Recently I completed the second (and final) segment of a kayak trip that began on the Whiter River in Arkansas, about 15 miles south of Beaver Lake, and ended at the confluence off the White and Norfork Rivers. It was a water trail that had me paddle the full length of Beaver L., portage back to the White and enter the chain of man-made lakes along the MO/AR border— Table Rock, Taneycomo, and Bull Shoals—each time portaging around dams. My final leg was 44 miles of the White River beginning at the Bull Shoals Dam, paddling past the mouth of the famed Buffalo R. and on to my takeout at the Norfork Access. I am making no attempt here to chronicle my trip other than to say it was amazing and challenging comprising as it did two, eight day trips in the months of November and December, each segment a little over 140 miles (entire trip, 284 miles)—lots of cold weather, freezing night temperatures, and windy days on pretty big water. I loved it all. I started this post for this reason alone: has anyone else out there ever done this trip? It is a stupendous water trail that traverses a rugged path through the Ozarks; I can’t be the only one who has done it. Let me hear from you.
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I have never paddled in Arkansas, but I have been doing long paddle trips of a week or more for over 60 years. Great that you can paddle in Nov and Dec. I have only done one winter trip in Feb on the Lower Colorado River above Yuma, AZ. It was cold but quiet and rewarding.
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