CONVERGING RIVERS EXPEDITION!

 I had the great joy of participating in an outing with several ladies, that involved kayaking from Buffalo City on the White River, to the town of Norfork, Arkansas, which is also on the White River.  It is a distance of 12 river miles.  My assignment for the event was to be the shuttle driver, which meant I needed to go straight to the take-out location, and wait for the drivers of the pickup trucks to arrive with their emptied out trucks, because these pickup drivers had already dropped off their passengers and kayaks, at the starting point of Buffalo City.  (This included the kayak I was using).

I arrived in Norfork well in advance of what was necessary, so I could take photos and get in some walking.  The Norfork River empties into the White River, in the little town of Norfork, Arkansas.  A vehicle bridge and a train bridge cross over the Norfork River, to lead into Norfork's main street (AKA, Arkansas Hiway 5)

I wanted to drive down River Road, adjacent to the Norfork River, because its narrow pavement is competely encased by trees and bluffs, forming a scenic green tunnel.  When the river is high, sometimes the deck is covered by water, so I wanted to check it out.  Thankfully, it is now fully functional, and provides the handicapped-accessible fishing dock, allowing access for those in wheel chairs, to fish from this location:

There is also a bench for quite contemplation of the beauty here:

There is an overlook on the top of this bluff, accessible from Highway 5.

My next stop was a commercial outfitter dock on the Norfork River.  I have fond memories from this outfitter,  of a family outing  with my husband, his brother, and his brother's wife.  We had a most enjoyable excursion, trying to catch fish, with the help of a knowledgeable guide.  

A short distance away is the Norfork  public access on the White River.  There used to be a car ferry at this location, but it is no longer in operation.  

It is easy to see why the historic 1829 Jacob Wolf  House (www.arkansasheritage.com), located on a hill above the confluence of the Norfork and White River, had such a pivotal role in the early development of this area.   It is the last remaining two-story dog-trot public structure in the United States.  A while back I was attending a special open house event at the site, and was surprised to see one of my college sorority sisters, who lives in Little Rock, had made the long drive to the event, because Jacob Wolf was one of her ancestors!

When the pickup drivers and I made it back to Buffalo City, the other kayakers were thankful to see our return, so the kayaking could commence! I took this photo shortly before putting away my iphone into a waterproof box.  It shows Cindy, with camera in hand, preparing to take a group photo.  We are very blessed that Cindy is an OUTSTANDING photographer with a good eye for detail, and uses her waterproof camera to capture things along the river, that others frequently don't notice!  

This is the group photo.  I am the one in black pants.  Notice we all have life jackets, and wearing our lifejackets while kayaking, is a requirement for participation.  

One of the ladies took this photo, shortly after we launched.  

Here is another photo I did not take, because my iphone was in my drybox!

We stopped at Shipps Ferry for a break to stretch our legs and do the necessary things ladies need to do!

One of these ladies remembered to bring her collapsible chair to sit on, during the lunch break!

 

These access points along the White River, are maintained by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (www.agfc.com) and we all appreciate the good stewards they are being with the tax revenue, that supplies the funds to maintain these rest stops.   

We were very thankful for the clean portable toilets, with hand sanitizer,  at Schipps Ferry!

The entire landscape at Schipps Ferry is covered by kudzu, and I got these three to pose in front of it, because I have been at special events where a wall of ARTIFICIAL green plants is used for a photo backdrop, but this is the real thing!  The photo below shows me posing in front of a wall of kudzu, preparing to launch back into the river.  

 

Patti took this group photo at our lunch spot.  Notice the background is kudzu!

Some of the group used their kayaks as their seat, to enjoy their lunch break.  

After lunch, it was time to put the lifejackets back on, and get back on the river.

We all made it safely back to the take out location in Norfork, and started the process of loading the kayaks back into the pickup trucks that had been parked there, while we were on the water.   

Darrah put a red flag on her blue kayak, because it is longer than the others.  

Darrah also had a very helpful tool that I had never seen before.  It fits over the back tire of the truck, so a person can reach inside the truck bed, to hook up the straps of the tie-down that secure a kayak into the truck.  Darrah is also the one who took me back to Buffalo City, where my car was located, so I am VERY THANKFUL for her kindness to me!

At my advanced age, (which you can't tell because I am covered up in a red hat and red life vest), I treasure these days that I am able to be out kayaking with friends!  I try to get the maximum enjoyment of each outing with a mindset that this may be the last time I get to do this.  And, of course, one day it will be!  When that happens, I will just paddle my way through the pearly gates of heaven!  (Referring to Revelation 21:21 imagery)

This expedition gave me "12 MILES OF PADDLING SMILES"!  Tricia