Upper Rio Grande 2020
The day had finally come. I had been corresponding with Mike Berglund in Minnesota about canoe trips for 10 years. And now we were to finally meet! Rena and I joined Mike and his 3 friends, Dean Talbott, John Quaife, and Judy Geck, for a 14-day canoe trip on the Rio Grande River along the US/Mexico Border in Texas. We paddled 116 miles in 14 days. The dates of the trip were Feb 28 - March 12, 2020. We started from the Rancherias launch site in Big Bend State Park and took out at Rio Grande Village, in the eastern part of Big Bend National Park. The first 2 images are map photos which show the location.
We used my two SOAR canoes plus a standard hardshell canoe. The water levels were below 100 cfs when we started. They gradually increased over the course of the trip due to a few small streams and springs adding to the flow. It was about 170 cfs when we finished. The low water resulted in a slow pace and lots of hangups on rocks. We had to work hard to drag the heavy boats over shallow sections of rocky river. The rapids were not difficult - Class 1 and 2. The biggest challenges were during the first two days.
LOGISTICS
(1) We arranged a shuttle with Charley Angell at Angell Expeditions in Redford, Texas http://angellexpeditions.com near our put-in. We had originally planned to include Boquillas Canyon at the end, but the slow pace convinced us that we would be paddling 8 hours a day with no layover days to meet this schedule. So we changed the takeout to Rio Grande Village via cell phone when we had some cell coverage on Day 3. This shortened the trip by 33 miles.
(2) We carried all our water and food. Water was added at Lajitas on Day 3 and at Castolon on Day 6.
(3) Temperatures were warm - most days were in the 80’s and sometimes hotter.
(4) Permits are required but there are no quotas so they are easy to obtain.
COMMENTS AND IMPRESSIONS
(1) We paddled through 5 canyons - Colorado, Sante Elena, Mariscal, San Vicente, and Hot Springs. The Rio Grande is one of the most scenic places I have ever paddled! It compares with the Dirty Devil, the Escalante, and Zion Narrows. All the canyons were narrow and beautiful. We spent a rest day in Mariscal Canyon. San Vicente Canyon was a surprise. No mention of this beautiful canyon in the guidebook.
(2) Tamarisk and reeds along the bank sometimes made finding a camp difficult. We often had to move cow dung before setting up the tents. This was perhaps the biggest negative for the trip. Cattle grazing is not allowed in Big Bend National Park, but the cattle on the Mexican side don’t adhere to the border rules. We shared one campsite with a lonesome bull who was trapped in Santa Elena Canyon.
(3) We saw several bighorn sheep, a bobcat, a coyote, hundreds of turtles, a scorpion, huge catfish, and various birds. But the majority of the animal sightings were cows and horses. We also saw a group of donkeys.
(4) Dean brought a guitar. He and Mike serenaded us most evenings.
(5) Rock Slide Rapid and Rock Pile Rapid are quite challenging in high water But at our water levels, they were easy and great fun providing lots of photo opportunities.
(6) The group was very compatible. We had great shared dinners, nice happy hours, and everyone chipped in to do the camp chores and to help push off rocks.
(7) Rena and I were amazed at the skill of our paddling partners, especially John and Judy who paddled the hardshell.
8) We enjoyed the small hot spring we found along the shore on Day 12.
(9) The petroglyphs near Cross Canyon were great.
(10) We were told that Spring Break would be very crowded. We saw no other campers in 14 days and saw other canoes only at the exit from Santa Elena Canyon and near Rio Grande Village at the end. I guess crowded conditions are relative.
(11) Paddling the Rio Grande has been on my list for many years. However, the border has been such a volatile area in recent years that I never considered it seriously. When Rena and I spent a week in Big Bend NP in Dec 2017, we discovered that the area around Big Bend has almost no border issues. It is so rugged that it seldom is the target for illegal crossings or people transporting drugs. No wall required.
The last 3 images are water level graphs at 3 different places on the river. Presidio is near where we started, Castolon is 5 days into the trip, and Rio Grande Village is at the take-out. In addition to showing the daily cfs flows we experienced, the graphs show a spike from a flash flood that occurred 3 days after we took out due to local thunder storms. The river rose from 150 cfs to nearly 3,000 cfs near Rio Grande Village. This shows that you can never be complacent when picking a campsite.
Dean prepared a very nice 10-minute video after the trip that combines video clips and stills. The clips show us running the rapids much better than my images. You can see it at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQti-rQJK6Q&t=152s
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
(1) River Guide to the Rio Grande: Colorado Canyon through Santa Elena Canyon - small booklet from 1992 - covers the first 5 days.
(2) The Great Unknown of the Rio Grande, by Louis Aulbach - covers the remainder of the trip
(3) Big Bend National Park website. The park brochure is useful. Also talked to River Ranger Mike Ryan.
(4) Southwest Paddler http://southwestpaddler.com
(5) Conversation with Marc McCord who wrote the Rio Grande section in Southwest Paddler.
ITINERARY
DAY - DATE - CAMP NAME - MILES - CUM MILES
1 - 2/28 - Panther Paw Camp - 4.2 miles - 4.2 miles
2 - 2/29 - Movie Set Camp - 11.7 miles - 15.9 miles
3 - 3/1 - Gaucho Camp - 11 miles - 26.9 miles
4 - 3/2 - Rock Slide Camp - 7 miles - 33.9 miles
5 - 3/3 - Reunification Camp - 11 miles - 44.9 miles
6 - 3/4 - Buenos Aires Camp - 8.2 miles - 53.1 miles
7 - 3/5 - Johnson Ranch Camp - 11 miles - 64.1 miles
8 - 3/6 - Scorpion Camp - 8.2 miles - 72.3 miles
9 - 3/7 - South of the Border Camp - 8.8 miles - 81.1 miles
10 - 3/8 - Cross Canyon Camp - 9.7 miles - 90.8 miles
11 - 3/9 - Layover Day in Mariscal Canyon
12 - 3/10 - Rock House Camp - 12.3 miles - 103.1 miles
13 - 3/11 - Soak in River Camp - 7.7 miles - 110.8 miles
14 - 3/12 - Rio Grande Village Takeout - 4.7 miles - 115.5 miles
Read MoreWe used my two SOAR canoes plus a standard hardshell canoe. The water levels were below 100 cfs when we started. They gradually increased over the course of the trip due to a few small streams and springs adding to the flow. It was about 170 cfs when we finished. The low water resulted in a slow pace and lots of hangups on rocks. We had to work hard to drag the heavy boats over shallow sections of rocky river. The rapids were not difficult - Class 1 and 2. The biggest challenges were during the first two days.
LOGISTICS
(1) We arranged a shuttle with Charley Angell at Angell Expeditions in Redford, Texas http://angellexpeditions.com near our put-in. We had originally planned to include Boquillas Canyon at the end, but the slow pace convinced us that we would be paddling 8 hours a day with no layover days to meet this schedule. So we changed the takeout to Rio Grande Village via cell phone when we had some cell coverage on Day 3. This shortened the trip by 33 miles.
(2) We carried all our water and food. Water was added at Lajitas on Day 3 and at Castolon on Day 6.
(3) Temperatures were warm - most days were in the 80’s and sometimes hotter.
(4) Permits are required but there are no quotas so they are easy to obtain.
COMMENTS AND IMPRESSIONS
(1) We paddled through 5 canyons - Colorado, Sante Elena, Mariscal, San Vicente, and Hot Springs. The Rio Grande is one of the most scenic places I have ever paddled! It compares with the Dirty Devil, the Escalante, and Zion Narrows. All the canyons were narrow and beautiful. We spent a rest day in Mariscal Canyon. San Vicente Canyon was a surprise. No mention of this beautiful canyon in the guidebook.
(2) Tamarisk and reeds along the bank sometimes made finding a camp difficult. We often had to move cow dung before setting up the tents. This was perhaps the biggest negative for the trip. Cattle grazing is not allowed in Big Bend National Park, but the cattle on the Mexican side don’t adhere to the border rules. We shared one campsite with a lonesome bull who was trapped in Santa Elena Canyon.
(3) We saw several bighorn sheep, a bobcat, a coyote, hundreds of turtles, a scorpion, huge catfish, and various birds. But the majority of the animal sightings were cows and horses. We also saw a group of donkeys.
(4) Dean brought a guitar. He and Mike serenaded us most evenings.
(5) Rock Slide Rapid and Rock Pile Rapid are quite challenging in high water But at our water levels, they were easy and great fun providing lots of photo opportunities.
(6) The group was very compatible. We had great shared dinners, nice happy hours, and everyone chipped in to do the camp chores and to help push off rocks.
(7) Rena and I were amazed at the skill of our paddling partners, especially John and Judy who paddled the hardshell.
8) We enjoyed the small hot spring we found along the shore on Day 12.
(9) The petroglyphs near Cross Canyon were great.
(10) We were told that Spring Break would be very crowded. We saw no other campers in 14 days and saw other canoes only at the exit from Santa Elena Canyon and near Rio Grande Village at the end. I guess crowded conditions are relative.
(11) Paddling the Rio Grande has been on my list for many years. However, the border has been such a volatile area in recent years that I never considered it seriously. When Rena and I spent a week in Big Bend NP in Dec 2017, we discovered that the area around Big Bend has almost no border issues. It is so rugged that it seldom is the target for illegal crossings or people transporting drugs. No wall required.
The last 3 images are water level graphs at 3 different places on the river. Presidio is near where we started, Castolon is 5 days into the trip, and Rio Grande Village is at the take-out. In addition to showing the daily cfs flows we experienced, the graphs show a spike from a flash flood that occurred 3 days after we took out due to local thunder storms. The river rose from 150 cfs to nearly 3,000 cfs near Rio Grande Village. This shows that you can never be complacent when picking a campsite.
Dean prepared a very nice 10-minute video after the trip that combines video clips and stills. The clips show us running the rapids much better than my images. You can see it at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQti-rQJK6Q&t=152s
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
(1) River Guide to the Rio Grande: Colorado Canyon through Santa Elena Canyon - small booklet from 1992 - covers the first 5 days.
(2) The Great Unknown of the Rio Grande, by Louis Aulbach - covers the remainder of the trip
(3) Big Bend National Park website. The park brochure is useful. Also talked to River Ranger Mike Ryan.
(4) Southwest Paddler http://southwestpaddler.com
(5) Conversation with Marc McCord who wrote the Rio Grande section in Southwest Paddler.
ITINERARY
DAY - DATE - CAMP NAME - MILES - CUM MILES
1 - 2/28 - Panther Paw Camp - 4.2 miles - 4.2 miles
2 - 2/29 - Movie Set Camp - 11.7 miles - 15.9 miles
3 - 3/1 - Gaucho Camp - 11 miles - 26.9 miles
4 - 3/2 - Rock Slide Camp - 7 miles - 33.9 miles
5 - 3/3 - Reunification Camp - 11 miles - 44.9 miles
6 - 3/4 - Buenos Aires Camp - 8.2 miles - 53.1 miles
7 - 3/5 - Johnson Ranch Camp - 11 miles - 64.1 miles
8 - 3/6 - Scorpion Camp - 8.2 miles - 72.3 miles
9 - 3/7 - South of the Border Camp - 8.8 miles - 81.1 miles
10 - 3/8 - Cross Canyon Camp - 9.7 miles - 90.8 miles
11 - 3/9 - Layover Day in Mariscal Canyon
12 - 3/10 - Rock House Camp - 12.3 miles - 103.1 miles
13 - 3/11 - Soak in River Camp - 7.7 miles - 110.8 miles
14 - 3/12 - Rio Grande Village Takeout - 4.7 miles - 115.5 miles
