Time to Get Orientated

In case you like to know where we're going.

Recall that the floatable part of the Buffalo starts up by Summertown and the Natchez Trace bridge, about where we put in at David Fox's farm.  Then it flows due west about half its distance before it hangs a right and flows north the other half through Linden and Lobelville, ending in the Duck River at the top of this map.

We won't do it on this trip, but we are coming very, very close to completing the entire Buffalo River.  Something we originally aspired to do on the 250 mile Duck, but one of the RRCC mottos is "Set your goals low, then fall short of them."  Still it will be cool to have done one from headwaters to confluence.

For this trip we are going to be on the lower Buffalo, north of Lobelville.  Not the very lowest. That was what we did Fall 2007 when the last half mile of our trip was upstream on the Duck to our take out.  We're doing the section immediately above that.  In fact, our put-in Fall 2007 will serve as our take-out this Spring. 

You may remember we car camped at that bridge in 2007 because the land belonged to the owners of Hot Rods and Cadillacs, the roadhouse bar up the hill where we spent a hard day's night on Friday (also close to Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch where we had a hard day's breakfast Saturday morning).

 

  

 

As a matter of fact, it's only because Mullowney chatted them up about their land ten years ago that this trip is possible.  There is no public access at the bridge and it is posted no trespassing.  But it's also for sale. 

So remember, WE ARE SERIOUS PROSPECTIVE LAND BUYERS.  We have been in "negotiations" with the real estate agent and that's the only reason they are letting us take out on their property.  Just don't tell them that one of the contingencies before closing is we have to hit the superfecta.   

The put-in for this trip will be 13 miles upstream at the place where Vernon was waiting for us halfway through our trip last fall.

From there we will paddle exactly ONE MILE on Friday to our lunch stop.  It's the good looking island right under Pine Bluff that we would definitely have pulled out on last fall had we not just stopped for 2 hours for Frito Chili Pies and to hear Zach Cunningham make his 4th down tackle to beat Georgia. 

Here it is, on the left:

After lunch we will float exactly ONE HALF MILE to our campsite where we will set up Proud Mary in the current of Russell Creek if we have any energy left from our rigorous paddle.  

Then, on Saturday and Sunday, we'll have a total of 11 miles to cover.  After we pass our take out from last year (the big campground with the rope swing) the remainder of the trip will be new territory for us.  So we'll hope to get lucky picking our second night camp, but the satellite pics look very promising. 

Just a couple of examples....