This can be a pretty tough job sometimes, especially days like May 1, when I had to hit the Blanco River for a test run of my new GoPro camera. It was a perfect spring day to hike, wade and swim in the Texas Hill Country. I parked at Slime Bridge near Wimberley and made my way upstream for about 3.2 miles, then turned around and waded back to the car—a round trip of nine hours. This short stretch seems to capture some of the Blanco’s most fetching scenery: riffling streams, waterfalls and deep green pools, all of it shaded by cypress trees and limestone bluffs. In one place, a series of cold and clear springs roared out of holes in the rocks and fell into the water. This really is a magical place, and I can’t wait to see the rest of it. Despite the presence of several nice homes perched on the higher banks, I spent hours by myself in the wilderness, and during the upstream portion of the journey, I met just one other person on the water. Moments before I rounded the bend, he had hooked the biggest “monster bass” he’d ever seen. It leaped out of the water and wiggled off his line, escaping into a field of aquatic grass. You wouldn’t call me a pro with the GoPro just yet. The footage is pretty shaky, and we’ll need to buy some stabilizing mounts and other accessories before we really get going in our efforts to explore and document the river. And I can’t wait to see what amazing video a real photographer (you know, that guy Jacob Botter) will capture using the GoPro HERO3 (which I purchased w/ assistance from Precision Camera & Video in Austin. Support your local camera shop!) Jacob and I are nearly ready to set off on our first big trip down the Blanco. Just waiting on a few loose ends to tie themselves up so we can buy the necessary gear and acquire a couple of kayaks. If all goes according to plan, look for us to head out in late May! Wes and Jacob’s Blanco River book project is being funded by the Burdine Johnson Foundation, sponsored by the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, and published by Texas A&M University Press.