Big Bend – Santa Elena Canyon Kayak

Not happy just hiking the canyon, Kerri and I set out to kayak the beast once the wind died down. With referrals from multiple other couples, the kayak trip was on our agenda for some time. It would be our first time putting-in this  year. The wind (and Texas dust) scared us away previous. Two days later was perfect weather, with cool temperatures in the morning, no wind, and a gentle current to paddle against as we headed into the canyon.

But first we had to get the kayaks to the water. From the parking lot, the Rio Grande was still about a quarter mile away. The kayak wheels, once a piece of gear we would question if we needed for each trip, now stay in, or on, one of the kayaks at all times without exception. Rolling a 50lb kayak (and gear) instead of carrying it by hand is infinitely easier, and a lot less injuries and arguments occur.

It took crossing some muddy areas, and shuffling the kayaks over a rocky area to get to the water, but we made it easy enough. Once at the water’s edge, we could see that the current was flowing faster than we anticipated. Kerri launched and was immediately being pulled down river. She tried to paddle back up but made no ground (do you “make ground” in the water?). I had the same problem when I tried. Through a bit of hollering over the sound of the river, we decided it would be best to walk the kayaks closer to the mouth of the canyon where the water was less forceful. This entailed a reverse trek through the mud and rocks, then the addition of twice as much including crossing the Terlingua Creek again. But, from this point, we could launch without being pushed down river.

It took no time at all for us to surpass the point in which we had hiked to in the days prior. In fact, it was not far into the canyon as it appeared when on foot. Even paddling against the current we could move faster then on foot, and within a few short minutes we were deeper in the canyon than any other person. All alone, with 1500 foot cliffs towering over either side. Again, it was quite surreal.

The realization that this side was USA and that side was Mexico hit me again. I paddled over to Mexico, then back to the US, then back to Mexico, and back again. Not once did I have to show my passport. We were told by the Rangers that barring any emergencies, were were not allowed to set foot on the Mexico side of the river. It was a technicality that I just had to fiddle with. I took the time to reach out and touch Mexico at one point… it was cold.

I’m not sure how long we paddled up stream. Maybe two hours or so? Kerri’s phone said we went about 2.5 miles but GPS in this canyon was not very reliable. During that time we did have to struggle up a small section of fast flowing water which took most of the fight out of our muscles. We made it only another half mile or so before running into another that we did not make it up. We chose instead to park the kayaks on the only sandy – muddy as it turned out – bank on the USA side for a quick snack and a Lone Star beer. Sure it was only 11am, but in Texas you can start drinking Lone Star before crawling out of bed… perfectly acceptable here, even for children.

The return trip seemed to take only a few minutes, and almost no energy at all. With only enough effort to keep the kayaks pointed in the direction we wanted to look, the current took care of the rest. It was a much easier time to snap a few photographs and to just take it all in.

I am sure that the me from 7 years ago, who just started traveling, would have probably had a heart-attack with just how amazing this place is. Kerri and I both agree that we are a bit jaded now. Not only in our general travels, but also our hikes and paddles. Just because there is a trail, we do not often get the urge to tackle it unless the payoff is big… epic. And ‘epic’ is a moving target – harder to find even – and seems to get further away with each new place visited. Luckily, this canyon is one of those places that stopped us in our tracks. I am very thankful of those that gave the advice to come paddle this canyon.

PS – We were the only people in kayaks on the water. Solitude is always a bonus to any adventure for me.