Remember as a kid how much fun you had going on a scavenger hunt? The excitement of trying to figure out the clues, finding the location and getting the item? Well, join us as we try to recreate that fun time by having our own scavenger hunt at Lake Bryan. Scattered around the lake will be various items that you will have to find after figuring out the clue. If there are enough of us, we can divide into teams. The person/team with the most items is the winner. We’ll end the evening with a cookout and entertainment. The Challenge: get the most items. The Prize: it’s a surprise! For more information contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.
We’ll join in on the festivities and clean-up again this year along the Colorado River in Austin. This event is put on by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and several others, including the Austin Paddle Club. This year the event is spread over 2 days-Saturday(8am-5pm) will be the clean-up from Austin to Bastrop with a free BBQ that night. Sunday will hopefully break the record for most boats on the water at once(9am) then clean-up Town Lake(1pm-5pm). Camping is available at Big Webberville Park and McKinney Falls State Park. For more information contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com
Lake Sommerville Luau 6/23-24
The theme for the weekend will be Hawaiin, so bring
something related to Hawaii-,grass skirts, thatched roof tent, tiki torch,
ukelele, Don Ho song or outrigger canoe. Come and join us camping Saturday
night or just come out for the day. Either way, bring something for a pot luck
supper (we’ll have a grill if you want to cook something). The Challenge:teach
us 3 Hawaiin words(not Anglicized words, the real thing). Participants without
something Hawaiin will be sacrificed to Pele, Goddess of Fire. For more info
contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.
Join us as we paddle the perimeter of the lake at Huntsville State Park searching for gators and other wildlife as well as the diverse flora found along the shoreline. There is also a beautiful 7 mile hiking trail around the lake waiting to be explored, as well as biking and equestrian trails and a swimming area. Bring the kids and spend the day then stay for burgers(bring your own) around 6pm. We can even do an evening paddle since the Park doesn’t close until 10 p.m. Gator eyes show up red in the flashlight’s beam. The Challenge: TBA. For more information contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.
San Marcos Park-to
Park-Paddle 7/14
Explore the beautiful waters of the spring-fed San Marcos River and discover the many types of plants the river has to offer as we make our way from City Park down to Shady Grove Park. This is a wonderful 11.5 mile trip with plenty of cool, clear water and lots of trees, turtle and ,birds There are several dams in various stages of decay that add excitement as well as a sense of the history of this river (don’t worry, the dangerous ones we portage around). The Challenge: TBA For more information contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.
Load up the kids, boats and lotion and head down to
Galveston Island State Park with us for an exploration of the bay and the surf.
There will be plenty of time to beachcomb, hike along the beach, paddle in the
surf, check out the bay, catch some rays, fish, and swim. Make it a day trip or camp with us and enjoy a night full
of fun! The Challenge: Name That Seashell!
For more information contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.
Take a trip back in time with us as we travel a part
of the Brazos River rich in Texas history. We’ll launch from Hidalgo Falls , an
early ford for the first settlers to arrive in Texas, and paddle past several
old mills and locks that were used by paddlewheelers plying their trade along
the Brazos. Along the way we’ll pass
through several small rapids caused by dams that were blown up, steep
embankments of red clay and lots of silence-all this makes for a very pleasant
2 hour paddle. We’ll pull out at Hiway 105 and continue on to
Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park to picnic. The rest of the day will be for
exploring the museum, Independence Hall where the Texas Declaration of
Independence was signed, and Barrington Farms where you can learn about life on
a plantation in the 1860’s. The Challenge: TBA. For more information contact
Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.
Bats Galore! 8/25
Ever wonder what 500,000 bats look like? Do you know
Austin has one of the largest colonies of bats in Texas? Join us for a close up
look at these interesting animals-well, not too close. We’ll launch from under
I35 and paddle beautiful Town Lake as we make our way down to Longhorn Dam.
Along the way we’ll explore the flora of the lake as well as some of the fauna,
see a dam spillway up close and even check out an underground jet stream as it
bubbles to the surface (the discharge from the power plant). We’ll then enjoy
the lights of Austin as we await the launch of the bats on their evening forage
for food. Optional afternoon events
include paddling more of the Lake, sightseeing in Austin or exploring the many
wonders of Zilker Park. The Challenge: TBA at the launch. For more info contact
Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.
This 2-day, 20 mile paddle will involve camping
along the shore or on an island in the river-which means we’ll carry everything
with us. We’ll launch from Plum Park on Saturday and make about 10-12 miles
before setting up camp and grilling supper. Bring something to grill in case
the fishermen don’t catch anything. Sunday we’ll paddle on passing through La
Grange and pull-out at White Rock Park on the south side of town. The LCRA
calls this stretch the most scenic section
along the length of the Colorado passing through many high cliffs and lush
vegetation. The Challenge: Tell a Scary Ghost Story. Bring something for supper.
For more information contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.
A serene and scenic trip through a mixture of water and
woods, Village Creek offers the paddler a chance to see cypress-lined bayous,
cypress knees sticking out of the water &
dense thickets with brackish water in the side bayous. Beavers,
alligators, swamp rabbits, armadillos and deer are just a few of the many
animals found in this part of the Big Thicket. We will paddle two sections of
the river with each offering a
different insight into the wonders of the Big Thicket Preserve. On Saturday,
we’ll explore the section from FM 470, near Woodville, to FM 418, a total of 16
miles. On Sunday, we’ll try an 8 mile
section of the river from FM 418 to Tx 327. This can be done as two day
trips or as an overnighter with camping in Village Creek State Park. The
Challenge: TBA. For more information
contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.
Come with us on two days
of adventure as we explore the beautiful Colorado River from Colorado Bend
State Park down to Lake Buchanan. The trip can be done as a day trip, two
separate day trips, or make a weekend out of it. Saturday we’ll tour the State Park before checking out what this
twelve mile stretch of the Colorado River has to offer. Those wanting to camp
will stay at Lake Buchanan and try a night paddle if the moon is bright enough.
Sunday we’ll paddle around the northern part of the lake looking for bald
eagles and cooling off in the waterfalls.
The Challenge: TBA. For more information contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.
Join us as we explore a river that winds through the
Big Thicket Preserve-an area rich in history. We’ll paddle 16.5 miles from
B.A.Steinhagen lake down to FM 1013. Along the way we’ll paddle through cypress
trees with their huge knees sticking out of the water, side bayous and
black-water swampy areas. On the Neches ,you never know what lies around the
next bend! For those wanting to make it a two day trip, we’ll camp at Martin
Dies Jr. State Park and explore the lake on Sunday before heading back. The
Challenge: TBA. For more information contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com
Ever wonder what a whooping crane looks like up close? Or
even what one looks like? The cranes and many more birds that winter at Aransas
Pass National Wildlife Refuge will be the focus of this weekend excursion.
We’ll leave Friday so that we’ll have all day Saturday and some of Sunday to
explore the island’s inhabitants and their habitats, camping at Goose Island
State Park. Paddling around the island, out to St. Charles Bay, or out to Lamar
Peninsula are just three of the many trips guaranteed to give us an opportunity
to view the wide variety of birds wintering along the Gulf Coast. Paddling is
outlawed at the Refuge in winter, but there are several boat tours as well as
self-guided tours available that will introduce us to the whooping cranes that
nest there. This trip is very dependant on weather and bird arriving so dates
may change. For more information contact Gay at 690-6630 or gculbertson@mailcity.com.