Texas Water Safari 2011

This year I was able to make it down to watch the the start of the Texas Water Safari. The Safari is a 260 mile unsupported canoe and kayak race from San Marcos to the coast at Seadrift, TX. You have to take everything with you that you might need like: food, lights, batteries, water jugs, bilge pumps, extra paddles, medicine, and everything else that you might need while paddling 260 miles in 3-4 days. The only thing that your team captain is allowed to give you is ice and water.

The race starts in San Marcos and within the first 10 miles or so are several portages, some rapids and many obstacles that could end your race before it really begins. Most of these racing canoes are built for speed, not impact resistance. So not running into submerged rebar, rocks, or dropping your boat while portaging is a high priority.

The fastest boats in the race are the unlimited 6 man (and woman) boats. These guys can hit 12+ miles an hour at the start and are typically always the first boats to finish the race. These boats are over 40' in length and can weight 400lbs with all their gear onboard. They are fast, and fun to watch since the teams that power these boats run like well oiled machines.

There is a wide variety of paddlers that do this race. Everything from 30 year safari veterans to people who have maybe only been paddling a canoe for a couple months. The skill of the paddlers become very apparent when they hit Cottonseed Rapids. Cottonseed is the largest rapid in the race and usually gives novice paddlers the most trouble.

This is Staples Dam (the first checkpoint). It is just one of several dams and portages that the racers have to go over or around. The larger boats have to lower their boats over the dam. You can imagine how hard this can be with a 40' boat that weighs hundreds of pounds.

The conditions this year were brutal. Temperatures in the lower triple digits and it was also a record low water year. The flow was 14 cfs, and I think the average is around 150....So it made for for grueling conditions, and longer finishing times for the paddlers.

I was just a lowly spectator this year, and probably will be for the next few years. But one day, one day, I will do this race and finish it!

Mama's Gone Wild

Saturday was the high school graduation. Following that ceremony, some of us went out to celebrate. One of our stops had a mechanical bull. What Urban-Cowboy-watchin'-livin'-in-Dallas-girl can resist a mechanical bull? Not this one. As many times as I've been to Gilly's, I've entertained the notion, but most of the girls that ride there seem to feel that a bra is the only top required. I know my limitations. I know I need to wear more than a bra to ride a mechanical bull. Saturday presented that opportunity.

Here I sign the waiver and beg the girl to take it easy on me.
Then, the hard part. Getting a leg over.
Then the even harder part, climbing up.
But finally, the fun begins--after a pose for the camera.
It really was fun.
Can't you tell?
Finally, my ride came to an end. I didn't have timer going, so I don't know if I made it more than 8 seconds or not.

Many thanks to Lindsey for taking the pictures and hanging out for the afternoon :)
(I've got to start getting my chin down in pictures. Somewhere along the way I decided I wouldn't have a double chin if I looked up. But, I'm just looking silly.)