I steered a 30-foot canoe down the San Marcos River

I steered a 30-foot canoe down the San Marcos River

Texas Water Safari

We launched our canoe at Staples Dam. Pam LeBlanc photo

Since the first time I stood on the bank of the San Marcos River and watched the big boats go by during the Texas Water Safari, I’ve wanted to race in one of those extra-long canoes.

This year, I’m getting that chance. And during a training run Sunday, I sat in the driver’s seat of a five-human boat and – for the first time ever – steered it down a cypress-lined stretch of water.

The Water Safari, for the uninitiated, is a 260-mile paddling race between San Marcos and the Texas coast. Teams of one to six people pile into long, skinny canoes and start paddling. Many don’t stop – not to pee, not to eat, not to stretch their legs or snooze – until they cross the bay and touch the wooden finish sign in Seadrift. Along the way, they drag their boats over bobbing mats of logs, dodge gar and alligators, brush off hundreds of spiders, wallow in mud, try to avoid snakes, and face extreme heat and exhaustion. All they get at the finish is a little patch.

texas water safari

Pam LeBlanc relaxes at the finish of the 2019 Texas Water Safari. Chris LeBlanc photo

It’s alternately fantastic and horrific. (And yeah, there’s something wrong with anybody who signs up for it.)

I did the race in 2019 with two other veteran paddlers – Sheila Reiter and Heather Harrison. Those two women got me to the finish in 53 hours and change, even though I felt like I’d been run over by an 18-wheeler for the last 12 hours.

This year, I’m racing as part of a five-person team.

texas water safari

Deb Richardson steers our boat down the San Marcos River between Staples and Luling on March 27, 2022. Pam LeBlanc photo

Yesterday, our team ran the 31-mile stretch of river between Staples and Zedler Dam in Luling. Our usual driver, Deb Richardson, steered the first 25 miles down the river, dodging gravel bars, rocks, and fallen trees. Then we pulled over and she told me to swap seats. It was my turn to drive.

Our boat is at least 30 feet long. It looks like a missile when it’s loaded on the roof rack of a truck.

texas water safari

Here’s my view from the driver’s seat in the back of a five-human canoe. Pam LeBlanc photo

When you’re sitting in it on the water, all you can see is the back of the person in front of you. The boat doesn’t bend, either, which makes it important that whoever is driving it positions it carefully as the river winds its way across the state.

The San Marcos River is filled with stumps and branches and obstacles that reach out of nowhere to grab you. But with the help of the other paddlers, who called out directions and dipped paddles to pull the nose of the boat around obstacles, I managed to navigate the 6 mile stretch without any major incident.

It simultaneously scared the pants off me and thrilled me. It takes finesse. I’m learning how to let off the rudder at just the right time to avoid getting sideways or hitting anything. I’m also trying to learn how to catch the current to get the best push.

Sunday’s run felt great. I’m super excited that I’ll be able to take the helm for a small stretch during the race. Terrified, too, but thrilled.

Stay tuned for updates.

texas water safari

The boat looks like a missile on top of a truck. Pam LeBlanc photo

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First – and last! – at Town Lake Race No. 3

First – and last! – at Town Lake Race No. 3

​When I finished the Texas Water Safari with two partners in 2019, I swore I’d never do the 260-mile paddling race again. Yet here I am, girding my loins for the event, a long-distance canoe race that starts at Spring Lake in San Marcos and finishes in Seadrift on the Texas coast.

To prepare for the fun, I’ve been trying to get some butt time in my canoe. Today, James Green took the driver’s seat while we raced the third race in the Town Lake Race Series.

Related: Porcupines, a crunched canoe and big fun on the Devils River

Town Lake Race

Gena McKinley relaxes after finishing Town Lake Race 3. Pam LeBlanc photo

We finished both first and last in our category, pro aluminum – which only means I’ve raced a canoe before. It’s the same finish position that Deb Richardson and I nabbed a couple of weeks ago, during the second race in the series.

Today’s course started at the boat ramp at Festival Beach, ran up to the Interstate 35 bridge, folded back east along the boardwalk, and turned back again just in front of the island near Longhorn Dam.

We made three loops on the circuit, which gave us a good view of all the other racers. Also, I quit paddling halfway through the race so I could take some pictures before proceeding. (Hey, I was just out there for the training.)

John Baltzell puts on the free race series each year; it’s part of the Texas Canoe and Kayak Racing Association’s lineup of races.

Town Lake Race

Ian Rolls and Jeff Glock head toward Longhorn Dam during Town Lake Race 2. Pam LeBlanc photo

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New paddle race series launches with sprint through San Antonio River Walk

New paddle race series launches with sprint through San Antonio River Walk

san antonio river

Chris LeBlanc paddles his kayak along the San Antonio Riverwalk during a pilot program on Nov. 8, 2020. A new paddle race series will include an event on the Riverwalk. Pam LeBlanc photo

For those days when log jams, onlooking cows, and the quiet of a natural Texas river just don’t inspire you to load up the canoe, the San Antonio River Authority presents the Battle of the Paddle, the first in a new paddle race series.

The sprint race, two laps around the Historic San Antonio Riverwalk for a total of 5 frantic miles, will offer competitors the chance to slice through San Antonio’s favorite downtown destination, calling “huts” as onlookers watch from restaurants and shops along the river.

READ MORE: Texas Water Safari tests paddlers with 260 mile race from San Marcos to the coast

The 2022 San Antonio River Basin Race Series includes three other races:

  • The Saspamco Showdown, a 12-mile dash from River Crossing Park near Elmendorf to the John William Helton-SA River Nature Park in Floresville, is set for March 19.
  • The Mission Reach Rally on Sept. 25 covers 8 miles and includes 30 paddling chutes that can only accommodate one boat at a time. (Racers are to portage instead of waiting for clearance.) There is one mandatory portage – a 1,100-foot bypass of a dam. The Mission Reach Paddling Trail, part of the San Antonio River Walk, starts at Roosevelt Park and ends at low water crossing bridge at Camino Coahuilteca.
  • The Remember Goliad Paddling Race is scheduled for Oct. 8. The 16-mile course covers the Goliad Paddling Trail and finishes in Goliad, offering the only rural experience in the series.

Awards ceremonies with prizes for the top three finishers in each category will be held following each race.

Categories include women’s unlimited solo, women’s USCA-C1 solo, men’s unlimited solo, men’s USCA C-1, mixed tandem unlimited, tandem unlimited, and USCA C2.

 

 

 

 

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Skinny dipping, porcupines and a crunched canoe: Four glorious days on the Devils River

Skinny dipping, porcupines and a crunched canoe: Four glorious days on the Devils River

The water on the Devils River is as clear as gin. Chris LeBlanc photo

I paid a toll to Satan last week, when I paddled the clearest, most pristine river in Texas, the Devils.
It was worth the price.
On day three of the four-day trip down the prettiest ribbon of turquoise water I’ve ever seen, my husband and I pinned our aluminum canoe against a boulder at Indian Creek Rapid. The Devil tipped our boat on its side, and we watched in horror as it filled with water. We fought for 10 minutes to free it, and when it finally busted loose with a sickening crunch, the Devil had had its way.
In the end, we gathered all our gear and chased our half-sunk boat down. She’s twisted out of alignment and doesn’t steer quite right, but we’re working to bend her back into shape. And despite the carnage, I loved the trip.

Jimmy Harvey, left, and Chris LeBlanc, right, survey the damage after we crunched our canoe in Indian Creek Rapids. Pam LeBlanc photo


Chris LeBlanc paddles around a boulder. Pam LeBlanc photo


Something about paddling a West Texas river sets me free. I paddled the Devils three years ago, and the Pecos River two years ago. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but the Devils can’t be beat for spring-fed swimming holes and incredible pure Texas scenery.
We drove out on a Saturday, and stayed at a rental house operated by guide Gerald Bailey. We left his place at 6:30 a.m. the next morning, so we could to the put-in at Baker’s Crossing by 8:30.
We planned a leisurely trip. The Devils is all about lollygagging, not racking up miles as quickly as you can.

To run the river, you’ve got two options: Get a Devils River Access Permit from Texas Parks and Wildlife, which allows you to pitch a tent at any of the designated paddle camps between Baker’s Crossing and the Dan Hughes (lower) unit of the Devils River State Natural Area; or camp on islands as you go. Whatever you do, don’t trespass on private land along the way.
If you go all the way to Dan Hughes, it’s a 30-mile trip. (You can also paddle all the way to Rough Canyon Marina at Lake Amistad, but you’ll have to paddle through notoriously choppy lake water and reed mazes to get to the point at Mile 47 if you do.) We took out at Bailey’s place at Mile 22.
We loaded our canoes with coolers filled with steaks, sausage and thick pork chops, home-grown tomatoes, eggs, bagels and coffee. Our third amigo, Jimmy Harvey, took over as expedition chef, and we toasted the stars every night with beer, wine and whiskey.
A few words of caution. This river isn’t for novices. The rapids – especially Three Tier Rapids and Indian Creek Rapids – can mangle boats or snap legs, and if disaster hits, you’re a long way from rescue. We carried a Garmin InReach tracker so we could call for help in event of emergency.
Prepare to get in and out of your boat a lot, especially if the flow at Baker’s Crossing is below 100 cfs. (It was about 82 cfs when we went in late June.) We hit lots of bony sections where we ran aground and had to drag short distances. A composite canoe works better than aluminum, which tends to stick to the rough limestone rock like Velcro.

Jimmy Harvey and Chris LeBlanc portage a canoe around Dolan Falls. Pam LeBlanc photo

Pam LeBlanc relaxes in a hammock while camping on an island in the Devils River. Chris LeBlanc photo


The rapids build as the miles tick past. The first day, we glided over a few easy riffles. The second, we encountered bigger rapids around Sycamore Chutes. We got out to scout, and Jimmy pointed out a channel so skinny I wondered if our boat would fit. It did and we slid through, reeds slapping us in the face and Chris pushing off rocks with his paddle. We shot over a last big drop by Game Warden Rock, then forged into a headwind as the river flattened out again.
The scenery along the river reminds me of an old Western movie – cactus- and brush-covered hillsides, dotted with big, cracked boulders. A herd of feral hogs galloping across the river. Circling vultures. A pair of porcupines snoozing in a couple of trees. And, best of all, an endless procession of swimming holes – deep, clear pools of water that make me swoon. That kind of water’s best felt against your skin, so I peeled off my clothes and skinny dipped.
Jimmy cast his fly rod as we went, reeling in fish after fish and tossing it back. (Bass are catch and release only here, to protect the wild population.)
The biggest obstacle along the way comes at Dolan Falls, at Mile 16. You have to empty all the gear out of your boat and portage around the plunging water before loading up and pushing off again. We managed just fine, but choose your footing carefully.
We passed a few stray paddle kayakers on the river, but no other campers on multi-day trips. High season is usually April and May; June can be (and was) hot and dry. Check flow before you go, pack personal flotation devices and make sure you’re skilled enough to handle the river.

A porcupine naps in a tree along the Devils River. Pam LeBlanc photo

If you make the trip, you’ll understand what makes it so special, and why an organization called the Devils River Conservancy (www.devilsriverconservancy.org) works so hard to keep it clean. The non-profit organization was formed in 2011 to protect it from threats that include invasive species, recreational over-use, land fragmentation, over-pumping of groundwater and more.
Read about my 2018 trip down the Pecos River at http://specials.mystatesman.com/pecos-river/.
And read about my previous trip down the Devils River here https://tpwmagazine.com/archive/2017/nov/ed_3_devilsriver/index.phtml.

The Devils River serves up classic West Texas beauty. Pam LeBlanc photo

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Yesterday’s rain served up a big bump on today’s river run

Yesterday’s rain served up a big bump on today’s river run

Jimmy Harvey paddles down the Colorado River between Bastrop and Smithville on Wednesday, May 15. Tuesday’s storms upped the river flow. Pam LeBlanc photo


Yesterday’s rains gave me and veteran paddler Jimmy Harvey a nice push down the Colorado River today.
Jimmy loaned me a one-man racing canoe and he climbed into his Epic kayak for the 25-mile trip from Fisherman’s Park in Bastrop to the Highway 230 Bridge in Smithville, highlighted by a snake encounter, collapsing riverbanks, huge birds and more.
I’m working on getting my paddling legs back. Nearly a year has passed since the 2019 Texas Water Safari, a 260-mile race from San Marcos to Seadrift on the Texas Coast. Memories of the sore butt, the log jams, the hordes of spiders and hallucinations haven’t quite faded, but today’s run reminded me how much I love the river and the paddling community.

Jimmy Harvey paddles past some trees twisted and torn in Tuesday’s storms. Pam LeBlanc photo


Flow hovered between 4,500 and 4,800 cubic feet per second along the way – almost triple Tuesday’s flow rates. That made it a relatively quick, four-and-a-half-hour excursion.
We stopped for a pee break at a little spot Jimmy jokingly called Snake Island. I scrambled out for my break, and when I climbed back in my boat I nearly paddled over the top of a glistening water moccasin napping in the reeds.
About midway through the run, we spotted a hassock-sized bundle of sticks in the top of a dead tree along the bank. A few minutes later, a bald eagle flapped past. We’d apparently seen its nest.
And as we approached Smithville, we noticed a bunch of trees, some knocked over, others with huge limbs twisted and torn. A tornado reportedly swept through the area yesterday; this must have been damage from the winds.
We also saw blue herons and soft-shelled turtles, mooing cows and red dirt banks, including a portion of one that buckled and slid into the water as we paddled past.

Jimmy Harvey gives me a little advice as we put in at Fisherman’s Park on Wednesday. Pam LeBlanc photo


The best part, though? When Jimmy called me over and told me to stop for a moment.
“Put your paddle down,” he said. “You can’t hear any human noises. Just the wind, the river and the birds.”

And that’s why I can’t wait to get back out there.

I paddled Jimmy’s one-man Landick racing canoe for the trip. Jimmy Harvey 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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