Middle Buffalo

[deakin]

I'm wanting to start a 5 day trip this Sunday and I'm trying to figure out what the water is going to do. I'm coming from Houston so it'll take the better part of day just to get to North Arkansas. I'm looking at the Buffalo and the Kings river.

My question is, what is the middle Buffalo like at "moderate" flows? (If I put in at Ponca and take out around Gilbert.) I'm going to be in a pretty fully loaded solo 16' canoe so class I and easy II's are about all I'm going to want to see. I'm worried that the Kings might have tons of trees and strainers when the water goes down. I hate being first one through...:) I know I can do the lower Buffalo but I've paddled that before.

Any suggestions?

[Jaytee]

If you are at all concerned about handling that fully loaded canoe in rapids in the Class II range, why not play it safe and put in at Pruitt? You'll avoid the river's trickiest rapids and also have better camping options for your first night assuming you are looking for wilderness/gravel bar camping.

[Lupe]

A similar idea to that suggested above, is you could camp at Kyles your first night when you get to Arkansas. Leave your camp set up and take only your day essentials, and drive up to put in at Ponca (or drive up and arrange with one of the outfitters to run your shuttle). You can then paddle from Ponca back to Kyles without the load, and that would let you run the most rapids without a load. Once you get back to Kyles, you could either spend the night again, or pack up your camp and load the canoe and just go a bit further downriver to a gravel bar for your next night on the river. Even at moderate flows all you'll find is class I/II water...your hardest (and most dangerous "rapids" will be trees/debris along outside of curves. As long as you feel pretty good about your ability to set an angle and hug the inside of those curves, you shouldn't have any trouble navigating those even with a loaded canoe. Should be a fantastic trip!

[deakin]

Play it safe? Hmmmm, doesn't really sound like me... Learn fast is more my usual way of doing things. I'm going to be in an Old Town Appalachian so I really *shouldn't* have any trouble in class II. Tree strainers are always going to scare the crap out of me no matter what I'm in though.

I don't want to put in at Pruitt because there are some things I want to take pictures of in that first section. I'm an amateur photographer and want to get a shot of the waterfall at Hemmed-in-hollow. Besides, coming from Texas I don't get a shot at running that part of the river very often.

I guess I just wanted to know what the river is going to be like compared to the lower section. I'm just going to have to suck it up and find out for myself....:) Thanks for the suggestions and insight, who knows what I'll do Sunday when I put my money on the counter....:) I'm sure the outfitter will have a lot of insight by then.

David

[deakin]

Well after talking to Ernie it looks like I'm going to change my mind and do the Kings again. There's an upper section I did get to do and I just really like the Kings for some reason. Maybe the bald eagles are still there....
I'll have to hit the upper Buffalo next spring break if there's water.

[wood stick paddler]

I would highly recommend starting at Ponca Then camp set up at Kyles
Landing, the waterfalls will be spectacular, especially Hemed in Hollow
don't miss the hike to Granny Hendersons cabin either from Jims bluff
a must do, the kings is nice but that section of the Buffalo is stunning
just gorgeous, I would leave camp setup at yles for two nights and get to hwy 7 before loading up all gear in boat
weather, water is perfec. Don't wait another year
Jeff in Fayetteville

[wood stick paddler]

The Eagles are usually gone by mid March, go n February if u want
to see a bunch, Ernie is a great guy but if you've done kings before
the upper buffalo from Ponca down simply us as good as it gets
so good you will run that section over and over again for years,
I have done it for 20 plus years now and ooooh and ahhhhh
at the scenery more now than the first time

[wood stick paddler]

Be sure to stop and eat at Ozark Cafe in Jasper, down home
country cooking especially good if u can Get to the Sunday buffet

[deakin]

I know that no one is probably going to understand but the attraction I have to the Kings (besides Ernie being a great guy) is that my cell phone doesn't work on the Kings. It does work on the Buffalo. It forces me to relax and not worry about anything.
Even though I've done the Kings there is a section I can do that I couldn't last time and there's another section I did my first day last time that I didn't really get to enjoy because it was the first "whitewater" I ever went through. I know the Ponca run is gorgeous but this time the Kings is calling my name. So unless I call Ernie Saturday and get waved off that's where I'm headed.

Thanks for all the input though!

[Deuce]

Your celly works on the Buffy? Make one of us.

[deakin]

The only time it didn't work was the last section before I got on the White...I guess it's good if you want to be safe but I really just wanted the world to go away for a week!
I keep telling people, one of these days I'm not coming back...:)