Oklahoma Winter Warm Up

As Oklahoma's winter high temps reach into the 60's, many recreational kayakers grab at the chance to sneak in a little winter paddling. My buddy Al Want (of OKC Flatwater Paddlers fame) met up with a few OKC area kayakers this weekend for a minor river adventure on the North Canadian. I've been trying to sneak away for some lake kayaking for the last several days, but I haven't made it yet. Thankfully, I've gotten to enjoy reading about he river adventures of other folk. Check out the tale of the June 2006 San Juan River trip in Enokidancer's Blog. If you can't go paddling at least you can enjoy the exploits of others.

Been Kayak Shopping, Lately?

Many folks buy their kayaks in the winter. Some choose this season to take advantage of sales and other folks just like to be ready for Spring well in advance of the warming weather. I noticed someone in Norman, Oklahoma has put their kayak for sale on Craig's List: http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/boa/1557235716.html, $200 for Old Town 16 foot kayak is quite a bargain if you looking for long, touring style kayak.

Canoe Across Missouri

Sign-up is now open for the 2010 Missouri River 340 canoe & kayak race. More details on this 340 mile canoe race across Missouri are on our Oklahoma area news blog. Canoes & kayaks are both allowed, but all boats must be paddle-powered ONLY. If you do head over to our Taste Oklahoma site, stop by the home page to check out the January 2010 list of Oklahoma Eagle watching events.

Now is a great time to start making plans and reservations for your Spring and Summer paddling trips. The best cabins is great kayaking areas like the Buffalo River, Broken Bow, Tahlequah will sell out fast later in the year.

Clear Cold Elk River Kayaking Two Hours From Tulsa

This weekend, Oklahoma was blessed with lower than normal temps under clear, sunny skies. That kind of weather is not to be ignored! Dianne and I decided to make a day trip to the Ozarks to kayak some clear, cold moving water.

For day trips, Dianne and I keep it to four hours away or less. Eight hours of total driving in a single day should be plenty for any non-professional driver. Typically, this means the Lower Mt. Fork River in Broken Bow, but the levels on it have really been fluctuating this year. We decided to visit an old friend, the Elk River in Missouri for some late summer kayaking fun. We were NOT disappointed.

Unlike the lower Mt. Fork River, the Elk River from Pineville MO to Noel, MO drops gently but consistently. The water moves faster over the shallower areas making paddle-work nearly optional. This makes it popular with rafter during Summer Vacation. Hitting the Elk River on this Sunday morning in August, we were surprised to see more canoes than kayaks or rafts. Dianne enjoyed the river much more with the lighter traffic and more family friendly atmosphere. The eight hours of driving...not so much. Next time, we might seek lodging in Jane, MO.

There are loads of outfitters on the Elk River in Missouri and the river flow is so consistent that folks float it all year long. Visit the Elk River on a Saturday during summer vacation to see hundreds of other crafts on the water. From church group outings to bachelor parties everyone is out enjoying the summer on the Elk River.

We put-in at Big Elk Camp & Canoe, right off Highway 71. They charged us $30 to shuttle us and our boats back to our truck from the Shady Beach Campground at Mt. Shira, Missouri. Many outfitters won't shuttle private boats, so plan carefully and call before you drive. With so many outfitters in Pineville and Noel, you are sure to find someone to take your money. I usually end up spending more on t-shirts and other mementos than shuttling. This time, it was close.

Since I have never gotten a decent restaurant recommendation from an outfitter in Noel or Pineville (strange phenomenon peculiar to the Elk River), Dianne and I drove around in desperation seeking Sunday lunch... at 2pm when we got off the water. Right next to River Rat Pizza in Noel (they were closed), we found Rosa's Mexican Store and restaurant. The window said "Buffet, All Day, Everyday"... and the congregation shouted: "Amen!" Rosa's had the best buffet I've tried in ages and a cool little ethnic food market right next door! They make wonderful breads and pastries at the market!

Yakker didn't make this trip, so I wasn't able to test self-shuttling options in the area. Someday, when I have more time in the area, I would like to make a list of the public use areas on the Elk River. It is truly a great river for recreational paddling. Until then, consult this map for public access points on the Elk River: Elk River area map.

I don't believe I have ever seen so many baby fish swimming around my kayak as I did this weekend. As Dianne said: “the water is so clear you can read the labels of the countless beer cans that litter the bottom of the Elk River”. A small fortune in aluminum cans awaits someone in 'The Canoe Capital of the Ozarks'. Other than that it was lovely. I'll bet I saw 20 soft shelled leather back turtles. It was so cool watching them swim through the crystal clear water. It may not be challenging whitewater, but it moves along nicely through a very scenic portion of the Missouri Ozarks.

According to our outfitter, the water levels on Big Sugar and Indian Creek were too low, but we might be able to catch some deeper water this fall.

From Tulsa, you can head up north on I-44 for about an hour, then east on US 60 and finally south down Highway 71 to reach Pineville, MO. However, there are scores of routes to get to the Elk River including many slower routes popular with bikers. Don’t miss the town of Noel, Missouri…the highways there are bordered by really scenic bluffs! I can't wait to see the area when the fall colors set in, it really isn't very piney, so there should be quite a change.

Shady Flatwater on a Cool Morning

I slipped out onto Salt Creek of Okmulgee Lake to enjoy an unexpectedly cool and cloudy late Summer morning. It turned out to be time well invested. Launch your kayaks somewhere this weekend, my friends! The weather is too sweet to waste. I saw several of the Oklahoma Flatwater Paddlers were out to enjoy Salt Creek this morning as well. The light was very interesting on the creek today.

Speaking of the OFP, I hear Al is striking deep into Missouri territory to paddle this weekend, we couldn't join him, but I think we may try to make a quick run to Pineville, MO on Sunday. The Elk River in Pineville is too close to Oklahoma to be ignored. A fun bit of moving water with gravel banks, the Elk River should be on your annual schedule for recreational kayaking. Yakker even suggested he might be able to join us!

It is great to be able to link up with friends for kayaking, but if you want to paddle early in the morning...you are likely to be paddling alone quite a bit. When I am kayaking alone, I like to stick to safer-than-usual waters. My wife sleeps better when I am not out risking life and limb. The Salt Creek channel into Okmulgee Lake offers four seasons of shady, sheltered, quiet, Oklahoma flatwater that rarely disappoints me with its beauty. Try not to kill your vehicle on the access road. It is very rough, so take it real slow and leave your lowrider in the garage for this trip!

Salt Creek is low, but the Deep Fork River, the Arkansas River and The North Canadian River are rolling pretty fast in our area. I have to get rolling myself, Dianne wants to head to Tulsa and visit her favorite new restaurant for Philippine cuisine. If I play my cards right, I might be able to get in some bowling!

Table Rock Lake Kayaking Trip

Kayak Magic On Table Rock Lake
Originally uploaded by Thomas Jones.

Missouri Road Trip Report:
This weekend Dianne and I visited Flat Creek Resort on Table Rock Lake in Cape Fair, Missouri. Located in Southern Missouri / Northern Arkansas - Table Rock Lake is one of the finest Ozark lakes for kayaking. The lake's long, narrow and twisty shape bordered by rocky bluffs and tree covered hills is quite scenic. We saw a huge amount of fish jumping in the fairly clear waters of the lake. I would advise any paddlers and especially any kayak fishermen out there to find time to paddle Table Rock Lake.

We chose Flat Creek Resort after having read their webpage which presented itself as a full-on Ozark paddling resort. I had hoped for something like the world famous NOC or the Otter Bar in California... that was close enough for an Oklahoma road trip. I longed for a place crowded with knowledgeable paddlers and a wealth of kayaking t-shirts to browse.

The aging Flat Creek Resort has recently changed management and appears to be shifting away from focusing on kayakers and canoe trips, but it still offers an excellent access point, dock and boat ramp. Their location on the James River and Flat Creek arm of Table Rock Lake is quite scenic, however I was deeply disappointed to find the Paddleshop had been closed, the float trips outsourced and liquor license currently not in effect. Our AT&T cell phones did not work in Cape Fair, MO and the rooms at Flat Creek Resort had no phones or working TV's. Not being a HAM radio operator, this left me feeling pretty isolated and a little creeped out.

Despite the shortcomings, fishermen flock to spots like this for the great fishing. We spoke to several bass fishermen that drove down from Springfield, MO, by 9:30pm the parking lot was full of boats. We were surprised to see only one motor boat during our sunrise paddling the next day. The fleet had launched long before we drug the kayaks to the shore! We saw fish feeding constantly on Table Rock Lake and we paddled through lots of shallow water coves perfect for top water bass fishing from the kayak.

The entire 3-day weekend we were blessed with shockingly cool summer weather that created great conditions for kayak photography. Paddling the Flat Creek area of Table Rock Lake is deeply calming and its location near The White River, Branson, MO and Eureka Springs, AR means we are certain to bring our kayaks back to Table Rock Lake for more fun in the future!

Gotta go now, my new KF'ing DVD: Kayak Fishing: Game On just arrived from Amazon.

2008 Elk River Float Trip

Typhoon Paddler
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

This Saturday Dianne, Dylan and myself drove up the Pineville, Missouri for an 8-mile float trip on the Elk River. I decided that the clear, cool Class I water of that ozark river would be perfect for Dylan's first kayak paddling trip in current.

To save a little money we decided to wake up early for the drive, paddle the river and head straight home. This is a bit of a shame since there are loads of great paddling resources in the area. We rented an Old Town Typhoon Sit-On-Top Kayak for Dylan to paddle. He enjoyed paddling it, once his mother traded the extremely heavy outfitters kayak paddle for her lighter Carlisle Kayak Paddle. Outfitter paddling gear tends toward ruggedness more than comfort or features.

Our outfitter was Big Elk Camp and Canoe. Their store is at the put-in for the 8-mile trip down to Shady Beach Campground in Noel Missouri. Big Elk is open all year long renting canoes, rafts and SOT kayaks. They are pretty easy to find right off Highway 71 and they had a wide selection of kayaking t-shirts and other paddler goodies. We grabbed a cool shirt with an Elk River map on the back (pictures on our Elk River page). You can find contact info for Big Elk Camp & Canoe plus other Elk River outfitters in both Pineville and Noel on our Elk River Float Trips page.

Although we scraped the gravel in a couple places, the water level and flow was enough to ensure an easy trip with no dragging. We even enjoyed temps well below 90, a great gift at the end of June. Sadly, the weather turned to rain about halfway through our voyage. We all arrived absolutely soaked to the bone, but laughing all the way. Dylan paddled quite well. He never flipped the kayak or fell off, but still found enough riffles and obstacles to make it an exciting run.

This part of the Elk River offers clear water, a few scenic bluffs and numerous gravel bars. There are riffles and pools on this float trip, but no dangerous rapids. The water is more cool than cold much like the nearby Illinois River and Spring River.. Another thing that makes Missouri's Elk River similar to Oklahoma's Illinois River is the large amount of weekend paddler traffic. Dodging beer barges presented the main obstacle of the day. We launched around 9am and we shared the waters with hundreds of people. Although we often cringed at the saucy language and consumption patterns of this wild morning crowd... we saw no nudity or violence. Still, we advise trying to visit this river on a weekday during the prime summer months if you want a float trip with more solitude.

In addition to having a large number of canoe liveries the Elk River is a fairly short drive from some other great spots for paddlers in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. In fact, our outfitter offered three other tempting float trips on nearby Big Sugar Creek. I really enjoyed paddling this great little river in Southwestern, Missouri and my family liked it, too! We will definately be back soon.

The Best Of Fishing, Hunting, Camping, And Boating In Missouri: Tips From An Outdoor Enthusiast

Branson Area Fun Paddle June 12, 2008

Ozark Mountain Rowing & Kayaking Club’s Fun Paddle

Date: Thursday, June 12, 2008 @ 6:00 p.m.

Who: All interested paddlers, regardless of club member status. Visitors are welcome!

Where: Lake Taneycomo

Put-in: Next to Scotty’s Boat Dock at the south end of the Branson City Campground – boats will be launched from the “new” sandy beach next to the Dock.

Meet Time: 6:00 p.m.

Info: Paddlers or those interested in paddling can join this fun-loving group of kayakers for a refreshing paddle on beautiful Lake Taneycomo. This is an easy paddle for all skill levels, including beginners. This will be a leisurely 1 ½ to 2 hour paddle. We will launch the boats and travel to the east shore for a sight-seeing quiet paddle up Turkey Creek and then return to Lake Taneycomo to cross over to take in the water and fire show at Branson Landing before returning back to the launch site. All paddlers must wear a PFD while on the water. Please plan to be at the put-in so the kayaks will be in the water at 6:00 p.m.

Directions: From the Business Highway 65/Branson Landing Boulevard roundabout, head south over the bridge over Roark Creek. Continue south past the Bass Pro parking lot until the city campground appears on the left. Turn left into the campground parking lot before the overhead railroad trestle bridge. The spring flooding has washed away the gravel and left a good helping of soft sand which is natural for a kayak put-in just 25 foot north of the ramp onto Scotty’s Boat Dock.

Contact: For additional information, contact Eric Farris by email at: eric@farrislawgroup.com
More info at: http://www.1branson.com/forum/t35827.html