It's early summer and this is our second attempt to canoe down Buffalo Bayou through the Houston Ship Channel to Galveston Bay - something that has never been done in modern history. Our first attempt was rebuffed by high flood water. Even now, the Bayou waters are careening through the tree branches. I hadn't been in a canoe since... wait, have I ever been in a canoe? This is all Josh Harkinson's idea. He's in the front of the canoe and the water is very eager for us to begin. As I put one foot in and push off with the other we're off like a shot. Josh, not much more experienced than me, had arranged for Tom Helm to be our trail guide. Where is he? Looking back, we see Tom falling into the Bayou - oh great - he's supposed to be our guide?

Josh and I grab some willow branches and very soon Tom and Tom's kayak come floating by. He manages to get to shore, get aboard and we're off. Josh is paddling like a mad man. Good grief. It's about 8 a.m. and it's already 90 degrees. There's no way I can sustain this pace for the next 12 hours. Slowly, Josh pulls us to the side of the Bayou and I'm dealing with branches in the face. "Paddle harder," he shouts over his shoulder. "No way," I reply. "Josh, we're already going almost 15 miles an hour. We've got a long way to go... slow down." Fortunately, Helm has a GPS device and agrees we're going fast enough to make it to camp before it gets dark. That's right, camp. We'll be camping in the Houston Ship Channel. Please click on the link at the bottom to view the photographs - all of which were made with a point and shoot.

Read Dark Water by Josh Harkinson