2012 March - Dallas Downriver Club

Paddling the
Neches
In this Issue
Upcoming Events
Message from DDRC president
A Note from Editor
pg 2
So you want to eat good
pg 6
pg 3
Sabine - no river of sticks-
by dale harris
pg 7
pg 4
by sam sloan
pg 9
News and updates
pg 5
Paddling the Neches
Notes from Last Meeting
Brazos Trip by Carolee Doty
Trinity River from Santa Fe Park, 18,000 cfs
by roxanne turner pg 11
pg 13
Quite paddle on White Rock Creek @ Goforth Dr.
Up Coming Events
April 5th to 8th, Easter on the Mulberry
We are making a small change to our usual Easter trip to Arkansas this year. In both 2010 and 2011 we had wonderful
experiences on the Mulberry, so we are going to dedicate the whole weekend to it for 2012. We heading out to Arkansas
on Thursday, April 5 and we will be staying at Byrd’s Adventure Center, right on the river. Byrd’s puts us right in the middle
of the reaches of the river that we want to run and since we are camping there, we do not have to fork over for boat
launches and take outs. We have two sites reserved, one that has water and the other has a small pavilion. If you want to
bring your trailer, sites are available with hookups, but I would make a reservation in advance. We will paddle on Friday and
Saturday for sure and here will likely be a short run before coming home on Sunday.
April 14th, Brazos River Clean Up
Meet at Tres Rios Campground at 9:00 A.M., near the confluence of Brazos River, Paluxy River and Squaw Creek,2322
County Road 312, Glen Rose, TX 76043, Ph) 54-897-4253 Complimentary Ranch House BBQ dinner after clean-up (12:30 5:00 pm) Free canoes and shuttles provided by Low Water Canoes and Rhodes Canoes
April 19th, Monthly Meeting
Roma’s Pizza & Restaurant , 7402 Greenville Ave Ste 202, Dallas, TX 75231 (214) 373-0500
Join us for our regular monthly meeting where we discuss the latest news, up coming trips and plans.
April 21st ,Llano trip
The park is located 275 miles southwest of Dallas near Junction, Texas. The scenery varies from tall cliffs to flats with over
hanging pecan trees. This is a beautiful area with abundant deer and other wildlife. We will be putting in at the US Highway
377 crossing on Saturday, and then floating down to the park (11.2 miles.) Saturday night we will eat dinner at one of the
local restaurants in Junction. We will do a 5 mile stretch (from the state park to town) on Sunday, and then will eat lunch
after the trip before returning home. Visit the web site for complete info.
April 27th, Caddo Lake
Rand Oliver is leading a camp-out on an island in the middle of one of the most amazing natural environments in Texas. Caddo is a large swamp originally created by a massive log jam. Its shallow waters are thick with Spanish moss covered cypress
trees, some of which are 300-600 years old! The dark water is covered in duck weed that forms a carpet of green. There
are giant fields of lilly pads, amazing old duck blinds, beaver, alligator, bald eagle and over forty kinds of fish! Goat Island is a
large island with huge old growth trees and Spanish moss everywhere. We will be parking on private property ($3 per day)
and paddling 30 minutes to the island. This is primitive camping-you must bring everything in your boat and pack it all out.
There are no facilities so bring a shovel for your personal privy. Bring firewood for the community campfire
April 28th, Urban Paddle
This particular outing is paddling on the Elm Fork of the Trinity above Rt 380 East of Denton. We plan on meeting at the
RT 380 Ray Roberts Greenbelt park around 10am and be prepared to be on the water by 10:15. There is a $5 Park entry
fee. April can be a rainy month so if the water level is high on Friday April 27th we will move the outing to Rowlett Creek at
Miller Rd in Garland.
2
Monthly Message from the Club President
I’ve been the DDRC president for a year now – wow how time
flies. And I want to thank you all for your vote of confidence in
voting me in for another year as president. My goals for the next
year are to continue to improve our relationship with the cities
along the Trinity River (Dallas, Irving ,Carrolton, Denton). I also
want to work with the DRCC members and plan fun and exciting
trips, and last but not least, I want our club to keep focus on good
stewardship of our paddling trails and rivers which include water
safety, water quality, and more convenient access to the rivers in
the area.
We’ve had some fun trips last year and I hope we’ll have more this year. I’d like to reflect
for a moment why most of us got into paddling. For the most part, is was the enjoyment of
the scenery, the solitude, and the quietness. I’ve noticed in this fast pasted world we forget
sometimes to slow down and enjoy the journey. Obviously, the destination is to get to the takeout – but too much focus on the end and speeding to the take-out, we end up missing the beauty
of the journey. So please save me a place in camp – I think I’m going to slow down a little and
reflect on mother nature.
We have some fun trips planned in April. Starting with the Mulberry River on April 6th. On
April 14th there is a Brazos River Clean-up. Then on April 21st is the South Llano River, see our Web
Page for information on these trips. One key note here is that these trips will all be base camping.
Base camping is ideal for campers who are not sure if camping is really for them. The State Parks
and campgrounds have restroom facilities and you don’t need expensive or extensive camping
gear. Both the Mulberry and Llano rivers have whitewater so please check out the information on
our web page for the river conditions. And at the end of the month, April 28th, we have an Urban
Paddle at Ray Roberts Greenbelt Park at Rt 380.
Hope to see you in camp!
Rega r d s ,
D a le Ha r r i s , P r e si de nt , D D RC
d a l e _ h a r r i s @s b c g l o bal . net , C : 972 - 814-2633
See you on the water soon!
3
A Note from the Editor
- Eric Neilsen
This is to be my last newsletter for now. Sam Sloan will
be picking up the duties of Newsletter editor. Please
give him a round of applause and also your support.
Send in those articles, pieces of interest and trip reports.
Stream Team
We have finally gotten our testing kits from the City of Dallas, but due to on going construction our
approved sites are still off limits to us. The Standing Wave still has issues and with all the rains, changes
in design, and resolution of responsibilities, that doesn’t look likely to be resolved by the project May 2012
time line.
The Clean up at Bachman Lake was cancelled due to rain. The rain has come this year to bring our
lakes back to a good level. There were several trips that members went on, since the last newsletter; The
Sabine Fishing trip, down to the Neches and an impromptu trip on the Brazos.
Sylvan Street boat ramp is closed the week and will remain closed until the SPRING of 2014. So the
next best place to put in if you were looking for a Trinity River paddle downtown will be the park in Irving
at Trinity View Park on 356. Another alternative would be to put in at the Mountain Creek preserve.
River Guide Tours
I have started putting together a virtual fly over different paddling adventures that we can do.
Combining Google earth, and video technology, you can now see the put in, the mileage, and the terrain,
before you show up. Here is the first one which is out on Rowlett Creek. http://canoeadventures.net/
video/PA/PaddleAdventures.html . I’ll be posting more of these. If you have a request or suggestion
contact me. The GPS coordinates for put in and take out are greatly appreciated when making any suggestions and request.
Happy Paddling
“Anyone who says they like portaging is either a liar or crazy. “
- Bill Mason 1929-1988
15% off gear coupon code for online check out. bce-1000
4
News and Updates
from TPWD
Bastrop State Park Campsites Available for Easter Weekend
Bastrop State Park continues to recover from last year’s wildfire and reports that the Piney Hill and
Deer Run campgrounds are currently open, with many of the 41 campsites unreserved for the typically
busy Easter Weekend. In addition, the 18-hole golf course and most of the park’s interior hiking trails are
open, and recent spring rains have refilled the lake and helped green up the park. The cabin re-roofing
project is expected to wrap up soon, so persons wishing to reserve a cabin for April 13 and later should act
quickly by calling the Customer Service Center at (512) 389-8900 or e-mailing: [email protected].
tx.us. By April 13, most park facilities will be open. The historic Refectory is scheduled to reopen by the
end of the month. For more information, call Bastrop State Park at (512)21-1673.
Turkey Season Openings Continue Next Weekend
Grab your calls and camo, the Rio Grande Turkey season is under way in the South Zone and hunters
are reporting a lot of gobbling activity. Turkey season opens March 31 in the North Zone and on April 1 for
Bastrop, Caldwell, Colorado, Fayette, Jackson, Lavaca, Lee and Milam counties. The Eastern Turkey season
kicks off April 15. For more information visit TPWD’s hunting season page at http://www.tpwd.state.
tx.us/huntwild/hunt/season/animal_listing/.
The music sounds better with you
Come out and join us at the Fanthrop Inn State Historic Site for the Music Makes a Celebration event
June 9. Try your hand at the tambourine or the mountain dulcimer as you experience the life and music
of Texans and travelers. Discover the music that inspired celebration and recreation in the 19th century.
The program will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Inn, 579 South Main Street Anderson, Texas
77830, located in Grimes County off Highway 90 about 10 miles east of Texas Hwy 6 in Navasota, about
20 miles East of College Station. For more information visit the park’s website at http://www.tpwd.state.
tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/fanthorp_inn/.
5
Before you play that next round of golf consider this...
In the up keep of the greens water can be used at large volumes. At the Angel Park Course in Las
Vegas, NV for example, by the time a golfer steps up to the tee box, Angel Park uses 2,507 gallons of
water to make a round of golf possible or about 139 gallons for each hole. A foursome playing a round
of golf requires enough water to supply the typical US family for a month. This comes from the “The Big
Thirst” by Charles Fishman. So what else do you do in a year that uses water and how can we start thing
about conservation of this resource?
S
o you want to eat good?
Sauage-Zucchini Rice Casserole
ingredients for 12” - adjust according for smaller sizes
2 cups uncooked White Rice
1 cup chopped celery Shrimp
1 large sweet onion
1 lb sausage - browned drained
4 beef buillon dissolved in water
4 cups warm water - for bouillon
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chopped zucchini
Layer rice, celery, onion, sausage, bouillon mixture, soup and zucchini in Dutch oven sprayed with non stick spray. Bake 60 minutes
at 375 degrees using 10 coals on bottom and 16 coals on top. Stir
prior to serving. Substitute cream of mushroom soup if desired.
I recommend serving with nice warm buns. ( or anyone else that
happens to be around)
As with all new dishes to you,
for it out in the field
it’s best to try this at home before you just go
6
The Sabine -No River of Sticks
by Dale Harris
Over the last several weeks I’ve been
telling everyone to come on the Sabine River Trip and see for yourself all the beautiful
sandy beaches. I mean I was really bragging
up the Sabine River. I was wrong!!! The water was high enough to cover most of the
sandy beaches that are so popular on the
Sabine River. However all was not lost, we
still had a great time!
On April 16th almost 20 of us met at the Rt 59 bridge north of Carthage, Tx. The water is
normally high in the spring on this East Texas river but this time it was much higher than normal
and moving about 1.5 MPH to 2MPH, depending on the width of the river. We were able to run
our shuttle and get on the water with no problems by 10:30am. The first night we were able to
camp on a small sandy beach, a few miles south of the Rt 79 bridge and we picked up four more
paddlers on Saturday.
The idea of this trip was to catch the “Sand Bass run” but due to the early warm weather, we
missed the Sand Bass run and hit the catfish run. So a few dedicated fisherman caught 14 catfish
Saturday night. BTW, Earl’s dad caught an alligator gar – by the tail. That was fun to watch.
The second day we traveled 3-4 miles further than we had planned and ended up camping
on a Gas Line right of way. It was a big grassy field with a large dead tree a few yards away - so
firewood was not a problem. Along with a nice big campfire we had a fish fry thanks to the fishermen and Alan Teague and Judy Tumbleson doing all the cooking.
Sunday morning was an easy 3-4 mile
paddle to the Rt 2517 bridge where we took
out. The overall trip was 31 miles with a decent current speed, and the wind coming
from the south. So there were occasions
where the wind was moving us backwards
faster than the current was moving us forward. But I think it always seems that way.
<grin> Also, we picked up 3 new members
on this trip and they all said they had a
great time.
Marilyn Scholl
Massage Therapy
214-208-3528
contact Marilyn via email
7
Another big water
day on the Trinity River - As the
rain continues to
f a l l i n N o r t h Texa s
in March, the Trinity once again approached the 30, 000
cfs mark. Here is a
shot where the water is back down to
18 , 0 0 0 . N o Sta n d i n g
Wave action today !
Classified Ads
Club members can list items for sale here. Please keep them related to paddle and camping gear. Send in your pictures, prices and a a few words
about the items for sale. Get them into me by the second
Friday of the month.
30% off printing and scanning services to
DDRC members
8
Neches River Trip
By Sam Sloan
Friday the 23rd, I drove down
to Holly Buff campground, which
is not really a campground, but a
designated camp area. It is in the
Alabama Wildlife Management Area
southwest of Lufkin. It’s about a 3.5 hour drive from Dallas. The campsite overlooked the Neches river from a bluff. It was primitive; but pretty, spacious, and
no camping fee. During the fall hunting season it is full of hunters, but almost
empty this time of year.
I was soon joined by Kim and Darrin Jones, Jill and David Thrash, John
Kuhlenschmidt, Judy Holmes, Earl Atnip, and Earl’s boy Jacob. We met some
other campers nearby named Buck and Mose who grew up in the area. Buck
was there with a john boat sporting a large confederate battle flag, but was
very friendly. The campground is part of the Davy Crockett National Forest,
and was very beautiful with all the trees leafing out in their spring glory. We
heard so many owls the first night we named it Owl alley. A very large tree fell
late that night, which spooked several people. I
didn’t hear it myself, because of John K’s snoring
nearby, which can drown out a chain saw. He is
(was) unaware of this fact.
The next morning we headed out to shuttle
to the put in. We had nine boats and I figured it
would take about 6 hours to do the trip at just
under twelve miles. I was in for a surprise. It took
us only 4 hours and 17 minutes to make it back to
the take out at camp.
We were averaging a
about 3.7 mph with
the flood current. We
hardly had to paddle at
all. The river was at 12
ft. flood level, which is
9
right to the top of the bank with some minor flooding in places. It was a beautiful trip though, with towering hardwoods and assorted blooming plants. We
also had three wild hog sightings, and one deer sighting. Jake, Earl’s son, found
a large (angry!) rat snake, and more wild hogs near camp.
Saturday night we had our potluck with fajitas, steak, and assorted yummy
side dishes, around a large campfire. There were a few skeeters, but really not
bad, and we stayed up late. We were awakened around 2 am by someone firing
an assault rifle upriver. The county sheriff showed up not long after to check
on things. We figured it was a hog hunter, as we had seen a hog trap further up
he river that day. The rest of the night was quiet, cool, uneventful, (except for
the owls) and we slept great. I personally really enjoyed the trip. We had a great
group of people, good water, and gorgeous weather. Another trip to the Neches
next year is very likely.
10
What You Missed at the Last Meeting ?
DALLAS DOWN RIVER CLUB
Club Meeting
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Roma’s Restaurant, Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX
In Attendance: ~25
President, Dale Harris called the meeting to order at approximately 7:10 pm and welcomed everyone
attending. We all noticed that this meeting was very well attended and Dale attributed that fact to our
new central location at Roma’s restaurant. New members were greeted and asked to introduce themselves. Beatrice from Dallas, originally from Brazil was greeted. Meryl and Jeanette were welcomed back
after a hiatus.
News and Trips
Bryan reported on the Sabine River (3/16 – 3/20) trip due to depart the next day. He was excited about
the number attending – possibly 14 – and asked everyone to bring food. The river is currently running
high and with more rain expected, could be higher. This is a 30 mile paddle and fishing trip. Those wanting to join the group on Saturday can meet at the 1794 ramp. Please let him know ahead of time if you
plan to attend.
Dale reported on the upcoming clean up at Bachman Lake Park on March 24th. If you want to help out
ahead of time, bring a chain saw on 3/23 for assistance with the big items.
Sam reported on the upcoming the Neches River trip on 3/24 .It is an 11 ½ mile winding river trip. So
far, 6 people have signed up for that trip. He warned that a log jam could be possible. He said this is a
particularly beautiful trip because the river aligns with the Davy Crockett National Park on one side of
the river.
4/6 – 4/8 is the Mulberry River trip. No Big Piney is planned for this trip. Two campsites are re
served. Easter potluck dinner is planned for Friday night.
4/14 is the Urban Paddle and the Brazos clean up in Glen Rose.
4/21 is the S. Llano River trip in Junction, TX which is reported to be 2 hours West of Austin. This trip involves Class II rapids and a base camp in a State Park with a nice campground.
4/28 – Urban Paddle – Ray Roberts Green Belt at Route 380
5/5 is the Medina River Clean Up.
5/12 – 5/18 is the Buffalo River trip. The leader is taking only 12 people and because this trip fills up quickly, anyone wanting to attend was asked to respond soon.
5/19 is planned as an Urban Paddle.
5/26 – 5/28 is planned as the Lower Mountain Fork trip..
6/9 is scheduled as a Moonlight Float in Trinity Park
Past trip reports included John’s trip a few weeks ago to Goose Island where Earl caught lots of fish and
Bryan reported on the San Marcos trip. He said that the Shady Grove campground was full and that 6-8
people paddled from the campground to Staples.
Dale reported that the Urban Paddle had only 4 attending due to the inclement weather, but they still
had a good time paddling the Trinity to Hidden Lake and picnicking together.
11
Bryan reported that the DDRC Treasury now has approximately $2500 since the recent collection of
memberships.
Dale asked the DDRC to consider a couple donations to organizations that we care about that that encompass environmental concerns. The Love of the Lake (White Rock Lake) and Brazos River & Associated
Bay & Estuary – Bay and Basin Stakeholder Committee were suggested. Sam made a motion and Rich
seconded that we contribute $100 each to those organizations.
Dale then discussed the upcoming election of officers for the DDRC’s 2012-2-13 season. He had spoken
to Carol Lee Doty about the position of Club Secretary and she agreed to assume the position if elected.
Roxanne motioned that we accept her nomination and Steve seconded the motion
Dale then asked if we could accept the slate of officers:
President:
V.P:
Treasurer:
Secretary:
Newsletter Ed:
Raffle Chair
Dale Harris
Eric Neilsen
Bryan Jackson
Carolee Doty
Sam Sloan
Randy Stovall
This was motioned and seconded but vote will need to be taken at next month’s meeting in order to
comply with the two month rule reflected in the DDRC By Laws.
Sam had two points to discuss that he felt could help generate additional people becoming more involved with the running of the Club. He suggested that we move our elections to January so that people
can better plan their year commitments. (This would need a change to the By Laws.)
He also suggested that we institute maximum term limits which would be 3 consecutive years as the
same board position. Bryan was concerned about the banking issues with a change in Treasurer. The
term limit suggestion would also require a change to the By Laws.
Sam made the motion on both items and Pat seconded. (A vote was not taken.)
Bryan suggested that we all need to get sponsors for the race which is our biggest fundraiser. Advertising is a good sell at only $125 which gets the recipient a banner ad on the web page and the newsletter.
The DDRC then had a ten minute break to visit and then the raffle was drawn with some exciting new
prizes given away.
Dale thanked the Club for their vote of confidence of him as our leader for another term and adjourned the meeting at 8 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Roxanne Turner
Secretary, DDRC
12
A Brazos River Trip
By Carolee Doty
On the morning of March 24th, four
of us adventurers (Carolee Doty, Charlene
Dillinger, Mike Butler, and Charlotte Ragan)
met at Rochelle’s Canoe Rental on the Brazos River outside Palo Pinto. Having experienced low water dragging, stiff south
winds and mobs of spring break paddlers,
we were looking forward to the light winds,
mild temps, sunshine and good water levels predicted. Arriving at put-in at 11:00,
we had to wait for 10 rental kayaks (20 paddlers) to put in….but we never saw them
again! After a slow start from towing the rental 2-person kayak which wouldn’t
track well with 1 person (nicknamed ‘The Battleship’), Mike took its helm and we
were off. All of us felt that this opportunity to do the 2-day upper stretch with
its incredibly scenic 500’ cliffs was not to be missed. Mike grew up spending time
at the Highway 16 bridge, but had never done the upper 19.5 mile stretch.
Along our way, we saw large sections of burned hillsides, some down to the river’s
edge and one where the fire had jumped the river! The water was clear enough to see
some big fish as well as the usual turtles, snakes and birds enjoying the sun. The promised 500’ cliffs leaching tar-like minerals, as well as the large rock out-croppings did not
disappoint. They only lacked a Comanche Indian looking down from horseback! Mike
located a shady ‘marina’ for a fuel stop,
and later, we found a large, sunny
rock ledge for lunch. One unplanned
swim there found that the water was
very pleasant! Around 5:30 we began
looking for a place to camp, passing
up several groups already stopped for
the night. After about 11 miles, we
lucked out finding a high spot on the
downstream spit of an island, complete
with sounds of water rushing over
rocks and campfire already set up.
Early the next morning, Charlene
13
broke camp and headed out
to meander downstream and
fish. We met up with her at
lunch, as well as several other
fun folks who live nearby and
know the river well. Unfortunately, for all her (and others’)
efforts, no fish were caught.
When we got to takeout,
Charlene ended up selling her
kayak to one of the paddlers
we met at lunch. We didn’t
know she planned to sell it
or the rest of us would have
snagged it. She was glad to
get rid of it, as she felt it was
too wide for her. Good ending!
I was sort of blown
away at being able to paddle
that far without seeing houses, roads, civilization or many
people except at the beginning,
middle (camp spots, but we
camped alone) and end. This
in a location that’s in our back
yard, not that far from Mineral
Wells! Witness to the remoteness is that we had hardly any
or no cell phone reception ‘til
we got closer to that town. We
never had to get out and pull
our boats because not only are they steadily releasing 100 cfs from the dam, but water
was rushing in from several creeks due to the last 3+ weekends of rainfall. Lucky us.
14
N E W S L E T T E R O F TH E D A LL A S D O W N R I V E R C LU B — V I S I T O U R W E BS I T E A T W W W . D O W N -R I V E R. O R G
DDRC Officers & Committees
PRESIDENT
President
Bryan Jackson
Dale Harris
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
VICE-PRESIDENT
ViceAustin
President
Meredith
John Kuhlenschmidt
Eric Neilsen
TRIP incoming
COORDINATOR
Newsletter
Editor Trip Coordinator
?
Eric Neilsen
Sam Sloan
incoming
LIBRARIAN
Dale Harris
Bryan Jackson
Sam Sloan
MEMBERSHIP/EQUIPMENT
Earl Atnip
Steve Crowe
Bryan Jackson
John Kuhlenschmidt
in coming
Randy Stovall
Web Master
Raffles
Newsletter Ad Rates
Type of Ad Per Insertion Business Cards (member) 5.00 Business Cards (non-members) 12.50 1/4 Page display 20.00 1/3 Page display 30.00 1/2 Page display 35.00 Full Page display 50.00 Annually 50.00
125.00
200.00
300.00
350.00
500.00
FINE PRINT - The DDRC Current News is published bi
monthly by the Dallas Down river Club and is provided to its
members either by First Class postage or by email. Opinions
expressed herein are those of the individual authors and
may or may not reflect the opinion of the club or its officers.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION of articles, announcements,
events, trips, etc. is the 1st Thursday of the month. It is on
a come first served basis therefore sooner is better.
DDRC BOARD MEETINGS are held every second Tuesday of
the month - 7:00pm @ Dale Harris’ house in Richardson or
Roma’s . All members are welcome to attend to learn more
about club business.
SECRETARY
Secretary
Kay Crowe
Roxanne Turner
Carolee Doty
incoming
TREASURER /ROSTER
Treasurer
/ Roster
John Kuhlenschmidt
Bryan Jackson
Steve Crowe
Membership/
Equipment
Urban Paddles
Environmental
Librarian
Dale Harris
Bryan Jackson
Tom Taylor
Stock up and Ship Out!
Get the paddle gear that’ll make your trip complete !
We carry a wide assortment of kayaks and canoes
from Ocean Kayak, Perception, Dagger, Old Town,
Wilderness Systems and Mad River. When you are
ready to get that first or next boat, get 10% off when
you buy your paddling accessories from REI at time
you purchase your boat.
Not sure
what boat
you want?
Come by
our rental
department
and take one
out for the
weekend.
4515 LBJ Freeway, Farmers Branch, TX 972 490-5989
The Official Newsletter
of the
Dallas Down River Club
PO Box 820246
Dallas, TX 75382
Next DDRC
Meeting
April 15th,
7:00 PM
Roma’s Italian
postage