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Bridgeport Falls
COVID-19 has been a very challenging experience, but realizing I just can’t stay inside forever, I joined a Meet-Up group at Bridgeport Falls. Clear skies made for a really nice hour long drive north through small towns like Boyd and Paradise. I’m always amazed at the beauty of the Texas landscape. Bridgeport Falls is situated on the Trinity Paddling Trail. The “falls” are actually created by a dam used during high water flow by paddlers to practice white water skills. More than a dozen people turned out to paddle a five mile course. A friend, Tricia Thomason, who I know from TOWN was there too. She and I decided to forego the crowd and paddled ahead into the serene waterway. With each paddle stroke, still air and a glass-like waterway untangled the stress of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter protests from my shoulders. Deep sighs of serenity created much needed distance from the serious realities of the world for three hours. We paddled through a couple of fast, strong eddies and finally saw the silhouette of the creatures leaving cow patties on the shoreline. Adjacent to the water, black Angus were allowed to water at the edge of the West Fork of the Trinity River. The call of their voices provided a unique serenade to the paddle. At about mile two, we encounter a rather large, impassable snag. Unseen when we entered the funnel, but greeting us as we turned to leave, a large water moccasin was perched on a submerged tree limb. Where there’s one, there are probably others. Aided by a swift current, the return downstream was equally pleasant. The wind had picked up and buffered the growing heat. Highly recommend a few hours southeast of Lake Bridgeport. A lovely paddle.
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Trinity River at Lake Worth
What a beautiful day for exploration! In preparation for the Buffalo Bayou Regatta, in early March, I’ve been looking for a long stretch of river to paddle. The distance between the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge and the put in/out at White Settlement is approximately 13 miles which closely matches the 15 miles of the Houston race. But there are obstacles. The largest is the Lake Worth dam. So, my friend Daniel Byram and I drove to the Marion Samson Park to survey the river and to locate a place to portage around the dam using the Fort Worth Mountain Bike Association paths. A sunny, and calm 55 degree day provided a breathtaking view. Fort Worth is really quite beautiful. From our vantage point we were able to locate a possible exit from the river close to the bike path that would require about a third of a mile walk with our kayaks on carts. We would re-enter the river and paddle past Camp Carter and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Fish Hatcheries. The next obstacle would be a low water dam adjacent to Camp Carter. A slippery, moss covered spillway would be a challenge to climb down without falling. But, with a long rope, we could pull our kayaks over the spillway and re-enter the river towards White Settlement. Reconnaissance complete, on to Heim’s for BBQ and beer. |
AuthorI'm an enthusiastic kayaker actively exploring the Trinity River. ArchivesCategories |
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