It has been a most unusual summer here in Central Texas.  We’ve been deluged with rains that have swollen our creeks and rivers to levels beyond recent memory.  Even the 100-year floods of a few years back have not had the impact of these enduring rains.

It hadn’t rained too much in the last 10 days and it was the first time that we’ve kayaked recently when  rain didn’t look imminent.  Temperatures had finally warmed up and the typical August crowds were out in force on the Guadalupe.

It began with the “Hashers.”   These guys travel not with six packs or kegs, but with a trailer keg.  Visualize this – a mid sized trailer with two taps on either side.  The outfitter said that they make the trek to their place once a year to “drink and get nekkid.”  I did the shuttle run down to the State Park so I got to miss most of the brouhaha but I did get frequent calls from Tony giving me updates and it didn’t sound pretty at all.  Moonings, a man wearing a stuffed bra (nightmares possible from this unsightly vision), pushup competitions and Kodiak races – just your typical drunken shenanigans. 

The river was absolutely swollen and swift.  In fact, I’d never seen it that high before – even just days after that 100-year flood of a few years back.

We got into the water just as fast as we could once I got back from dropping off the car.  No point in enduring any more drunken scenes.  Not two minutes downstream we saw cars, trailers and tents that had been swept away in a flood that had happened since our last outing.  As you pass by them, all you can wonder and hope is that everyone was out of these vehicles before they were swept away and landed atop trees and riverbanks inaccessible by road.

Danger, our water dog was there of course.  And you know, surprisingly enough he understands all on his own when it is and is not safe to body surf the rapids on his own.  Our last few outings, he’s had the good sense to not jump out and swim the rapids solo.

The first little whiffle, at least that is what it usually is, was a rocking adventure with lots of swells, holes and whitecaps.  It’s pretty low key by actual whitewater standards, but for Central Texas, it was an adventure.  We paddled on through and enjoyed the flow.  It’s nice to have things running swiftly and to be able to run a good course.

Pulling over to scout the next little rapid, we saw a large group of people pass by.  We’d seen them earlier in the day.  They had a zodiac along with 6 or 8 tubes tied together, all linked as one craft with a single person paddling.  We’d chatted with them a bit as we passed each other and they were all having fun.  Four young children and 3 women, along with man who was in charge of paddling their flotilla.