Buffalo River, Day One

Last Wednesday, after spending the morning climbing up and over the tallest mountain we could find in this part of Arkansas, it was time to launch the kayak part of the adventure. It's kind of a cross between kayaking and backpacking. You carry everything you need, everything has to be pared down for weight and bulk, but you don't have to carry it on your back.

You might be a redneck if....
Why buy expensive, waterproof deck bags for kayak camping when a couple of Hefty trash bags will work just fine?!

We launched at noon from Rush Landing, on the last section of the Buffalo River before it reaches the White River, a trip of twenty-four miles by water. This is the last chance to change our minds, because once we're committed, we're really committed. There is no access for the next 24 miles other than by foot or by horseback. Rescue is difficult, assuming you could even make contact.

Look at the unbelievably clear, 42 degree water. It's so transparent it looks like I'm floating on air. Beam me up, Scotty!

We'd been warned that the river was so low we might have to portage a lot. Five minutes into the trip, my butt was dragging across a rock bed. I thought "if I'm doing this for the next 24 miles, I won't be a fun person by Friday." Five minutes after that, we spotted out first eagle, and my outlook improved considerably.

The river tracks back and forth, with gravel and sand bars on the inside curves, perfect for camping and pullouts, and sheer bluffs on the outside curves that made me wish I had rappelling gear.

We paddled about four hours the first day, hit only one spot that we had to walk the boats across (although technically there were more, we just used our paddles to pike across the rock bed because I didn't want to get my feet wet). We found a nice sand bar on which to camp, with turkeys and eagles nesting in the trees on the bluff across from us.

Oh look. No matter how far we get from home, I'm always in the kitchen. Cook, cook, cook. Clean, clean, clean.

Because we weren't sure of the bear situation, we cooked well away from our tent, and hung our food for the night. Lordy, were we glad we did. More on that later...

Wildlife count today:
1 armadillo
5 eagles
5 deer
1 Lesser Blue heron
10 ducks
2 buzzards
2 turkeys
too many crows to count

This doesn't count all the other critters we heard but didn't actually lay eyeballs on.

Night comes early on the river, as the sun sneaks behind the hills then runs away. Yawwwwn.  We've come about six miles. Eighteen more to go.  Goodnight.

              Happy Trails, and may your adventures always count!