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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Group Forum: Other Canoe Camping Locations Current or Buffalo? |
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04/07/2010 07:03AM
Hey folks,
We car considering a week canoe-camping trip on either the Current River (MO) or the Buffalo (AR) River. I have alot of time on the Current ove the last 20 years, but not the Buffalo.
Anyone like to comment on their preference or contrast the two probable trips?
We like to camp on gravel bars, not at regular campgrounds. I do have guidebooks for both rivers, looking for osme first hand experience...
humm?
"Opening a bottle of wine in a canoe is a desirable, but irrational act."
02/08/2011 07:06AM
august or september; May is always "whitewater month". we do a long weekend at the NOC, paddle the nantahala a bunch, little t, tuck', whatever has water in it. Good class II-III stuff.
Still pondering the question tho
hummm?
"Opening a bottle of wine in a canoe is a desirable, but irrational act."
02/09/2011 07:02AM
We always do the Current the last (4-day) weekend in October with 25 friends, but stay in a camp. We'd like to spend a whole week working our way down the current to see places we've never been and do some canoe-camping on those great gravel bars. Then someone said, "You ought to try the Buffalo..." and the confusion started.
hummm?
"Opening a bottle of wine in a canoe is a desirable, but irrational act."
02/18/2011 09:25AM
OK, the long May BW trip might be falling through due to timing.
Anyone know what the Buffalo would be like in late April? Will it be warm there yet? River too high in places? Anyone got the scoop?
Anyone know what the Buffalo would be like in late April? Will it be warm there yet? River too high in places? Anyone got the scoop?
Wherever there is a channel for water, there is a road for the canoe. -Thoreau
02/20/2011 05:02PM
april is a great time to be on the buffalo. however, keep your eye on the weather and the river gauges, as the water can be high. should be shirtsleeve weather during the day, and a light jacket in the evening. a great time to be out.
04/01/2011 09:49PM
we just paddled the buffalo the second week of march. actually the water was very low until a very powerful thunderstorm changed that. then the water was a bit higher than expected. weather was iffy but if you are coming down from minnesota it was no problem.
04/02/2011 08:13AM
river level on the buffalo is very sensitive to rain. low and slow can rapidly turn to high and fast with a rainstorm upstream of you. friends that i trip with woke up to water coming in their tent one night after a storm upstream of them. they were several feet above the river when they went to sleep. always keep an eye on the weather, place your camp higher on the gravel bar than you think you need to, tie your canoe as well as bring it up out of the water, and lastly, having done the above, don't worry too much about it and enjoy the adventure. i'm heading to the buffalo in about 11 days.
04/24/2011 07:36AM
back from a 125 mile trip on the buffalo. put in at ponca and took out at riley's landing just across the white river from the mouth of the buffalo. water level was good to high and we averaged from 4.5 mph to 9 mph on our trip. mix of storms and clear weather. temps from the upper 30's a couple of nights to the mid 80's a couple of days and everything in between. we took it easy and only paddled about 4 hrs a day, enjoying the gravel bar life otherwise. high water made the rapid at clabber creek sporty, but made it through with the open side of the canoe upright and dry inside. wave trains over the shoals were a bit higher than i've seen in the past, but no problem to navigate. lots of wildlife seen including elk, deer, otter, beaver, mink, and groundhog. lots of migrating and resident birds seen throughout the trip including, but not limited to bald eagles, osprey, great blue herons, green herons, blue wing teal, wood ducks, ovenbirds, louisiana waterthrush, hooded warbler, parula, barred owl, great horned owl, chuck will's widow, whip poor will, and many more. a super trip along a magnificent river.
06/15/2011 07:31AM
We did the Buffalo several years ago shortly after a good rain week...we were able to put in on the upper stretch which most paddlers don't get to do, due to water levels. It wouldn't hurt to have some whitewater skills, as its a pool-drop river...some of the drops approached a Class II+ with some maneuvering skills needed....again...depends a lot of river level. I would strongly suggest royalex boats, as it can be bony in some places. It's a great river and beautiful scenery. Saw a herd of elk at one place and lots of other wildlife. We used the designated campsites along the river and found them very clean and deserted (Feb trip). The whole trip, we only saw one other camper. Plenty of gravel bars if you prefer. All in all, a great experience.
..there is nothing- absolute nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats - Wind in the Willows
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