Kayak Power

Saturday we spent the afternoon paddling the Trinity River with Mike Swope and his crew from Kayak Power. After a one hour workshop at LLELA, we took to the river with a group of 20 fellow paddlers. Braving the cool weather and low water levels, the entire group collected SEVEN 55-gallon trash bags full of garbage and recyclables! It was fantastic to see the community's spirit to keep the Trinity River clean. We discussed the importance of disposing of waste properly throughout the paddle. Did you know one aluminum can will take 200-400 years to biodegrade?

Kayak Power also hosts a great event called For The Love of the Lake, where they spend the 2nd Saturday of every month cleaning up Whiterock Lake and provide free kayaks for those who pitch in! If we all do our part, we can keep our favorite areas looking beautiful and clean! Thanks to Mike for all his efforts in not just teaching the Leave No Trace information, but living it as well!

Safe Travels...Kate and Tracy

Lake Mineral Wells Trainer Course

Our final Trainer Course with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department left us feeling optimistic that the Leave No Trace skills and ethics will be spread throughout the entire lonestar state. In addition to the regional state park staff, we had two participants involved specifically in the hunter and boater education programs. We are pleased to see the Texas State Parks incorporating Leave No Trace into many programs ranging from an interpretive guided hike to the two-day Texas Outdoor Family program. We would like to thank the participants for a great course and best of luck with your future Leave No Trace endeavors.

With only one week left in Texas, we have covered over 5,000 miles, and still we are bound to cover just a little more ground in this vast state! We are looking forward to Saturday, when we will join Mike Swope at Kayak Power for a trip on the Trinity River. This will cap off our Texas adventure!

Safe Travels...Kate and Tracy