Kayaking and Canoeing Races and Festivals in Georgia and Florida
October is a very busy month for paddling events. If you are looking for a paddling challenge, you might want to enter the Suwannee River Challenge or the Suwannee River Marathon on Saturday, October 10th. The Suwannee River Challenge is a 52 mile race that starts in Fargo, Georgia and ends in White Springs, Florida. According to [...]Mulberry River Whitewater Two Hours from Home
Our first visit to The Mulberry River in Ozark, Arkansas this weekend was a blast!Just a couple hours down I-40, the Mulberry River offers a fun ride with constant current and loads of fairly easy rapids. In fact, the Mulberry offers about 40 miles of great canoe & kayaking water. This river is rainfall driven, so you must plan your trip carefully. Too much water makes it very dangerous and too little water means dragging your kayak through the shallows. Visit the Turner Bend website for a daily updated gauge of the current river level. They will even sell you a detailed river map and canoe guide with all of the named rapids listed.
Since Dianne and I arrived at Turner Bend late in the afternoon, we took the short four mile float trip from the public access at Redding Campground in The Ozark National Forest down to the Turner Bend take-out at the Highway 23 bridge. The Mulberry River level was at 2.05 feet according to the Turner Bend gauge. The river level was perfect for a couple of recreational kayakers like us. As you can see from the picture on the right, the Mulberry provides lots of chances to test how cold the water is! The nice folks at Turner Bend shuttled both of our kayaks for a mere $16. I am eager to return and paddle more of this thrilling river.
Kayakers had better snap on the sprayskirt for paddling the Mulberry River. Although it is not as rocky as the LMF, there are loads of ripples and standing waves that make it difficult to see the rocks that are there. There are many more rapids on the Mulberry River than the Lower Mt. Fork River. Rather than the typical pool & drop, the Mulberry River water descends at a consistently swift pace through rapid after rapid.
Since we launched so late in the day, we had the river practically to ourselves. This was surprising because the Turner Bend store where we arranged the shuttle was absolutely packed with bikers! Turner Bend is located where the river crosses Highway 23. This is part of 'The Pig Trail', a scenic roadway popular with motorcycle clubs and car clubs. The Pig Trail and the National Forest campgrounds bring folks from all over the country to this beautiful part of the Arkansas Ozarks.
One of the best features of this river is the great put-in and take-out spots. Our put-in at Redding Campground was large and made with tons of lovely native stonework. With so many riffles and S-curves to paddle on the Mulberry, it is easy to lose track of time. Thankfully, Turner Bend has a take-out that you simply cannot miss. One highlight of our Turner Bend visit was seeing the electric boat lift they use to bring canoes & kayaks out of the water. For me, it was love at first sight!
The Mulberry River is an exciting series of whitewater rapids, so keep your wits about you. Watch the river levels closely, dress for immersion and paddle sober for the ride of your life! Dianne and I paddled the river without flipping the kayaks, but we still managed to get quite wet. To contact the Mulberry River outfitters and plan your own float trip, visit our Mulberry River page at: http://www.oklahomaroadtrips.com/Float-Mulberry-River.htm
While you are there, check out the town of Altus, Arkansas, home of several local wineries & vineyards, just 20 minutes away! If you don't have time to visit the wineries in person, just grab a few bottles of Arkansas wine at the Turner Bend store!
Repairing a Damaged Sea Kayak Part 6: Apply Gelcoat, Buff, and You’re Done
Applying gelcoat is the final step in repairing a damaged fiberglass sea kayak. Doubleclick this and all other images to enlarge. Brian Nystrom photos Gelcoat serves numerous functions. A tough and durable coating which can be tinted any color you can imagine, colors a sea kayak and provides the hull's first layer of abrasion protection. Gelcoat is pretty rugged stuff. More subtle yet equallyOklahoma Area Rivers Up for Floating
It looks like we have perfect paddling conditions on tap for this weekend. Recent rains have nice river levels flowing on a number of popular Ozark area kayaking locations.This weekend, I like the looks of these waterways:
The Mulberry River - Whitewater off I-40 near Ozark, Arkansas
The Illinois River - Scenic paddling in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
The Kiamichi River - Remote backwoods canoe trips in Antlers, OK
The Upper Mountain Fork River - Watch out for the six foot waterfall.
The Kings River - Scenic canoeing trips near Eureka Springs, Arkansas
The Glover River - Big time whitewater in Southeastern Oklahoma
All of the above rivers are running strong and the Oklahoma weather forecast is calling for nothing but sunshine. I've got a load of work to do this weekend, but I still hope to slip off somewhere to enjoy some shady water.
Paddling Triathlon and Kayaking Race
Paddling Triathlon and More in Wilkesboro North Carolina! If you love to paddle, run and mountain bike than the Dark Mountain Challenge Endurance Festival on October 3rd & 4th is an event you’ll want to enter. This event is held at the Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir in Wilkesboro, NC. Events for Saturday, October 3rd: The Paddling Triathlon is [...]Canoe and Kayak Race in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Looking to paddle in Chattanooga? You should! That Tennessee city has some great paddling opportunities. Just 130 miles or so south of Nashville, and only 116 miles from downtown Atlanta, Chattanooga is truly a paddlers paradise! So here's an event that is a great introduction to the city and to paddling the gorgeous Tennessee River: Tennessee River Blueway Canoe and Kayak Race taking place on Saturday, September 26thSevylor U235/K79 Tahiti Kayak inflatable New
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Welcome to the Andaman Islands! Resorts in Havelock Island
Fabulous eco-lodge in the remote Andaman Islands. Great scuba diving, superb sea-kayaking and some warm wonderful local communities to interact with. Getting there is like a pilgrimage – but the rewards are worth it!
