Water Rats
Freelance writer and former Texas Monthly intern Stayton Bonner, assistant managing editor Stacy Hollister, editorial director Christopher Keyes, and new-media director Charlie Llewellin talk about exploring the state’s rivers for this month’s cover story.
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texasmonthly.com: Since there are so many rivers, how did you find something new to say for every one?
SB: I just talked about them from my own perspective. I tried to give the write-ups some attitude.
SH: Oddly enough, I think the rivers have their own personalities in a way, and, it often seems, there’s variation among the people who are drawn to a particular river. So there’s plenty of possibilities for differentiation.
CK: Some of these adventures, like floating the lower canyons of the Rio Grande or tubing on the Frio, aren’t exactly new ideas. In fact, we’ve written about a few of them before. But we felt if something was a classic, so to speak, then there was a reason for that. And the great thing about rivers, whether you’re tubing, kayaking, or fishing, is that no two experiences on the same river are identical. Conditions change every day, depending on the weather and river flow, so it’s not too difficult to discover something new.
CL: Well, they are all so different—like anything, once you get to know it, the differences appear. I mean, the Guadalupe and the Sabine are about as different as you can get.
texasmonthly.com: What was the most difficult aspect of working on this story? Why?
SB: It was tough getting all the direction details—some of these places are pretty remote.
SH: Well, I always find the writing the most difficult part! But other than that, I’d have to say it was the weather. It’s funny how much more pleasant an experience seems when you have sunshine and clear-blue skies as an accompaniment.
CK: Covering so much ground—Texas is a big state. In one week I floated Colorado Canyon outside Big Bend, went rock climbing on the Pecos River near the Amistad National Recreation Area, camped on the Sabinal in the Hill Country, and then went birding on the Rio Grande near Mission. I think I drove more than a thousand miles that week just to get it all in. I don’t recommend that approach.
CL: The thinking is always hard!
texasmonthly.com: What’s the best time of year to go to the rivers?
SB: Spring.
SH: We’re lucky in Texas—we can go year-round!
CK: It really depends on what you’re planning to do. I don’t recommend tubing in the Hill Country in January! Then again, if you want to catch trout on the Guadalupe, or see migrating birds in the Valley, your best bet is in the winter. Early fall can be a great time to run the Rio Grande in the Big Bend area because the water is (sometimes, at least) up and the temperature a little more tolerable. And if you camp on the Sabinal in Lost Maples during the spring, you’ll likely avoid the huge crowds that are always there in the fall.
CL: Anytime. I went down the Sabine in January, wearing thermals under my wet suit (a first for me), and it was great.
texasmonthly.com: What was the most interesting thing you learned while working on this story?
SB: It’s illegal to drink in a public place before noon on Sundays in Texas.
CK: I’ve spent time on rivers all over the American West. I never realized, however, what an incredible place the Hill Country is. There are at least eight rivers within a day’s drive that are still in pristine condition with cleaner water than you’ll see anywhere else in the lower 48 states.
CL: Oh, every moment is a revelation. I love knowing more about Texas and weaving it into the grand story of the state, making the connections.
texasmonthly.com: Did you have a favorite river? If so, which one? Why?
SB: The Guadalupe. It is killer for fishing and tubing, and it’s just plain beautiful.
SH: I was quite fond of the Frio near Concan: the waters were gorgeous, the surrounding landscape was very “Hill Country,” and the Neal’s Lodges cabin was welcoming and homey.
CL: They are all great. I have a soft spot for the Colorado and a swimming hole on the Medina.
texasmonthly.com: Did anything unusual happen to you while working on this story?
SB: I got paid to write about tubing and fishing.
CL: Well, not unusual but kind of amusing. On the Sabine, we planned to go 21 miles in two days, hoping to make 16 or so the first day. Well, we misconfigured the GPS, so the first night we thought we had only gone 8 miles. Now the trip was going to take three days instead of two. The next morning it was raining hard. You can’t paddle a canoe in the rain because it fills with water and sinks, especially with all the gear we were carrying. So now the trip was going to take four days, perhaps, if it stopped raining. We had food and everything, but we were a long way from anywhere with nothing to do but sit in the tent, chat, and wait. So I resigned myself to the fact that I had no control over how long this trip would take, and as soon as I did, it stopped raining. We continued and within about four hours came to the take-out to our great surprise, which is when we realized that the GPS was wrong. I was so happy.
texasmonthly.com: Are you planning to go back to these rivers anytime soon?
SB: I’m out there all the time.
CK: I’d like to go back to the Continental Ranch on the Pecos to go rock climbing. There are hundreds of routes that I didn’t get to try, and it’s a spectacularly remote and wild place. If only I can convince my girlfriend that hanging by a rope hundreds of feet above the ground is a vacation.
CL: Yes, for sure. I want to go back to the Brazos. The country up there in Palo Pinto is stunning.
texasmonthly.com: Based on your experiences, give us one piece of advice we should always heed when going to a river.
SB: Never underestimate a rapid.
SH: Trust the experts, and always plan ahead.
CL: Be prepared for anything, but mostly be prepared to get wet.
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