Seize the Day! ~ second in a series of four

The Lower San Bernard River

A charming and gentle river, the San Bernard lolls through the remnants of an old growth oak wood of coastal Texas.

Saturday May 11th, 2024 the Trinity and Brazos rivers were both at flood stage. So we loaded up the van and headed for a new access on a different river. There was a river I wanted to connect with for some time. Our destination was the Hanson Riverside County Park on the lower San Bernard River.

The nearby Brazos at the 35 Bridge, staged at 24+ feet, a minor flood.

This was my daughter Rose's turn to canoe. I was touched when she had an opportunity for an activity with a friend and she remarked that she had plans to canoe with me. On the way to the San Bernard we crossed the Brazos River. That river was up and in the trees! At Hanson Park the San Bernard and Brazos are only three miles apart. I wondered if I could trust the online gauges. If the Brazos was running at a minor flood stage, how could the San Bernard be relatively... normal?

When it comes to satellite images and river gauges I've learned to trust but verify! So before entering the park we crossed the San Bernard at the 35 Bridge. I saw with my own eyes that that river was happily content with herself and well within her banks.

Witnessing this cemented in my mind, the notion that the Brazos River is the western border of East Texas. All the East Texas rivers were dangerously high, but just a few miles west of the Brazos the rivers were calm. Obviously this is an oversimplification of things, but it seems to be in the vein of truth. It was so on this day at least.

Hanson Riverside County Park is a jewel of the San Bernard. At the park we found a neat and clean facility graced with majestic trees. The first thing I saw was a colossal cottonwood tree.

The colossal cottonwood tree.

There were also a number of terrific oaks.

One of the terrific oaks at Hanson Riverside Park..

   On the banks I found the San Bernard a calm and serene stream compared to her big bad mad sister, the Brazos. Except that it lies in a coastal wood the San Bernard reminds me of a Texas Hill Country stream. It prompts memories of reading J.R.R. Tolkien or fancying myself inside a southern rendition of a Thomas Kinkade work. Though this portion of the river is larger than parts I am familiar with, the spirit of that river is constant. Its a gentle, mild and wistful watercourse. The San Bernard calls on things buried and forgotten in me. I don't remember what they were, but I like the shadow of those things.

The class 1 Hanson Riverside County Park boat ramp.

This far down the San Bernard is a medium sized stream.

At the launch we met two kayaks returning from downstream. We went upstream. Two and a half miles upriver our destination awaited: the salt water barrier.

The river was up a little but the current was mild. The wind was on our backs. Concerned the friendly tailwind would hinder our return, I tested Rose's resolve. When we reached the 35 Bridge we turned downstream to paddle against the wind. We progressed easily. Our mettle tested, we turned back upriver and continued our jaunt.

The remains of an old bridge.

I suspect the tides are a strong influence on the river below the salt water barrier.

Though Rose hadn't much time in the canoe with just me, she was familiar with canoeing. She really pulled the canoe along. After the trip she told me her arms hurt from paddling but that she pushed through it.

Before we got to the salt water barrier the overcast sky darkened and I felt a fine mist. The mist increased to a sprinkle. The birds were flying, which I took as a sign the rain would continue. We were near our destination, turning around now would not keep us dry. I told Rose we were going to push through even if the rain increased. She replied she hadn't worried about it! What a relief for me!

On we canoed. Before long we arrived at the salt water barrier, our turnaround point. The light rain diminished to a mist and then reduced to high humidity. We met two fishing boats on this short trip. We also saw white and blue cranes. One red tailed hawk flew across the river and near us. We saw its colors and patterns vividly.

The low, triangular concrete component on the left bank is part of the just visible dam. Notice the buoy also.

This trip was a stair step up for my daughter. I wanted a positive experience for her, not an endurance testing run. So I was pleased and even amused to rediscover that no matter how slight the current seems, the down hill return is usually the easier and faster.

On the return the other Cubs spied us from the pier. We raced them to the ramp, and won!

This part of the San Bernard met my criteria for a training water. It is an "A" flat water and the Hanson boat ramp is a class 1 access. This is a river I want to keep canoeing.

Thanks for reading!

MSM

For further reading click on the links below.

Seize the Day! ~ first in a series of four

Stream Size Definitions

Classifications of Water Accesses

Brazos Recon, Beyond the Point of No Return

A Bridge Too Far ~ Recon of the Upper San Bernard

Scouting River Bridges and Accesses

Recon of the Skull

Spring Creek Access & Water Details

 Below are some bonus pictures of our trip on the San Bernard.

A peek at the river from the bank of Hanson Riverside Park.

The trail to the pier.

We found a cottonwood borer beetle at the base of the large cottonwood tree.

There was evidence of recent high winds.

Though not remote or isolated, development was usually not prominent from the river.

A metal curiosity, maybe a relic component of a ferry?

The base of the colossal cottonwood.

The 35 Bridge on the return part of our trip.

The San Bernard is kind and merciful river, allowing oak trees on its banks to mature.

Se ya next time!