Neches River Trip Report
by Mary Ellen Zaborowski
Mary Z cooking
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Hey Guys: Great Trip.!! Sunrise was beautiful. The ride up there was beautiful with the rolling East Texas Hills. Stopped at Slocum to get only a few vehicles for the shuttle ride.
Put in was a little sandy/muddy. Take-out was great with vehicles right by the water. The Neches River was "cooking" at 1000 cfs. Good moving water paddle with no problems. Found a lovely sandy beach for lunch break.
A good bunch to paddle with, with lots of laughter down the river. It only took a few hours to paddle this section of the river from the Cherokee Hunting Club Road to Hwy 294 (11 miles). Saturday Evening's air was filled with additional stories, laughter, and campfire.
Paul and Bobby at M & B Campground dinner
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We feasted on T-bone Steaks, baked potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, salad, and birthday cake for dessert.
We slipped off to sleep with the melodious sounds of the distant coyotes and the whippoorwill calling to his mate. Woke in the middle of the night to the barn owls hooting at the half moon.
Next morning after brunch, along with hazzlenut coffee, we wandered around the land with thoughts of the Columbia Shuttle pieces that had landed there. We stood there for a moment of silence for their memory.
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Then we packed up and headed towards the Tejas Mission in Weches, Texas and drove by the Caddo Mounds. Back into the good old Houston Traffic , where we came to end our adventure in East Texas for a good paddle/camping weekend.
The person who turned 51 years old now, feels like an 18-year-old again, with the renewed spirit the Neches River gave her.
Editor's note: I paddled 11 miles down the Neches River and stayed dry the whole trip! No disasters this time. I even learned why I keep capsizing!
Camping on Mary's land was a real treat, with all the wildflowers in bloom and piney woods to savor.