Lower Buffalo River Cleanup - Oct 3-5 - UPDATE!!!

[Richard]

I will be camping in the "Walkin" area. As you go down the hill you will come to a stop sign where the road "T"s. Turn left, go a short distance then turn in at the large parking area on the right. I will be there. I will be driving a 2002 grey Subaru Forester. I may set up my large screenroom/tent. It is Blue on top with white sides. Campsite "G" is the one I like in the summer so I will be there or somewhere close by. "Walkin" is not an accurate term. You are able to park right next to your tent if you put your tent close to the parking. The sites are not clearly defined except for the table. The tables are at the back and the parking at the front of very long and wide sites. See you there. I am getting off the computer. I will have intermittant cell phone reception. So if you need to contact me, call my cell phone 501-450-0217

[Clif]

Thanks again all! The boys had a great time and y'all were a big part of that. Everyone for that extra step that made it a wonderful day for us. Sorry I thought we were farther downstream than we were and we missed the bus, help from you guys saved the day at the risk of missing the closing grub. And thanks to Gumbo for showing Daniel he does not need to be afraid of all of his kind.

Now I need to go unpack the car.

[Bob Stout]

Sorry I missed the Buffalo River Clean-Up - had to go see my new GREAT-GRAND Son - he's a mighty handsome youngster:D

[Richard]

Clif, Thank you for bringing the boys. I am glad they had a great time.
Bob, Missed you. Family comes first. Glad you got to see your new great grandson.

They officially had 97 people at the cleanup. Actual numbers were probably over 100. Great turnout and a hard working group. I think between Pam Elwood and Eric Esche plus the one tire Stan and I found we gathered a dozen tires. That big metal thing at the mouth of Water Creek is no longer there. Over all, most of the "trash" was from long ago (tires) or as a result of tumped canoes. We did find trash trash but all things considered users have been pretty caring about the Buffalo.

About a dozen of us camped at Buffalo Point and had a great time on the cleanup and in camp. Great weekend.
A big thanks to Wild Bills and Dirst outfitters for supplying canoes and shuttles.
A very big thanks to Mark Depoy with the NPS who organized the cleanup and did a great job of feeding us afterward.

I don't know about you, But I love the Buffalo!

[Eric Esche]

Richard's math is correct. Our little group of ACC canoeists accounted for 12 of the 13 tires recovered on Saturday. Among the other large objects we recovered, were a couple of 5 gallons oil cans, a 4" thick foam mattress that weighted 50 pounds per sqft with silt (we had to cut it up to move it) and a 12 foot section of the black honeycomb used by the USPS to stabilize banks. Other than the tires, the buckets, the honeycomb, and the mattress, there wasn't much trash. Think most folks averaged less than a half a bag of trash for those collecting. Heard many canoes came back with empty bags, but 97 pairs of hands made the river and it's banks cleaner.

Special mention ought to be given to the USPS guys who went with us on both sections of river. Our guy was an excellent boat man who gladly helped lighten our loads when we got the tires and other heavy stuff out, and jumped into 8' deep water to investigate the brake drum or something HEAVY that Mary spotted and I couldn't get hold of with my hoe to lift. Knew it was heavy and worked all around it with the hoe, but couldn't snag it. He had hoped for an anchor for his John boat. Turned out to be a mineing rail car wheel and he put it back where we found it as it is considered an archeological find. We found two other heavy metal mining car artifacts that we also left in place after logging their locations for the USPS. All of the USPS personel we met were very friendly, helpful, and polite, but our guy on N.Maumee to HW 14 bridge worked as hard as we did and with a smile all day long.

Painter Bob got to practice his rescue skills Saturday. He was behind us and I'll let him tell his tale as I wasn't there.

Mary got to see her first mink on Saturday. We had a young deep brown one play hide and seek with us for a few minutes, before going down a hole in the bank about 30 foot away. I got to run a armadillo around in the camp gound for a couple of minutes.

We also got to pull out a Methodist Church van and trailer bogged down in the loose rocks at the HW 14 bridge gravel bar, before running Cliff's shuttle. The Church van driver stopped me at the top of the hill after we untied the ropes to thank all of us (Painter Bob and Roger Keesee and possibly others) for helping him. Thanks again to Mary and Pam for watching the kids and guarding our stuff while we ran shuttle. Sorry y'all had to miss dinner and the awards ceremony.

My find of the weekend was another great up and comer bow partner yesterday in Mary. She learns quickly, pulls her weight and more, has good balance, and is cheerful. I would willingly take her in my canoe anytime. Mary is going to be Pam's bow partner next weekend, so I guess I'm back to solo canoe again next week. Maybe Mary will help me christen the Howler when I get it rigged. I got all the parts in now.

Eric Esche

[Clif]

I think the hurricanes removed most of the regular summer trash for us with high water very unusual for this time of year. We pulled out and passed off most of a tire, just the tread I think. Gave it to the van driver guy solo in his canoe. We left a piece of bucket and some other big something I don't know what was at Spring Creek. Maybe an old plastic ice chest. Had we not spent time combing, and coming up empty, 2 gravel bars we may have caught the bus. I was told we were half way down and did the math wrong I guess. Bring my own map or reset the gps next time.