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Premiere set for film about paddling Lower Canyons of Rio Grande

Premiere set for film about paddling Lower Canyons of Rio Grande

by | Jun 18, 2019 | Blog

Carl Crum’s documentary about the Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande will premiere June 22 in Alpine. Photo contributed by Bravo y Grande.

Ever wonder what it would be like to paddle the Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande?

An hour-long documentary about the Lower Canyons of the river south of Big Bend National Park will premiere later this month in Alpine. The film, created by Carl Crum and narrated by Butch Hancock, takes viewers along as a small group of river guides, scientists, locals and park officials travel 83 miles of the river to celebrate the 50thanniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

“The Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River may well be the least-known national park unit in the lower 48,” says Big Bend National Park superintendent and trip participant Bob Krumenaker. “Few people will ever visit, as it’s incredibly remote, lacking infrastructure and help is awfully far away. But that’s also what makes it amazing.”

Watch a trailer of the film here: <iframe src=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/321819771?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0” width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″ allow=”autoplay; fullscreen” allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/321819771“>Bravo Y Grande (trailer)</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/brazosfilms“>Brazos Film &amp; Video</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com“>Vimeo</a>.</p>

“Bravo y Grande” will screen at 2 p.m. June 22 at the Rangra Theater in Alpine. A reception will follow at Ritchey Wine Saloon and Beer Garden. Movie tickets are $15 in advance at www.bigbendbookstore.orgor by calling 432-477-2236. For more information and a trailer go to www.bravoygrandefilm.org.

I got a taste of the Rio Grande a three-day rafting trip from Rio Grande Village to La Linda last fall. Read more about that trip at https://www.austin360.com/entertainmentlife/20181218/rafting-rio-grande.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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Holy crap, the Texas Water Safari starts in one week

Holy crap, the Texas Water Safari starts in one week

by | Jun 1, 2019 | Blog

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I’ve got one more week to get real sleep before the start of the Texas Water Safari.

Next Saturday, my teammates and I will climb into a 27-foot canoe for the 260-mile paddling race from San Marcos to Seadrift on the Texas coast.

Hell yeah, I’m scared.

This race hovers like a cloud of pesky gnats way outside of my comfort zone. I’ve been paddling less than a year, and somehow I’m signed up (with veteran teammates Heather Harrison and Sheila Reiter) for what’s billed as “The World’s Toughest Canoe Race.”

Customized boat name! Pam LeBlanc photo

I’m diving headlong into a three- or four-day adventure fraught with mosquitos, alligators, snakes (a water moccasin tried to climb in our boat last week), palm-sized spiders, hallucinations, unbearable heat, giant rib-busting fish, hatching mayflies, sweat, huge mats of bobbing logs, dead and bloated farm animals, rapids, menacing rocks and stumps, and personality disorders.

As I learned today, a big part of canoe racing falls under the category of “boat rigging.”

This involves everything from looping zip ties around every spare inch of metal bar inside the boat to sloshing contact cement everywhere else to secure big sheets of foam with holes cut in them to hold water jugs. There are lights to secure, pee cups to tether, layers of padding to glue onto seats, and race numbers and team name (That’s What She Said) to affix to the bow.

Rudder cables need adjusting, cracks need mending, and plates must be installed so the boat doesn’t get shredded when it’s dragged across gravel beds.

Heather Harrison explores the work shop at Spencer’s Canoes in Martindale, where our boat spent the week getting some work done. Pam LeBlanc photo

I feel recklessly, dangerously underprepared. Today, these thoughts ricocheted around my brain:

Will our three-person boat get run over at the start, like one veteran paddle racer (thank you, West Hansen) suggested to me yesterday? (Hopefully not.)

Will I puke my guts out on the side of the river? (Possibly.)

How will I stay awake? (Lots of caffeine.)

How badly will my butt hurt? (Very badly.)

Will I develop trench foot by race end? (Good lord, it’s a real thing.)

Will my back hold up? My core? My brain? My sense of humor? (Crossing fingers.)

Our boat, name attached, in the yard at Spencers Canoes. Pam LeBlanc photo

The entry list is official – 185 boats are registered for this year’s race. Our team number is 333.

Check in takes place Friday. The race start is 9 a.m. Saturday, and the deadline to reach Seadrift is 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 12.

Want to watch? Great viewing spots include Rio Vista Dam, just 1.25 miles from the start at Spring Lake; Cottonseed Rapids at mile 9.12; and Staples Dam, at mile 16.6. Even better, drag yourself down to the checkpoints at Hochheim, Cheapside or Cuero to cheer on paddlers when they really need it, on days two and three.

Heather Harrison puts finishing touches on our boat a week before start date. Pam LeBlanc photo

Want to track Team That’s What She Said online? You can do that. We’ll have a SpotTracker attached to our boat. Tracking information should be available before race start at www.texaswatersafari.com.

Stay tuned.

And please, wish me luck.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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Fire at Big Bend National Park causes structural damages

Fire at Big Bend National Park causes structural damages

by | May 23, 2019 | Blog

 

A fire last night damaged structures in historic Castolon at Big Bend National Park. Pam LeBlanc photo

A 100-acre fire last night caused major damages at Big Bend National Park. This just in from Tom VandenBerg, chief of interpretation at Big Bend National Park:

 
 
“Big Bend suffered a major loss last evening, as a wildfire destroyed the La Harmonia Store/Visitor Center building, restrooms, and damaged one of the historic homes in the Castolon Historic District. The fire is estimated at 100 acres.
 
The fire began on the Mexico side of the river near Castolon. The fire was reported as having jumped across the Rio at approximately 1800 hours. Soon after it spread into the historic area. The fire continued burning to the west towards the campground but did not enter the campground. The campground was evacuated. The Castolon housing area was not affected and was not evacuated. Crews were fighting the fire until early this AM, and will continue today.
 
The most important news is that everyone is okay and accounted for.
 
Current resources deployed are:
  • Two structural crews (BIBE and Terlingua)
  • BIBE wildland crew
  • Two water tenders
  • fire engine from Alpine
  • TX state wildfire crew
Additional crews (Diablos) and engines will be arriving today. John Morlock is now the Incident Commander.
 
As of now, the Ross Maxwell Drive and Maverick Road are closed to entry. We will need to keep the access routes free and clear for emergency vehicles and equipment.
 
Jennette and I will put out an official press release later this AM, and we’re posting updates on the park’s Facebook page as things develop.
 
With the heartbreaking loss of the La Harmonia Store, a major icon of Big Bend’s history is now gone, along with a primary visitor services facility. The major focus today is to ensure the safety of firefighters, employees, and park visitors. Crews will work to continue to contain the fire, and ensure the protection of remaining structures and resources.
 
We have an amazing staff, partners, and park supporters, and we’ll get through this. We’ll keep everyone informed as things develop.”
 
 

 

 

 

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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Skiing in May? I just did it

Skiing in May? I just did it

by | May 21, 2019 | Blog

A lift takes skiers up Peak 7 at Breckenridge on May 21, 2019. Pam LeBlanc photo

It didn’t seem like it at first, but Mother Nature offered up a much appreciated gift for me yesterday.

I flew into Grand Junction, Colorado, yesterday afternoon, prepared for a week of hiking, crawling around in gold mines and standup paddle boarding on local rivers for some stories I’m working on. Then a late season snowstorm rolled in, stranding me for a few hours on the side of Interstate 70 near Vail. The pass had closed due to a pileup, and I couldn’t get through to Breckenridge, where I planned to stay the first two nights of my trip.

When I sent up a distress flair (via a phone call), officials in Breck quickly lined up a hotel for me in Vail (and two of my FaceBook friends with roots in the area offered lodging, too), but just as I was headed there, the interstate re-opened. I don’t have much experience driving in snow, so I went slow and made it just fine.

The base at Breckenridge Ski Resort today is more than 70 inches. Pam LeBlanc photo

And I’m glad I did. I woke up this morning to about 10 inches of fresh powder. My Breckenridge friend knows how much I love to ski. She delivered a bag of ski clothes and gear, and I headed to the mountain in time to get in line as the lifts opened.

Skiing, in late May? Two days ago I was cooling my heels in the San Marcos River, complaining (a little) about the heat. 

This year, Breckenridge stays open through Memorial Day weekend. It’s been a stellar season, with more than 440 inches of snow. It was due, too. Last year wasn’t nearly as good.

The slopes were not at all crowded. Pam LeBlanc photo

What a morning. I skied Breckenridge earlier this season, and spent a week in the Banff area skiing Lake Louise, Mount Norquay and Sunshine Village this year too. But today’s conditions were the best – powder midway up my calves, hardly anybody to get in my way, and miles of soft, white icing ready to track up.

It’s still snowing now, at 5 p.m. Big, fat flakes are soaring sideways through the air, piling up on my borrowed knit hat and slipping down the collar of my shirt. I couldn’t be happier.

It wasn’t the agenda I had planned, but it worked out to be even better.

Thanks, Mother Nature, for the snowy gift.

Skiing in late May? Yes! Pam LeBlanc photo

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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Flood washes inner tubes down San Marcos River

Flood washes inner tubes down San Marcos River

by | May 20, 2019 | Blog

Inner tubes swept away in flood waters are caught in trees along the San Marcos River. Pam LeBlanc photo

It gets hot in Texas, and one way Texans cope with the heat is by floating down rivers perched on inner tubes.

Venture down the San Marcos River on a hot summer afternoon and you’ll find a flotilla of people bobbing along, enjoying the cool water.  Lately, though, my paddling partners and I have been spotting deflated tubes dangling from tree branches and wrapped around logs and rocks.

Heavy rains in the last month have apparently swept many of the tubes, rented by outfits in and around San Marcos, away. Yesterday, my three-woman canoe racing team ran a 30-mile stretch between Staples Dam and Luling. We counted 15 escaped tubes in that stretch alone. The mesh bags given to tubers to hold their empty cans are also trashing the waterway.

Sheila Reiter approaches an inner tube caught in branches along the San Marcos River on May 19. Pam LeBlanc photo

My paddle partners and I have made it a mission to pick up balls (and shoes and other smallish items) that we find floating in the river, but the tubes are too big and heavy to pick up on our runs.

It really ticks me off. Shouldn’t the tube rental companies pick up their tubes, which apparently weren’t properly secured before the floodwaters took them away?

Trail Foundation reminds users – electric scooters not allowed on Butler Trail

Trail Foundation reminds users – electric scooters not allowed on Butler Trail

by | May 17, 2019 | Blog

Annoyed by electric scooters buzzing around the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail?

The Trail Foundation has teamed with Austin’s Beef and Pie Productions to create a social media campaign reminding people that electric scooters are banned on the trail, a 10-mile loop around Lady Bird Lake.

The Foundation is also selling limited edition “No scooters on the Trail” T-shirts for $20 via its website, www.thetrailfoundation.org.

The Trail Foundation is selling No Scooters on the Trail T-shirts.

“We’re asking our friends to become walking billboards with the message that electric scooters are not allowed on the Butler Trail,” Heidi Anderson, executive director of The Trail Foundation, said in a press release.

People who see e-scooters on the trail are asked to report them to the City of Austin by dialing 311.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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