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A strange thing happens whenever Fraser and I participate in a river clean-up
or trash bash, we actually enjoy picking up O.P.T. (other people’s trash).
Saturday, March 5 was the San Marcos River clean-up. Christy Long was the
trip coordinator. She did a fine job. John Bartos organized the shuttle and got us
on the water about 11.
There were 12 paddlers and 10 boats representing the HCC. We put in at Pecan
Park, and the water was fast and high, some 1100 cfs. The first challenge was
Old Mill, and there is now a chute cut through the middle of the wall on river left.
Everyone got through fine and the collecting of trash began in earnest. Most of the visible trash was plastic bags, or the remnants of plastic bags clinging to branches over our heads. We were able to collect 17 bags of trash, a couple of
plastic chairs, and a tire still on the rim. Fraser and Rudy Rivers worked hard to
cut an awning free from it’s pole where it had been swept to the bank and comments were made about the need to have a chain saw. Rudy estimated the length of the awning to be about 16 feet. A nice piece of trophy trash.
On to S turn, which was roaring, with a tree lodged in at river right, and the access only at river left. Maybe that chain saw wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Again all of our illustrious group made it through.
We worked hard collecting and tugging at all sorts of O.P.T. – the usual flip flops,
hats, beer cans, tennis balls, fishing line bobbers, etc.
John Bartos pointed out a nice flock (or is it gaggle) of geese as they glided and honked overhead.
The next point of interest was Cottonseed. Fraser and I decided to eddy out on
the right, take a look at it, peel out, line the boat up and go. There was a time when we would have just barged through Cottonseed with no finesse, Fraser has
been very patient with me. Everyone again got through fine and we rewarded
ourselves with a lunch just past Cottonseed. By this time it was almost 2, and the
rain clouds were looking more threatening. A decision was made to take out at
Skulls and meet up again at the barbecue dinner scheduled for 6 at Spencer’s.
The food and the company were great. Brisket, chicken, sausage, beans, potato
salad, and even vegetarian fajitas for those so inclined. The desserts were plentiful and of such variety that Fraser and I were “forced” to take a sliver of this, a spoonful of that, until we probably consumed the equal of a slab of pecan pie, but didn’t feel too guilty in the process. We saw old friends and made some new ones, and this nice community of paddlers always picks up their own trash!
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