BUFFALO RIVER - OZARK CAMPGROUND - Jan 22-24 TRIP REPORT

[Roy Staggs]

Everybody knows I'm easy and can be talked into almost anything.

[Eric Esche]

I'm sorry to post this, but I am going to punt on a Buffalo trip this weekend due to my neck.

I went out with 4 others today on Beaver lake and had to turn back after only about 3 miles as I knew I had passed my half way point and there was no good place to pull over and take some oxycontin. Took 3 of them to get me out of pain when I got back to the Suburban. We had so much wind that the chop and waves and CURRENT on the lake were making me turn my head so much that my neck was screaming at me. Was only 18" chop, but it was continuous until the last bend when we had a stretch where we were in the lee of the ridge. They were running the generators wide open to draw the lake down, so we had about a two mile per hour current against us crossing a wide point in the lake twice. Felt like paddleing against a tide on the way out, and then had the wind in our face on the way back with waves breaking over the decks. Felt bad to cut their trip short, but they would not let me paddle back by myself.

Bottom line - I do not need to drive 3 hours after unloading and re-loading gear to go camp out in the rain, even base camping right now. Rats! Also do not need to chance getting my electronic box wet (interferential nerve stimulator) as I do not have a spare, and I have to use it when I have to use it or take pain killers.

Hope y'all get sunny skies and warm temps with no wind by my not going this time. Someone else will have to bring the cookies. I baked 7 dozen peanut butter cookies for Sunday's and todays trip and was going to bake more for this weekend. Another time. Sorry to miss paddleing with y'all.

Eric

[Clif]

shhhhh. listenIs that white water calling? hmmmmm

Sorry to hear Eric. Hope ya feels better.

And PB, the Missus wil for sure be an addition to the prayer list.

[Richard]

I think Ozark is a good choice and I am thinking of going up Friday about noon. There is a creek that comes in just above Ozark on the far side that I would like to explore. My hiking days are pretty much over but I can still do short ones (I think).
The weather pattern is going to be pretty similar to what we experienced Wed nite. South winds with rain then thunderstorm followed by a wind change and cooler temps. Most of the rain will occur from dawn to noon Saturday morning.
I think I will bring a camping video. Clif Jacobson's "Forgotten Skills". And we can play around with two knots I consider essential to my canoe/camping experience.

[Shark Attack]

That's a great weather graph Richard, where does that come from?

[Richard]

Eric, we will miss you. If there is anything we can do to make it possible for you to join us, please let us know.

Wes, http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... &dd=0&bw=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ozark Campground is just off Hwy 7 north of Jasper and south of Harrison.
From Jasper look for the sign to Ozark Campground. You will turn left and go up over a hill on a gravel road. If you cross the Buffalo you have gone too far.

From Harrison on Hwy 7, after you cross the Buffalo and go up the hill look for the sign to Ozark Campground. If you come to Jasper you have gone way too far.

[painterbob]

update.. she's been moved to rehab.. and the last few days have been hard on her.the starting to walk, and move around part is kicking her butt !! and that has her depressed. so i have had my hands full this week. she made 90 steps ( about 16 ft to you and me) ....took about an hour, and she needed a nap afterwards..........but hey, since your paddling out of ozark,i might be in the need for some healing myself..

[Richard]

PB, We would love to have you join us. Even if it is just for a short time. We will be at Ozark but may not be at the usual camp area because of rain. Just circle the campground. We will be there somewhere.

I am stopping in Jasper tomorrow to see what is happening with the Marble Falls sewage problem. I will then go on to Ozark CG. I should be there no later than 5pm.

Everyone needs to be aware that water is not available but a vault toilet is. There is no camping fee until the middle of March.

[Butch Crain]

Got in late last night from working out of town a couple of days. Was sad I wouldn't make it, but hope Los Lobos will put on a great show for Sean and me in Meredian, plus I've got the thrill of my grandson's pine wood derby this morning.

Bob, sorry to hear about your wife being under the weather and glad to hear she's back on her feet for those incremental first steps. You're both in my prayers bud.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend in this great weather.

PS - hope you get better soon too Eric.

[Butch Crain]

No trip report?

[Richard]

Butch
I just typed in the trip report but it was lost because I may have taken too long and had to sign back in.

I'll try it again later after I cool down.

I HATE THIS NEW AND IMPROVED MESSAGE BOARD !!!!!!!
Progress should be in a forward direction . . . not ten steps back.
This change was clearly a case of the tail wagging the dog.

[GutIt]

Ah, the Miracle of Modern Technology, eh Richard?

I really wanted to go on this one, but I'm back to the Wild tomorrow and had to get a few ends moused before I split. Same with the NW Chapt. meeting I had to miss. I swear I am going to make the next float/meeting I am home for and then we'll all be sorry!

I did, however, send you guys some of the best vibes I could muster. It was pretty cold, crappy, and rained a lot more than we expected here at home. I had almost three inches in my gauge. Wind was blowing a Gale, and Sunday was worse, albeit a little drier.

I can't believe I missed it! That's my kind of weather!

I know when you have good folks, good fun, and in a good place, the elements seem non-existent! In fact, it kind of makes it all the better really! Probably had it all to yourselves and plenty of water. What else is there?

Several people with you, Richard (I think), that I have been gunning to meet that don't always come on every Run. Butch, who didn't make it as it turns out, Roger, Okie (Dave), Allen, Roy, just to name a few. And its been too long since I have had the pleasure of being in your company, Richard! And I miss Eric's cookies! Hope the neck is feeling better, Eric.

Since I am out at sea for periods of time, I am used to losing webbernet access. When I think it is questionable, and I have one of my long, rambling responses that goes nowhere (which is pretty much all of them!), I write it in Word, then just C&P it into my board text box! Saves me a lot of heartache! I've lost more than one useless response because I didn't! Though I am a highly trained professional, it is still pretty hard to duplicate the uselessness to the Standard to which I set for myself!

Looking forward to hearing about your weekend, Brother!

[Butch Crain]

Since there is no Buffalo trip report, I'll post a trip report of my own.

Didn't make the float because my son, Sean, convinced me a road trip to Meridian, Mississippi to see Los Lobos was the right ticket. I love that boy (he's 24, but you know what I mean) dearly - and music happens to be one of the (not few, but not many either) things we are simpatico with. The only eventful part of the drive was discovering that my last computer crash wiped out over half of my Lobos' files on iTunes so the intended warm up listening was a little inadequate. CD's and vinyl were all liberally accessed, ripped, and burned upon arriving home to rectify that problem.

My California cousins turned me on to the Lobos in the late 70s when they were still doing an occasional wedding and I've been a fan ever since, seeing them maybe a dozen times over the years. The venue in Meridian was a refurbished opera house, the Riley Center, beautiful place, but the crowd was a little, mmm, stiff. The band took it as a challenge, plucking their jarochas y guitarons y bajo sextos like Charlie Daniels wails on a fiddle (which David Hidalgo failed to play for some reason). Took an intermission and came back with the Pauls and some amperage. A few of us in the audience had a great, great time.

Afterwards, Sean and I went looking for a place to eat. At the 3rd strikeout, the owner of the coffe house told us to try the Crescent City Grill - bonus! - right across the interstate from our hotel. When we got there, I recognized a couple I had seen at the show. Small talk led to them asking us to sit with them to meet some friends they were expecting - Los Lobos!

Spent the next two hours having a few beers and listening to stories of Jerry Garcia gifting them guitars and Mike Halby ( Canned Heat) passing away after recording with them. Talked about Lil' Bob,an R&B artist from Lafayette that first performed the song "I Got Loaded" back in the fifties and who Los Lobos once hosted to play with them at the House of Blues in New Orleans. My wife and I were at that show, Bob must have been in his mid-70s and was beaming to be getting some recognition after all those years. It was way cool.

Altogether a great time, but maybe a little sad too. The guys in the band were very cordial, but you could tell they were road weary. And Sean and I don't get to spend nearly enough time together on common ground.

And the whole time I was thinking - Man, there is nothing wrong with any of us here that waking up on a gravel bar and the sound of moving water wouldn't cure. Know what I mean?

[GutIt]

I gotta say, Butch. That is one of the most unusual and interesting boating trip reports I have ever read. I especially enjoyed it since I am a Lobos/Dead/Heat fan.

Since you and Sean are now buds with them, why don’t you invite them to wake up on that gravel bar and give ‘em The Cure!

Jeez, I’d even break out the old National Tricone & Coricidan bottle if they wanted to bring some strings!

[Richard]

Terry, I have invited a concert pianist and a Branson magician to join us on the Buffalo. Both said they wanted to but neither has done it so far.