Fireworks Over Tenkiller July 2008

Tenkiller Lake Fireworks Extravaganza
July 4, 2008 8pm to 9pm

Sponsored by the Greater Tenkiller Area Assocaition and donors.
South end of the lake about dark. No charge for watching. Call 918 457-4403.

Want to be a sponsor? Contact Shannon Smith at 918-489-5888.

Kayak Demo Day Moved to May 21, 2008

Developing rain/thunderstorms & high winds on Wednesday evening have forced a change of plans.

The OKC Outdoor Network Kayak Demo for May 7, 2008 has been postponed!

The NEW DATE is Wednesday, May 21, 2008 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm at Lake Hefner's Hobie Point.

Paddling by Elephant Rock on the Illinois River

Paddling by Elephant Rock
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

This weekend Oklahoma enjoyed some fantastic Spring weather, I hope everyone was able to get out and make the most of it. After working through Saturday on household honey-do's, Dianne consented to making a Sunday road trip to Tahlequah's scenic Highway 10. We knew a few outfitters must be open, because we had read about the death of a young paddler on the river last week. He wasn't wearing his paddling PFD and the river surprised him.

The Illinois River was running at a level of about 5.5 feet and pretty fast on Saturday. This is a good safe level for paddling, but I was feeling a bit unlucky. I always paddle with a PFD on, but when I feel unlucky I pull on my spray skirt for added safety. Since summer vacation hasn't started yet, we had the river nearly all to ourselves. Some of the outfitters are now open for the season. We called several and found Falcon Floats was willing to shuttle our boats to the public canoe launch at No Head Hollow.

Of course, we had to get the speech about how outfitters don't like to shuttle private boats. If you plan on owning your own kayak and buying shuttling services, expect to hear this speech on most trips. Canoe livery operators would much rather rent you a kayak for $40, than to shuttle your boat for $10. Most claim to lose money on the service due to the high cost of fuel, insurance difficulties and Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission usage fees. Dianne and I feel their pain, but we are unwilling to drive across Oklahoma for two and half hours and HOPE the outfitters have two decent kayaks available. We try to do our part through purchasing food and paddling t-shirts as well as the occasional cabin rental.

Aside from the usual speech, the folks at Falcon Floats were very friendly and provided excellent service for our trip. Since we were nearly alone on the river, the wildlife was out in force. We saw trout, bass and catfish, several Osprey, some deer and tons of turtles and herons. The flow in the river was excellent making the 12-mile trip a very easy bit of paddling.

We did hit a bit of trouble near the take-out. Just upstream from the Falcon Floats take-out, the river splits forcing you to choose the right or left lane. The path to the left looks much wider and easier, but the outfitter warned us that there were trees down that completely blocked that path. The outfitter had placed a sign instructing all floaters to follow the path to the right.

Following the path to the right took us around a corner where the river narrows to a swift, shady channel. Suddenly, we were surprised to see fallen trees across this path as well, but the water was moving too fast to backtrack! Dianne's boat was pushed sideways fast and hit one downed tree. The impact, combined with the swifter current, rocked her kayak onto its side and she quickly began taking on water. This ain't Dianne's first rodeo, so despite not having her spray skirt on her kayak, she did a quick brace and hip-snapped the kayak. This allowed her to paddle her kayak to the shore with a wet butt, but without taking a swim. About five feet in front of where we landed the kayaks, two young men were in a john-boat using a chainsaw to clear away a logjam. After we dumped the water out of Dianne's boat, she decided that deploying her own spray skirt might be prudent. The young men with the chainsaw suggested a path through the logjam, but it looked much simpler to walk about ten steps around it.

Although we paddled past many downed trees and some fun ripples, that logjam was the last exciting obstacle on the trip. I don't have a lot of great pictures from the trip. We paddled from about Noon until 4pm, so the light was just getting good as we reached the take-out. Despite the poor light, I enjoyed taking pictures of Elephant Rock. My Osprey shots are barely better than a blur.

Hopefully, we will return to the Illinois River soon for an overnight stay so i can capture the dawn and/or the sunset on this lovely river. Once summer officially arrives you will need an early morning launch on this river if you want to see more wildlife and less wild-living!

Kayaking on Southern Lake Eufaula

Kayaking at Hickory Point
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

Dianne and I headed south this weekend for some Eufaula Lake kayaking. If you read our blog much you may know that all of our previous paddling on Lake Eufaula has been on the northern portion of the lake. Eufaula is an enormous lake, so traveling from the northern end to the southern end provides quite a bit of terrain changes.

The water in the northern portion of the lake is much redder, due to the Deep Fork River water that enters the lake there. As you drive south along Highway 69, the water becomes less red and more of the sandy brown color of the Canadian River. Also, the numbers of evergreen trees along the shore increases as you drive farther to the south and east. Ever since our trip to Robber's Cave last year, I have wanted to return and explore southern Eufaula Lake. That was our goal for this Saturday.

Using our new Oklahoma Water Atlas, we located a boat ramp and campground called Hickory Point and decided it would be our destination for sunset paddling on Saturday. Since Highway 69 goes by several boat ramps on Eufaula, we decided to visit several of them and have a look.

We first stopped at Oak Ridge campground which sits right off Hwy 69. Naturally, Eufaula is a bit flooded these days. Every campground we stopped at had some picnic tables and BBQ grills under water.

This suited me fine because I like paddling around in flood water. When the lake water rises this high it surrounds trees that are colorful and vibrant. More importantly it creates shady paddling, one of the three key features that make rivers better for kayaking than lakes. The flood water often creates excellent new boat launch areas for kayakers.

I found Oak Ridge to be a nice, well-equipped Lake Eufaula campground that was easy to find. BTW, Highway 69 is a great road to explore if you want to see a lot of Lake Eufaula. It runs roughly along the same route as the Indian Nations Turnpike, but Highway 69 is FREE and leads to a whole lot more boat ramps and campgrounds on Lake Eufaula. Frankly, the Indian Nations Turnpike in this area is no bargain! Countless miles of barriers and Men-at-Work signs with no working men to be seen abound on this busy turnpike.

We paddled around at Oak Ridge for a few hours and then headed to McAlester for lunch. The Meeting Place is the name of the downtown McAlester restaurant we ate lunch at. It's a huge 'place' that we had all to ourselves. I hear that they have dinner theater at night, but gravy was the featured attraction we showed up for!

After lunch we drove to Elm Point, off Hwy 31. Dianne and I and paddled there for a few hours. The light was too harsh due to the hour of the day, but I was also surprised to that the trees seemed oddly leafless. This was no place to shoot the sunset...so we moved on after a couple hours of kayaking.

Our final paddling spot on southern Lake Eufaula was Hickory Point campground and boat ramp. This was the best Lake Eufaula kayaking area we found on this trip. This part of Lake Eufaula is skinny, curvy and loaded with sweet smelling cedar, pine and juniper trees. The campground is more primitive than the others we visited on this trip and it was also MUCH less crowded there. We really enjoyed kayaking around Hickory Point and I hope to be able to return and camp there sometime.

Dinner in Krebs, Oklahoma is a given for Dianne and I when we travel to this part of the state. On this trip, we ate at Pete's Place (established in the '20s). Dianne enjoyed their microbrew and I enjoyed their insanely large portions. The meal was served family style in a private dining room. Pete's Place has about 30 of these private dining rooms. It makes for a cozy meal. Overall, it was not quite up to the food standards of our last Italian food meal at Carrabba's in Tulsa but it was a great end to an excellent day of paddling on southern Lake Eufaula!

So much food and paddling made it a sleepy drive back to Pierce, Oklahoma but we made it safely. We decided to spend the night in the RV at our river lot, so that I could do some dawn kayaking on the river Sunday morning.



Technorati Tags: Kayaking Oklahoma Eufaula

Scenic Texas Paddling Race on Neches River Trail

120 miles southeast of the Dallas-Ft. worth metroplex, on the first Saturday in August paddlers from across the nation and the world come to Palestine, Texas to participate in the 'toughest little canoe race' in existence, raising scholarship funds for the students of the Palestine campus of the Trinity Valley Community College. Paddlers race through 22 miles of scenic, largely uninhabited Neches River Trail in Texas. (Paddling The Wild Neches)

'The Neches' is called one of the toughest flatwater races in Texas due to low water obstacles and lack of current. In other words lots of the fallen trees, stumps, in the low water typical in Oklahoma's late summer. Plenty of challenge without the hazards associated with a fast moving river. Conditions that act as an equalizer to the race field, taking away some of the advantage of hull designs and handing it to the resourceful. Stay hydrated and keep moving!

Now in the 15th year, the Neches Race has become one of Texas' favorite paddling events. It's become a tradition around Texas, regularly attracting one of the largest fields of paddlers in the Lone Star State. Over the past 6 years, funds in excess of $10,000 from the Neches River Wilderness Canoe Race have provided over 85 scholarships to deserving college students.

Want To Race?

Registration is now available online where you may pay your fee, purchase extra t-shirts, and rent canoes or kayaks as well. Click here to register for The Neches River Wilderness Canoe Race!



Texas Canoe Race Scouts

Free Oklahoma Water Atlas - Get One Today!

Paddling
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

Dianne and I just got our new Oklahoma Water Atlas in the mail and we are LOVING it. Every Oklahoma paddler should take advantage of this great new offering from the OWRB & the ODWC.

The Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB), with support from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC), has produced the most useful water-related publication to come off the presses in years. The new Oklahoma Water Atlas includes 146 detailed lake maps containing comprehensive recreational information, such as boat ramps, water depths, road maps, feeder creeks and rivers and other important features.

The Atlas is 190 pages, Spiral Bound and 11” x 14” in size. It is packed full of color maps and images that will help you find great flatwater paddling spots all over Oklahoma.

You can get a free Oklahoma Water Atlas by mail if you pay $6 for the shipping or FREE if you pick it up.

To have a book mailed to your home, send a $6 check or money order (for postage and handling) made payable to “OWRB” to Oklahoma Water Resources Board Main Office 3800 N. Classen Oklahoma City, OK 73118.

You can pick up the Oklahoma Water Atlas at the following locations:

Oklahoma Wildlife Department Headquarters
1801 N. Lincoln
Oklahoma City

OWRB’s
3800 N. Classen Blvd,
Oklahoma City

OWRB Lawton branch office
601 "C" Avenue, Suite 101,
(580)248-7762

OWRB Tulsa branch office
State Agencies Building,
440 S. Houston, Room 2,
(918)581-2924

OWRB McAlester branch office
321 S. 3rd St. Suite 5,
(918)426-5435;

OWRB Woodward branch office
2411 Williams Avenue, Suite 116,
(580)256-1014

For more information about the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.

Screen on the Gazebo and Plenty of Water

Screened Gazebo
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

I finally got the screen up on the gazebo at our river lot! This was my first screening project, and it would appear that I have NO special gift for this kind of work. Nonetheless, I got through it. Now we just need to develop a color scheme for painting it. Got any suggestions? We are hoping to have some of our Oklahoma paddler friends over for a BBQ this summer, so I need to come up with something before Spring is over.

Lots of water in Oklahoma these days, eh? The North Canadian River is running strong and out of it banks. I was out there this week putting screen around the gazebo on our river lot. The river is so high that you can actually launch a kayak without climbing down a treacherous sloping riverbank! Yakker will tell you that this is pretty uncommon at our lot in Pierce, Oklahoma.

At home here in Okmulgee, the Deep Fork River is in the same condition. In fact, on my way home from work yesterday I noticed that Thousand Acre Lake (a small playa lake that appears occasionally on the DFWR) was at a decent level for fishing and paddling. If the wind lays for a moment this weekend, I may have to get out there and try to take some pictures. it isn't the most scenic body of water ever, but it is real close to home. Also, I have a thing for bodies of water that play 'hard to get'.

Sadly, there has been so much rain recently that the Lower Mountain Fork River has grown too strong for kayaking. If your local rivers are too swollen to paddle you may want to consider some lake paddling.

OKC area paddlers may be interested to learn that the the 3rd Annual Lake Overholser/Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge Clean-up has been scheduled for April 19, 2008 from 9:30am - 1:00pm. Visit our Taste Oklahoma News Blog for more details on the fun that they have planned and the prizes you could win just by participating!

I've also added a Kayak Photography page to the Oklahoma Road trips site. The content is still a little bit light today, just some kayaking pictures and five kayak photography tips. However, I plan to add a list of kayak photography links and some equipment reviews.

Let me know if you have any ideas to share. Just email me or leave a comment on the blog.

OKC Kayak Demo May 7, 2008

Lake Okmulgee Water Trees
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

7th Annual OKC Kayak Demo Day

May 7, 2008 presented by the Oklahoma City Outdoor Network.

If you have never been in a kayak before or would like to paddle several models before you make up your mind on a purchase, this evening is what you have been waiting for....

FREE Kayak Demo in OKC

Open to the General Public

Visit Lake Hefner's Hobie Point on

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm

There should be around 35 or more different kinds
of kayaks there for people to try, from sit-on-tops,
sit-in recreational kayaks, inflatable kayaks, folding kayaks and sit-in whitewater kayaks. A true 'try before you buy' moment.

Outdoor Activities for Spring 2008

Finally, our part of Oklahoma was blessed with some t-shirt weather on the weekend. Dianne and I paddled our kayaks up a crooked creek that feeds Dripping Springs Lake. Although the redbuds are in full bloom here, there is still not much color in the landscape surrounding the lake. Also, it is starting to get harder for me to paddle at Dripping Springs Lake, as the number of RV increases the rich smell of charcoal and beef becomes almost overwhelming! More details about yesterday's trip can be found here on our Okmulgee kayaking page.

I hope my fellow paddlers got outside and enjoyed the weather also. Don't wait for Summer to start making plans for Oklahoma outdoor fun. Milder temps, lower humidity and easier to find reservations make this an excellent season for taking an Oklahoma road trip.

The Oklahoma Flatwater Paddlers are planning a trip to Broken Bow this April. I am hoping to setup a trip to Noel, MO to take my son paddling down the Elk River in late May.

Oklahoma's wineries are hosting events to celebrate the budding underway in the vineyards! The Grape Ranch at Okemah will hold a Bud Break Party on April 19 and the Grand Wine Trail will host and event in Bartlesville on April 26th, 2008.

The Salt Plains Birding and Heritage Festival will be April 26-27 and features guided birding tours, games and entertainment in the unique ecosystem of northwestern Oklahoma. Get outside and embrace Spring because in Oklahoma it tends to become Summer REAL fast!

Short Kayak Trip on Okmulgee Creek

Okmulgee Creek as Spring Approaches
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

Yesterday afternoon I ventured out to a spot, not far from home, that is only rarely suitable for paddling. Okmulgee Creek is a narrow creek that runs South through the town of Okmulgee Oklahoma and eventually dumps into the Deep Fork River on its way to Lake Eufaula.

Normally, the water level is too low to cover much distance, but the flooded state of the Deep Fork River has backed up many small creeks in the area. Conditions were OK for paddling, but real lame for taking pictures...wrong time of day. Still, I found it very interesting to view the dark underbelly of our town so intimately.

I had expected to put-in at the YMCA and paddle upstream to the 6th Street Bridge. Unfortunately, the current got quite a bit swifter and the water shallower as I headed upstream. If I could find a decent put-in upstream it would be a pretty fun ride down at this level.

My non-scientific observation is that Okmulgee Creek is pretty nasty. Paddling South from the YMCA required making a portage around some large metal things that cross the creek and strain large amounts of the floating litter. Wal-Mart bags coil around the tree branches while old milk jugs, water bottles and soda cans float on an oily bed of sludge in many spots.

Although Okmulgee Creek feeds the Deep Fork River, the water is local so it hasn't picked up the red tone and sticky clay banks of the river. You can paddle under the 20th Street Bridge and then South for only half a mile or so before you come to another big metal trash catcher that crosses the entire creek.

I spoke to a local Okmulgee newsman last summer that had a vision for cleaning up and developing Okmulgee Creek as a tourism attraction and local recreation asset. Considering the way the creek snakes through the heart of Okmulgee and crosses under many major streets with lovely old arch style bridges, I think he has a pretty good idea.

Sadly, the idea is probably decades too late to get funded. The business community has already mostly abandoned downtown Okmulgee for two narrow strips of land along each side of Highway 75. Our most memorable landmark has become the road that leads out of town. The path of least investment leads to a bedroom community today and to a ghost town tomorrow.

The park and pedestrian trails that are on both sides of Okmulgee Creek represent smart investments in this resource. Since the area is prone to flood, the uses for this land are limited. However, assets like the jogging trails, BBQ grills, benches and Disc Golf setup are affordable and tend to snap back pretty quickly from short term flooding. Although there is no real canoe launch, there is plenty of free parking!

You can see some of the pictures I have taken of Okmulgee Creek in this Flickr Set.

Swollen Rivers and Rising Temps Call Paddlers

Into the Green
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

The Spring rains have landed right-on-time here in Oklahoma.

The Deep Fork River is swollen out of its regular channel backing up flood water into Thousand Acre Lake at DFWR and filling up small creeks like Okmulgee Creek with extra deep water and not much current.

Dianne and I got to paddle the areas above during the flood last summer. I loved the color contrast you see when paddling the Deep Fork River floodwater in Summer. Since Spring has just barely begun in Oklahoma, there isn't much green to see this time. I have noticed the daffodils and pear trees are blooming now, sure signs that mushroom hunting season is right around the corner!

I hope I can make it out onto the water this weekend, but the weather has been a bit uncooperative lately. We have been enjoying 70 degree weekdays, only to see a cold front sweep in for the weekend...ya gotta hate that!

I see that Al is trying to arrange a Broken Bow, Oklahoma trip for the Oklahoma Flatwater Paddlers in mid-April. I'm always up for a trip to Broken Bow, if I can talk Dianne into it. Broken Bow is usually about ten degrees warmer than Okmulgee.

I heartily reccomend purchasing a Spray Skirt for paddling the Lower Mountain Fork River in Broken Bow...even if you plan to rent a kayak. Even if you can't roll your kayak 30 different ways like Dubside, you will find that the sprayskirt will make your sit-inside-kayak much less likely to fill up with water when you get a little bit sideways. This happens to paddlers everyday on the LMF River, and it often happens in water too shallow for a complete roll over.

Obviously, it is a good idea to use the spray skirt when paddling in flood water due to the increased chance of contamination in the water.



Technorati Tags: Kayaking Oklahoma

Paddling for Correcting Teen Behavior

A group of at-risk youth had a chance to see the world in a new way on Saturday by paddling kayaks. The kids paddled the Texas coast about two miles through Fish Pass on Mustang Island into the Laguna Madre to an island for lunch.

Growing up on my parent's Oklahoma farm, I never went through the kind of challenges at-risk kids today face. However, kayaking has radically changed my worldview in a number of ways. Programs like those listed below wisely harness the power of the river to open minds and hearts.

Youth Odyssey, an adventure-based therapy program for teens, provided the day as practice for a more than 50-mile paddle through the rapids of the Pecos River next weekend. And that's just a warm-up for a 42-day shock wilderness odyssey this summer that takes seriously at-risk youth to the edge of survival and binds them as a team. -- Mike Baird article at Caller.com

To learn more about the Youth Odyssey Program. for at risk youth in schools, court appointed programs and within other treatment programs visit: http://www.youthodyssey.com/. For information about the 42 day therapeutic wilderness program for youth struggling behaviorally or emotionally visit: http://www.wildernessodyssey.com/.


Paddling The Guadalupe


Paddling the Wild Neches (Texas A&M Nature Guides)



Technorati Tags: Kayaking Texas

Spring Paddling Season Approaches

Robbers Cave Trailhead
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

What a long strange winter it's been! I will be glad to see an end to it.

I stopped by K-River Campground's website today and Tom says that the Kiamichi River level has been up at a nice paddling level for quite awhile now. Last week they had 3000 CFS water flow and 70+ degree temps! That is my definition of good times around Antlers, OK. Just drive carefully... they got deer.

The Illinois River looks to be running strong these days also. I would like to paddle down that river before the traffic gets too heavy this summer.

Little ol' Noel, MO... right on the Oklahoma border has been calling me lately.

The lodging options are a bit limited in Noel but nicely flowing, whitewater-free, paddling opportunities abound. I'm thinking a jacuzzi room in nearby Springfield, MO and an early morning arrival at one of several canoe outfitters in the area.

We should be able to book shuttling to the Deep Ford area and take our kayaks down the peaceful and lovely Elk River to a takeout at the Shady Beach campground and canoe livery.

Come on Spring!

Paddle With a PFD

Light Paddling
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

Some sad paddling news came in from Texas this week. Note: the Dripping Springs mentioned in the article is not the same Dripping Springs Lake area that I paddle in often here in Oklahoma.

Austin, TX -- A Dripping Springs man was still missing and presumed dead Tuesday night after disappearing on a kayaking trip in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday.

Stephen Stafford, 19, was on a fishing trip with a co-worker when they decided to go kayak fishing early Sunday morning. Both kayaks were capsized by waves, and although Stafford's co-worker was found, the Coast Guard said Stafford got lost in the waves while yelling for help.

Stafford was not wearing a life jacket, something his mother and girlfriend want others to think about twice. Water safety is something everyone should take seriously. -- KXAN.com.

Shop Online for a Paddller's PFD

Speaking of Kayak safety, Yakker dropped a great comment on my recent posting about picking a out a kayak for Oklahoma paddling. Yakker mentioned another very important thing to consider: capacity. Every kayak is designed for paddlers of a certain weight range. if you are old and a bit heavy, like myself, don't assume that any kayak will effectively bear your weight. Whitewater kayaks are often for paddlers under two hundred pounds, so check the specs for Paddler Capacity before buying any kayak.

Then get yourself a PFD in a color that nicely accents your boat. Buy a kayak, don't buy The Farm!


Technorati Tags: Kayaking  Oklahoma

Reader Photography Showcase Contest.

Kayaking the Kiamichi River
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

The editors of Outdoor Oklahoma magazine are calling on Oklahoma sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts for entries in the annual Reader’s Photography Showcase contest.

Any Oklahoman with a digital camera and an interest in the outdoors is eligible to see their work published in this years Showcase edition of Outdoor Oklahoma magazine.

Submissions are being accepted through March 31, and winners will have their work featured in the July/August 2008 issue.

Although the editors of Outdoor Oklahoma encourage readers to submit images including a variety of outdoor-related subjects, the magazine has been focusing on “faces in the outdoors” to show hunters, anglers, kids and other outdoor enthusiasts enjoying the outdoors.

Each participant may submit up to five digital images. Each submission must include a description of the photo, including the location taken, names and hometowns of subjects and what it took to get just the right shot. Photos should be in sharp focus, and images should be at least 300 dpi (dots per inch). The canvas size should be about 8 inches by 11 inches. Slides and print images will not be accepted.

Hopeful photographers can mail a disk to:

"Outdoor Oklahoma" Magazine
Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation
P.O. Box 53465
Oklahoma City, OK 73152.

Readers may also e-mail their entries to photoshowcase@odwc.state.ok.us.

www.wildlifedepartment.com.

Photography Oklahoma Outdoors Contest