Skip to main content
  The Houston Canoe Club
Share our Joy of Paddling!







P.O. Box 925516
Houston, Texas
77292-5516



The Houston Canoe Club 

is a Paddlesports Risk Management Club

Sign the Waiver
HCC


Add Me To Your Mailing List
HomeNL-2011-11 Fall Fling
Fall Fling
 (Lake Charlotte / Trinity River / Lake Pass)
October 1st, 2011
by Joe Coker

Participants:  Joe Coker, Kevin Kalbers, Paul Woodcock, Angie Navarro, Rea Ingles, Sophie Lopez, John Rich, Belinda Bratch, Philip Matticks, Tisha Matticks, Katie O’neill, Calvin Doody, John Bartos, Cindy Bartos, Mike Pollard.

 
   Float plan
Float Plan:  10 Miles.  Approx. 6 hours.  Cedar Hill, Lake Charlotte—Mac Bayou—Trinity River—Lake Pass—Lake Charlotte—Cedar Hill.

Our group of 15 put in at Cedar Hill and were under way on schedule around 10:00am. Conditions were great---85 degrees, sunny, light breeze, lake water level 8.85 feet.  We headed west to Sand Island and the entrance to Mac Bayou. There we were treated to a large flock of migratory Wood Storks!  See Paul Woodcock’s photos on the HCC photo page.  From there our route took us up Mac Bayou and out to the Trinity. 

 


Cedar Hill put-in
 		  Wood storks
 
  Mac Bayou
 
 Trinity River

Despite virtually zero current, we made the roughly 4 mile stretch downstream ahead of schedule and stopped for lunch at a grassy spot just opposite from the entrance to Lake Pass.  After a nice break, we proceeded up beautiful Lake Pass… clear sailing all the way.  We poked our heads into Lake Miller briefly before proceeding on up to Charlotte. That final stretch of the Pass is considerably more narrow and although there were no serious obstructions in the water, we had to do a little bushwhacking through light willow undergrowth.  No problem. 

 
Lunch break
 		  Lake Pass
 
 Bushwhacking

   
Buzzard Point
 		  Cypress groves
Back out on Lake Charlotte, typical afternoon breeze was beginning to kick up the water a little, so most of the canoe paddlers opted to head straight back to Cedar Hill. The rest of us headed for Buzzard Point and hugged the west shore for the trip home, wending our way through the beautiful cypress groves. Does anyone know what that mysterious chirping noise is that emanates from the tree trunks?

 
  

Lake Scenary
 		  Celebration
All of us were off the water on schedule by around 4:00 pm and after loading up, gathered in the shade for some welcome refreshments in celebration of yet another great Lake Charlotte paddle!

Joe Coker's complete photo album from the trip can be seen here.
 
 The author, Joe Coker