rock.

Steve came through unscathed. His paddle was not so lucky.

Kirk rescues the kayak while Don and David take care of the paddle and Steve.

All's well that ends well.

After surviving Bad Rock Rapid with all but our dignity (and one paddle) intact, we passed without incident under the private bridge at Ingram Ranch. From there, it was only a short distance to our take-out on river left at Rocky Beach. We had left two vehicles there earlier ($5 per vehicle parking fee). After paying a take-out fee of $2 per boat, we shuttled paddlers back to their cars and trucks at Hwy. 306. All in all, a great time was had by all.

Wildlife

Yes, there was some wildlife along the river.

Note: For an additional 67 photos of this trip, including more swimming pictures, click here for my Flickr page, then click on "Slideshow."

Saturday Paddlers - San Marcos River Cleanup

2010-03-06T22:53:00.083-06:00

Note: Photos with me in them graciously provided by Larry.

Seven of the Saturday Paddlers joined the 25th Annual Great Texas River Cleanup. The event, which covers the entire 90-mile length of the San Marcos River and is sponsored by the Texas Rivers Protection Association, is billed as the world's longest river cleanup. We first converged on the "Sights and Sounds" stage, located on the west side of the river at East Hopkins Street, to sign in for the event and receive net garbage bags and free breakfast tacos. Above, Nancy, yours truly, and Susan are enjoying the tacos. In fact, Susan and I made it into the local paper, as seen in the third photo at this link to the San Marcos Daily Record.

Then it was over to City Park for our briefing by Tom Goynes (pictured above). Along with three more paddlers, we were assigned Section 2 of the river, the 3.5 miles from Thompson's Island to Goynes' San Marcos River Retreat (formerly known as Pecan Park Campground).

I don't think I've ever seen Cynthia, Nancy, Susan, and Joline so attentive. Were they actually going to follow instructions?

The high-brow discussion between Tom and Joline had me puzzled.

Most of us launched at the small park where Cape Street crosses the diversion channel and then the river itself. The small arm of the river shown in Larry's photo above led us to the main river channel just before the Cape Street bridge. With the recent rains and replenished springs, the San Marcos River was running at about 270 cfs.

My Dagger Sojourn handled quite well in the swift current.

We stopped for lunch next to the sewage treatment plant, where we dropped off our bags of trash and were provided with lunch and some more bags for the rest of the trip. I supplied the frozen margaritas. Salt is being applied to the rim of the plastic margarita cups in the photo above.

After the margaritas, Joline needed assistance launching her boat.

Larry was busy taking photos as we returned to the river.

Susan, Nancy, and Leslie were happy to be back in their kayaks.

The leaning cypress is named Murray Jones Drinking Tree, according to the sign on the tree.

Cynthia and Joline hard at work.

The water was high at Cummings Dam. Cynthia, Joline, and I prepare our boats for lowering down the concrete buttresses.

How unusual! Nancy and Susan telling us exactly where to go. We all made it down safely, nevertheless.

A lot of water was pouring over the dam as Larry paddled away.

A Common Egret takes flight.

At the River Retreat, we changed into dry clothes and then headed to Shady Grove Campground for the BBQ dinner provided by the sponsors. It was quite a feast.

It looks like Susan and Joline were hungry.

Musical entertainment, in the form of a lone marching bagpiper, was also provided. In our state of fatigue and delirium, we actually enjoyed it.

For an additional 12 photos, click here to link to my Flickr page, then click on "Slideshow."

Saturday Paddlers - Guadalupe River

2010-01-16T19:22:00.068-06:00

The stretch of river from the Zoeller Lane crossing to the Sisterdale bridge is known as a good trip for beginners. However, it proved to be one of our more eventful recent outings. Of the ten experienced paddlers (in eight kayaks and two canoes), three ended up taking a swim, or at least filling their boats with the cold river water. Not a pleasant experience on a rather chilly day.

According to the Comfort and Spring Branch gauges, the river was running at about 175 cfs and 750 cfs, respectively. We guessed that the river flow at our location was somewhere around 300 cfs. A nice relief from the low water we had experienced during the past two years of drought conditions.

The Cast of Characters

Sandra, ...

Jim, ...

Joline, ...

Susan, ...

Miguel, ...

Ronnie, ...

the back of David, who is always an elusive target, ...

Tom, ...

Dean, ...

... and yours truly.

Down the River

Ronnie and Dean display their faith in geology.

Sandra, our first casualty, heads into the brush to change into dry clothes. It is rumored that a rancher out for a walk now has a better appreciation for the river invaders.

Even on a gray day, there was some color.

Were these black vultures anticipating more casualties?

Violet Rapid

Miguel and Tom power through the rapid.

Susan takes the upstream route past "Nancy Rock."

Jim splashes past.

Ronnie maneuvers expertly through the rapid in Jim's canoe.

Dean's passage was a little more exciting.

Man overboard!

I think Sandra was expecting heavy rains.

Joline obviously wasn't worried. Note the unfastened skirt and pfd.

I walked back upstream for another run (photos by Miguel).

Epilogue

A local celebrity was uncharacteristically shy as Kathy joined us for dinner at Papa Nacho's Cantina.

Well, maybe not so shy.

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge. And for another 33 photos from this adventure, click this link to my Flickr page, then click on "Slideshow."

Saturday Paddlers - Lower Guadalupe River

2010-01-01T10:50:00.077-06:00

Eleven hardy souls continued the Saturday Paddlers' New Year's Day tradition of paddling the Guadalupe River just below Canyon Dam. The sun was out and the release from the dam was a little over 100 cfs, a good combination for a pleasant run. Our fleet consisted of one canoe and ten kayaks.

Note: Left click on any image to enlarge.

Sandra, Shelley, ...

Scott, Gary, ...

... Joline, Larry, and David launch their boats at the put-in.

We stopped for lunch at Horseshoe Falls. Before pulling over, David and I ran the falls without scouting them first, and one of us took a swim. Posing above are Bob, Susan, a wet David, Joline, Sandra, Scott, Shelley, Larry, Sally, and Gary. Horseshoe Falls had changed significantly since our last visit exactly one year earlier. Some of the gravel and debris deposited by the 2002 flood had been dredged from below the falls, which now at least slightly resemble, even if in a scaled- down way, the Horseshoe Falls of old.

After a hearty repast, three of us decided to run the rapid. Susan led the way.

For a moment it looked like she might be going for a swim, but soon she was celebrating her clean run.

She did seem inordinately pleased with herself.

The mermaid (of the species rivermorejoy) keeping watch over the falls seemed to be enjoying the show. Up next was Bob, who carefully lined up his boat for the falls after passing over the low-water dam.

His run proved to be a little more exciting.

Did I mention that the water was cold?

Joline and Larry waited expectantly as I carried my kayak back upstream to make another run through the rapid.

Above is Larry's photo of me coming over the drop. The other photos of me were taken by Sandra with my camera. Thanks to both of you.

The bow of my old-school whitewater kayak dove into the water as I plunged over the falls, but popped back up quickly and carried me through unscathed. Probably much to the disappointment of some of those watching.

Scott observed the falls from below.

Our next river obstacle was 2-1/2 mile dam. Pictured above are Bob and Joline just below the dam, which is best run towards river left just before the dam makes a 45-degree turn. Most of us got hung up on the dam, like Shelley below, because we hit it just past (instead of just before) the point where the dam turns at an angle.

Sally found herself suspended, with almost half of her kayak hanging over the lip of the dam. But she made it through with a smile. Not bad for someone who had never paddled in moving water before.

Gary also found himself hanging over the edge, and ended up with a kayak full of water. The last photo shows him trying to spot his paddle as it escaped downstream.

We were escorted by some local wildlife. Identification anyone?

Sally displayed her new-found paddling skills in another rapid, while Gary watched from below.

Larry also enjoyed the challenge.

We floated past one of my favorite features on the Lower Guadalupe, what I call the Old Man of the Mountain.

We took out at the second (downstream) crossing of Hwy. 306 over the river. For some reason, I took photos of the paddlers loading their boats onto their vehicles. Shown here are Sandra, Shelley, Scott, and Bob.

Note: To see an additional 46 photos of this very pleasant trip, click here to be transported to my Flickr page, then click "Slideshow."

Rio Grande - Epilogue

2009-11-09T13:21:00.055-06:00

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

We arose fairly early on Monday morning, determined to enjoy some of the Chisos Basin sites (and sights) before leaving for San Antonio. The Basin Loop Trail provided a perfect start to the day, and we were headed there by 7:00, just as the sun was rising. Despite Mike's misgivings about my shortcut to the trail, remembered from my honeymoon thirty-two years earlier, we located the trail just past the old stone cottages, which date from WPA days. The trail makes a loop of about 1.75 miles and connects the beginnings of the Pinnacles Trail (which is where we started) and the Laguna Meadows Trail. It gave us a good view of the Window (which is framed by Carter Peak on the left and Vernon Bailey Peak on the right), as seen above with Zoltan and Mike, and of the mountains which ring the Basin.

A Rufous-Sided Towhee entertained us for a while, or perhaps we were its morning diversion.

We spent a leisurely ninety minutes on the hike, and were rewarded towards the end with this view of the sun rising over Toll Mountain and Casa Grande behind us (note the shadows) and striking the Window and the Chihuahuan Desert beyond. The short hike left us ready for some food. The breakfast buffet at the Lodge Restaurant hit the spot, after which we packed our gear and checked out of the motel room.

We then drove down to the Basin Campground parking lot, and walked the short distance from the lot to the trailhead for the Window Trail. From there, the trail descends through Oak Creek Canyon, dropping about 450 feet in elevation over a distance of 2.2 miles to our destination - the pour-off at the Window. We started down the trail around 10:00. Here is Mike on the trail, with a century plant above him and Carter Peak in the background.

A colorful grasshopper along the trail. Where the dirt was softer on the trail, we saw tracks for a much larger animal, either a mountain lion or a black bear.

Above us were the moon, Vernon Bailey Peak, and a century plant.

Here we are at the end of the trail, with the narrow pour-off at the Window just a few steps behind us. It had taken us about an hour and a quarter to reach the Window. This is the sole drainage for all of the Chisos Basin. Although dry when we arrived, there are times when a waterfall will descend from here.

The view through the Window.

After spending about thirty minutes enjoying the view, occasional solitude (two fellows from Louisiana were there when we arrived, and a young German couple joined us after those two had left), and a snack, we headed back up the trail. As you can see from the photo above, the trail is very well maintained, particularly towards the end where it runs along (and sometimes in) Oak Creek.

There were occasional small pools of water, and even a few tiny waterfalls, along this bottom part of the trail.

About a quarter mile back up the Window Trail, the Oak Spring Trail branches off and climbs up the north side of the Window along the shoulder of Vernon Bailey Peak. I had started up this trail more than thirteen years earlier when I had last visited Big Bend with the family, but had turned back after just a few minutes because of wifely reminders about time constraints. Now I was determined to proceed at least far enough to catch a view of the desert floor beyond the Window, although I was under strict orders from Mike as to when his truck would be departing the Basin on its way back to San Antonio (hopefully with me in it). Since I didn't have a watch, I had to rely upon my wilderness experience and old Native American tricks to determine the time from the angle of the sun, the shadows on the distant mountain ranges, the grunting of javelinas, the scurrying of lizards, and the lack of moss on the desert plants. As a last resort, I instead went deep into my digital camera's settings to see the time and date, only to discover that it was thirteen months behind. So I hurried a little faster as I climbed up the Oak Spring Trail.

The view west as the trail curved around the shoulder of Vernon Bailey Peak was as nice as I had hoped.

With the Window directly below me to the left, the look south afforded me a view of the Mesa de Aguila and its counterpart on the Mexican side of the river, Sierra Ponce. It is across this uplifted fault block that the Rio Grande has carved the impressive Santa Elena Canyon. I believe that the mesa is the second-to-last, darker ridge line on the horizon, shown in these two photos. I also thought I spotted a gap in the mesa, the entrance to the canyon. That feature is not quite visible in the photos.

This is the view looking back to the east and into the Basin. The line running along the bottom of the photo from the left to the center is Oak Spring Trail. I had ventured off the trail to get as close as possible to a point directly above the Window.

As I climbed back up the Window Trail, I took this last photo of Casa Grande.

A Roadrunner scurried along in front of me as I walked through the campground after leaving the Window Trail.

When I reached the campground parking lot a good half hour before the deadline, I discovered that Mike and Zoltan had already retrieved the boat trailer from where we had left it at the Lodge and were ready to head home. Their patience was most admirable.

Note: For an additional 20 photos of our last day in Big Bend, click on this link to my Flickr page, then select "Slideshow."

Rio Grande - Day 3

2009-11-08T13:01:00.071-06:00

Although the sky had started to look somewhat threatening the night before, we awoke to another beautiful day on Sunday morning. And with my tent positioned properly with regard to the primary snorers, I had slept well - even without my earplugs.

Eddie finds a way to stir his morning coffee as Cynthia, Zoltan, and Sandra take notes.

Even the groover was set up with its own view of the river. One of the great advantages of using an outfitter was not having to worry about who would have the honor of carrying this precious cargo. That was especially important to those of us in canoes, as we are the usual nominees, at least in the eyes of the haughty kayakers.

We were headed downstream by around 9:30 in the morning. Our plan was to arrive at La Linda by noon and have lunch there while we waited for the shuttle to arrive.

Sandra and her over-sized load leading the pack. One of the first signs of "civilization" we had seen in two full days were these remains of an abandoned mining operation, including a cable spanning the river with this bucket resting on the Mexican side.

Three kayakers drafting a cliff face.

These tumbleweeds showed how high the water level had been a few weeks earlier.

Zoltan shows off his bent-shaft paddle.

With the sound of rapids ahead, Susan attaches her spray skirt.

I think Zoltan was trying to raise the river level before running the Pillow Rock rapid.

This long ridge accompanied us almost all of the way to La Linda.

Mike enjoying the scenery.

We crossed under the now-closed bridge at La Linda and arrived at the takeout safe and (mostly) sound.

While our guides prepared another nice lunch, we enjoyed a few cold ones and posed for this group photo sans Mike, who was behind the lens.

River Report: The water level was just about right for an easy paddling trip. The river moved along pretty well, and the few rapids were easily navigated. On only a few occasions was it necessary to get out of the canoe and drag it for a few yards to deeper water. Based on the USGS gauge at Boquillas campground, the river was running at about 265 cfs when we launched late Friday morning. It declined steadily over the next two days, and the rate was about 235 cfs at Boquillas when we reached La Linda. Just three days before we put in at Rio Grande Village, the river had peaked at 860 cfs. A week before that, it was at least twice that. There had been some substantial releases from the Luis Leon Reservoir on the Rio Conchos in Mexico.

The shuttle returned us to Terlingua. Except for Cynthia, Susan, and Sandra, who departed from La Linda in Cynthia's vehicle, which had been driven along with the shuttle bus to La Linda, and headed straight back to San Antonio and Austin. From Terlingua, Eddie and Joline departed for San Antonio in his truck. Unlike the others, Mike, Zoltan, and I were determined to spend another night in Big Bend. We had reservations for a motel room at the Chisos Mountains Lodge in the Chisos Basin.

The three of us drove in Mike's truck, towing my trailer loaded with two canoes and three kayaks. Why so many boats? Joline had brought two kayaks, a smaller one in case we ended up paddling through Santa Elena Canyon as originally planned, and the longer one actually used for our Boquillas Canyon trip. And we were also carrying my Dagger Delta kayak, which Sandra had borrowed for the trip.

The photo above is of Casa Grande viewed from the west through The Window, taken at about 5:30 p.m. from Highway 118/385 as we drove from Terlingua towards Basin Junction.

We reached the Basin right at sunset, around 6:00 p.m. We pulled over for a few minutes to look up at Casa Grande (photo to right) and then, just a minute later, admired the colorful sunset as viewed down through The Window.

After checking in at the Lodge, we drew straws to see who would get to go first for what we had been looking forward to all day - a warm shower. Although I went last, there was still plenty of hot water. After finishing our last beers, we enjoyed a nice dinner at the Lodge Restaurant. Then it was off to sleep. I volunteered for the roll-away bed, which was a mistake, as the floor would have been better. Although I was serenaded by Zoltan's wall-shaking bass and Mike's vibrant and equally loud baritone, the snoring in stereo did not prevent me from getting a good night's sleep. I must have been really tired.

Note: For another fifteen photos of Day 3, click on this link to my Flickr page, then select "Slideshow."

Rio Grande - Day 2 - Later

2009-11-07T19:32:00.022-06:00

Note: Left click on any photo to enlarge.

From Rabbit Ears, we continued on downstream for a little over two hours. Along the way, we exited Boquillas Canyon. Here is my last photo in the canyon.

We arrived at our campsite, this time on the Mexican side of the river, around 4:00. The river distance covered by us on this day was about 11 miles, leaving us with only about 8 miles to paddle on Sunday to the takeout at La Linda.

Susan and I took a short hike up above the river before dinner. This photo shows a mountain which had been part of the scenery ever since we left the canyon. Susan claimed that it looked like an elephant's head, with the small gap at the top defining the space between its ears. I guess you had to be there.

I'm not sure, but the sunlit gap in the mountains may well be the exit from Boquillas Canyon we had passed through earlier.

I'll refrain from any comparisons.

Joline, Zoltan, Eddie, Cynthia, Sandra, Susan, and Mike, a/k/a The Magnificent Seven, enjoy our dinner of shrimp fettucini alfredo. We were really roughing it.

The sun set behind the Sierra del Carmen.

Note: For seven additional photos of Saturday afternoon, click here and then select "Slideshow."

Rio Grande - Day 2 - Rabbit Ears

2009-11-07T13:15:00.052-06:00

We beached our boats on the Mexican bank at around 11:00, across the river from the distinctive rock formation that gives this post its title. The Mexican side featured a broad, flat area, perfect for a lunch stop. But before eating, we had some exploring to do.

Since it would be impolite, we won't mention how the group left me behind while I retrieved my camera from the canoe, or how Eddie (who decided to stay with the boats) pointed me in the wrong direction as I hurried after them. Suffice it to say that my scramble up a steep hill, and then back down when I finally spotted the correct path, featured some close encounters with cacti and other sharply pointed flora which didn't seem to share my difficulties with the loose footing and dislodged rocks. Once safely down, I snapped this photo of the river and, in the background, Zoltan's canoe tethered to our trusty Dagger Dimension.

At least Joline waited for me at the entrance to the narrow side canyon into which the others had disappeared. She helped boost me up the narrow funnel-like opening in the rocks which led up into the canyon proper. The rock surface had been made smooth and slick over the ages by water racing through the canyon to join the Rio Grande. Joline had hiked up this canyon on a previous trip, and decided to head back down to the boats so that she and Eddie could trade tall tales about river trips and dance steps.

The view looking out of the canyon entrance back towards the Rio Grande and the sunlit cliffs on the U. S. side of the river.

I finally caught up with the rest of the group as they were working their way up some boulders blocking the stream bed. Mike was able to negotiate the obstruction thanks to much "helpful" advice from Susan. Sandra posed for a shot in one of the more open areas of the narrow canyon.

Cynthia tries unsuccessfully to keep her distance from Zoltan and Mike.

The paddlers climb another obstruction.

A female Monarch butterfly was kind enough to pose for a picture.

The walls of the canyon rose up steeply on each side.

Deep shadows alternated with intense sunlight.

After about 45 minutes of hiking into the canyon, Prester signaled that it was time to turn around and head back down to the river for lunch. It would have been nice to continue up the narrow, dry stream bed to see if and how it climbs up to the mesas it drains. Maybe next time.

Mike showing off his battle scars from the rocky climb and descent.

The setting really lent itself to vertical shots.

Cynthia and Mike cautiously descended the rocks where I had caught up with the group on the way up into the canyon.

Sandra made a leap of faith. Then Mike got to instruct Susan - a real role reversal - as Yvette kept a careful eye on her charges.

Susan seemed to enjoy the spectacle. Mike held the way open for the group, but Sandra apparently was not overly impressed.

It took us about thirty minutes from our turnaround point back to the canyon entrance (or exit).

One last look back into the canyon, and a shot of me at the entrance.

Looking back towards the canyon entrance.

The view back upstream from our lunch spot.

Yvette and Prester clean up the "kitchen" after another great meal, while others take photos or wander around aimlessly.

Joline and Sandra led the way as we got back onto the river.

Rabbit Ears towered silently over us as we paddled past. How many visitors had these rocks watched glide by in the past?

Note: For an additional 49 photos of our stop at Rabbit Ears, click on this link to my Flickr page.