Dateline: Saturday, January 9, 2013
It's so fun to be back where I can paddle any day I wish. Saturday, I joined another HASK (
Houston Association of Sea Kayakers) trip, this time on Dickinson Bayou. This was to be a very social paddle as our destination was Garcia's Grill in the little Town of Dickinson on Benson Bayou. We paddled upstream from out put-in at the Highway 3 boat ramp until it was time to turn around and go back, in order to be at the restaurant by the time of our reservations.
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Boats came off cars and lined up by the boat ramp |
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Putting the hatch covers on Linda's new kayak |
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Trip Leader Donna putting in |
This paddle is through neighbors with huge houses on large tracks of
land with a few still wild areas in between. It doesn't get to be
really wild until a ways past where we had to turn around. Still, we
enjoyed being on the water, visiting with friends, and enjoying the
birds. Herons and egrets were fishing, as was an osprey, and a pair of
red-tailed hawks were courting. Lots of spotted sandpipers bobbed along
rocks and logs at stream side, or flew weakly to new landings. Black
and turkey vultures circled lazily overhead. I was able to get real close to a tri-colored heron, but alas, I didn't have my camera on the correct settings to get a sharp picture of him as the wind moved and bounced my canoe around.
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Bayou View |
The day was partly to mostly cloudy with soft air. I wore my long
pants, river sandals and a a Coolmax short-sleeved shirt. When the sun
went behind clouds and the breeze picked up, I could have used a layer
on my arms but I could stay warm when I was paddling.
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Donna with some of the group |
By the time we reached the restaurant the temperatures had risen to
high sixties and we were comfortable sitting out on the deck. We had nineteen of us for lunch when friends of one of the paddlers joined us. It
made for a long, relaxing lunch.
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Taking out at Garcia's Grill |
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Coming under the Hwy. 519 Bridge to reach the restaurant |
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Lunch bunch sans three |
After lunch, we had a short paddle back to the boat ramp. About half
the group elected to paddle on downstream. I am still fighting a
shoulder problem and didn't want to stress it by paddling into the increasing wind, so was in the group that packed up and went home.
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Getting ready to continue our paddle |
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Nap time, Gus? |
This is not the prettiest paddle, but is close to most of us - I was only thirty minutes away from Galveston - to make it an good place to go for fresh air and exercise on the water. In the winter, it is quiet and there are few motor boats around. And if you are willing to paddle upstream longer, it does get wilder. However this is a place to avoid in the late spring through fall as there are lots of motor boats and jet skies on it.
My shoulder didn't get worse paddling here, and I enjoyed visiting with friends and observing the birds, so I deemed the day a success.
So where and when is your next volunteer assignment? They do have housing here at Okefenokee, by the way.
ReplyDeleteI'd better get on the stick and apply. I thought I did send in an application. I think I got no answers from the last batch I sent out.
ReplyDeleteI'll tell you when I sent out another request. How much will you charge to put in a good word for me. I would LOE to spend time touring the swamp on and off the job.
Hi Marilyn - Laguna Atascosa gives guided kayak tours starting in June. They are always looking for volunteers.
ReplyDeleteJust a warning, it is hot and very humid during the summer.
http://www.friendsofsouthtexasrefuges.org/default.asp?id=301
Teri
markteri.blogspot.com