Pk trip Yanke and Texas Redneck

[tx river rat]

Possum Kingdom to Granbury
Jack Voss a fellow paddler from Michigan came in Saturday the 8 th of March for our trip on the Brazos. We visited for a while then agreed to meet the next day with Shennas Dad (Steve) and eat lunch have a confab on the boats and paddling

Left to right Jack Steve Ron


We ate some bar b q and shot the bull for a few hours. Steve left and I had some things to finish , Jack went back to the motel .
The 10 Monday we meet in the morning and started loading then headed for Possum Kingdom Had a late start which seemed to be the theme for the trip..
We ate on the way up and finally got on the river about 5 that afternoon.

The put in was on highway 16 Several fly fisherman were catching trout , I ask them how they were doing on the fish they replied they had caught about 30 trout apiece. We paddled off the water was clear and we were seeing trout everywhere, makes me want to go back with a fly rod. Paddled about three miles downstream and started looking for a camp site found a good one and set up camp built a fire ate some southern fried chicken legs Sondra had sent a little cheese a little adult drink and a lot of BS.

Jack christening his new knife
Finally hit the sack on a long day

 

[tx river rat]

11th March
Got up to a pretty bluff pretty river and a good cup of java doesn’t get much better than that.. We were a little slow getting packed and loaded ( to much party and BS the night before) but off we went. It was awesome scenery and the water was swift enough to make it fun. That day we saw Mallards , Water Turkey,
( in yankee talk cormorants) Kildee’s and the ever present buzzards , I wonder if they were trying to tell me something. Jack got his first taste of the Brazos kind of paddling shallows with a lot of hidden rocks ( the bottom of our boats got a workout) fast water ,tail winds ,head winds strainers in the narrow swift sections
Wide lake like sections that were nearly still water. He was in his Osprey and I was in my T-V the boats were well matched as far as speed and handling the load we were carrying. I could hear Jack cussing every time he hung up on a rock , Jack was use to seeing deeper in the water , bye the next day he was much better about reading the surface of the water and picking his way threw them. At 4 Jack wanted to start looking for a camp spot I think the rocks were grinding at more than the bottom off his boat .We found a island with a good high area on it and made camp. Cattle had been on the island and everywhere Jack started to set up his tent there were cow pies ( welcome to Texas Jack).

We set up camp built our fire and had a couple steaks on the grill set back listen to the coyotes howling owls hooting and turkeys gobbling . Told a few war stories then crashed. DID I MENTION JACK SNORES and you can’t beat him to sleep. I moved my tent a little every day but it didn’t help.We had two guys behind us in two canoes that camp a bought ½ miles behind us they were the only ones that we saw on the river all week.

 

[tx river rat]

12th March
We got up the next morning to turkeys gobbling had coffee broke camp and took off
The river had dropped a little more and you had to watch yourself in the swift water but it was beautiful day for a couple hours then the wind started howling ,a lot of hard paddling that day . We had been trying jacks jerky and power bars for lunch but this Texas redneck had to have some real food stopped on a bar fixed some links , beans with jalapenos and flower tortillas for lunch
Jack taking a nap while I cooked

then headed on down the river . We turned a bend in the river saw a huge splash down river and some critter swimming across , I thought it was a hog) but it turned out to be a big bodied deer. Watch it swim across and climb out of the river then watched us as we got closer finally strolled on up the bank. Saw one huge cat fish in the shallows ran some small rapids with 2ft standing waves , that was fun , and just enjoyed the over hangs and scenery , saw some sand hill cranes a few hawks some geese turtles everywhere and the ever present buzzards as we looked for a spot to camp that night I jumped about 15 deer feeding on the river bank
I camped pretty close to that spot and as we were sitting there talking the turkeys started flying across the river below us about 50 yards 25 or so going to roost . We were both tired that night decided to eat some fruit cupps and oranges for super then hit the sack, deer were coming up at night snorting at our tents.

 

[tx river rat]

13th March
This day would be interesting .

about 8 ft rise

Paddled on down stream lot of high bluffs and river narrowing down with swift water and a lot of strainers then deep holes bucking the wind and then you would hit shallows . We had to drag the boat several times that day, the river was still dropping. Jack was starting to get really tired so we stopped at lunch broke out some cheese and chilly and a bag of Frito’s and whipped up some frito pies Jack ate up but said they didn’t have those in Yankee land. Loaded up and headed on down the river paddling and loving it. We set up camp on a bar that night and were sitting back having an adult beverage talking enjoying the time there, I had my back to the river , there was some swift water right below camp, as we were talking I heard the gerrgling water change sounds listen for a minute then got up walked down to the water edge put a stick in the sand at the water line in a couple minutes the water had come up a foot past the stick I hollered at Jack to start grabbing his stuff we were moving Jack started tward a higher sand bar I headed to a hump on up the banks saw it was big enough for the tents , we grabbed the tents walked them up then went back got the rest of the gear and then the boats we were wadding in ankle deep water bye then. We went ahead and ate bs for a while then crashed by then the water was up better than 8 ft I woke up in the night the sound of the water had changed again thought it might be coming up more got up and looked the river was dropping again by morning it was close to the level it had been the day before. Good lord was watching out for us.
Some picks of the bar

The stick is where the water got up to the night before and in the last pic you can see the hump we moved to

 

[tx river rat]

14th March
Got up to a pretty day drinking coffee and enjoying the river . I heard a chopper flying low they came in an circled us at about a hundred feet I waved they took of back up the river in a few minutes were back circled us again I waved again they flew up the river about ¼ mile landed for a few minutes then lined out and left. The next day we heard a couple guys drowned on the river I guess they were checking on everyone.

Later that day as we were paddling found a flat bottom hung in a tree but no one was around. Paddled against the wind most of the day at one time had three foot waves white capping the biggest I have ever seen on the Brazos, I think that was the final straw for jack he was knocked plumb out and wanted of off the river we camped below the bridge about a mile that night had about forty turkeys feed up to us.

15th
March
We paddled and portaged back to the bridge and took out, I caught a ride into town
And called home to see if we could get picked up by my son in law , the pick up was on Monday downstream so we had to make other plans it was the next day before he could get up to get us . We just camped an relaxed

16th
March

Glen and Sondra showed up about eleven we loaded and headed home A little shorter trip than planned but a good one

 

[tx river rat]

Observations on the trip
The Coleman extreme cooler preformed well I froze 8 small water bottles 8 small gator aides and dumped the ice out of the ice maker on the fridge in the cooler Monday morning this morning 8 days later some of the waters still were half ice . It was worth build in a spot in the yak. Had way to much food in the cooler there was two packs of beef sausage, 2 pork chops 2 steaks ground meat for four burgers, sandwich meat
cheese, mayo olives and the water a gator aide that was frozen.

Other food in the yak 8 small cokes, frito’s, 2 packs of Pringles two packs of saltines three gallons of water salt pepper 1 pan 1 bowl silverware coffee cream sugar coffee pot ,cup 2 cans spam,1chilli,beef stew,blackeyed peas with peppers pinto beans and peppers flour tortillas bread 2 cans soup sauerkraut 8 cans of propane roll of garbage bags grill 5 oranges 4 fruit cupps paper plates paper towels. I had enough food for 10 days easy

Camping gear
Tent cot sleeping bag pillow machete clothes bag combination gortex parka extra paddle lantern single burner stove (propane) first aid kit extra paddle pfd .2 tarps

I loaded this yak heavy I wanted to see what she could carry and still handle while I had someone else with me The T-V aka Brazos Queen did fantastic paddle well stable glided better loaded, wood is the king, cooler worked fantastic you can have fresh food for at least a week loved my fold out seat .
Great trip no real snag’s and meet a new paddling buddy

 

[oldsparkey]

I'm Glad you guy's got back safely and did not have to take a ride off river with that chopper , camping in a body bag.

Your trip looked and sounds like one I would of enjoyed , wilderness and everything it can throw at you. Mother Nature Rules.

So how did your cheep wood boat hold up to the more expensive wood one , taking into consideration that the only difference in wood is the cost ( that should get me in plenty of trouble) :lol:

Now how about some pictures of you , all the bugs are chased out of my computer with the pictures of Jack. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Not picking on you but a very famous author has a book and the title reminds me of you two ... The book is called .. "The Old Man and the Boy " some good reading.

Again , Very glad that both of you made it back in one piece , that is what counts. Good friends , a river and great camping while enjoying the wilderness does not get any better then that. Unless you end up share a can of Vienna's and some Ritz Crackers.

Chuck.

 

[a Bald Cypress]

B T

Good read Ron.
Glad you were on your toes with the waterlevel stick.

Sorry to read of the two unfortunate folks.

Thanks for the report.

 

[oldyaker]

Interesting trip to say the least! Nice pix as well. Glad you had a great time with an interesting trip report to say the least. Glad your both safe so we can hear the stories. Good job Guys!

 

[tx river rat]

Well I have to tell ya'll Jack was eating okra and blackeyed peas while he was here :lol: :twisted:
Ron
They sort of slipped on his plate :twisted:

 

[Wannabe]

Sounds like yall had a blast. Now to hear the other side of the story. 40 miles of fun, and how many more do you have to go to get to the Gulf.

Guys, it never hurts to go someplace new if you have a native with you.
Bob

 

[Ozark]

Good times on the river with friends what more can you ask for?
Ronnie it sounds like you pack a good lunch supper and tomorrow's breakfast like I do.
I saw your kayak/camp set in one photo, but couldn't gage it's height at camp.
No snakes? That warm Texas country looks inviting with the rain and must be your wind blowing in today.
Portaging? So Jack has you portaging now.
Dang that ain't happening here we just lasso any mules in the pasture and let them drag us till we hit float able water.
All in all sounds like a good trip scenery a little shoal runin good times.
What I want to know is what you thought as the water was risen so fast?
Dam break?

 

[hairymick]

Great read and piccies Ron. Bloody well done mate.

Apart from that HUGE river, some of those piccies could have easily been taken in western Queensland. Very similar countryside and bush. Bloody hard country.

Glad you got out safely guys.

 

[Gringo Salado]

Good to have ya'll back Ron. Sounded a little challenging but worth it all I'm certain. Hey, if it was easy everybody be doin' it!
Atta boys on the write-up and pics, fine looking country to be paddlin' through and camping in. So, when does the next leg start?

 

[jdupre']

Ron, great write-up and great pictures. Sounds like y'all had one heck of a time. That really is some pretty country. Ain't it a bummer though- 8 foot of water one day, and dragging the boats through shallow spots the next. I wish I could have joined you guys.

Joey

 

[bearridge]

Friend Ron,

Mitey stylish hats. :wink: I had no idea yer river had bluffs like that. Wuz it most of the time 'er jest a short stretch? How far iz it ta the combustion engine fellas? Do folks live along the river? Sorry fer so many questions but when it comes ta stuff I dont know, I got a long row ta hoe.

regards
bearridge
paddlin' geezer canoe clud

It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. H. L. Mencken

 

[tx river rat]

I will try to answer a few of the question
dragging the boats usually wasn't more than a few yards
Chuck the ole cheap wood and polester boat did fine
Never saw a snake on this trip The bluffs run for about 200 miles
and the power boats dont do well to much shallow water and to many rocks, I think we saw just two folks on the water the whole trip there are a few houses on the bluffs but we never saw anyone at them
and Wannabe little less than 800 to go
Ron

 

[BEARS BUDDY]

GREAT REPORT. I apoligize for not warning you about the noise from Jack's snoring.
Are you coming North for the AuSable River trip?

 

[tx river rat]

Bear
I am not sure about Ausable trip yet I still have a lot of miles on this one and I would like to finish it this year
Ron

 

[Tor]

sounds like one hell of an experience was had.

Jack, what is the boat that you're paddling (I assume you built it), looks like it could play in small waves too?

makes me want to go and play in the water but I haven't finished yet...

Tor