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

[Richard]

Well, when it is all said and done there are those that do and those who don't when the weather becomes an issue. So what if the wind was going to blow your socks off. So what if the rain was going to come down in torrents. So what if it was going to be cold.

Those that do were Roy, Allen and Richard. Oh and . . . uh . . . well, we will get to her in a moment.
Those that don't were . . .
OK OK . . . several had very legit excuses. And for them here finally is the trip report - second edition.

When I got to Ozark, Roy and Allen were already set up and enjoying the surroundings. Daylight was quickly fading so I quickly. . . scratch that . . . I am incapable of quickly . . . I got my weekend abode set up. I don't remember what the others had for supper but mine was Wendy's baked potato and chili.

Because the weather could be a factor we determined right away that flexibility was the operative word for the weekend. And we had a backup plan. Show and Tell.

And now for the first part of Show and Tell. None of us was cramped for space as you can see. Comparing these three would be like comparing apples and oranges so we will call it a three way tie. (but because I am the writer of this tale, I must say, mine was best.)
[attachment=2]-1 Ozark camp.JPG[/attachment]

Roy and Allen both brought rain flys and I figured the PahaQue could handle us as well. The winner we all decided was Allen with his MSR fly but the thing that impressed me most was Roy's Black Diamond lantern. Surprisingly bright for such a small package. See inset. I gotta have one. Just a sec. Ordered!
[attachment=1]-2 Roy under MSR parawing.JPG[/attachment]

We had the campground to ourselves until well after dark when some vehicles pulled in. Our thoughts were not exactly the best but to our amazement they were pretty quiet. It must be the nature of those that do when the weather isn't suppose to be nice.

We all turned in fairly early with the understanding that the last one up in the morning was the winner. . . or at least was not the loser.

I guess its time in the "show and tell" to talk about how we slept. Roy said he got too warm. I got too cold. Allen slept just right.
Next time I will bring something rated below 50º

Saturday morning I thought I had done an outstanding job of sleeping in. The others were even more outstanding. I decided to take a short walk past the neighbors and down the trail a bit. Neighbors were from Harrison. A father and his two daughters and two dogs. He had lost his wife just two months ago. Very nice people.

I thought it might be nice to paddle from Erbie to Ozark but Allen had his ipod with him and he showed us the line of weather headed our way so we opted to stay in camp. As an alternative we decided to go into Jasper for a late lunch-early supper. Roy said the place on Hwy 74 just west of Hwy 7 was the way to go. It was closed. There are those that do and those that don't when the weather is not . . . Oh, I already said that. Lunch was excellent at the Ozark Cafe.

We then continued our laid-back and relaxing conversation. Roy and I discussed the possibility of attending Canoecopia this year. The hot topic however was what to do about the Marble Falls sewage discharge. Roy suggested conversion to individual composting systems. I found out later from Scott Moore, whose job it is to approve such things, that the lots are too small.

While in town Roy picked up a steak for supper. Allen already had one sitting in camp. I opted out as I was in stress from overeating. Allen wanted to show us his BBQ grill. Another winner. It folds up when not being used and does a great job. I should have taken a picture. And Roy's lantern continued to glow bright. The ambiance it provided was amazing.

Same rules applied for Sunday morning and once again I expected to be the winning sleeper but as I recall I came in third. That's despite being cozy warm having placed ski pants and an parka over the sleeping bag. Roy has a very light and compact inflatable sleeping pad but I still like my cot, pad combo.
[attachment=0]-3 Ski Pants and Parka added to sleep gear.JPG[/attachment]

What a view to awake to. I like my system.
Ooops! this new and better message board allow only three attachments - I'll have to upload the rest to webshots.
Be Back soon.

So I decided to take another short hike. This time I went in the other direction. The Buffalo River Trail skirts Ozark and accessing it is easy.

- See Webshots http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/576594352SDsncI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is when I had my encounter with the Ponca Monsta. Hard to take a clear picture while turning around to take the picture on a dead run. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

- See Webshots http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/576594352SDsncI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Roy discovered during the camp out that his "Slim Jim" is obsolete. As part of the show and tell, I decided to lock my keys in the Subaru. After a marathon attempt Roy finally gave up and offered to take me up the hill so I could call AAA. I of course deliberately left my phone in the car while cleverly keeping my wallet with me so I could make the call . . . on his phone. Calling AAA is an adventure of its own. How do you convince someone who obviously had never been out of St Louis that the campground would be easy to find and my Subaru would be easily spotted. I never could explain to her understanding that the campground was not located in a town. After repeating the directions to her several times and her saying it was on Hwy 65E (yes E for east), I asked that I be patched thru to the driver. He was from Harrison and immediately understood where we were and my only concern was, if Roy couldn't, could he? For Subaru owners there is hope. When he arrived he showed us something new. He said it occasionally caused windows to break but thankfully that did not happen so no pictures to show.

And now. Just for Butch. Since we didn't get on the river, the next best thing was the woods. Trees are wonderfully amazing. Even in the winter when they are only seen by those who do.

- See Webshots http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/576594352SDsncI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BTW, while the wind was not nearly as bad as predicted we were ready. Tie down ropes were so plentiful you could hardly get to things. We had rain but we stayed dry. We were surprised to see the river rise. It must have rained a lot more upstream than at Ozark. I love that campground in the winter when the weather keeps most people away. It pays to be one of those who do.

And last but not least . . . a picture of those who did . . . including a very good Ponca. What a perfect name for a great dog.
- See Webshots http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/576594352SDsncI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[okieboater]

A couple questions:

Did the canoes get in the river?

What is the name of that monster tan tent?

Sounds like a great way to enjoy the rainy weekend.

[lbaker]

Great report Richard,
Thanks for sharing!!

[MikeBeebe]

Excellent trip report and pictures. Looks like some of us missed a great weekend.

Mike

[Allen Rittman]

We missed you MAN! And No Dave we did not put not one boat in the water. It was a disgusting display of killer camp and canoe gear and great stories. I’m not sure how many stories we told but I bet my dog can tell a few now. Dave the tent I think you’re talking about is Roy’s MSR Mutha Hubba HP I think, if it’s the rain fly that’s an MSR outfitter wing. We had a good fire Friday night but we had a great fire Saturday night. Even with the rain and a little cold it was a great weekend. And after being hemmed up in the house since before Christmas it was nice to get out with old and new friends alike.

[GutIt]

Nice write-up Richard! Sorry I missed that one. Just goes to show that you don’t necessarily have to put in to have a good time of it.

Excellent diversionary tactic on your part by locking the keys in! I was impressed! And here I thought I was the only one who did that!

Man, that’s about the time you wish that Branson magician had showed up after all!

And by the way, your photos are looking good, man