Greetings!
 We've just
completed a 10-day, 120 mile canoe trip down our country's first national
river, the Buffalo, in Arkansas. The weather was consistent
throughout the trip. Fog blanketed the river each morning, giving us
a cool start to every day. However, when the fog burned off the
temperature skyrocketed to the mid 90's. Even after the sun set, the
heat and humidity remained. Relief did not come until late in the
evening. We're still batting a thousand when it comes to
precipitation, no rain yet. One night as we relaxed at our sandy
campsite, admiring the flickering light of the fireflies and the
chorus of insects, the storm clouds rolled in. Although it didn't
rain, we were fortunate to witness a spectacular thunder and lighting
display.
The Buffalo was a river of many moods. It
could be broken down into three sections: upper, middle and
lower.
The upper section was narrow and winding with many rapids
and bluffs and cool aquamarine water.
We found this section quite entertaining. As
we pulled into camp on our first day, thunderstorms lurked above.
Although we received little rain, upstream was a different story.
Just as we finished dinner we heard the sound of water slapping up against
the side of the boat. This was interesting because we had pulled the
canoe well out of the water. After inspecting the situation further,
we discovered our fishing rods submerged in water. The water was
rising fast. Within a half-hour the water had risen
dramatically. The pleasant riffle at camp had now become a heavy
rapid with standing waves. We couldn't let this moment pass
by. We immediately took advantage of the high water by dragging the
canoe up the river to the head of the rapid. The thrill of the ride
through boiling water was incredible. Powered by adrenaline we
proceeded to run the rapid twelve times! We went to bed that night
with hopes for more rain.
This section also provided opportunities
for interesting day hikes. A couple that we enjoyed were Big
Bluff and Hemmed-in-Hollow. Big Bluff is said to be the highest
bluff on the river. Our hike took us to the ledges of the upper rock
face, some 440 feet above the river. The view of the river and
surrounding valley was breathtaking. At Hemmed-in-Hollow we hiked up
a creek bed to a 175 foot waterfall, the highest in Mid-America.
Although the fern covered waterfall didn't flow full, we still found the
sight spectacular.
On our fifth day we entered the middle
section. This section was characterized by longer pools, bluffs,
rapids and frequent access points. Some of the more interesting
bluffs included Copper Bluff with it's bands of copper colored rocks,
Skull Bluff where the river has carved out the likeness of a human skull
and Peter Cave Bluff with it's surreal caves and rock columns.
The
one rapid that stood out the most was Patton Shoal. Judging by the
name we figured we'd be in for a battle. We scouted the rapid and oh
what a battle it would be. We dropped into the rapid on the right,
ducking under some low lying branches. We then made a quick turn to
the left in heavy water to avoid some boat crushing rocks. Then we
shot a line back to the right to avoid boulders on the left, dropped over
a ledge and picked our way through a boulder garden at the conclusion of
the rapid. Phew!
After six days on the water without a
cooler, we were hoping that one of the access points would provided us
with a cold, frosty cola. Then we came upon Gilbert, our favorite
access point. Not only did we find ice cold beverages, but also
burgers and fries at Hungary's Cafe. A welcome break from our diet
of freeze-dried foods. Gilbert also had a general store with many
interesting artifacts representing early life on the Buffalo.
The
lower section flowed through the Lower Buffalo Wilderness. Here the
river was much wider and the views were sweeping. The water was very
warm and clear. We found peace and solitude on the wilderness
beaches of this lower section.
During our journey we encountered an
abundance of plants and animals. The land adjacent to the river was
thick with vegetation. Some of the more noticeable trees were the
Sycamore, Sweet Gum and Birch. Thickets of Willows and River Cane
lined the banks as well. Ferns carpeted the forest floor and lined
the waterfalls on the bluffs. There were many vines and hanging
plants. Wildflowers colored the landscape.
Signs of mammals
were everywhere. We saw raccoons, mink, beaver, squirrels,
White-tailed Deer and elk
With the water of the Buffalo National
River being crystal clear it was if we were paddling in an aquarium.
Here is some of the fish that were present: Smallmouth,
Largemouth, and Spotted Bass, Ozark Rock Bass or "Goggle-Eye",
Longnose Gar, Buffalo Fish, Banded Sculpins, suckers, minnows and
sunfish.
 Birds were omnipresent. We observed or heard
many species including: Black Vultures, Whip-Poor-Wills, Great Blue
Herons, Green Backed Herons, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red Winged Blackbirds,
Common Grackles, Cliff Swallows, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Chimney
Swifts, Cardinals, Mockingbirds, Cuckoos, Belted Kingfishers, flycatchers
and a variety of small colorful
songbirds.
Some reptiles and amphibians we spotted along the
way included: Northern Water Snakes, turtles (Red-Eared Slider and
Spiny Soft Shelled), frogs and lizards.
Every inch of the river and
the surrounding land was occupied by some kind of insect. Crickets,
cicadas and katydids filled our outdoor amphitheater with music every day
and evening. Butterflies fed on the nectar of the wildflowers while
gnats, beetles, bees and wasps, dragonflies, moths and deerflies filled
the air. Fireflies provided us each evening with a spectacular show
of flashing lights. There were also many different types of spiders
and ticks, ticks, and more ticks.
We'd like to thank Mike Mills
from the Buffalo Outdoor Center for providing us with an outstanding
shuttle service.
The Buffalo is a popular river. We shared it
with many groups, families and individuals.
That's one of the
great things about this river, not only does it allow beginners an
enjoyable trip, it also offers challenges for even the most experienced
canoeist.
See you in the Outback!
Kevin and
Steve |
