Sabine River, TX
Dec 26
Put In & Take Out: Hwy 69 ~ 2.5 miles South of Mineola, TX
This was a trip that the DDRC made several years ago and was dubbed the river of sticks. That is because there were countless log jams (>100) between Hwy 69 and FM1804. What was supposed to have been a day paddle turned into an overnight survival trip for them with no gear, minimal food and water and near freezing temperatures. They all made it out the next day with some experience under their belts.
This trip was organized by Bryan Jackson and would not be a repeat as the plan was to turn around at the first log jam. I arrived about an hour ahead so I could practice my fire starting and cooking with my Little Bugger wood stove. It was damp with temps in the lower 40s with a misty rain. I managed to find some relatively dry grass and a few leaves then some twigs. With the third strike of my firesteel I had a fire. The grass lit right up and with the help of some dryer lent I had a fire worthy of cooking on. I heated up some sausage balls I swiped from the kitchen then made some coffee and then heated a Cliff Bar. I chased all that down with some tomato juice. By this time the DDRC crowd is beginning to show up.
Joining us was Dale & Sue Harris, Bryan, Gregg and his friend Julie, Jaws and his dog UhOh, a couple from Houston, and another new to DDRC member, 10 people total.
I think we departed a bit after 10am with the river actually having some flow from recent rains. This section of river is supposed to be a designated paddling trail by the state. This section of river is not very wide and has many twists and turns so the shorter the boat the better. Of course I did not heed this warning and was paddling my Ocean Kayak Trident 15. The dense woods surround this river like all east Texas rivers. Around 11am we all stopped for a break and a snack. We had paddled around several downed trees but none were completely blocking the river. Jaws, myself, Gregg and Julie continued to paddle down toward FM 1804 just to see how far we could get before running into a log jam. I am guessing we paddled another 2 miles before we got to some more significant downed trees. We had already paddled over several downed trees where we could just push ourselves over without having to exit the boat. We all turned around and started out trek back upstream. The current really did not pose any impediment but did slow us down a bit. While there really was not a lot to see but it was still a good trip. I did not see any wildlife but plenty of hog tracks and distant gunfire from either deer or hog hunters. I would not recommend this section of river if you are looking for a good day paddle. There is just such a short section without logs but if you are up for that challenge go ahead. However, I would pack a survival bag just in case you have to spend the night.
A couple of pictures.
Why the call this section of the Sabine the "River of Sticks". These were easy the others were horizontal across the river
Most of the crew for a short break
SYOTR,
Earl