Pam, I got through to Twin Bridges on my second phone call attempt and spoke to a real, live human. They are still there and will be open for business the first week and weekend of May.
The access at Tecumseh on the Norfork Lake will not be open, however. Cost to rebuild the boat ramp access and parking lot is estimated to be one million dollars and construction will not even begin before November 2019. This is not likely to have a great impact on our group but it will mean that there will be no practical access points below the Highway PP bridge.
Pete - thanks for the update, I was starting to get worried that they were gone. I don’t see below Highway PP being an issue, it’s been a while since I have gone past PP, to much slow water for my liking. Haven’t been on the North Fork in several years plus with the flooding I’m sure things have changed. Looking forward to seeing everyone!
Have an internet “Friend” paddling the river this week (they did Bryant yesterday) and he’s going to give me the scoop. I warned him to be particularly wary of strainers in the Hebron stretch. Wish I could paddle it this week with them, but have to work Tue, Wed, Thur, and the weekend.
If Terry stops talking, drops his head, or gazes off into the void, before he starts talking again; prepare yourself, and make sure your BS defibulator is ON.
Bill Clinton uses the same techniques…they don’t call him “slick willy” for nothing.
Don’t fall for that innocent, grinning, good ole country boy routine !
@vawhelan said:
Which venue was the final decision of the paddle. I’m going to try again to make it where ever it’s held. Vicky
Vicky - North Fork of the White - we will be camping at Twin Bridges - we usually also paddle Bryant and others have also gone over to the Jacks Fork but the “main” river will be North Fork of the White. Hope to see you there!
@thebob.com said:
If Terry stops talking, drops his head, or gazes off into the void, before he starts talking again; prepare yourself, and make sure your BS defibulator is ON.
Bill Clinton uses the same techniques…they don’t call him “slick willy” for nothing.
Don’t fall for that innocent, grinning, good ole country boy routine !
Talk about missing in action: I am again delayed in British Columbia - first by encountering a ditch in my truck (2 days spent in the Buffalo Inn at Pink Mountain) and now returned to Prince George by a serious log truck accident on BC97. With no alternate route to take south I’m stuck. Good news: the Rendezvous doesn’t start for another month, so I still have time to get there - maybe even BEFORE Terry arrives. I AM anxious to hear the pre-runner’s report.
Brad
ALL RIGHT Brad, you’re on your way! I just looked at my schedule and have no extra shifts that week. Kennel Monday and arriving Tuesday, maybe even Monday evening. Here’s the “Report,” but we’re getting rain this week and expected for the next several days. April is typically wet, so I expect water levels to be up?
"Terry,
Here are a few pic’s from 3/23 on the Creek and the cabin porch. One log jam to portage around. The log jam was roughly midway between the Hwy 95 Access and the Sycamore Access. It wasn’t a full blown jam, about 3 trees down.
We paddled 3 sections of Bryant Creek (Hwy 95 – Sycamore – Warren Bridge – F. C. Cook) and 3 sections of the North Fork (Twin Bridges –Hammond Camp – Blair Bridge - Dawt Bridge). On Saturday, they went to the Eleven Point. However, I had to get back to Muscatine, Iowa, and 9 inches of snow.
Water levels were low. I drove over Simmons Ford on the way home(Big Piney just upstream of Houston). It was too low to paddle. "
They didn’t paddle Hebron to Twin Bridges, so no report on that section. But they did more sections of Bryant Creek than I have. I really like Bryant Creek. See you’all in about 5 weeks!
@pblanc said:
Upper Buffalo, upper Jacks Fork, Current River, and North Fork of the White are all flowing real good today.
Yep! I’ll be on upper Buff tomorrow with Little Deuce, six of her friends and two of their dads. They’ll be in rafts, I’ll be in Zeke the Prophet. What could possibly go wrong?
@PamThePaddler said:
Just a few more weeks! Can’t wait to see everyone!
Pam, do we need to make reservations at Twin Bridges for specific sites? I remember when Jim owned it, our group just set up at any of the sites in the field area?
For those of you closer to the Ozarks: Is the current storm, that has closed (4) major east-west Interstates, affecting levels and flow of the waters we should be paddling? Flooding has been a planning factor in the past.
Meanwhile, I’m on the road working a slow way south and east. I did get in a short paddle on the Snake River in Idaho with my son, he in a “new” ( to him - mfg 797) Nova Craft Prospector 17, I in a Sandpiper.
As Pam says, “Can’t wait to see everyone!”
Brad
