Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Devil's River Kayak/Camping Trip

I just got back from one of the best trips I have ever taken and if you know me very well you know that is saying a lot because I love to travel to fun places. James Garner, Zach Knight and myself took a kayaking/camping/fishing trip to the Devil's River in West Texas. This was the first time any of us had been there and we were blown away, to say the least. I think the most repeated phrase of the week was "This place is amazing". Everytime we would hit a new stretch of river we would witness a new level of beauty in God's creation.
We took off on Wednesday and met up at the "Who Cares B&B" north of Del Rio. After spending the night there we loaded up for the two-hour ride to the drop-off point for our three-day and 25-mile journey down the Devil's River. The river is surrounded by private land so you can't camp on the shores the first night. Instead we found a rock island large enough to hold us and all of our gear. We slept out under the most amazing number of stars after covering 10.3 miles in our kayaks the first day. Day 2 was more of the same - a lot of kayaking and fishing and being amazed by our surroundings. It was like being on a river in Colorado but with water from the Carirbbean Ocean. The water got clearer and the scenery more beautiful as the trip went on. We covered about 7 miles on Day 2 and camped at the State Natural Area where we used out tents. The first morning we woke up and our gear was soaked from the dew so we had to delay our fishing and departure in order to dry everything out before packing it. We caught fish for dinner on Day 2 and accompanied it with potatoes, corn and green bean casserole. We have all had our fair share of outdoor adventures so we were able to eat extremely well on this trip. We needed to cover about 7 more miles on Day 3 in order to get to the pickup point for the ride to our trucks. We didn't do whole lot of fishing because most of the trip was spent traversing rapids or paddling through mile-long deep pools. It was amazing. After portaging our kayaks around Dolan Falls - the largest waterfall in Texas - we took on about eight sets of rapids including Three-Tiers that is rated as a Class 3. It was a blast! I wish I had more pics to show you but the memory card on my camera was wiped out so I had to get all of my pics from James. I am waiting for Zach to send me his pics as well. We have already pledged to make this a yearly trip - at least. I think Zach and James are going back in the spring but my schedule will not allow me to go at that time - I may have to quit my job. :) Enjoy!
The windmill and water tank at the "Who Cares B&B"
Kickin' it at the B&B

The kayaks all geared up.

Lunch on day 1. A rock island on the Devil's River.

Checking out the scenery with Zach.

Kayaking through the canyon.

Reading on the rock island we camped on the first night.

A view of our campsite. This is all the room the three of us had. It was awesome.

Beautiful morning scenery.

James and I at bedtime. We slept out underneath the stars the first night.

Morning view from our camp.

Kayaking in the morning fog.

More morning kayaking.

The morning fish.

Rock cave on the river.

With Zach night on some rock structures. These were all over the river.

With the big black bass. It was about 17-18 inches long. The biggest bass I have ever caught.

James and Zach at Dolan Falls.

Dolan Falls - the largest waterfall in Texas.

Three Tiers Rapids - this was a Class 3 rapid that we took the kayaks down.

Check out the crystal clear water.

A big boulder had fallen from the nearby cliff and rolled in to the river.

James with a self-portrait.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Morning Rooster

So I woke up this morning with a rooster in my yard. It turns out that some neighbor's friends put a rooster in their house as a joke so they just let the rooster loose last night. Brad and I caught the rooster in a fishing net and were going to release it until Majeeb - my neighbor - came out and asked if we were going to eat it. I said no and offered it to him. Majeeb was very excited. I don't think our neighborhood rooster will be around much longer. Majeeb and his family apparently use a lot of curry in their food because they cook in their garage on a hot plate and I can smell their meals when I am in my front yard. I imagine I will be smelling chicken curry sometime soon. This was a great way to start off Monday morning. Very funny.

Majeeb eyeing his next supper.










Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Klayton's Flag Football Game

I signed my youngest nephew, Klayton, up for flag football this year. Here are some videos and pics of his third game this season. He plays for the Colts. He has done a great job. The first time he ever touched the ball in his first game he ran 35 yards for a touchdown for his team's only score. I missed his second game but he did the same thing in his third game. He took the ball on a sweep to the right, cut back across the defense and broke free up the left side for the touchdown. He also plays offensive line and cornerback. He hasn't mastered the art of grabbing the flag yet but he is getting better. The first video is of him playing offensive line. He is number five. You will notice him block for a few seconds then jump up and down in place while his teammate runs with the ball. He does this everytime he doesn't have the ball. It is really funny. In the second video he is the running back and does a great job. After the pitch he avoids a few tackles and before gaining about six yards. Enjoy!




Klayton playing defensive back. Look at him reading the play and reacting to the run.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Tagged

Sheridan tagged me to post the sixth photo from the sixth folder on my computer. Wouldn't you know it, it is a pic of me and one of my friend's kids - what are the odds. This is me and Callie at the waterfalls that on Rubalid Trail at my cabin in Colorado. This was taken in the summer of 2006. I guess I will pass the tag on to Lisa since I used a pic of her kid.


Sunday, October 5, 2008

Vegas Baby!

Well, I just got back from Vegas for Merph's Bachelor Weekend. Nine of us flew out there for the weekend and had a great time! We got a suite at The Mirage that held us all - although we didn't spend much time there. We pretty much filled our time playing Craps at The Mirage, Bellagio and O'Sheas. It was awesome. I am not sure how many hours we logged at the tables but it was a lot. The group consisted of Michael Anderon, David Anderson, James Wilson, Reagan Jackson, Bryan Hanna, Jace ? - not sure of his last name, Marcus Mataga, Jeremy Ksionda and myself.

A view of the strip.

Our hotel - The Mirage
This is the ceiling of The Forum Shops at Ceaser's Palace. It really feels like you are outside.
O'Sheas Casino. This is where we spent the entire day Friday playing Craps.
A Shot of The Eiffel Tower
The Bellagio Fountaion just before the water show began.
The Bellagio Water Show
We had this Craps table all to ourselves at The Mirage.

David laying his bet.
Rolling at Mirage. We had the whole table to ourselves.
Jeremy and Jace must have been surprised at how much we were winning.




Im not sure what Im doing here but I am sure I just won a lot of money!A video of the Bellagio Water Show.