Info on the Pecos?

Looking for some info on the Pecos from anyone that’s done it. My impressions are that it’s comparable to the Devils (access, fishery, scenery, etc) but not sure. I’d like to scratch it off the list but would love some insider information to hep plan it.

Start here: https://www.adventureonoutdoors.com/pecos-river-trip-plan

Shoot me a pm, I’ve done it and can give you some pointers.

Didn't someone on here have a near death experience on the Pecos a few years ago due to flash flooding? The story itself was amazing.

I remember reading that...I believe they went back later and even found some things that had been swept away.....cant remember the name though

Robert Field (Google Field Trips)did the follow-up/return video. Good program & worth the watch. Can't remember the original flood groups' names. Also a very informative and enlightening watch.

IslandJim

Wait until the pecos actually has a flow. That is the boat ramp where my truck is parked.


I'm guessing the park people dug the channel from the water to the ramp but it is useless at only an inch deep. You
definitely couldn't paddle thru it but it would make it easier to drag your kayak to the ramp. Also with the water so low i can only imagine the flutes halfway to pandale, you would have to drag your kayak for miles and with the salt content in the pecos it makes all the rocks rough just like sandpaper and any dragging would wear a hole thru your kayak.
Do your homework before you go! I have a book on running the pecos from pandale to the pecos ramp. Ill see if i can find it and post a link. It is a very cool book that has all the springs where you can get drinking water and camp areas along the river and most importantly where the rapids are

Found it.
This book has info on creeks, canyons, springs, rapids, and campsites from mile 1 to mile 58 of the trip. Here is a sample of the book and it's info

The Pecos story I recall was Bert Rodriguez and son Dan getting caught in the flood on the river.

Here it is. Still amazing to watch today!!

https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/11941610

https://www.adventureonoutdoors.com/return-to-the-pecos

ON my list this year. Guess we need to watch those flows - CLOSELY. Looking to start or join a group, but have to get a kayak first!

Have two of Aulbach's books now in hand - The Devils and The Pecos ... the plot thickens even if the water doesn't!

Many years ago I ran the 59 mile wilderness trip from Pandale to the Hwy 90 bridge with my son and three other friends. Here are a few things that you MUST be aware of on that river.
1. Do not try to run it with less than 100 cfs of water flow. To do so is to invite misery. Same goes with the season. June through September would be brutally hot.
2. Flash floods are extremely dangerous in this stretch of river. ALWAYS camp way up on the river bank.
3. The Pecos has an interesting feature in that the water is very alkaline and "slime" doesn't grow on them like in most rivers. This makes them VERY abrasive. When I went, the word was do not make this trip in a cheap plastic boat. There are instances where canoeists tried to make the run in those old Coleman canoes and were stranded deep in the canyons because huge holes were rubbed into the boat. I can't help you on what types of KAYAKs would withstand the abuse.
4. Back when I made the trip, there were only two springs along the way where you could replenish water supplies. The alkaline water is unpalatable and boiling it doesn't change that.


Once you launch at Pandale, you're committed. Without a satellite phone, you are not going to call for help and there are VERY FEW places you can get out anyway as you are in canyons most of the way with no road access.

The book entitled "The Lower Pecos River" mentioned in the post above is available on Amazon. Highly recommended. Now, bear in mind that I made the trip many years ago in my younger days. Many things could be different now, but I doubt the basic info above is outdated.

I consider this trip a highlight of my outdoor life. The scenery is breathtaking. The fishing is unbelievable (side note, we only kept the fish you see in the picture for eating one night on the trip). The Indian cave paintings are among the best preserved in the country. It is guaranteed if you do it at the right time with good water flow and weather and plan your trip well, you will never forget the experience! Good luck.