• 09:00 - Aquarena Springs
• 12:09 - Staples
• 16:22 - Luling 90
• 17:40 - Luling Zedler Mill
• 20:59 - Palmetto
• 03:02 - Gonzales

I wasn't very nervous or excited before the start since I was busy shooting pictures till the very last minute. It seems that I am always starting at the same row as Erin Magee. The only difference is that she is earning her starting position in the preliminaries and I am getting it as an out of state paddler. I followed Erin through the first dam portage near Joe's Crab Shack. Next time, I saw her at the award ceremony at Seadrift ...

San Marcos River was significantly lower than during my training run a couple days earlier - fewer waves swamping my boat. There were a lot of trees and logs in the river between Stapples and Palmetto. There were slowing me down since I had not paddled that part of the river since the TWS 2003. So, I arrived to Palmetto somewhat later than in my previous safari, just before 9 pm.

During that day I heard a lot of compliments about my website during portages and on the river. That was nice and a little bit strange. I heard "I love your website" from Ann Best when portaging Rio Vista. Later, somebody stopped me with the same words when I was dragging my boat across Palmetto bridge.