Dallas Downriver Club

Martin Dies Jr. State Park / Angelina River

Date: February 2-5, 2017 Sponsor: DDRC
River: Angelina River , B. A. Steinhagen Reservoir Trip Leader: Dale Harris
Reach: TBD Phone: 972-814-2633
Difficulty: Flatwater E-mail: President@down-river.com
Rendezvous: Martin Dies Jr. State Park 12 pm Required Skills: beginner skills, proper protective gear, river camping
Campground: River Camping   This trip is limited to 10 DDRC Members only due to camping limitations

Trip Description:

This trip will use Martin Dies State Park as a base and we will adventure into Angelina Neches / Dam B Wildlife Management Area

We’ll meet at Martin Dies State Park 12 pm on Thursday, February 2nd. We will drive to Bevilport on the Angelina (10 minutes from Martin Dies) and camp 5 miles down on one of the designated primitive campsites. 

Friday we will be exploring the Caddoesque back water between the Angelina and Neches Rivers.  

We’ll paddle out on the Neches Saturday morning to our camp sites in Martin Dies State Park. 

The campsites in the Wildlife Management Area are small 5 – 6 people and you must have a permit to camp in the WMA, so if we get a large group that is planning on coming we need to break out in 5-6 people per group with 2 groups being the maximum. We’ll track how many are coming for the primitive camping to see if we need 1 or 2 campsites. This will be first come first served limited to DDRC members only please RSVP by Jan 5th so we can apply for permits.  For primitive camping – you must be fully self sufficient, bring food & water, rain gear, and obviously camping gear.

Driving directions:
From Dallas:
Take US 175 east to Jacksonville, TX. Take US 69 South to Zavala, TX, then take TX 63 South to FM 1747 and turn left. Follow to US 190 and turn Left. Follow US 190 to Park Rd 48 and turn left and follow to the park.

Please email if you have any questions.

Click here for a full size map of Martin Dies State Park

 

 


 


* International Scale of River Difficulty

Class I: Easy. Fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions, all obvious and easily missed with little training. Risk to swimmers is slight, self-rescue is easy.

Class II: Novice. Straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels which are evident without scouting. Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks and medium sized waves are easily missed by trained paddlers. Swimmers are seldom injured and group assistance, while helpful, is seldom needed.

Class III: Intermediate. Rapids with moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid and which can swamp an open canoe. Complex maneuvers in fast current and good boat control in tight passages or around ledges are often required; large waves or strainers may be present but are easily avoided. Strong eddies and powerful current effects can be found, particularly on large-volume rivers. Scouting is advisable for inexperienced parties. Injuries while swimming are rare; self-rescue is usually easy but group assistance may be required to avoid long swims.

Class IV: Advanced. Intense, powerful but predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water. Depending on the character of the river, it may feature large, unavoidable waves and holes or constricted passages demanding fast maneuvers under pressure. A fast, reliable eddy turn may be needed to initiate maneuvers, scout rapids, or rest. Rapids may require "must" moves above dangerous hazards. Scouting is necessary the first time down. Risk of injury to swimmers is moderate to high, and water conditions may make self-rescue difficult. Group assistance for rescue is often essential but requires practiced skills. A strong eskimo roll is highly recommended.

Class V: Expert. Extremely long, obstructed, or very violent rapids which expose a paddler to above average endangerment. Drops may contain large, unavoidable waves and holes or steep, congested chutes with complex, demanding routes. Rapids may continue for long distances between pools, demanding a high level of fitness. What eddies exist may be small, turbulent, or difficult to reach. At the high end of the scale, several of these factors may be combined. Scouting is mandatory but often difficult. Swims are dangerous, and rescue is difficult even for experts. A very reliable eskimo roll, proper equipment, extensive experience, and practiced rescue skills are essential for survival.

Class VI: Extreme. One grade more difficult than Class V. These runs often exemplify the extremes of difficulty, unpredictability and danger. The consequences of errors are very severe and rescue may be impossible. For teams of experts only, at favorable water levels, after close personal inspection and taking all precautions. This class does not represent drops thought to be unrunnable, but may include rapids which are only occasionally run.

 

 

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Last updated December 14, 2016