June in San Marcos, Texas means two things: oppressive heat and the Texas Water Safari. I found out both of these things quickly at the start of my lengthy Texan stint.

When temperatures soar past the 100-degree mark, locals take to the San Marcos River to float and hang out or they stay inside in the comfort of air conditioning. As a Yankee, the first option appealed to me at first, but the second grew on me.

Come to think of it: Is there a better way to enjoy the river than to paddle 260 miles on it from San Marcos to Seadrift during “The World’s Toughest Canoe Race?” Well, probably — but there are hundreds of paddlers each year who accept the challenge.

Back in 2013, I was one of those folks testing their will against the unforgiving river. As part of the British reality TV show “Go Hard or Go Home,” my team (consisting of a 22-year-old female bartender from England and I) had to make it 85 miles from San Marcos to Gonzales in two days. We made it 33 before they pulled the cord.

Teamwork means everything in the Texas Water Safari and suffice to say, Emma and I didn’t have what it took. To be fair, we only started paddling together two days earlier and after flipping the canoe three times that day, I knew it would be an incredible feat to complete the challenge. Needless to say, I gave it everything I had.

Even before I jumped in the canoe with Emma, I knew teamwork was a cornerstone of the Texas Water Safari. Not only does that go for the people in the canoes, but all of the auxiliary team captains, support staff — plus journalists covering the event.

Every June I put a lot of effort into making our Texas Water Safari top-notch. From previews to features to everything in between, no one was going to do it better.

The last Safari I covered was probably my best because of the resources I had. Not only did I always have my trusted freelance photographer Gerald Castillo on the hunt, I hired Joe Vozzelli a few months earlier and like myself, he has a strong work ethic. We canvassed Friday’s check-in for features, staked out incredible vantage points for pictures on Saturday, then turned out what I’d say was a stellar section.

Take a look at that section and tell me you wouldn’t want to read everything in it.

I’m a bit crestfallen I don’t get to cover it this year, but 6 years of memories endure.