Ozark Spring Rendezvous 2021 - Buffalo River, AR

So, I’ve had some contact with some folks and others have posted on old threads about if there was going to be a Spring Rendezvous. Rob, I, Pete and one of his daughters plan on being at the Buffalo 5/5 to 5/9. I know with Covid a lot of folks are uncomfortable traveling and generally being around people, and I totally understand that. Rob will receive his second vaccine on 3/29, who knows when I’ll be able to get it as I’m last in line but I feel like we can shuttle safely and space out around a camp fire. Anyone is welcome to join us and we can consider this Spring Rendezvous. These dates are a week later than we normally do but I have a new job and someone else is off the week prior so Rob and I decided we wanted to hit the Buffalo even if it wasn’t a Rendezvous so these were the dates we decided that worked for us. I hope some of you can make it, I know the group was getting small but I still enjoyed seeing the people that could make it and some of you I haven’t seen in 2 years. We would do day trips and camp at Ozark. Hope everyone has been staying healthy and safe! Bring on spring! And if you can;t make it, I hope to see you in the Fall at the Current River!

4 Likes

I do plan to be at Ozark Campground from sometime on 5/5 to at least 5/9 and I expect that my daughter will be joining me. The only things that would prevent me are unexpected serious illness or injury or a death in the family. But I would also be open to coming earlier provided I was confident that someone else would be there to shuttle and paddle with and would consider staying later as well.

I am also open to the idea of an overnight trip or a three day/two night downriver trip on some stretch of the Buffalo either before 5/5 or after 5/9 so if anybody is interested in doing that and thinks they can make it happen, please announce your intentions here or send me a PM.

I’m seriously considering…Deb would probably want to park the Animal House at Dogwood Springs again, but no matter.

I think it is likely that JoAnne and I will show up for the Buffalo river get together…barring unforseen circumstances between now and then.

By the end of this month, both of us will have received both our covid shots. BUT even having received both; we will not be considering ourselves as 10 feet tall and bullet proof. We will likely attempt to paddle, and be sociable while still maintaining some distance.

We will not be amenable to hauling 3 canoes, or providing shuttle rides to those who make little to no effort to hook up with someone when they arrive for the shuttle runs.

Bob

I’m in. It’ll take something pretty major to keep me from attending something in the Ozarks this spring, though if conditions are bad, as they sometimes have been on the Buffalo in spring, I’d be amenable to another river as well. High water might deter me, but hell wouldn’t. I, too, will have finished my shots by then and am willing to haul extra canoes if need be but am really not equipped to haul extra people, even if there were no health considerations. Distancing will be the order of the day for me as well.

1 Like

Day trips ok…as are overnights. Will put early May on the schedule for the Buffalo. Both C19 shots taken though I cannot get my WiFi to connect to the microchip quite yet.

1 Like

You have to send 1000 USD to Bill Gates before he connects you to the network.

1 Like

Tom and I just got our first shots, and the second is schedule on April 1st. If all goes well, we plan on coming down. We will plan to be there on the 5th thru the 9th, but that may be extended, or changed due to weather, etc. Looking forward to getting on the water.

I’m a solid maybe. I would Love to get on the Buffalo and see everyone. Not sure if I’ll have the vaccine by that time but am OK with extra distancing if need be. Shuttles may be a problem, but that will be my problem.

Brian.
Odds are I may not be vaccinated either. I have no issue shuttling with you but we would need to wear a mask, just wanted to give you an option.
Pam

Have fun We will be near the Buffalo tomorrow but not vaccinated yet
We have been camping in the SW and are returning to Maine for home and our shots

1 Like

Still unclear when exactly my daughter and I will be arriving or leaving and whether my daughter’s friend Mike will be coming. That will depend on whether and how much time they can get off. But I definitely plan to be there by sometime on May 5 and possibly earlier.

If it is just Gen and me I will have one tandem canoe and could easily carry another so shuttling you would be no problem. If Mike comes I will have one tandem canoe and either a solo canoe and a kayak. In that event we might have to get more creative with shuttling if it involves hauling three boats on one vehicle, but I am fairly confident we can work something out.

I am putting this on my calendar to do list. I get my first COVID vaccination shot next Tuesday.

Pete, I would love to do an overnight or two on the Buffalo River. How does Pruitt to Carver or Hasty to Woolum Access sound? I have a boat trailer if needed so shuttling canoes isn’t a problem.

Mike, I would be happy to try to arrange an overnight with you. I will probably want to stay at Ozark Campground from the 5th to the 9th with the group but would be interested in a two to three day trip either right before or after. My situation depends a bit on my daughter and her boyfriend and how much time off they can manage. I am pretty sure my daughter will be there and have enough time off to do another 2 or 3 days of paddling beyond Thurs-Sat but I am not sure about her friend and whether he will be able to come at all. If he does not I don’t think there would be a problem.

I was actually thinking about trying to go from Mt Hersey to Gilbert but either Hasty to Woolum would suit fine and be an easy overnight trip. I have never paddled below Carver so I would kind of like to do that. I will send you a PM when I have a solid idea of how many days my daughter plus or minus boyfriend have available to be on the river.

Wanted to get in on the thread for the Rendezvous. I don’t know that I’ve paddled with any of you but would like to join in. Have a thru paddle planned the week before on the Current but after last year, I really want to hit the rivers. Retired, solo canoe paddler, fully vaccinated, have a trailer (4 canoe, 2 kayak), from Kansas.

Jangledaddy - would love to have you join us! You’ll meet some awesome folks! See ya in May!

I am cautiously “Wishin and Hopin” (with a thankful bow to singer Dionne Warwick, and writers Bacharack and David) to make the PNet Spring Rendezvous on the Beautiful Buffalo River this May.

Being 73 and at high risk for Covid in at least two other categories I have been self quarantining since March 2020, not leaving our property except to pick up my prescriptions and see my doctor for regularly scheduled diabetes checkups.

I haven’t had a haircut since late summer 2019. (I like to enter the colder months with somewhat longer hair so that my chrome dome doesn’t freeze when the temps drop.) I call my new hair style The Ben Franklin but I’m more than happy to be done with it.

I haven’t been on a river since autumn 2019. That’s the longest my butt hasn’t seen river time in almost 35 years. But since we have a seven acre pond on our property I’ve had my canoe on the pond a few times last year; well, at least until the algae blooms started up in the summer.

I’m scheduled for my second Covid vaccination next week so I’m not going to start taking unnecessary risks, but I as of now I plan to see you on the Beautiful Buffalo River this May.

1 Like

Vic,
I sure hope we see you! Rob and I just talked today about how little we paddled last year, we did get some trips in but not what we usually do. We are off to Ponca next week but to hike only, not even taking boats and are living high on the hog and rented a cabin, LOL. Looking forward to May and getting back on the Buffalo and seeing great friends.

Take care and stay healthy!!!

Careful not to step on any elk turds. How is the shoulder doing?

I’m planning on going. Being my 1st down there, I went to book a site, I saw it’s a nonreservable campground. Unfortunately all my girlfriends have Rv trailers can they camp there? Or is it tent only. Vicky