POSTER BOY

Note the yellow onion sack this young man is towing along with his beverage float. This is what the "Poster Boy/Girl" would look like if we were lookin for one. He came to relax, have fun, and do his part to keep the Frio River clean and beautiful.
THANK YOU, YOUNG MAN ON ORANGE TUBE WITH BLUE FLOATER AND YELLOW BAG!

These sacks are donated by Friends of the Frio, First State Bank of Uvalde, and the Texas Hill Country River Region, and are available free at just about any camp/resort in the Frio Canyon. PLEASE take some with you as you float the Frio. This way you can sack all your trash as you go, and maybe even pick up some more that some"wannabe" Frio River visitors thoughtlessly left behind.


Yesterday dawned cloudy and wet from yet another early morning storm, but the day turned out to be warm and rain free. The Frio did come up a little, but it just reinforced the fantastic flow, and is in great shape.
We woke up this a.m. to sunshine streaming through the windows, and it is oh so welcome!




Yall get on out here, conditions are perfect for a Concan/Frio River vacation!
And remember, the season doesn't end just cuz the younguns are back in school by the end of August. The River is always awesome, but late summer and early fall days have more of a tranquil, laid back feel. Usually you have more of the Frio to yourself, and it's much quieter.

Come see us soon!
Later, FrioMan
www.frioman.com

The Firetruck & the Tahoe

Remember the rescue at Reagan Wells last weekend?

The Curry's Tahoe was located today, just downriver from this spot on the Dry Frio. It was belly up, and totaled. I'm so glad to tell yall that Gary Curry said Carolyn is doing just fine.


The Reagan Wells VFD truck was pulled out this weekend from Pine Holler, where it rolled during a rescue attempt during the flooding Saturday week ago. It didn't fare well either. If anyone out there knows of a good, used firetruck in working condition, that they would like to see go to a great VFD, please let me know soon. Spread the word!


Here in Concan,we had another strong storm early this a.m., with lots of lightning, and some heavy rain. But it didn't last long, and the sun came up as scheduled. Everybody was on the Frio havin fun, and the great weather lasted all day.

I sure would like to hear from more of yall, so tell us about your trip to the River, ask questions, email pictures, etc. Thanks to everybody who has left the nice comments, and sent the emails.
FrioMan Vacation Lodging offers fantastic vacation homes and cabins year-round to visitors looking for a getaway in Concan, Texas. We have lodging on and near the Frio River, with some cabins having private access to a wonderful riverside park.
Goodnight, and thanks for checkin in!
FrioMan @ www.frioman.com

Pretty Good Day

Saturday was a good day to be on the Frio River, that is, until about 4:30 p.m. The day was mixed with some sun, lotsa clouds, and warm. There were a lot of folks out enjoying the River, tubing, kayaking, visiting, and relaxing. Then, at the aforementioned time, we had one humdinger of a storm. Heavy rain(about 2 inches), and lots of lightning. The flood warning sirens sounded a short time later, letting everyone know to get off the River. Luckily, it didn't come up high at all, and floating should be ok again today. The pics below were taken between 6 and 7pm yesterday evening, after the storm.

Just above the 2nd crossing.

Shut In Creek at River Road.

Drive slowly when crossing here, because the road is boogered up pretty bad. It is passable.

Bear Creek at River Road, just before the 3rd crossing at Seven Bluffs.

The road is closed on the east side, so if you're trying to reach Seven Bluffs Cabins & RV Park, you'll need to come from US83.

Kids havin fun at the 2nd crossing.

COPOA park just above Neal's campground.

There's still rain in the forecast for the next day or two, but if we planned our activities around what the weatherman says, we might be couch potatoes for life. The Frio is runnin great, and we still have some openings for some fantastic vacation homes. Our calendars are always up to date, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Remember, respect your fellow visitors and the local residents alike. Drive at the posted speeds, don't throw your trash along the roadsides, and TAKE CARE OF THE FRIO RIVER!

FrioMan

www.frioman.com

Nothin to it

There were a lot of people tubing and kayaking and relaxing yesterday on the Frio River in CONCAN. All is fine here. The flooding on the Frio is way downriver at Tilden, which is not even on our radar. Tx127 was closed for awhile yesterday due to high water at Brushy Creek, but TxDot is not showing it closed this am. These pics are from yesterday afternoon at Comanche Crossin, between 7 Bluffs and the 2nd crossing.

It's cloudy right now, but no rain, not even overnight. We'll keep our fingers crossed that we have a dry weekend...or three.


Enjoy these pics of some of our champion tubers. FrioMan

No Rain Today

After some pretty good rains overnite, the day turned out to be a good one overall. Partly cloudy skies, warm, and the Frio is runnin swift. It was just a bit murky from the runoff, but still clear enough to enjoy. You may run into a couple inches of water over Shut In Creek at River Road, but the 1st and 2nd crossings are open. I didn't get down to the 3rd crossing at Seven Bluffs, but I heard the road was blocked there. If so, and you are trying to get to Seven Bluffs Cabins & RV Park, you can come in from CR348 on the North side, off of US83.



Toobin...on a, sunny afternoon. If this doesn't getcha in a Frio kinda mood, well....




Now you see her....

Now you don't.

Don't worry, she just got a little wet.

Showoff!

Yeah, the old guy with the camera is still here.

night yall, FrioMan

www.frioman.com

Comanche Crossing

Here ya go Stacy.
This was from about 10:30 this morning at Comanche Crossing. It's going across a little swifter than normal, but folks were passing ok as of that time.
Conditions on the Frio River can change extremely fast, and visitors need to be alert to their surroundings. But right now people are tubin, swimmin, and havin fun.
Everyone needs to keep their younguns close, but you can usually find shallow water for them to play in.
As for the River being up the past few days. It's been up all summer, and it's fantastic.


Back tonight, FrioMan

Bunk Falls, 7-23-07, 5:15 p.m.

Let me tell those of you who don't know, where Bunk Falls are. When you put in at the second crossing, you float aways, start veering on the the little rapids to the left, then you're in front of
Frio Country cabins. You're still headin downriver(hopefully)through some good little rapids, a deeper spot by a big rock, then slows down a bit. Up ahead, you'll see some boulders, and begin to hear the water going through them. This is known as Daddy B's Bathtubs. Goin through the boulders with the water runnin fast as it is now, is akin to being the ball in a pinball machine. FUN! Just hang on tight, and go with the flow. Now you're headin towards the falls, up ahead several hundred yards. As you get closer, you'll start hearing the roar of the water, as your adrenaline level rapidly increases.
You have two choices...
(1) Women, children, and the not so athletic, exit left around the falls.
(2) Men, send the beverage buggy, your sunshades, LW & T, anything loose, with the folks goin around the falls. It's just you & your tube/kayak. Now show em how it's done.(see next picture)

Sure, it's loud and fast and... so. GO FOR IT! If you fall out(hence the name falls), just stand up or swim with the current. There are no deep holes at Bunk Falls, but there are some hydraulics that may keep you against them when you go over. And sometimes, you shoot over smooth, and keep on floatin. I've ate it, and I've made it. I've looked like a pro, and a few times...not.
It is very possible to bang your head, knees, and other body parts, anywhere on the River, so be safe and use good judgement. Especially when it involves the little ones.


Apprehension.....(sorry about the blur, but had to use it)


Fear.....


Exhilaration!


The Exit Left group, also known as The Walkarounds.

Just havin fun guys. We sat down at Bunk Falls this evening with Hondo Spence, takin these pics and a lot more for this here BLOG. Hondo is the son of the late Bunk Spence, whom the falls are named for.
Men, women, and children were going over the falls. Some made it, most ate it, nobody was hurt, and they're probably back in camp tonight telling their stories.
Great entertainment!
See Yall FrioMan



p.s. If you do decide to go over Bunk Falls, please give your valuables to a friend or family member going around them. If you don't, when you come up for air, they will probably be gone. And MOST IMPORTANT. If you carry your beverages across, you will most likely lose them. Unfortunately, unless it's full cans of brewskies, too many folks just let em go. That's unacceptable. Please take care of our Frio River. It's yours too.

Roads...more on Shut In Creek

http://204.64.21.201/travel/road_conditions2.htm


Tx 127 is closed from Sabinal to Concan due to road damage at Little Blanco Creek & Brushy Creek. One source said it will be open at 6 a.m. Monday morning, but the TXDOT site says it will reopen Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Better go with the officials on this one. So if you're traveling to our area tonight, tomorrow, or early Tuesday, stay on US 90 to Uvalde. When you get to the intersection of US 90 & US 83(the intersection of the 2 longest roads in the United States), turn right(north) on US 83 to Concan(23miles) or Leakey(40miles). This will add about 20 - 30 minutes to your trip, but save you a lot of hassle and worry about the roads. Besides, there's an HEB, WalMart, SuperS, and the Oasis Outback. You can get everything you need for your vacation in Uvalde, so going out of your way would be worth the trip.

A nice lady(Dorothy T.) emailed me, wondering where Shut In Creek(also known as Shut In Holler) was. She has been comin here for many years, and had never heard of it until I posted the pics and info about it. I'm sure she's not alone.

If you have driven down River Road(CR348) from Tx127, you have crossed over Shut In. Remember the dip in the road about a half mile down?...that's it! Usually dry from that point to where it meets the Frio, Shut In lived up to it's name Saturday. All of us in between the raging creek and the Second crossing were literally shut in, and had to wait it out. I snapped the pics of Shut In Falls off of CR392, which makes a little loop down there from River Road

And for those of you(gazillions, I'm sure) who have floated from the Second crossing to Neal's... at the upriver end of Neal's campground, to your right, is where Shut In empties into the River.

It usually looks like a little deep backwater, and when you get beside it, the water temp drops considerably. But yesterday, as you can see in the pics from the last two posts, she was alive!

Shut In runs behind our place, between us and US83. It came way out of it's banks up here, and was really truckin. Awesome!

It's looking good for the next couple days, but I'm no smarter than the next San Antonio weather forecaster(lol). The Frio is runnin great and folks were back in doin what they came here for.

Come on out and see us, we still have "room at the inn". Our vacation homes are wonderful places to stay while visiting the Frio Canyon, so visit our website at...

www.frioman.com

Our availability calendars are always up to date, so pick a house, choose your dates, call our toll free number(reservations only PLEASE), and you're in. Can't wait to meet yall.

Thanx for all the great emails and comments, and keep em comin!

Til next time....

FrioMan

Reagan Wells Rescue

Reagan Well is a small community on the Dry Frio River, about 12 miles from Concan.

Yesterday morning, Dick Peterson and Gary Curry took the Reagan Wells VFD firetruck to rescue Carolyn Curry, Gary's wife. Carolyn was stranded in her Tahoe, which was hanging onto the edge of flooded Pine Holler. This is a small wash that drains into the Dry Frio River just downstream a bit. It's usually bone dry, but the heavy rains yesterday were swelling everything that would hold water.
By the time they reached the crossing, Carolyn and her vehicle had disappeared. As they attempted to cross Pine Holler to begin their search, water started filling the big truck quickly. Dick and Gary had no choice but to get out of the truck as fast as possible. As they reached the top, the firetruck started to roll over, and they both jumped away from the vehicle into the waters. Luckily, they were able to grab the fence that had served as a water gap, and pulled theirselves to safety.
Mrs. Curry, after spending two and a half hours fighting for her life in the floodwaters of the Dry Frio, was rescued by a neighbor across the river, Roy Glasscock, and his friend Paul White. As of late yesterday, the Tahoe had not been found.

Thank God all are safe and back with their loved ones.

FrioMan

Shut In Creek

The rain has finally stopped, but the runoff from the hills is still going strong into the creeks and the Frio River. I'm not sure if Tx127 is open yet, but I'll let you know later. According to the USGS gauge, the River is below seven feet. There's still rain in the forecast for tonight, so keep track of road conditions on the TXDOT site if you're heading our way. The pictures below are from noon today.

Shut In Creek Falls just above where it empties into the Frio.

The confluence of Shut In Creek & the Frio River

Looking downriver towards Neal's swimmin hole & campground.

The crossings on FM1051 going to Reagan Wells are impassable, and there was a rescue there this morning.

More on that later.

FrioMan

www.frioman.com

STAY PUT!

Hey Guys
If you're here, sit tight. If you have plans to come here today..well, don't. The Tx127 bridge is closed, and US90 is closed around Hondo. According to the USGS rain gauge, we have received over 10 inches of rain so far, and as of now(11:12 a.m.), it's not letting up. I'm going out now for pictures, and see what it looks like. Check back later for updates. If you are on the road and come to an area of high water, do what they say:
Turn around, don't drown!

FrioMan

Rainy day

We had more rain today. Nothing heavy, just a good soaker. There was a little sun occasionally, and there were lots of folks enjoying the Frio. There is rain in the forecast the next couple of days, but it's great for the River, so we can't complain. This time last year, folks were carrying their tubes more than sittin in 'em. Not so this Summer. Everyone is coming back telling us how great the floatin is, and that they are able to take several different trips each day.

This big boy was visiting Sundancer a couple months ago, and you could do the same!

We still have some openings available this month and in August.

Visit our website @ www.frioman.com, click on Lodging, then Check Availability Calendar for any of our fantastic vacation homes listed.

Hope To See Yall Soon! FrioMan

Lazee Daze

Good Evening out there in cyberspace. We had another fantastic day at the Frio River, with folks everywhere having a blast. There were some strong spotty rainshowers throughout the day, but the sun was out bright in between. For about the last two hours, we have had occasional heavy rain, and the WeatherBug is forecasting more of the same for the next day or so. But ya never know, I was in Uvalde today, where it was pouring downtown, but not on the east side.


Liana & Keren weren't worried about the recent rains, they were just enjoying their day on the River. Ahh, to be young again.


I don't believe these floaters were worried about nothing but gettin downriver too fast, and that's what it's all about...takin it easy on the Frio River!

Tip of the day:
When tying tubes together, especially to keep your kids close, may not always be a great idea.
I've seen this happen several times, and it is no fun. You're floatin down the Frio, with your five year old on her own tube, which is tied to yours. You're laid back, soakin up the sun, and all of a sudden, the water starts moving faster. Then, you see a small tree or boulder in your path downriver coming at you fast. No matter how hard you backstroke, you can't avoid it. You end up on one side of the obstacle, your child on the other, and you are both flipped out of your tubes.
As is the case most of the time, everybody comes out okay, just scared really bad. A neat thing about the Frio is, shallow water or the bank is always close by. Lazily floating down the River is very relaxing, and one of the reasons you came here. But until you get to know it well, staying slightly ahead of your children while tubing, may be better than lashing your tubes together. That way, if you encounter or see anything ahead that may cause problems, you can get out of your tube and direct your loved ones from harm's way. The best thing I will always tell folks is, to be aware of their surroundings. I've been floating for many years, and have seen many wrecks caused by tubes tied together. Actually, a lot of them have been the guy/gal totin the beverage cooler...right guys?
FrioMan

Be Safe-Have Fun-Call FrioMan for your Concan Vacation!
www.frioman.com

Frio's Dry Fifty

Located across from the Post Office(Hi Nell!) and First State Bank on TX 127 is....

Frio's Dry Fifty

Have you ever been to Concan? If so, you probably already know about the hottest spot in downtown Concan for shopping. If not, well...let me tell yall about Frio's Dry Fifty. It's the neatest little shop for ...well, let me take a deep breath and I'll begin.

Emily, Ashley, Gayle, & Jenna

They have t-shirts, shorts, caps, hats, flip-flops, casual wear, shoes, sandals, gifts, Frio River & Garner State Park charms, outdoor decor, birdhouses, and that just scratches the surface. All kinds of great River wear(you'll be showing it off at home too). I've been shoppin there for many years, and they have always had the coolest stuff, anywhere around.
You will be ably assisted by one of the lovely ladies pictured above, or maybe the camera shy Jody & Janeal, or Danna, who was playin hooky at the River yesterday.
Not shopping in Concan at FDF, would be like going to Disney World and not seeing Mickey.
Stop in and see 'em, you won't be disappointed!


On your way out, take a few steps next door and go see Thomas.
FDF's Snack Shack has what you need on these hot summer days. Anyone hungry for Blue Bell Ice Cream? He's got it, along with other ice cream treats, Hawaiian shaved ice, sodas, chips, candy, bag ice, and more. I did mention the Blue Bell, right? Mmmmm good!


Yall better hurry up and get out here. The Frio River is at it's best! We still have some openings in July & August, so check the availability calendars on our website. Our vacation homes are second to none.
FrioMan

FrioMan Vacation Lodging - Concan, Texas

"Where the wildlife...and the quiet life, come together."

www.frioman.com

Family Fun on the Frio

The last several days have been super here in Concan. We finally got into the 90's with a lot of sunshine, and the River flow is excellent. Everybody is havin a great time, wish you were here!


This is why families love the Frio River. Clean, relaxing fun, even though Dad is doing all the work, and the younguns are doin the relaxin.

Be safe! And please respect the Frio and all the people you meet along the way. FrioMan

CON CAN PIES

Hey Yall!
Last night, I told you I would let you in on a little secret, or was it something about the best desserts in the Frio Canyon.
Well, let me introduce you to Randy(Hondo) & Elaine Spence, great friends and the proprietors of Con Can Pies. These fine folks put out a generous variety of the most scrumptious pies, cakes, & cobblers, to be found......well, just about anywhere.


And who can resist a fresh baked pie? Better get there early, because they go fast.
They are open from 11:00 a.m. daily(closed Tuesdays), til they run out. The runnin out is the bad news. The good news is, that you can order ahead for the next day(full payment required when placing your order), and not have to rush down there hoping there's something left for your dessert at lunch.
How do you find Con Can Pies? Ya can't miss 'em. Just look for their sign on River Road(CR 348), while going toward the second crossing. Tell 'em FrioMan sent you!

AND REMEMBER(see below)

Oh yeah, the Frio River is muy fantastico! Come on out and join the fun.

Later, FrioMan

Furry Frio Fanatics

To all of you who called today,
asking if anyone was tubing on the River...(see picture)



We had a blast at the Frio River today, and so did our humans!

Hey guys,

The River is almost crystal clear again, and people were out by the bucketful. The flow is excellent though, so everyone's movin right along with few logjams. Roads are open, the River's rollin, ol Sol is shining bright again. Hurry out here, conditions just don't get any better!

Have I told yall about Concan Pies? I'll be back tomorrow to let you in on where to find the best desserts in the Canyon.

FrioMan says hey to Ron from Concan, who is on a trip to Bulgaria on "business". Your boys and a girl are doin just fine, so no worries.

Don't forget to take all your trash with you while floating the Frio, and any extra that the more thoughtless left behind.

Have a great vacation, FrioMan