Realistic BR multi-day float trip

[BikePaddler_74]

Looking for a realistic multi-day Buffalo River float trip. Really wanted to go from Boxley bridge to Buffalo Point. We did something similiar in college, just can't remember specifics! I guess I mostly need advice on just how far we can get in 6-7 days with about 6 hours paddling each day. 100 miles doesn't seem that far!!!!! We are looking at late March time period. Any advice/tips would be greatly appreciated.

Cody

[painterbob]

paddling down from boxley with a fully loaded camping canoe is'nt realistic!.. ( but i think you mean the ponca bridge!) a safer put in would be kyles or eurbie, more to the end of the whitewater runs,.... the river flows about 2 1/2 miles per hour as a rule. and with a good water level you should be able to make it. you can get fresh water in a few camp grounds along the way ..kyles, eurbie, ozark, carver, tyler bend,are a few. no camping at all at pruit ,and hasty. hope this helps you out!!!!

[Richard]

Less miles is better. Make it a relaxing enjoyable trip. Maybe even a layover day along the way. Expand the number of days . . . not the miles.

As Painter Bob suggested, base camping is the way to go on the upper river above Pruitt. That way your gear stays dry in camp while you enjoy the river. Below Pruitt is where the gravel bars get progressively better and that is where you want to start living out of your canoe.

[Fish]

If you put on at Boxley when the water's about 5 feet over the Ponca bridge, you can probably cover the 100 miles in about 12 hrs. If you get an early start, you won't need to bring a tent. :-)

Seriously, don't try that at home... When the level is about 12 to 15 inches under the Ponca bridge, you should average about 2 mph with only moderate paddling through the pools. A reasonable day on the river is about 6 hrs of paddling. So, 12 miles per day ought to be a reasonable pace. 18+ miles per day is paddling your butt off. <8 miles per day gives you lots of time to hike, swim, and fish - which is mostly the point of a good trip I think. I've done 26 miles in one day on the Buffalo before, which would get you down 100 miles in 4 days, but I damn sure wouldn't do it again!

- Fish

[Eztouche]

The Ozark Society, the organization primarily responsible for creation of BNR, usually has a 5 day June trip. My past experience causes me to say simply "outstanding" .
Great people, great food, well organized. The members have decades of outdoor adventures all over the world to share as well as expertise in the flora, fauna, and history of this magic river. I think the cost has been $125-$150 which includes food and shuttle to the take-out on the White River.

http://www.ozarksociety.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jrayinpk]

My Dad and a friend ran the Hailstone down to the White last year. The headwaters to Boxley was run in a raft--and from Boxley on in a very well heavy canoe.

It is my understanding that they did not resupply along the route and the entire trip took 9 days-hope that helps!

[Richard]

My Dad and a friend ran the Hailstone down to the White last year.

I think a detailed trip report is in order. There is building interest to do a similar trip this spring (less Hailstone) and a trip report would be a great help.

[RandyJ]

My Dad and a friend ran the Hailstone down to the White last year.

I think a detailed trip report is in order. There is building interest to do a similar trip this spring (less Hailstone) and a trip report would be a great help.

I agree on the trip report! Always wanted to do the whole boatable river in one trip - Hailstone to White River, in the same boat, just add the overnight gear at Boxley. Always wondered who all has ever done that, too...

[Richard]

And I would start at Boxley and add basic overnight gear at Ponca. I would pick up the rest of the gear at Pruitt.

[Stan]

I strongly recommend keeping up to date on the weather forecasts during an extended trip. The Buffalo River frequently flash floods. In March 2008 it rose 40 (yes FORTY) feet overnight. The Weather Service predicted flooding several days in advance. Each year the Buffalo has significant if less spectacular water rises.

Last year I paddled the 100 miles from Pruitt to the White River in 7 days. I used my weather radio to check the forecast daily. (I had reception –sometimes weak – for the entire trip.) I had originally planned an 8 day trip but shortened it when rain was predicted,

I also recommend selecting a campsite that has an “escape” route. If the river does come up, then boat and gear can be pulled up & away from the water. Camping beneath a bluff is NOT a good idea. I also keep my canoe close to my tent. Rain upstream may cause the river to rise. More than one paddler has awakened (after a supposedly dry night) to find their canoes gone.

"Stan" (AKA Margaret Bartelt)

[Allen Rittman]

Stan is Oooooooooooo…….so right about an escape route. You can page back to last April or May on this message board and read “My Stupid Buffalo Story”. I spent a tense few minutes on the river with the water rising. And I was about 4 vertical feet above the river with a weather radio and really good radar on my iPhone and it still happened. I was lucky I think there were over a dozen folks on the river that night that lost all their gear and their boats. So like Stan said camp up high on a rock bar and have a way out.

I have made several multi day trips on the Buffalo and I have found that camping in a park service camp ground is best on the upper end above Pruitt. You can usually make it from Ponca to Kyles in a day and camp there and in another day to Ozark after that the river opens up to many more rock bars to camp on. There are rock bars on the upper you can camp on but they are small and close to the water. So if the river is falling and no rain in the forcast your relatively safe. But I can’t even begin to explain what it’s like to wake up with a foot of running water under your tent. And I would suggest attaching a rope from your boat to a tree to keep it safe overnight. Make sure it is a tree you can get to if the water comes up so make sure it is on high ground.

[okieboater]

Add me to the Allen Rittman beware of rising waters experience.

On a trip to Lower Canyons Rio Grande, we had stopped for the night on a pretty wide gravel bar. There was a maybe ten plus foot bank some 30 or so feet away from waters edge.

We set up a table, stoves chairs etc on the gravel bar for cooking dinner. We did put our tents on the hi bank.

We had tents spread out along the bank. Me and Bob Stout were in his bomb proof big tent pretty much even with the gravel bar kitchen. The canoes were pulled out of the water onto the gravel bars and tied to some big rocks.

Some time in the AM, I heard rushing water and decided to get out and check the boats. Water was over the gravel bar knee deep and the canoes were bobing up and down. The trail down to the gravel bar was close to Bruce Bird's tent and as I went by I hollered to him the water was up. I waded out and made a grab for the painters of the two upper parked canoes and to my surprise the ropes came free in my hands. Current had untied the knots and only the friction from rocks piled on top of the painters were holding both boats. Bruce meanwhile waded out and got the other canoe. We pulled all three boats up to the bank and tied them off. Then made a mad dash to get all the cooking gear, table, chairs etc off the gravel bar on the bank. Ended up only loosing one of my tan army water cans. Bruce and I sat in our rescued chairs for maybe an hour and it looked like the water had peaked. I ran a long line from the canoe tie ins to my paco pad. Bob slept thru the entire deal.

Like Allen, this incident made quite a impression on me. Don't laugh too much if you see me and Allen camping pretty hi up on future Buffalo Floats. Once warned, makes you pretty much cautious.

I know of one GC trips where multiple rafts floated off sand stakes. And again using sand stakes, one I was on where we were eating dinner when the sand bar collapsed big time and one raft floated off (retrieved in the eddy before going down stream) So now even when using a sand stake, I run another how ever long it takes rope up to either a tree or a deadman post way above expected water level.

[Richard]

GOOD ADVICE WORTH HEEDING.

Also, if you see the river rise and begin to turn brown, it will soon be much, much higher.

Please Note: I was not on any of those trips

[Clif]

You tryin to induce some bad vibes there, Richard?? :shock:

[Richard]

You tryin to induce some bad vibes there, Richard??

Dog gone it Clif. . . No one was suppose to find out just how jealous I am that they were there and I wasn't.
Clif is a spoil sport . . . na nana na na.