3/30/2012 - Kings River

3/30/2012 - Kings River (Class I-II), Arkansas. Two day, 11mi floating trip.

Starting Out:

We left our house at approximately 6:30a.m. headed for the Kings River Outfitters. Our intention was to have the outfitter drive us to the put-in at Marble and float back down to the outfitter on Sunday (day 3) but we ended up having the outfitter pick us up at Marshall Ford on the second morning due to trouble with an overloaded canoe. We still saw some great country and had some fun despite the challenges. Our original plan was 35mi in 3 days.

Traveling:
From the West, Tulsa, OK area it's about 3 hours to the Kings River Outfitters. It's an easy drive if you take 412 East like you're going to Eureka Springs, AR.

From the North, Springfield, MO area, it's about 2 hours, mostly due South on either Hwy 65 or MO-13 towards Berryville, AR.

From the South, Fort Smith, AR area, it's a little over 2 hours, mostly North on highway 49 until you connect to 412 East like you're going to Eureka Springs, AR.

Floating:

Water Level	River Conditions
2'	Slow moving, dragging, not floatable.
2'-3'	Slow moving, dragging.
3'-4'	Slower moving, good floating everywhere.
4'-5'	Good floating everywhere.
4.81'	Good current, good floating everywhere.

The river was clear and flowing well when we put in at Marble. It was beautiful weather with just the right combination of sunshine, cloud cover, cool water, and warm air. It's been an unusually warm spring for the area so good floating started early this season.

The water level was 4.81' with recent rainfall.

This is a great class I+ river to float with some beautiful country but be careful of downed trees and the second portage over the low water bridge from Marble is really dangerous.

Public Access:
The public access spots are as follows:
Kings River - Total 82.5 Miles:

• AR74 Bridge - Mile 0.0
• Boatright Creek - Mile 7.6
• Marble Public Access - Mile 13.4 (Put-in 3/30/2012)
• Marshall Ford - Mile 24.7 (Take-out 3/31/2012)
• Rockhouse - Mile 40.4
• Trigger Gap Landing - Mile 48.1 (Intended Take-out 4/1/2012)
• McMullen Farm - Mile 52.8
• US 62 Bridge - Mile 61.0
• Grandview - Mile 66.3
• Stoney Point - Mile 73.6
• Romp Hole - Mile 78.5
• MO 86 Bridge - Mile 82.5

Gear:
Some of the more important gear we used:

• Canoe - Old Town Expedition (Discovery 169 re-badge for Bass Pro)
• We were way too weighted down with 3 adults and 3 days worth of gear
• Map

Photos:

2/4/2012 - Illinois River

2/4/2012 - Illinois River (Class I-I+), Oklahoma. Single day, 11mi floating trip.

Starting Out:

We left our house at approximately 6:45a.m. to meet a buddy for breakfast outside Tahlequah, OK. We were planning to shuttle our canoe back and forth from the take out to the put in so we decided to follow each other to help keep things together. I had not taken out at this spot before (Todd PA) but found it easily on Google maps beforehand. Fortunately the put in (Edmondson PA) was familiar and with the river being up we had no trouble meeting up with the group at the half way point (No Head Hollow PA).

Traveling:

The Illinois River is located just east of Tahlequah, OK off highway 10. It is very easy to get to and is paved up to all put-ins/take-outs. From the North you'll take I44 to Highway 69 to Muskogee and then over to Highway 10 or the Muskogee Turnpike near Muskogee and over to Highway 10. From East in Arkansas you could take either Highway 412 to Highway 10 or I40 to the Muskogee Turnpike and over to Highway 10. However you get there it's a nice drive and the river is well worth the efforts. 

Floating:

Water Level	River Conditions
2'	Slow moving, some dragging.
2'-3'	Slow moving, minimal drag.
3'-4'	Slower moving, good floating everywhere.
4'-5'	Good floating everywhere.
5.5'	Good current, good floating everywhere.
6.0'	Strong current, be careful if you are inexperienced.

The river was clear and flowing well. It was cold and overcast when we put in but that just made for an unique look for the river. The fog and slight drizzle did not dampen our spirits and we got to see and enjoy a beauty on this river I hadn't seen before. The river definitely has a different look in February than it does in the dog days of summer. I would encourage anyone interested to take the necessary precautions and float this river any time during the year, not just the spring/summer months.

The water level was right at 5.5' and with some recent rain in the area the water flow was significant. The first  5.3 miles of our trip flew by with our average speed of 4.1MPH. It almost seems like a different river in these conditions. By the next day the rain had washed down the river to the part we were floating which raised the water level to almost 7' which was somewhat dangerous because the water was extremely murky and at that level a lot of objects such as trees and rocks are covered and barely visible until you run right up on them.

Overall I would say this is a great class I-I+ river to float, very easy, enjoyable, and scenic. We've seen all sorts of wildlife including bald eagles, hawks, and even a beaver. Bring your camera or video camera, there's lots of opportunity for some wonderful pictures.

Public Access:
The public access spots are as follows:
Illinois River - Total 65.4 Miles:

• Watts Public Access - Mile 0.0
• US Hwy. 59 Bridge Public Access - Mile 3.1
• Carnes Ford Public Access - Mile 10.4
• Chewey Bridge - Mile 23.6
• Round Hollow Public Access - Mile 27.7
• Stunkard Public Access - Mile 28.0
• Peavine Public Access - Mile 32.4
• Combs Bridge - Mile 36.1
• Edmondson Public Access - Mile 36.2 (Put-in 2/4/2012)
• No Head Hollow Public Access - Mile 41.5
• Todd Public Access - Mile 47.0 (Take-out 2/4/2012)
• Elephant Rock Nature Park - Mile 50.0
• Echota Public Access - Mile 53.2
• Hwy. 51/62 Bridge - Mile 55.1
• Riverside Park Public Access - Mile 55.3
• Murrell Home Road Public Access - Mile 62.0

Gear:
Some of the more important gear we used:

• Canoe - Old Town Expedition (Discovery 169 re-badge for Bass Pro)
• Rain coat (Staying dry is a top priority)
• Stocking hat (hey it's Feb after all!)
• Map

Photos:

2/4/2012 - Illinois River, a set on Flickr.

10/28/2011 - Greenleaf State Park and Lake

10/28/2011 - Greenleaf State Park, Oklahoma. Three day, lake floating and camping trip.

Starting Out:

This trip we left on Friday evening for a Friday/Saturday/Sunday camping and lake floating trip. We had decided to try a multi-night, multi-day camping trip and what better place than the beautiful park and lake Greenleaf. I would highly recommend to everyone considering a multi-night trip to make a checklist of items you wish to take so you don't forget anything as we did. It was not the end of the trip because we met some friends who were able to fill in where we left out but that may not always be the case.  Better to be prepared and we have since changed our practice of throwing everything we "think" we need in the car to going down the list and verifying that we do have it all.

Traveling:
Greenleaf State Park is located just south of Tahlequah, OK on highway 10 near Braggs, OK. It is very easy to get to and is paved throughout. From the North you'll take I44 to Highway 69 to Muskogee and then over to Highway 10 or the Muskogee Turnpike near Muskogee and over to Highway 10. From East in Arkansas you could take either Highway 412 to Highway 10 or I40 to the Muskogee Turnpike and over to Highway 10. Anyway it's a nice drive and the park is well work the efforts.

Floating:
We didn't do a lot of floating because it was relatively windy and it's a lake you typically paddle around on whereas a river you are heading downstream. However we did check out a nice camping spot off some hiking trails on the other side of the lake from the campgrounds. This offers an exciting opportunity to paddle across the lake to a shore only accessible via a 6-8mi hike or a short paddle across the lake to Mary's Cove. The lake is very scenic and the paddling is easy enough except when the wind is really up or other larger boats are making larges waves. The water level was down about a foot from earlier in the year but it didn't cause any issues boating only beaching the canoe to get out and take a look around the shore. That firm looking ground was actually a couple feet deep of mud. We managed although one of our party ended up with some nasty mud caked on their legs. Later in the afternoon on Saturday when the wind died down some we paddled across to "Vulture Island" which with the water being down was actually more of a peninsular. Here we looked around to try and determine why the dozens and dozens of vultures land on this tiny outcropping of land off the lake's shore. I still do not know why but it makes for an interesting feature. We also took the opportunity to paddle down some shoreline and stop and cut some dead and dry firewood. This was easily hauled back to our campsite in the center of our canoe and allowed for even more fun and excitement around the camp fire. We found some cherry wood that burned extremely hot for a really long time.

Camping:

The campgrounds at Greenleaf are many and diverse. With three distinct areas to the park you can go up on the hill to Gobbler Ridge which is the single largest area including water and electric spots, Cypress Row down towards the water for spots with water and electric, or down Deer Run that has full water, sewer, and electrical hookups. We chose the camper spots near the water since some of our crew had a camper and we had two canoes we planned on getting onto the water. That made the most sense for us but the views of the lake are really worth seeing from Cypress Row regardless of if you actual plan on getting into or on the water.

The overnight low on Friday was right at freezing so it was a little cold in the tent but we piled on an extra blanket and stayed warm enough to sleep. Black powder season open meant early in the morning we heard shots from a distance that were not loud enough to wake you up but noticeable if you were already up or a light sleeper. The area ended up being more crowded than expected since we were late getting there and the weather has been so nice this late into the year. We found a spot in the middle, I believe it was R13, that gave us plenty of room since the spots immediately around us were not taken and we could see the water from our site. It was not that far of a walk carrying the canoes to the water from here so we liked it and considering our available options it turned out well. I really think the next time we will plan on no campers and haul our gear across the lake to Mary's Cove and use one of the two trail camp sites there. It's much less crowded being more or less in the woods and only two spots near each other. It also has the added challenges of no water or electric and no facilities so that might not appeal to everyone.

Public Access:
The public access spots are as follows:
Greenleaf Lake - Total Shoreline 18.0 Miles:

• There is a concrete boat ramp at Cypress Row
• There is a doc near Cypress Row that allows for large motor boat put-ins

Gear:
Some of the more important gear we used:

• Canoe - Old Town Expedition (Discovery 169 re-badge for Bass Pro)
• Tent - Eureka Tetragon 8
• Airbed/Sleeping Mat - Coleman Queen Airbed (thus the large tent!)
• Sleeping Bag(s) - Eureka Sandstone 30*, Coleman Brazos 30*
• Lantern - Coleman gas lantern on 30" "tree" from a 20lb propane bottle

Photos:

10/28/2011 - Greenleaf State Park and Lake, a set on Flickr.