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.

10/14/2011 - Elk River

10/14/2011 - Elk River (Class I-I+), Missouri. Two day, 14mi floating and camping trip.

Starting Out:

This trip we left on Friday evening for a Friday/Saturday camping and floating excursion. Our destination was the Elk River in Missouri. The weather was gorgeous especially for this time of year. Cool but not cold, brisk air in the morning and nice temperatures throughout the day.

Traveling:

The Elk River is located in the South West corner of Missouri bordering Oklahoma and Arkansas in McDonald County. It is easy access from either state either using I-44 from the Oklahoma side or 540 in Arkansas. Highway 71 in Missouri runs right through Pineville so you'll most likely come in on that from either the North or South. We were headed to the Huckleberry Ridge Conservation Area to camp which is about 5 miles from the river just East of Pineville. It was easy to find just keep an eye out for the little brown sign that designates the area. There is a small dirt road immediately after the sign that you'll turn right on to get to a parking area near the camp sites. As far as the float access there are not many public access points on the Elk river, mostly private floats. I'm not sure if the private outfitters would allow you to put-in there or not but we decided to stick to the areas clearly marked as public access. Mt. Shira was very easy to find just to the left past Shady Beach outfitter coming from the North on Highway 59. Cowskin was also easy to find, we simply headed North on 59 to Highway 76 West then turned left (South) onto Highway 43. The access is just down a couple of miles on the right. It has a large parking area and a very nice large concrete boat ramp.

Floating:
The water level measured 3.5ft for the Elk River the few days leading up to our float trip. This is low but not especially so. The overall water level was good for this time of year (October) and we only had to get out and guide the canoe due to low water a couple of times. Compared to some rivers this is not bad at all in my opinion. The water quality was surprisingly good with very clear water. The current was a little disappointing but not unexpected considering the gradient is only 4 feet per mile on this section of the river. There are a handful of rapids, the best of which are just past the dam portage. Most of the river has a nice continuous current but there's not much in the way of rapids and there are a couple of longer sections where the water is not moving much at all. This is mainly due to the dam area which backs the river up for a good distance and forms almost a lake. The other parts are deeper and there's just not enough gradient to cause very good water flow. Over all though there are some beautiful areas and bluffs. This is not the most isolated floating so it has some different features to enjoy beside the wilderness quality you find some places. We ran across some cows who came down to the river to drink for example. This is not your typical "wildlife" but it still adds some interesting twists to a float trip. I would say the majority of this river below the Mt. Shira put-in is Class I with a couple of spots of rapids possibly Class II. There is certainly nothing more than that. The fishing looked like it might be good, we saw several fishermen who had caught some bass. Overall a fun time and we made surprisingly good time without too much serious paddling. I'd call that a win.

Camping:

The campgrounds, Huckleberry Ridge Conservation Area, are deemed "primitive" and that is no exaggeration. They are in the process of making individual camp sites and eventually it will probably be a pretty nice place but for this trip it was just an open spot in some woods with a dirt road. The area had recently been clear cut which made for some nice firewood but not the most scenic camp site. The remote quality of the area is nice and the information and map shows lots of hiking trails throughout. We found a flat spot, built a fire after some difficulty getting the damper wood to light, and enjoyed some good Dutch oven cooking.

Public Access:
The public access spots are as follows:
Elk River - Total 23.0 Miles:

• Highway 71 Bridge Access - Mile 24.5
• Mt. Shira Access - Mile 32.0 - Put-in (10/15/2011)
• Dam Portage - Mile 35.8
• Cowskin Access - Mile 45.3 - Take-out (10/15/2011)

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*

Photos:

10/14/2011 - Elk River, a set on Flickr.