Fisher's Ford Road Siloam Access - Comment

[Don Harwood]

I would think that the guilty party are pretty young and more dedicated to being goobers than they are to paddling.
We out grew playing on construction equipment when we were teens. :myday"

[Roger]

Common sense says stay away from equipment like that regardless of location. Age has nothing to do with common sense. Look at those "Scout" leaders who tipped over the balanced rock out west.

Hopefully, I would think the county would put some official signage indicating legal access point to avoid problems with those who were new to the area.

[paddledog]

The road is "closed" starting 1/4 mile before the ford.
However, anyone climbing on equipment may not be able to read.
This is the main method of communication for paddlers. If you know
of another place to post/communicate let me know and I will work
on that also. Or feel free to keep another message board or group
of paddlers updated.

[Charles1967]

I agree the simplest option is to just ask for "south only" access. It might help to post that route on some boards. Some of the folks I met last weekend ended up on the North side just because they couldn't find the south route, because many who have visited 'old Ford' never knew the other. Of course, they are a very understanding group [contractors] to boaters and have always left those road blocks staggered for that reason I believe. I blew the whistle because it was kayakers, in kayak gear, climbing the crane. Acting like a bunch of...ya'know...can-floaters.
And yes...more investigation told me they were most likely 'students'...as they described themselves [to my resident friend] as "living in Bentonville/Rogers, but going to school in Fayetteville". I was at least that stupid when I was in college, except I would have gotten 25 feet up the crane...peed myself...and required a public servant to peel me off at the end of a ladder truck.
Yesterday I noticed they had the road block on the North 'fully' engaged, but I'm guessing because there was fresh cement 'around' the parking lot curbs. Don't worry, I wrote a long message in the fresh cement letting the contractor know the ACC was watching the site for them. [hehe...yes, that was a joke for the slow boaters]

Stay wet.

[paddledog]

I agree the simplest option is to just ask for "south only" access. It might help to post that route on some boards.

Here is a map that comes from HWY 16 to the south side.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.1338 ... m0!1m0!3e0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are routes that are a bit shorter but a lot more dirt road.
This is the route I have used for years......

[ARzach]

The road is "closed" starting 1/4 mile before the ford.
However, anyone climbing on equipment may not be able to read.
This is the main method of communication for paddlers. If you know
of another place to post/communicate let me know and I will work
on that also. Or feel free to keep another message board or group
of paddlers updated.

Climbing on equipment is just illegal, no argument there. Anybody caught in the act deserves what they get, imho. The acts mentioned by the OP are not being debated as OK, so far as I can tell, but it calls out a potential access issue that I thought it would be worth checking into. Although the angry "I'll kick your butt if you mess this up" comments are also extremely helpful, at the very least entertaining...

My only concern is that we can't reach everyone via the web. I haven't been to the North side since the project began, sounds like it's forcefully closed off at present with barriers.

If the barriers get moved again, it would probablly be good to ensure there is some sort of signage directing river access to the South side for those who haven't caught the info elsewhere.

Steve, you do a great job of spreading the word, I'm too old to know which boards the kiddies frequent these days :myday" . Thanks for all of your diplomacy to date!



--Zach

[Joe Purdy]

Ok, so count me in as a bloomin' idiot!
I brought my 3 yr old, my wife and my 6 month old (in a backpack) and we took a trip to the Ford on Sunday. It was a beautiful day and I just wanted to see the place first hand because I can't seem to get out of the house much these days and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to let Brendan see some "pretty boats" and maybe witness some carnage in the hole at a gnarly level.
Well, I parked on the Siloam side and If someone asked me to put my hand on the bible and swear that I didnt see a No Trespassing sign, I would do it every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Not only that, but I took a shortcut through a gated community to shave off some distance. (that part was on purpose).

In any case, there must have been 40 people there on that side in about 15 cars. It was about 1500 when we arrived and I was following a car with boats, who was also following another car so maybe if I had been in the lead, I would haave noticed the Keep Out signs.
I am pleased to say that everyone there was behaving themselves. There was a group of young'uns :myday" there from JBU and I think the were having a picnic at one of the tables. There were about 8-9 paddlers in various stages of either dressing/undressing/ paddling and probably another 5-6 just sitting on the concrete peninsulas catching some rays.

Brendan had a ton of fun throwing rocks into the water and so it was a success. This place is fantastic and I can't wait until May 10 to visit again, only this time with my boat.
I'll use the normal route from Nicodemus until the bridge is built.

Any word on the completion date for the bridge? Will it be ready by May 10 as well?