Home From the Buffalo River

We have completed our annual canoe camping trip on the Buffalo National River and have arrived safely at home. The 10-day camping trip was great...one of our best. The weather was mild, a bit windy and some rain with a couple of storms. A few years ago we did not complete our planned Buffalo trip and took out early due to flood conditions. This year Myron and Wayne were determined we would complete our trip from Ponca, AR to Buffalo City, AR "come hail or high water". Well, we had both hail and high water and still completed the planned trip.

On Wednesday, April 13 we met Wayne and Lynda and Harry, as planned, at Wild Bill's Outfitter and drove the two hours to Ponca with our shuttle drivers. As we neared our put-in, our shuttle driver mentioned there were elk in the area. We have been to this area several times and had never seen the elk. Suddenly, as if on queue, there was an entire herd of elk beside the drive at the put-in. Dorcas jumped out to take pictures.Very cool.

The day was sunny and nice so the put-in was crowded with paddlers launching their kayaks and canoes. While lower sections of the river were very high, the Ponca area was at an optimal level. Apparently everyone knew that; we had never seen so many paddlers here before. Most were day-paddlers, but a few were camping. The first incident occurred right out of the chute, when one boat in our party (which will remain unidentified) got pinned on a rock 20' from the put-in. The boat got swamped, and it filled with water. It wouldn't have been that big a deal except there were 50 other boaters there watching us, all thinking "Rookies ...they're never going to make it". I'm sure the paddler(s) affected were very embarrassed.

The river was at an excellent level. The upper section was characterized by swift water and 1-2 foot standing waves. Enough excitement to be interesting, but nothing too difficult, even with over-loaded canoes. The flow was good, and we made good time. Typically we camped about 4:00 each evening and be on the water by 10:30 the next morning, making for a very leisurely float. As usual, we ate well, grilling steaks or chops the first four nights.


Late in the evening of Day 2 some thunderstorms came through and it rained pretty hard for about 3 hours. We knew the storms were coming and had camped well up on a high bank. By morning the river was rising and ultimately came up about 5', drowning our camp fire. As we watched a set of standing waves grow at the bend just below our camp, we made the decision to lay over this day. We snagged fire wood from the river as it passed by our camp to stoke our re-located fire. By the next morning the water had dropped 2-3 feet, and we set off again. Each passing day the water level continued to drop and become more clear and green.

Usually on this river there are several swift chutes with a tree blocking the obvious route, making for a challenging run. On this trip none existed. Perhaps they had all been washed out. In past trips we could particularly count on Harry for some entertainment at these places, but Harry's river skills have improved, and he's no fun any more. We need to recruit a new rookie.

After 9 nights and 10 days on the river, we ferried across the White River to Riley Landing, where our cars were waiting. Perhaps the most exciting part of the trip was the drive eastward across northern Arkansas where we experienced 50 mph cross winds. The poor little Element would have had a hard time staying in the road, even if it didn't have a canoe on top. We spent the night at a motel near Cookeville TN and visited friends in Morganton before arriving at home. It is good to be home. We have been gone for 18 days and slept in the tent all but two nights.

But now we have to prepare for our next adventure. So many trips ... so little time.