339
Buffalo National RiverKayaking the Buffalo National River upstream from Blue Hole to Hasty and back
7/13/19
It's been about a month since I've been out in the shrubbery. This makes me uneasy. The remedy, on this occasion, was a paddle up the Buffalo National River. After a crappy breakfast at Denny's in Russellville, I headed up my favorite highway 7, to the north. Just after 5:00, arrival was made at the Blue Hole access...a small distance upstream from the Carver access. The morning was comfortable at 70° with mostly cloudy skies. My kayak gracefully entered the placid pool with darkness still in effect. It was 5:30. Upstream I went with paddle in hands. Near Stillwell Hollow a stop was made on a lovely gravel bar with bluffs across the river to add the proper effect. As the black slowly blended to gray, the morning was revealed to me as one fine quality. The clouds were in the early stages of breaking up, revealing occasional blue patches. Not much in the way of air movement was evident at his time. Many woodland birds and insects were vocalizing, as expected. A Blue Heron waited with great patience for fish to pass within beak range just up the river from my location. No other human was near...only creatures. The river was mine...all mine.
After this, it was onward against the current. Many shoals, riffles and shallows were dragged over. Good time was being made...I felt. So many fine rock walls and bluffs were viewed as the river wiggled in a generally eastward direction. At 9:20 I looked up, after tugging my boat to the top of a gravelly section, to see a bridge that I was not expecting. This was the Hasty access area. My distance traveled was around 3 miles, at this point. Here, I turned and went downstream, enjoying the current working with me, for a change. A beautiful gravel bar was just ahead. It was here that lunch was partaken of. Many a buzzard meandered above my shady position. I watched them and the river, and felt at home. Then I mounted my kayak. In very little time, the gravel bar of my origin was slid up onto at 11:50. A quick swim was had to remove river residue. It was now around 80°. Gear loading was undertaken and I was back on the road headed south. The drive home was pleasing as well. My round trip paddle covered 6 miles.
