Big Piney 5 Nighter?

[padlnjones]

Hi folks,

It's game time for me and my merry band of adventurers. We blocked out the week of May 3-11 for canoe camping in the Ozarks. Spozed to leave Friday morning from the Carolinas. Plan A is/was to run a combination of 2 of Big Piney/Jack's Fork/Lower Buffalo for a total of seven nights (starting this Saturday).

I have been monitoring the levels and weather, and with rivers already high the prediction is for another 1.5-2" of rain Thurs & Friday... it's very likely that anymore appreciable rain and we are out of bidness as far as Plan A... So, for a Plan B, I am thinking to drive up anyway and wait for things to drop, and while waiting do some day trips with empty boats ASSUMING there are some runs that would be "safe" with that much water in the system. Around here you would just move up higher in the watershed when the main rivers were too high or flooding.

Any suggestions? I have a copy of Missouri Ozark Waterways... we will have 4 tandem canoes with experienced paddlers, mainly looking to have fun, not fear...

Thanks for any recommendations!

david

[Gavin]

Maybe a longer float on the Jack's Fork? Plenty of water to float from Prongs on down.

[Wayne SW/MO]

You might want too get an idea of the watersheds and compare that with the NWS radar showing storm amounts. It's not unusual here to see storms vary in intensity as the pass over the state. The upper reaches would be a good plan for the Missouri rivers.

You don't have many options for the lower Buffalo. The people at Riley's Station, on the White, are good sources for shuttles and information. Their resort is directly across from the mouth of the Buffalo and offers a secure place to leave a vehicle for 2 or 3 nights. As you probably know there is no there is no escape hatch on the lower Buffalo. Once you leave Rush you're committed.

[padlnjones]

I will definitely be looking at right where the rain falls. The Jack's Fork would be a great level IF it doesnt get more rain. I watched it jump up 7 ft overnite this week, something definitely to avoid. I talked with Michelle at Riley's this morning, she is also concerned about more rain coming in. She said after Clabber Creek there was nothing too heinous, but I wouldnt know. I havent done any of these runs yet (I have done Ponca to Woolum on the Upper Buffalo, the Current from Akers to Powdermill, and the Eleven point)

My thoughts are that the Lower Buffalo, or maybe the Current, would handle the extra rain volume better as they are wide and increased volume isnt so vertical...

Hoping to find something Class I to easy II that would be a good run with the water high everywhere else...

Can I assume the fishing will be lousy and difficult with such high water?