Neches River, Hwy 84 Access Launch, down
Kayak paddle trail route map on the Neches River, launching from the Highway 84 Access Point, between Palestine TX and Rusk TX. An earlier trip went upstream first, but the route here is a down and back. I limited the down time to about one and a quarter hours, unsure how long it might take to return (about hour and three quarters). Overall a bit shorter than I wanted but its good to get a sense how the flow numbers relate to the experience itself. For this trip the Neches River at Neches gage read about 270 cfs and the gage at Hwy 294 read about 440 cfs. The area around the Hwy 84 Access is interesting because it is narrow and swampy, but further downstream the river opens up and has the more usual forested Neches feel. Progress was mostly clear because limbs had been sawed by fishermen/hunters; one portage going downstream and a couple coming back. Afterwards drove along County Road 1225 and Cherokee Hunting Club Road to assess a downstream put-in spot. Nice drive.
Above: Black and white, almost looks frosty.
Above: Muddy break near a little portage area.
Above: Squeezing under.
Above: Nice!
Above: Hitch mount smoker setup for immediate after-work activation.
Above: Squeezing through some limbs to avoid getting out.
www.SawdustRiver.com 