In Big Bend N.P., Tex., one of the things I pondered during my 15 days there in March was how the Rio Grande River had changed from last year.  Some years the water is barely deep enough to enable me to paddle my kayak in the Canyon and where it was deep other years, there’s a sand bar or rapids where there weren’t any the year before.  I had a vague memory of floods being talked about on the news in El Paso last September. When I arrived at the parking lot the first time, I noticed there were new restrooms, the high water sign from years ago was gone and I said, “hmmmmm, I’ll bet the water was up here!”
    Once I put my kayak in the river, I struggled to paddle upstream against the current where it took little effort last year and watched the canoe and rafting tourist trips glide down stream through the Canyon.  I asked one of the guides how the river had changed since last March (when I was there last).  He paused; then I said. “is there more or less water,” as the distance increased between us.  He said, “the River was a real gusher in the flood in September.”  I said, “these rapids weren’t here last year.”  He said, “ah yea they’re new. The river moved a lot of stuff around.”
    The power of the River is immense; it cut the St. Elena Canyon on the Texas/Mexico border eons ago.  I quickly took the easy way.  I paddled to shallow water, got out and dragged my kayak past the rapids to where the river was more like a lake and a pleasure to paddle in.  No reason to play myself out; I do kayaking for fun, not as a workout.  Paddling is very good exercise.  If there’s at least a couple feet of water you can get a good deep stroke with an oar or paddle and propel a kayak or canoe through the upstream current easily. If you hit bottom and have to rely on a shallow stroke, you can’t make it upstream.
    All the sight-seer tours go down stream starting at Lajitas, and end at the east end of the Canyon where I put in. The scenery is great, like a short Grand Canyon with a water level view. The tours have a 10-12 hour relaxing float with a meal included.  Some guided tours also include camping along the way.  I’ve considered it and it would’ve worked this year because the water level was right, giving access to several rock ledges that were plenty big enough for several people to camp on.  I could’ve paddled to one and spent the night.  Other years I think those are under water or too high to get to.  Maybe I’ll give it a try one of these years.
    Where I put in is where people who are camping in the park can.  Some people or tours go all the way to the other end of the park 50 or 60 miles down river. There are campsites along the way off Old River Road, too. I just wanted to paddle up into the canyon far enough to get away from the people, relax, listen to the echo of the canyon wrens, and have lunch. My favorite camp site is at Terlingua Abajo along the Terlingua Creek where the view shows the Canyon on the skyline and is within walking distance of it, too.
    This day as I’m finishing lunch I hear an airplane.  That’s a very unusual occurrence here.  There’s a little airport in Lajitas, but no regular flights in and out, and the closest major airport is in San Antonio - a long way off.  This place is not close to anywhere most people have heard of.  The star show here is magnificent, because there’s no distracting light, just blackness.  It’s one of the least visited of any National Parks.  In March there’s Spring Break when families with school children descend upon it like lemmings, but they stay pretty much in the large camping areas.  Any other time I can go all day and not see more than a handful of people. The temperature can get chilly at night in March and April, but it’s normal for it to be 100 degrees by mid afternoon and it’s still in the 80s or 90s at 9pm.  I like the heat but you have to respect the sun.  A sun burn is not for me.  That’s a good reason to paddle up into the Canyon.  There’s always shade there.  The walls are as tall as a ten story building and it’s not more than 50 yards wide anywhere.
    After floating back to where I put in with an occasional spurt of paddling, I put the kayak on top of my car and went back to camp.  I could have stayed longer, but there are more glories to enjoy here in a day.  Oh, that feels good!  As I wrote this, I was sitting in a folding lawn chair in the middle of Terlingua Creek with my feet in the water.  No shirt, the sky is bluest blue and it’s 96 degrees at four in the afternoon; the only sound is the trickling of the water over the rocky creek, an occasional buzz of a flying insect or the chirp of a bird. St. Elena Canyon is in front of me in the distance amongst the huge rock wall that divides Texas from Mexico. The wall is dissected by the Canyon that the Rio Grande River flows through.  The light is hitting the Mexican side making a grand vista over the Sonora Desert.  Great spot to ponder anything that needs pondering or just sit here empty headed and enjoy the water pouring over my feet.  With all the world’s problems, none of them is affecting me here.  I take lots of photographs, but this feeling is hard to capture and I’d have to move to get the camera. No, just enjoy. There’s so much in the 180-degree view in front of me and behind me is just as spectacular, but no element or thing overwhelms the whole.  I’m brought back to my senses by the little fish swimming around my feet. I better move my toes to keep them from being a meal.  This is nearing relaxation perfection.  Now it’s time for supper, then sunset, and the stars.  Wow!  If you get to southwest Texas, this is a ‘must’ place to visit.  For more info go to:  www.nps.gov/bibe
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