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(music)
>> IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO PADDLE.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
(waves lap against kayak)
>> IT IS A GREAT SURPRISE TO
ME THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO DO THIS
10 MINUTES FROM WHERE I LIVE.
>> KAYAKING IN THE STATE OF
TEXAS HAS EXPLODED, AND SO
WE'VE TAGGED ON TO THAT.
>> ALL RIGHT!
>> KAYAKING AND CANOEING
ARE MORE POPULAR THAN EVER.
AND NOW HERE IN TEXAS THERE'S
A PUSH FOR MORE AND MORE
PADDLING TRAILS.
>> WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP
A LARGE INVENTORY OF
PADDLING TRAILS WITH LOTS
OF DIFFERENT VENUES.
SO THAT WE CAN REACH A WIDE
AUDIENCE WITH A HEALTHY
OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE.
(water rushes by)
ALL RIGHT AND THIS IS
JUST THE BIRCH CREEK?
>> BIRCH CREEK STATE PARK
BOAT RAMP.
>> BOAT RAMP.
>> RON SMITH FROM THE PADDLING
PLANNING TEAM...
>> AND YOU'VE GOT WILDLIFE
VIEWING.
>> IS HERE AS LAKE SOMERVILLE
STATE PARK LOOKS TO OPEN UP
THEIR OWN PADDLING TRAIL.
>> PART OF THE PROCESS FOR
TODAY IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE
LOOKING AT THE INITIAL SURVEY.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GET OUR
INITIAL GPS AND GIS INFORMATION.
BATHROOMS?
>> ON SIGHT.
>> EVALUATE THE PUT INS
AND THE TAKE OUTS.
LOOK AT THE AIDS TO NAVIGATION
AND THE HAZARDS TO NAVIGATION.
>> ONE CONCERN ON THE LAKE
IS AN INVASIVE AQUATIC PLANT
CALLED HYDRILLA THAT COULD
MAKE PADDLING PRETTY TOUGH.
>> WELL WHAT WERE GOING TO
MENTION ABOUT THIS SPOT IS THAT
THERE IS A FAIRLY HEAVY HYDRILLA
POPULATION HERE IN THIS AREA,
SO WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE SURE
THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE.
IT'S PART OF WHAT'S HERE
AND PART OF THE PADDLING
TRAIL ADVENTURE.
(footsteps)
>> EACH PADDLING TRAIL ADVENTURE
STARTS AT A PUBLIC PUT-IN
WITH EASY ACCESS.
AND SIGNS PROVIDE TRIP DETAILS.
>> LET'S GO EASY, EASY!
>> IN HOUSTON, THE BUFFALO BAYOU
PADDLING TRAIL MEANDERS RIGHT
THROUGH THE HEART OF THE CITY.
>> WE NEED TO GO LEFT HERE
A LITTLE BIT.
>> BOB ARTHUR IS A RIVER RAT
FROM WAY BACK.
>> I THINK I'VE MISSED
EVERYTHING!
>> HE'S BEEN PADDLING THIS
BAYOU FOR 30 YEARS NOW.
>> IT'S I THINK STILL THE
LONGEST PADDLE TRAIL IN THE
STATE, 26 MILES AND ALL OF
IT WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS
OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.
>> OH, THERE'S A LOG HERE!
IT'S MORE NATURAL THAN WHAT I
THOUGHT, LET ME SAY IT THAT WAY.
IT'S MORE NATURAL THAN
WHAT I EXPECTED.
YOU KNOW, SO YOU REALLY FEEL
LIKE YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF
NOWHERE.
>> ITS CLOSE.
JUST GET IN AND GO, AND SPEND
TWO OR THREE HOURS IN NATURE.
(babbling creek)
IF YOU LISTEN, IT'S JUST QUIET.
YOU CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING
BUT WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.
AH, HA!
>> THE FIRST "OFFICIAL" TEXAS
PADDLING TRAIL WAS LIGHTHOUSE
LAKES, ESTABLISHED IN 1999
DOWN ALONG THE COAST AT
ARANSAS PASS.
>> WELL WHAT WE HAVE IS
AN ENDLESS MAZE OF
CREEKS AND LAKES.
(laughing gulls)
>> DEAN THOMAS IS A LOCAL GUIDE
WHO'S BEEN PADDLING THESE
COASTAL CHANNELS SINCE
THE TRAILS OPENED UP.
>> I BOUGHT ME A KAYAK STARTED
FISHING ABOUT THE SAME TIME
THESE TRAILS WERE DEVELOPED,
STARTED EXPLORING OUT HERE
AND THEN GOT THE IDEA THAT
I COULD GUIDE PEOPLE
INTO THESE AREAS.
(american avocet sings)
IT'S VERY SECLUDED.
IT'S VERY PEACEFUL.
UM, A LOT OF THESE LAKES
ARE KAYAK ONLY.
IT'S JUST SO SHALLOW AND SO
ROCKY IN A LOT OF PLACES,
THE ONLY WAY TO GET
THROUGH IS A KAYAK.
(water bubbles under kayak)
>> THE TRAIL IS ACTUALLY
A SERIES OF FOUR LOOPS.
THEY RANGE FROM ONE TO SEVEN
MILES IN LENGTH.
>> THE LIGHTHOUSE LAKES TRAILS
ARE MARKED WITH TRAIL MARKERS
AND WITH MODERATE PADDLING YOU
CAN DO A VERY ADVENTUROUS TRIP.
>> THERE'S SIGHTSEEING AT
THE HISTORIC LIGHTHOUSE...
>> ALL THE PADDLING TRAILS THAT
YOU COULD LAUNCH FROM THE ROAD
LEAD OUT HERE TO THE LIGHTHOUSE.
>> SIGHT IN SOME COLORFUL
COASTAL BIRDS...
>> WE HAVE EVERY SPECIES
ON THE COAST.
>> OR YOU CAN SIGHT CAST
FOR SOME TROPHY REDFISH.
>> THE RED FISHING IS WORLD
CLASS IN THIS AREA.
UM, WE HAVE ANGLERS TRAVELING
FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT!
IT'S ABOUT 23 24 INCHER.
NICE LITTLE RED FROM
LIGHTHOUSE LAKES.
>> FISHING HERE MIGHT BE WORLD
CLASS, BUT THE SILENCE
AND SOLITUDE IS THE TRUE DRAW.
>> ONCE PEOPLE COME OUT AND THEY
SPEND A DAY IN THEIR KAYAK,
THEY REALIZE THERE'S A WHOLE LOT
MORE TO IT THAN JUST FISHING.
(paddling)
THERE'S MANY DAYS WHEN I'M OUT
HERE, AND WILL SIT BACK AND PUT
THE ROD IN THE HOLDER AND JUST
ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF THE PLACE.
>> BACK ON LAKE SOMERVILLE,
RON AND THE SIGHT SURVEY TEAM
HAVE FINALLY MADE THERE WAY
TO THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP.
THE LAKE'S MAIN TRIBUTARY,
YEGUA CREEK.
>> HOW LONG DO YOU ALL PROPOSE
THIS TRAIL WILL BE?
>> FROM OUR PUT IN SPOT TO WHERE
THE CREEK FLOWS INTO THE LAKE,
IT'S ABOUT SIX MILES.
>> THAT'S A NICE LENGTH
FOR ONE OF OUR TRAILS.
>> IT IS!
WHAT'S REALLY NICE ABOUT THE
YEGUA CREEK THIS TIME OF YEAR
IS WITH ALL THE HARDWOODS
WE HAVE ON THE BANKS, IT DROPS
ALL THE LEAVES IN THE FALL.
AND YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE JUST
ALL FLOATING RIGHT HERE,
ALL THOSE AUTUMN COLORS.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE
PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT THIS
STRETCH OF THE YEGUA CREEK.
THE HABITAT IS PRETTY PRISTINE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF BOTTOMLAND
HARDWOOD FOREST THAT ARE JUST
REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND PEOPLE
ARE GOING TO LIKE IT.
>> IT'S A VERY UNIQUE VENUE FOR
PADDLING, AND THAT'S OUR GOAL
IS TO CREATE AS MANY TRAILS
WITH AS MUCH UNIQUENESS AS
WE CAN THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
(water bubbles)
(waterfall)
>> TRULY UNIQUE AND ONE OF THE
JEWELS OF THE PADDLING TRAIL
SYSTEM IS THE UPPER GUADALUPE
RIVER BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO
AND AUSTIN.
>> THIS SECTION OF THE GUADALUPE
RIVER IS VERY PEACEFUL.
YOU DON'T SEE A LOT OF
DEVELOPMENT ALONG HERE.
>> I THINK WE'RE THE FIRST
ONES ON THE RIVER TODAY.
>> YOU JUST HEAR BIRDS AND THE
SOUNDS OF YOUR PADDLE GOING
THROUGH THE WATER.
>> MARGARET STAMBAUGH, HER KIDS
AND FRIEND CLIFF GOSSETT GET
THEIR PADDLES WET HERE ON THE
GUADALUPE EVERY CHANCE
THEY GET.
>> AND THIS PARTICULAR STRETCH
OF THIS RIVER IS ONE OF THOSE
STRETCHES THAT YOU CAN USE IT
AS A STARTER AND WHEN YOU
GET REALLY GOOD YOU
CAN STILL ENJOY IT.
AND THAT'S WHY I STILL
ENJOY IT CAUSE IT'S CLOSE,
IT'S CLEAN, IT'S CLEAR.
>> BAZOOKA!
>> AND THE KIDS JUST LOVE IT.
>> WAHOO!
(whitewater)
>> I PERSONALLY LIKE RIVERS
WITH WHITEWATER ON THEM.
>> AGH, OOOOH!
>> IT'S JUST MORE FUN FOR ME,
AND SO I DO LIKE THE GUADALUPE
CAUSE IT'S CLOSE TO AUSTIN
AND IT HAS SOME FUN STRETCHES
TO CHALLENGE YOU A BIT,
BUT NOT TOO MUCH.
GOOD JOB BUDDY!
>> AGH, HAH!
>> YOU GOTTA GO
THROUGH THAT HOLE!
>> K!
>> IT WILL TEST YOU...
TO GET THROUGH IT CLEAN!
>> RIGHT DOWN THE SHOOT,
RIGHT HERE!
>> AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT
THE KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE THIS
OPPORTUNITY WILL NEVER KNOW.
>> YEP, WE'RE GOOD!
>> THIS NEW PUSH FOR PADDLING
TRAILS GETS FOLKS OUT ON THE
WATER AND RESPECTS THE NEARBY
LANDOWNERS AT THE SAME TIME.
>> SO MUCH OF THE RIVER ALONG
THE BANKS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY
AND IT CAN BE VERY TRICKY
FINDING PLACES TO GET
IN AND OUT.
AND SO I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL
THAT THERE'S SOME ESTABLISHED
PLACES.
>> THE RIVERS ARE OWNED BY THE
PEOPLE, AND WHAT THE PUBLIC
ACCESS DOES, IT ALLOWS YOU TO
COME DOWN, IT'S PUBLIC.
YOU CAN STAY, YOU CAN COME
AND GO AS YOU PLEASE,
AND ANY TIME THAT YOU PLEASE.
AND THE RIVER IS YOURS.....