Caddo Lake Canoe Trip and Jefferson Texas Jefferson, Texas - A City With a Past - historic city tucked into the Piney Woods of East Texas

Gclub Members,  Trip Photo's Cado Lake Nov 2003

Just a little bragging. Sorry to those who cancelled due to weather.
We had a little rain Friday night, however Sat. turned out to be great for
kayaking and dinner was wonderful as usual. Though I now forgo the all you can
eat catfish. I guess I am just getting too old or have finally gottn over the
Fatboy stage in life.

We had several members make the trip.
Friday saw some rain and cool weather in the evening. We were all
too tired to set up the tarp- thus some wet chairs in the morning.
Late morning Sat we headed to Pine Needle Lodge and put in for a
great three hour tour of the swamps. We are committed to try and
do Goat Island camping next time and make it around the island..

The club finally has enough gear and a big enough trailer to haul everything
in a orderly fashion. Put in and take out was a team effort.

I forgot to remove my shoes, so about 30 minutes into the trip. I hijacked
Sadia and Ole's Middle seat in the canoe. It was great,
the whitewater kayak was pulled along behind, just what the "Lazy Leader"
needed. Once we were well past the main channel, I jumped back into the kayak
and joined the group as a paddler again.

Dinner was in uncertain texas as usual, we had 10 people on the trip.
Great company, Great time, Great photos, Great Memories.

See everyone on the next trip.

Happy Trails
Michael

http://www.fototime.com/inv/5FE3C477C6D41BF

Caddo Lake was the only natural lake in Texas until it was dammed in 1900 when oil was found. According to a Caddoan legend, Caddo Lake was formed by an earthquake. A Caddo Indian Chief was warned by the Great Spirit to move his village from the low lands. The Chief ignored the warning and one day while he and his men were out hunting the ground shook. When they returned, their village was gone beneath the water of the newly formed Caddo Lake. There could be some truth to this story. In 1811 New Madrid, Missouri had an earthquake that measured 8.9. This could have knocked down enough trees to form the great raft that dammed the Red River and formed Caddo Lake.

Flora/Fauna: Caddo Lake is a sprawling maze of bayous and sloughs covering, 32,000 acres of cypress swamp. The average depth of the lake is 8'-10 ' with the deep water in the bayou averaging about 27.' An angler's delight, the lake contains 71 species of fish. It is especially good for crappie and large-mouth and white bass. Naturalists can enjoy stately cypress trees, American lotus, and lily pads, waterfowl, alligators, turtles, frogs, snakes, raccoons, minks, nutrias, beavers, squirrels, armadillos, and white-tailed deer.

Jefferson was founded in 1836 and is the 5th oldest town in Texas. The first paddlewheel steamboat, Lama, successfully navigated Caddo Lake and announced Jefferson to the South in 1845, also the year Texas entered the Union. The concurrent births of a transportation system and a state made Jefferson a major destination of the second early wave of immigrants to Texas.
Subsequently, the developing cotton industry and the means to move it to market gave Jefferson the title of "Gateway to Texas". Soon the city's tonnage shipped was second only to Galveston, Texas.  Jefferson's wealth built culture and drew the best and brightest. Jefferson's growth continued through 1872, when again concurrent events led to its decline.
The first of these was Jefferson's failure to become a railhead city at the time that land transit began to supplant water for the inland movement of freight. Second, was the destruction in 1872 of the "Great Raft," a natural dam that formed Caddo Lake. With Caddo Lake disappearing, water trade declined and ended the possibility that Jefferson might get a second chance at becoming a rail center.
Nonetheless, Jefferson with its grand homes and brick streets flourished for some 30 years. Today, it lives again with museums and antique shops, its brick streets clatter with horse-drawn carriages, and its buildings house restaurants that rival those of the paddle wheelers plying the waters of Caddo Lake en route to and from Jefferson. Most guests at Pine needle Lodge visit Jefferson during their stay with us.

Trip Summary:
RATING:  EASY:  Breakfast and Lunch Pack. Dinners are not included: We will be Dining at restaurant Saturday night..

EQUIPMENT: Camping Gear: We will be visiting one of the most pretty lakes in Texas. Plan on mosquitoes, Sun, Rain, Warm Weather, Cool Weather. Recommended: Tent camping, Sleeping bag,  Camper mat, Snacks, Beverages, Sun Block. 

DIRECTIONS: Take Interstate 20 to Marshall, Highway 43 east to Karnack, then FM 2198 east to the state park and Uncertain, Texas.
Trip Outline:
We will car pool from Dallas-Austin-Houston areas to Caddo Lake State Park, where we will meet up at the Mill Pond camping area.  We will leave Friday afternoon and try and arrive by 7:00PM at the camp site's. Camp out at Caddo Lake State Park (Showers and restrooms) on Big Cypress Bayou. Canoe a 10 mile portion of Caddo Lake in a secluded section where only canoes can go, past a forest of cypress, scores of water birds and beaver houses-the forest primeval. Ideal for beginners.  On Sunday explore historic Jefferson Texas.

Costs:
 Camping Fee's , Restaurant meals, Kayak Rental.  About $75/person over the weekend.

Trip Schedule/Muster Points: (Recommended Final: TBA )
Fri     11/08/2003 Arrive Caddo Lake State Park. 7-9pm.
Sat    11/09/2003 Breakfast at Campsite .
Sat.   11/09/2003 10am Muster for Beginning of our Scenic trip on Caddo Lake.
Sat.   11/09/2003 Noon, Lunch on island in swamp area.
Sat    11/09/2003 5pm Return to campsite and clean up for Dinner. Dinner in Uncertain Texas at a Catfish place. GREAT eating, Good Beer, Great Cobler
Sat   
Sun   11/09/2003 TBA Optional kayaking day or "Antiquing" in Jefferson Texas.

 PLEASE RSVP : (email preferred)
Michael Railey
e-mail:
CELL: 469-387-2530