Buffalo River Trail Crew HELP! (Oct 8 Gilbert) TRIP REPORT

[Cowper]

So, here's a wild card: Who has a deep cycle marine battery, and are you willing to loan it out for one day?

[Richard]

I have a battery. It has not been used in a few years. Not sure of its condition.
You can use it. I can take it to you or you can come by and get it.

I need a count by tomorrow TUESDAY
How many are going to be at Tyler Bend Friday night for Gumbo.
So far I have seven (7) Ken, Patrick, Steve S, Quinton and Clif, Louis, Richard

[Rodger K]

We'll see-ya @ Gilbert Sat morning-

[Eric Esche]

Do not count on me for dinner Friday night. I expect to be late.

Eric

[Shark Attack]

What kind of permits and runoff studies have been OK'd for this group to cut trails in the park?

[Richard]

What kind of permits and runoff studies have been OK'd for this group to cut trails in the park?

It has gone through the entire impact studies process. Ken wrote the book on the Buffalo . . . actually two. Buffalo River Country and Buffalo River Handbook. He has supervised the construction of all of the Buffalo River trail. He is a master at what he does. People come from all across the nation to build trail with him. When you float the Buffalo, you primarily have Ken along with three others to thank for waging the Battle of the Buffalo. The other three have passed on. Ken is the last of the group.[/b]

[Cowper]

Works for me. Hope I get to meet him.

PS - Got the battery thing taken care of - thanks to those who replied.

[Richard]

With Cowper there, Saturday should be velly intelesteen.

[Richard]

I will be off the computer between now and Saturday so here is where we stand.

Some of us will be camping at Tyler Bend Friday night. You are welcome to join us.

The Buffalo is very low. I repeat. The Buffalo is very low.
WE WILL MEET AT THE GILBERT ACCESS - 10AM ON SATURDAY - OCT 8

Cowper is wanting to paddle from Gilbert to Red Bluff so he will probably do that.
Rodger is going to load the remaining gear in his pickup and take it to Sand Hole where it will be moved to the river's edge.
We will then barge it by canoe from Sand Hole to Red Bluff. There is a likely water portage to deal with.
The gear will have to be moved from the river to the campsite which is located in the woods just above the gravel bar.

A riding club will be there to assist as well. Equestrian.

We are planning for seven for GUMBO Friday night. If you are not on the list and show up, you will have to wait to see what is left over. I am guessing there may be some but don't plan on it if you did not make the list.

Thank you in advance to all those who are helping to get camp set up.

Richard McFadden & Ken Smith

[Cowper]

FIELD REPORT / UPDATE from RICHARD:

They paddled the river from Gilbert down today, and found it very low, but not nearly as bad as expected. This has changed Richards plans somewhat; he now plans to paddle from Gibert down with some of the gear, and wanted me to post an update so that others wanting to float would know, IT IS A GO!

[fryingsquirrel]

They paddled the river from Gilbert down today, and found it very low, but not nearly as bad as expected. This has changed Richards plans somewhat; he now plans to paddle from Gibert down with some of the gear, and wanted me to post an update so that others wanting to float would know, IT IS A GO!

Also, I'll be tagging along with Cowper and Debbie. Got back from LA yesterday and need to see some hills again.
J. Ellwood

[Cowper]

TRIP REPORT:

Well, we went with good intentions of helping the trail crew, but ended up doing a semi-major river clean up instead. I’m hoping Ken Smith will forgive us, since his gear still got moved, and the trash really did need hauling out.

It was all Richard’s fault. First, he didn't fully load our boats with gear at Gilbert like we expected, so we started the trip with empty boats. Then, he kept saying “don’t look over there”, and every time I did I saw something else that didn’t belong in the Buffalo National River. So we filled up our boats after all.

Our haul included two large sections of that geotextile matting that washed down from Tyler Bend in a big flood several years ago, multiple tires up to road grader size, a coleman stove (no longer usable), the shell of what was probably a coke machine or refrigerator, and an old water heater which proved to be a useful training tool for giving Fryingsquirrel some good balance training.

Someone help me with names and additions, but participants included Richard, Rodger K, Louis, Eric E, Clif and Quinton, Jon, Debo, myself, and _?_ from Springfield, an Ozark Highlands trail association member that just got kidnapped into a river clean-up instead of his original mission.

Team engaged in Geotex wrestling


DeBo with some of our prizes


Go here and click "slideshow" for some more photos:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/581460615QxMPVN" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Clif]

I unintentionally brought home a few chiggers...aka redbugs. Is that removal of wildlife??? shhhh don't tell anyone.

[fryingsquirrel]

Don't tell anyone what, Cliff? I honestly couldn't even fathom the thought of anyone from our group even considering doing something that might be part of a gray area in the rulebook. Perish the thought
Jon Ellwood
Conway

[Eric Esche]

I heard Ken Smith say there was nothing to be forgiven and that thanks should be offered to all of us - that it was important to the river to have those items removed, and that he was glad that we had seen as our duty and priority to do what we did. It did not strain anyone for our not being there exactly when they were ready for us, and that we did a greater service by getting done what they could not.

I'd like to mention here that when you paddle with folks like Debo and Cowper sometimes your star doesn't get seen as much as it might, as we alway seem to get legendary trips when they are along and we have come to expect a wonderful group effort where everyone shines. Yesterday was another such trip, but I would like to recognise a superior canoeing effort by Jon Elwood. Jon will remember this trip for a long time. Jon sucessfully carried a seriously heavy and way out of center of gravity and top heavy to the max water heater on top of the canoe he paddled in gusty winds that constantly threatened him, as well as pitching in to make up for some of us cripples when the shoulder and back were needed and we could not be there. WAY TO GO JON IN PICKING UP THE SLACK and thank you for working so hard all day long. Warning - we may come to expect that of you for every trip, just like Debo and Cowper. It may not clear up any feelings about past debts and actions, but it was nice to see a positive for a change.

And a personal thanks for loaning me a shirt so I could eat dinner with y'all. I was in so much pain, I did not remember it until I was a block up the hill, and then kept driving thinking I would give it back laundered, but then decided to wait at 65 to give it to you in case it was needed sooner.

And Ken's trail group did get service from us today with two of their group and two full canoes worth of supplies being transported today down to Red Buff, from Gilbert and Sand Hole. and today it was us who had to wait as we did not shove off until after 2PM, because of waiting on their folks and supplies to arrive. I let the ones who showed up early have their pick of about 100 friendship rocks that were available at Gilbert. Lewis was able to use the time to compare various paddles and lengths and found out that his next paddle is going to be a longer Werner Bandit, in case some one out there has a longer one that they would llike to sell him.

Today the all star hero was Richard Mcfadden, as Richard ran shuttle for everyone several times, went looking for the lost, and then carried in all the supplies to the river's edge at Sand Hole all by himself. Too many trips up and down steep hills and over gravel bars for someone in his condition, but somehow he managed it and was very red in the face from the effort. I could tell that he had had to drag at least one of the big commercial coolers over the sand part of the trail. He also saved Lewis and I from having to bring another canoe back upsteam, by walking down to Red Bluff.

Great weekend and I feel lucky to just have been able to be there for both days of it.

Now I hope to get to paddle Oct 16th through 20th on Lewis's planned week of rivers - including the Jack's Fork and the Current river and maybe the Spring, all 3 of which I have been wanting to run. Should be a great river trip. I will loan Lewis one of my Bandits for the trip if he is not able to find one by then.

Eric Esche