Monday, April 28, 2025
Weather Conditions:
High: 83
Low: 62
Skies: sunny skies
Wind: ESE 8 to 21 mph, gusts to 33 mph
Today’s mileage: 20 miles
Total: 33 miles
Where we traveled: Below Carver Campground across the river from Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area to Dave’s Cave
No need for an alarm this morning. The Whippoorwills started their concert early. Are they the sign of when to go to bed and when to get up?
John is fairly sure he heard a deer snorting outside our tent last night. I love sharing nature’s world.
In the middle of the night, John and I both realized our sleep pads were flat. Yesterday afternoon, after I blew them up, the close valves were difficult to turn. I wondered then if they would last. This morning John looked at them to see if he could adjust the valves. He got them to turn better, so I did a dry run to see if I could close them. As I blew them up, I felt air coming out by my hand. A seam had come unglued. These pads have provided cushion many nights. I’m thankful we have our medium weight sleep in bags to provide a little comfort. We’ve added new sleep pads to our Earth Adventures shopping list.
Moving our boat last night proved to be wise, because where it had been sitting was under water. The river had probably risen 10” overnight. A real-life example of the importance of the boat’s position on the bank and tying it off. John says to assume the water will rise. I’m amazed at how quickly a river can go up or down. The weather upstream affects where you are even if a single drop of rain doesn’t fall where you are.
We launched around 10:00. Our first stop was around 12:00 at Baker Ford. While there, we met Adam, a Park Service employee, as he was scraping mud—a lingering effect of a flood one month prior—from the restroom steps. He said the area used to be a nice campground before the river covered the campsites. The sand is now haphazardly piled, as if by a bulldozer. He told us a lady almost drowned on the upper Buffalo yesterday.
The wind!!!! The advantage of paddling on a river as opposed to a lake is that when you turn the bend there will be a respite until you come to another bend. Sometimes, though, a gust catches your boat just as you are trying to avoid an obstacle, adding one more challenge to the mix.
We found a stony inside bend for lunch around 1:00. We stepped cautiously in the mud as we exited our boats. The stones required negotiating as we climbed to the top of a small hill. I wonder what the spot was like before the flood. The power of water is undeniable.
Gary set up his Go Pro and sent us ahead. He was hoping for action shots through the dicey spots. He told us, “If you come up screaming, don’t stop until I say ‘cut’.” Is that why they asked us to join them—for the action shots?
We stopped for a potty break around 3:00 and talked about how much further we wanted to go. Over the next couple of days, we will be watching the weather and looking for somewhere safe to hunker down, such as a campground, before the storms arrive. After our discussion, we decided to paddle a couple more hours before searching for a spot to spend the night.
We found our home around 5:00. It wasn’t ideal—very stony, and parts, though dry now, could be under water with a rise in the river level. Again, don’t pass the good in search of the perfect.
People we encountered on the river:
2 girls sitting on a sand bar with their kayaks
A family in a canoe. We passed them on the river after paddling through a dicey spot, and then they passed our campsite later.
Wildlife:
4 eagles—3 adults and 1 juvenile
Indigo Bunting
Notable sights:
The Narrows—A rugged hiking trail meanders along the edge of this narrow bluff. I chose to admire it from the river.
Skull Bluff—It did resemble a skull.
Caves—You can’t have bluffs without caves.
While we were relaxing before dinner, we checked the forecast again by satellite (no cell coverage here). The earlier prediction on The Weather Channel app called for thunderstorms, starting as early as tonight and continuing until Thursday—maybe an inch or more. Now, the satellite shows rain not starting until Wednesday. Which will be correct?
Whippoorwills are singing. Are they telling me to get ready for bed? Good night.