Fall Rains Usher in the Ozark Canoeing Season

The recent week of showers in Oklahoma have opened up the Fall canoeing season. Water levels are up on rivers and creeks throughout the Ozarks. Our local Okmulgee Lake is running strong over the spillway. Head down Highway 56 west of Okmulgee and you can see our local part-time waterfall from the highway just west of the park entrance. This is the classic backdrop location for an Okmulgee family photo. If you happen to be paddling Okmulgee Lake...better not get too close to the Dam. That way lies MANY trees you will not enjoy paddling into.

Al and the Oklahoma Flatwater Paddlers have a Buffalo River trip planned. The Kiamichi River is up again after a long dry summer for Tom & the Gang at Kriver.com. I would love to get a weekend free to head down to Antlers, OK and paddle the Kiamichi and the Buffalo River is breathtaking in any season. BTW, did you catch the recent PBS special on the Buffalo National River? It was called The Buffalo Flows - The Story of Our First National River...an excellent story of the efforts to protect that free flowing gem of the Ozarks. If you have never paddled the Buffalo River, I highly reccomend you make the trip this Fall. It is a breathtaking river, perfect for canoes and recreational kayaks. Since it is about a five hour drive for us, we only visit the Buffalo River during the Spring & Fall canoeing seasons when the color is blazing.

Dianne recently bought her five year fishing license, so she is eager to drown some goldfish. I think I am going to follow her lead. Anybody got any tips for cool weather fishing in Oklahoma? Right now, our part of the North Canadian River is up and running fast. The Deep Fork River is also stretching out across the bottoms around Okmulgee County. A bit of warm sunny weather on the weekend would be right on time.

Also check out this link to a Kansas outfitter: Brooks Canoe & Kayak - they rent those cool pedal powered Hobie kayaks, I've always wanted to give one a try and Wichita is not too far for a road trip.

Oklahoma Area Rivers Up for Floating

It looks like we have perfect paddling conditions on tap for this weekend. Recent rains have nice river levels flowing on a number of popular Ozark area kayaking locations.
This weekend, I like the looks of these waterways:

The Mulberry River - Whitewater off I-40 near Ozark, Arkansas
The Illinois River - Scenic paddling in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
The Kiamichi River - Remote backwoods canoe trips in Antlers, OK
The Upper Mountain Fork River - Watch out for the six foot waterfall.
The Kings River - Scenic canoeing trips near Eureka Springs, Arkansas
The Glover River - Big time whitewater in Southeastern Oklahoma

All of the above rivers are running strong and the Oklahoma weather forecast is calling for nothing but sunshine. I've got a load of work to do this weekend, but I still hope to slip off somewhere to enjoy some shady water.

Family Fun on Flatwater

We stayed close to home this Memorial Day Weekend, but still managed to squeeze in a little bit of paddling between the Oklahoma monsoons.

Saturday, we linked up with a couple friends and paddled around the marina at Lake Eufaula. We had to wait until fairly late in the afternoon for the rain to stop, but eventually it did stop. Eufaula was bustling with boats and every variety of wake sport enthusiast. I enjoyed the easy launch from the boat ramp and getting to check out Greg's new Dagger Edisto kayak.

After sleeping in on Sunday, we decided to do some family style paddling in Henryetta, Oklahoma. Jim Hall Lake is the reservoir lake just southeast of Henryetta. It was not crowded with campers, like the Lake Eufaula marina area we visited yesterday. We saw only a few groups of tent campers and two other boats on the lake. Once again, we successfully dodged the rain showers. Dianne was paddling her new Vapor 12 kayak, we put Dylan in my old Perception Swifty and I paddled the Heritage Angler kayak.

I always enjoy taking pictures of Dianne and Dylan paddling around in the sunset. Now that we have three kayaks, I hope we can spend more time together on the water this summer. Jim Hall Lake is an easy-to-find spot for picnics, flatwater paddling, fishing and sunset chasing. We will surely be back.

Did You Know Southern Kansas Has an Elk River?

A strong cycle of Spring rains has water levels up all over Oklahoma and the rest of the Ozarks. Just about every river offering whitewater fun is running fast now. Extreme whitewater enthusiasts are hitting spots like the Tulsa Wave, The Mulberry River and The Kiamichi River. Flatwater paddlers are enjoying higher lake levels providing access to narrow backwater creeks leading into the local reserviors.

Kayak Demo Day

Shopping for a new kayak around Tulsa? Visit the Kayak and Canoe Demonstration at Bass Pro Shops in Broken Arrow, OK May 23, 2009 - May 30, 2009. They have a couple of deals on twelve foot fishing kayaks that look attractive to me.

I am planning on making a couple road trip this summer. Floating the Ouachita River and the Caddo River. However, for my next trip, I am thinking about heading North to Kansas. Has anyone ever paddled the Elk River in Kansas? Leave us a comment!

According to my new copy of Paddling Kansas, the Elk River above Elk City Lake is a very scenic 9.2 miles of Class I-II water. At a little over 2 and a half hours from home, that is well within Day trip striking range. I've paddled the Elk River in Missouri a few times, so it will be interesting to compare them.

We Got Water, Now Get a Kayak

Rivers all over the area are running fast and high. Good news, if you are one of the unlucky folks like myself who are NOT going to be paddling the Buffalo River this weekend with the local flatwater paddling group. Did that sound bitter? Seriously, this is the primo time of year to paddle the Buffalo National River. Get there while the water is fast and the redbuds are in bloom, don't wait for summer.

The North Canadian River, the Illinois River, Deep Fork, just about every river in my area is benefiting from the surprise snowfall last weekend. So get out there and paddle something quick before it all flows away! Don't have your kayak yet? There is a kayak demo day in Dallas this month and Dave Lindo at OKC Kayak has a ready supply of great kayaks you can try out. My favorite kayak features are: ten or twelve foot length, foot pegs, comfy seat, deck webbing, and capacity of at least 200lbs.

Dallas REI Store Paddle Demo Day will be held April 11, 2009 at White Rock Lake.
Try out the latest canoes, kayaks and accessories for free! Time: 11 am - 3 pm. Test boats to see how they handle and get paddling tips from REI staff and vendors at free paddling clinics. Take home a coupon for 15% off a boat.

Of course, if you are not ready to buy a kayak yet, you can always rent a kayak instead. Just get out there and paddle some sunsets.

Preparing for Spring Paddling in the Ozarks

With today's low wind and high temps, it is clearly and excellent day for winter kayaking in Oklahoma. Naturally, you can't get weather like this on the weekend. I would take a sick day to go paddling on a day like this, but wouldn't you know it...I'm already sick. I picked up a head cold somewhere, so I will be spending this wonderful 70 degree February day at home sneezing like crazy. More warm weather is currently on tap for tomorrow, but the wind speeds and rain chances are higher as well. Since I am likely to be sick all week, I will miss this fine weather, hopefully you will be more lucky.

If you do get out for some paddling, do me a favor and wear a PFD, the water is still quite cold.

Do You Facebook?

I've been trying to learn the ropes on FaceBook this week. With Spring kayaking season just aroung the corner and the Tulsa job market tightening, I thought that this would be a great time to expand my social network. I've already managed to form ties with a couple of my friends from the Oklahoma Flatwater Paddlers, a large amount of my wife's family and several friends from High School. I haven't figured out all of the applications on FB yet, but I cannot help but be impressed with its ability to locate old buddies that I have not spoken to in years. If you are a local paddler in the Tulsa area and you find yourself on Facebook, send a friend request for Thomas Jones in Okmulgee, OK. Maybe we can go paddling sometime soon.

I hope to be hale and hearty again in time to make a trip to OKC for the Paddlesports and Outdoor Gear Swap at OKC Kayak March 6th and 7th. I recently aquired some neoprene waders, that would be excellent for Winter kayaking, but they are one size too small for my comfort. I also have some kayaking DVD's I could part with.

The Buffalo River & The Kings River

Float trip outfitters throughout the Ozarks have begun inspecting their rivers in preparation for the Spring paddling season. The early February ice storms have created some serious timber issues this year for both paddlers and outfitters on the Buffalo River and the Kings River in nearby Arkansas.

The last I heard, the popular Ponca-to-Kyle's-Landing Buffalo River float isn't possible because Kyle's Landing Access is closed. The nearest take-out to Ponca is the Erbie access 15 miles downstream. The Steel Creek access, just below Ponca, Arkansas is also closed. To check the status of the Buffalo National River access points, visit the Buffalo River park's Web site, www.nps.gov/buff or call park headquarters at (870) 365-2700.

OKC Holiday River Parade Nov 28, 2008

The fifth Annual Devon Energy Holiday River Parade is scheduled for Friday, November 28, 2008 at 6 p.m. The day after Thanksgiving, the Oklahoma River will come to life and illuminate the night with decorated boats of every shape and size and FIREWORKS!
http://www.okcevents.info/

Admission and parking are free. The event will feature afternoon entertainment at Wiley Post Park and Regatta Park as well as a nighttime holiday parade concluding with a spectacular fireworks show. Last year the Devon Energy River Parade attracted more than 40,000 people to the shoreline of the Oklahoma River. This event is perfect for the entire family and the ideal way to kick-start the holiday season. Next, to OKC snow tubing, this may be the most fun event in OKC!

Net proceeds from the Devon Energy Holiday River Parade will benefit the Oklahoma River Foundation. The foundation was established in 2004 and is managed by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. In just four short years, the river parade has contributed approximately $400,000 to the Oklahoma River Foundation for future improvements to the Oklahoma River and the 14-mile trail system.

Anyone can enter and compete in the boat parade. There is no entry fee for the parade; however, participants are asked to make a contribution to the Oklahoma River Foundation.

Boat entry forms are at the Parade Registration link, metro-area boat dealers or Oklahoma City Events located at 100 Park Avenue, Suite 700 in downtown Oklahoma City. Corporate and individual sponsorships for the Devon Energy River Parade are available. For sponsorship or event information, contact the event chairman Mike McAuliffe at (405) 602-1531.

Lake Bixhoma by Kayak

Lake Bixhoma by Kayak
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

Bixhoma Lake is just off Highway 64 near the small village of Leonard, Oklahoma. It is a small, fairly clear, no-wake lake with no camping or facilities to speak of. Offering a mere 3 miles of shoreline and 110 surface acres, the lake is strictly for quiet boats.

Quiet little Bixhoma Lake is only a short drive from South Tulsa. If you are a Tulsa kayaker looking to get your new boat wet someplace safe, Bixhoma is a pretty good choice. Lake hours are Monday through Saturday from 6am-10pm. It is also quite near Haskell, Oklahoma which happens to be the home of two Oklahoma wineries: Stone Bluff Cellars & Lavendar Hill Farm & Winery.

Paddling Lake Bixhoma today was lovely. The water was still as glass when we first launched and a breeze developed just as the temps started to get hot. The ridge line that surrounds the lake was vivid green with a mixture of hardwood trees. The park only has a couple picnic tables and an outhouse. We saw a family of three fishing from a tiny Bass Scamp and a lone man float fishing in a tube on our visit other than that we had the lake to ourselves on this cool summer morning.

The late summer water level was too low to paddle very far up the feeder creek for Lake Bixhoma. However, as we drove down Highway 64 toward Leonard, I could not help but notice Snake Creek.

Snake Creek looked fairly wide and deep enough for paddling when we drove across the Highway 64 bridge, but I did not see any place to park and launch the kayaks.

Any folks out there who know where you can launch a boat onto Snake Creek outside of Bixby, Oklahoma?

More details on our OklahomaRoadTrips.com Lake Bixhoma webpage.

How Clean Are Oklahoma's Lakes and Rivers?

According to a draft report released last week by state environmental officials, the vast majority of lakes, streams and rivers in Oklahoma do not meet federal water quality standards for pollution. (Source: The News on Six)

94% of Oklahoma's lake acres do not meet water quality standards and this represents an improvement from previous years!

I think that this is a great reason to get our young folks out on the water paddling. In order for people to truly value our outdoor resources, they have to be present and aware of the delicate and beautiful ecosystems that surround them.


An Environmental History of the Illinois River: Agriculture, Urban Development, and Recreation in Northwest Arkansas and Northeastern Oklahoma, 1818-2005