The Paddle Trip - Nature Journal

The sun was setting, and the breezing was picking up as we paddled our way down the Trinity River. We were excited to see the Trinity through its best perspective: floating on the water.  The evening started off sunny and hot as we hopped into our canoes. The water was untouched and calm from the beginning of the excursion. With nobody in sight, we were sharing the Trinity with no but ourselves. I would like to say that the water continued to maintain its gentle nature; however, due to poor canoeing technique, loud splashes, and the occasional runaway boat that crashed into the bank, I cannot say that the water was consistently a relaxing experience. But the magnificent views of the city, the beautiful sunset, and the constantly changing scenery provided us with more than enough of nature’s beauty.
What was so stunning about this paddle trip was how we got to experience the sunset and its effects on the water.  The trip started off very sunny with no indication of the sun setting, but as the trip progressed the sun slowly started to set. The effects that this had on the water were breath-taking. In one of the pictures below, you can see how the last bit of the sunset created this reflection on the water that was the only natural light to guide our course. The juxtaposition of the colors in the sky were pretty as you had the darkness of the water and the sky sandwiching the last bit of light left in between. The sunset also created striking silhouettes of objects in front of us such as trees or even the outlines of people or boats.
Another powerful aspect of the paddle trip was the ever-changing scenery. We started in a desolate surrounding with really nothing but brush and dead trees, surprised by the lack of green. However, as we got closer to our finishing point, we saw the lights of downtown Fort Worth mark our way. An aspect of the trip that was somewhat saddening was the amount of trash that we saw along the way. It was clear that for some the Trinity was a place of rest and environmental appreciation, but for others, it’s where trash is dumped or left behind. This point was made by several as we weaved in and out of the garbage on our ride.
Paddling on our canoes from outside the city into the heart of it was a powerful reminder of the nature that is right outside are door and also the responsibility we have as caretakers of this world and those who chose to trash it.