Brazos River Canoe Trip

May 1st & 2nd

Mandatory pre-trip paddle class April 25

Take an adventure close to home! Canoe 19 miles of the beautiful Brazos River with an overnight campout at the halfway point. Bird watching, nature journaling, local geology, and Leave No Trace ethics will be taught during trip.

What: 2 day, overnight trip on the Brazos River
When: Saturday AM to Sunday PM, May 1 & 2

Who: Ages 16 and older (if under 18, must be accompanied by an adult)

Where: Meet at the Heard to carpool to the starting location at Possum Kingdom Dam.
Leaders: Trip leaders are trained America Canoe Association instructors and have Red Cross and US Coast Guard Boater Training.

$500/person or $450/person when registering two or more people. Includes two lunches, dinner, breakfast and snacks. Canoes, life vests, and paddles are provided.

Call 972-562-5566 x237 or email Steffanie Mann

April 17, 2-4pm Brazos Information Meeting at the SRC. For registrants and people interested in going.

April 25, 1-4pm Canoe Paddle Class at the SRC. Mandatory for all registrants.

April 30, 7pm Equipment check and drop off at the SRC. All paperwork must be turned in before or at this meeting.

May 1, 6am Depart from SRC

May 2, Return to Heard between 5pm and 7pm.

June 5, 6pm Potluck and photo swap. Bring a favorite dish to share and your Brazos River Trip pictures on a memory stick or pocket drive so we can download them and share with everyone. This event will be at the SRC.

(Complete list provided with registration)

• Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, chap stick, bug spray, wet wipes, toilet paper, & several gallon size zip lock bags
• Comfortable clothes that will dry quickly, T-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, long pants, shorts, and windproof light jacket
• Waterproof shoes or shoes that you don’t mind getting wet. River shoes like Tevas and Keens are
  excellent.
• Camp towel, washcloth, tooth brush, tooth paste, comb, biodegradable soap in a plastic bag, etc.
• Any personal medications or other toiletries
• Tent, sleeping bag & sleeping pad
  
• Head lamp and/or small flashlight
  
• Refillable water bottle, mess kit, & personal snacks
  
• Two gallons of drinking water
  
• Waterproof stuff sack for your personal items
  
• Camera with floating strap, extra batteries

By Schelly Corry

Education Coordinator & Paddle Program Director

Frenzied hours spent packing, checking, and rechecking all of the equipment and supplies for our weekend canoeing trip on the Brazos left me tired and wondering if the trip would be worth the effort.

During the three hour drive to our boat launching site, I dozed in the back seat, but soon several turns of the vehicle roused me from my sleep.  These turns indicated that we were getting closer to where we would begin our 19 mile journey down the Brazos. Now, I was excited!

We loaded the canoes, put on our lifejackets, got in the canoes, and pushed off.  I centered myself in the canoe and got into the correct position to begin paddling. When I finally looked up from making my adjustments, I was greeting by my first glimpse of the beautiful Brazos. The wide, flat water greeted me and called me to paddle deeper and to come closer. We rounded our first bend in the river and the sudden silence was incredible. At that moment, we left the noise of cars, radios, cell phones, and people behind. I was struck by the remembrance of how much noise we hear everyday. In contrast, I could not believe the quiet. I felt the weight of the world slip away as I paddled, listened, looked, and thought.

On our right, stretching ever-higher were stacks of trees with a stunning cap of beautiful, layered rock at the top. Catching the full effect of the beauty before us, we turned our heads upward. We paddled onward and chose a spot along a sand bar to pull out and have lunch. A great blue heron flew overhead, watching us eat. After lunch we continued our adventure, paddling through amazing places. By five o’clock, we arrived at the halfway point near the large mile long sand bar that runs down the middle of the Brazos. We chose a spot to pull out for the night and made camp. Our cook for the evening immediately began preparing dinner and dessert! We pitched our tents and made our camp fire. We had a wonderful, peaceful evening watching the sun set and listening to the sounds of the river flowing by.

Morning came and so did the coffee! We ate breakfast, packed the tents, cleaned up camp, and reloaded the canoes. Our adventure continued. We paddled by an Osprey that had just caught its breakfast and did not even care that we were watching as he perched and ate his favorite parts. We watched as Belted King Fishers dove into the water catching fish, their signature calls echoing through the quiet.

Ahead, we heard the sound of faster running water flowing. We then paddled through swifter-flowing water with lovely white caps rhythmically bouncing along. What fun that was! We each shot out of the bottom of the curve with nice momentum and a little spike of adrenalin--just enough excitement for a relaxed canoe trip on the Brazos River.

We made our final stop on another sandbar for lunch. We lingered a little longer looking at rocks and fossils along the sand bar, knowing that once we got back in the canoes our trip was near its end. What a fine time we had.  What incredible beauty and animals we saw.  What rare and impressive silence we heard. We loaded up and began to paddle the last leg of our journey. Without a shadow of a doubt, I knew that this trip was worth every last minute that I spent packing, checking, and rechecking equipment and supplies. I knew that I could not wait to do it again. Maybe you will be with us the next time we hear the world slip away and let the silence embrace us. Maybe you, too, will join us for an EcoAdventure on the Beautiful Brazos.

Check our website for upcoming details about our EcoAdventure – Beautiful Brazos Trip in April 2010!  If you have questions about the EcoAdventures Paddle Program contact me at scorry@heardmuseum.org.