Emilio Hinojosa (Comstock, TX) shuttled us from Comstock to Pandale for $35. We put in at 1230 and took out at 1500, traveling five miles. We observed six deer feeding on the riverbank. Camped on a small island that had good rock ledges. The temperature was in the mid 60s.

We put in at 1000 and took out at 1500, traveling six miles. This was the type of day you dream of having: good water flow, wind at your back, clear skies, temperature in the mid 60s, just drifting along. We ran all the rapids with no dragging. Today we saw four deer, a bald eagle, a Belted Kingfisher and a Green Kingfisher (saw a lot of Kingfishers on this trip). All this was concluded with another night to observe the stars.

Put in at 1000 and took out at 1600, traveling eight miles. Today we had to get out of our canoes about three times and drag them over some shallow spots. Another beautiful day with temperatures in the mid 60s. We camped on a rock ledge and found a series of historical pictographs on the canyon wall. Another great night for star gazing.

We put in at 1000 and took out at 1430, traveling eight miles. This morning we had a heavy fog that did not burn off until noon and then the day turned out just great with temperatures in the middle 60s. At camp, David and Sam fished while I went looking for a pictograph site about which Louis Aulbach had told me. I did find it and it is a beauty. The panel is approximately 90 feet long and in good condition. I checked later and found Forrest Kirkland had painted this panel and it shows up in "The Rock Art of Texs Indians" on page 73, referred to as the Ingram Ranch Site. Another great night to view the sky.

Returned to the pictograph site this morning so David and Sam could see it. Put in at 1030 and took out at 1600, traveling seven miles. We could not believe we were having such good weather - clear skies, about 70 degrees, and no wind. We lined Harkell Rapids and Sam had a little problem when his canoe pinned against a rock but there weren't any serious problems. We filled our water containers near mile 33 and camped on a rock ledge near Camp Canyon. I took a hike up Camp Canyon and located some faint pictographs and decided to return the next day. We are getting spoiled with all the clear nights.

David and I returned to the pictograph site in Camp Canyon and had a hard time deciphering the paintings since they were so faded. We went to the head of the canyon to check out a cave and then, as we hiked out, we tried to find a special pictorgraph (Lizard Man) but had no luck. I need to go back and try to find this painting. We put in at 1030 and took out at 1530 (Lewis Canyon), traveling six miles. Good weather again but we did have wind picking up in the late afternoon. We noticed numerous nutriants have moved up this river since the last time we made this run. Another clear night. We decided to lay over tomorrow and do some fishing.

The wind canceled our plans to fish so I decided to visit the Lewis Canyon Petroglyph site. They continue to remove dirt, exposing more glyphs and extending the rock retaining wall. Last fall a large group including Louis Aulbach, Paul Woodcock, and I worked a weekend at this site. After going to the site I returned to camp and hiked up Lewis Canyon visiting two shelters that had evidence of natives living in them but no pictographs. David and Sam spent the day exploring the canyon. The day was a little cooler with the temperature about 60 but we still have clear skies.

We put in at 0900 and took out at 1600, traveling seven miles and camping at the Weir Dam. Ran part of Lewis Canyon Rapids and lined the rest of the way. We lined Waterfall Rapids and portaged around Painted Canyon Rapids. The day started out cloudy, cool, and windy and, as the day progressed, it warmed up but the wind did not let up. I have been on this river two times before but this time as I approached the Painted Canyon Rapids, I became aware of the rock formation directly above the ledge at Painted Canyon resembling a frontal view of a Hawk's face. The rock face has eroded, forming what appeared to me as two hooded eyes and a beak. David and Sam were indifferent to my observation.

Put in at 0900 and took out at 1500, traveling eight miles. The weather has deteriorated to cloudy, windy, and cold (temperature in the low 30s) with rain and some snow. Interesting experience today as we disturbed a bald eagle that was feeding along the river and he flew directly over our canoes. He was only 40 to 50 feet high, so we got a great view of him as he passed over us. We also observed a lot of beaver activity. This night we went to bed early due to the cold, depressing weather.

Put in at 0900 and took out at 1230, traveling six miles. In this long, flat stretch one can have problems with a head wind and the shallow mud flats. We were fortunate to have a slight head wind and the water level was up so we had no problems passing over the flats.Emilio had placed David's car at the takeout so we loaded up, went to Emilio's Grill and Café in Comstock for some good Mexican food.

After eating, we went our separate ways as I reflected upon the wonderful weather we had, the good companionship, the wild animals, the spectacular scenery, the impressive pictographs, and the challenges that only this river can give you. I consider myself most fortunate to have been able to experience a portion of the many things the Pecos River has to offer.