My wife told me yesterday since we spent the whole day at SMORR I owed her a day doing what she wanted to do. Not sure that's how it works, but it is how it worked today. She wanted to go backroading into Northern Arkansas and find a river bank to hang out on for the day. "Can we take the Jeep?" She agreed, so we packed a cooler, a couple of camp chairs, some swim trunks, and flip flops. Gassed up and with yesterday's layer of muck washed off we headed south with no real sense of where we were going, I told here I was confident I could find a spot on the Buffalo River a couple hours south in the Arkansas hills.
First stop was Bakers Ferry. Not much to do here, small gravel bar, and a truck load of locals showed up with fishing poles. We moved on.
Headed east towards 65 Hwy I wanted to go to Gilbert Arkansas, since I have floated the river there before and know it has some big gravel bars to adventure on. On the way we spotted a truck towing a horse trailer off on a side road with a couple ladies looking under their truck. I stopped to ask if they needed help, and it turns out they did. Their hitch had failed, it was missing several of the bolts that attach it to the frame and had folded under the truck dropping the neck of the trailer to the ground. Lucky the trailer was empty. I was able to block the trailer wheels with some rocks, disconnect and jack up the tongue with a little help from the 4lb hammer I carry in my tool kit while we waited for their brother to show up with a rescue truck. He was there is half a minute and I helped him hitch up. No pictures but it was an event.
We pulled into the Gilbert access to the Buffalo River and found a large gravel bar with many vehicles parked for the days aventures in rafts and kayaks. We turned right and followed the gravel bar about a half mile to its end, finding the dry creek bed below. We explore a few hundred yards of the dry creek finding some cool rock formations, and a rock garden at the end that tempted me, but today was not for wheeling. The wife wants water, so to the water we go.
Not much of a flex shot with sway bars connected and at 26 psi.
Next we traveled to the other end of the bar, finding it ending in a sand trap. Ever curious, I wanted to see what was on the other side. There where some tracks, so we headed into the bush down a tight 2 track trail of sand pits and loose gravel. Made it about 50 feet in 2wd and started to slip. Backed up and tried 4hi and off we went. About 1/4 mile in the trail open to a large gravel bar with no people and tracks leading to a relatively shallow crossing. On the other side, we had a wide gravel bar to ourselves. A couple of camp chair in the river passed for an awesome afternoon. The far side of the river was 8 feet deep, so swimming and lounging was the order of the day.
We found ourselves talking about priorities and what we really enjoy. Turns our we both want to sell our boat more than we want to keep it. My wife is now intrigued at the prospect of an overlanding trailer for the Jeep. We had the whole place to ourselves, not a sole for the whole day. Lots to talk about now that we are home. I am a fair weather camper at best, I like to be comfortable. It will take a lot more adventures like this to get me to pony up for a camper.
Another awesome day in the TJ.
First stop was Bakers Ferry. Not much to do here, small gravel bar, and a truck load of locals showed up with fishing poles. We moved on.
Headed east towards 65 Hwy I wanted to go to Gilbert Arkansas, since I have floated the river there before and know it has some big gravel bars to adventure on. On the way we spotted a truck towing a horse trailer off on a side road with a couple ladies looking under their truck. I stopped to ask if they needed help, and it turns out they did. Their hitch had failed, it was missing several of the bolts that attach it to the frame and had folded under the truck dropping the neck of the trailer to the ground. Lucky the trailer was empty. I was able to block the trailer wheels with some rocks, disconnect and jack up the tongue with a little help from the 4lb hammer I carry in my tool kit while we waited for their brother to show up with a rescue truck. He was there is half a minute and I helped him hitch up. No pictures but it was an event.
We pulled into the Gilbert access to the Buffalo River and found a large gravel bar with many vehicles parked for the days aventures in rafts and kayaks. We turned right and followed the gravel bar about a half mile to its end, finding the dry creek bed below. We explore a few hundred yards of the dry creek finding some cool rock formations, and a rock garden at the end that tempted me, but today was not for wheeling. The wife wants water, so to the water we go.
Not much of a flex shot with sway bars connected and at 26 psi.
Next we traveled to the other end of the bar, finding it ending in a sand trap. Ever curious, I wanted to see what was on the other side. There where some tracks, so we headed into the bush down a tight 2 track trail of sand pits and loose gravel. Made it about 50 feet in 2wd and started to slip. Backed up and tried 4hi and off we went. About 1/4 mile in the trail open to a large gravel bar with no people and tracks leading to a relatively shallow crossing. On the other side, we had a wide gravel bar to ourselves. A couple of camp chair in the river passed for an awesome afternoon. The far side of the river was 8 feet deep, so swimming and lounging was the order of the day.
We found ourselves talking about priorities and what we really enjoy. Turns our we both want to sell our boat more than we want to keep it. My wife is now intrigued at the prospect of an overlanding trailer for the Jeep. We had the whole place to ourselves, not a sole for the whole day. Lots to talk about now that we are home. I am a fair weather camper at best, I like to be comfortable. It will take a lot more adventures like this to get me to pony up for a camper.
Another awesome day in the TJ.
