Kayaking - North Fork Lake f White River

 

We started the day with a lovely breakfast prepared by Lauren—breakfast tacos filled with scrambled eggs, peppers, and a side of bacon. It was so thoughtful of her to get up early and make breakfast for everyone, especially since she wasn’t joining us for the paddle.

Leta and Doug headed back to Nashville this morning, leaving 11 of us for today’s adventure. After an hour-and-a-half drive, we arrived at the North Fork of the White River. We put in at Hammond Bridge and took out at Blair Bridge, covering a total of 11 miles.

Everyone agreed that today’s paddle was fantastic. The river kept things exciting with numerous rapids along the way, and we were all thrilled to successfully make it through Skull Crusher Falls! The combination of beautiful scenery, fun rapids, and great company made for an unforgettable day on the water.

We all met at The Wet Spot in Town for our final dinner. Lots of laughs and reminiscing went on as it was a thoroughly enjoyable week, probably one of the best weeks we’ve had in the Ozarks the evening didn’t end there because when we got back to camp, several of us went down to the river to see the fireflies and the stars. I only wish I had known about the fireflies earlier in the week because they were just amazing and the stars along the river were plentiful and vibrant. I feel so fortunate to be able to experience such beauty in my days.

Kayaking

 

Today was an early start. We left the campground at 7:00 and arrived at Hofsteddler’s about an hour and a half later. After loading the kayaks, we loaded ourselves onto the bus for the shuttle ride. It’s always a fun trip together, but even more entertaining when the winding road twists and turns like a roller coaster. In fact, once we reached the dirt road, there were moments when we couldn’t even see the road ahead as it dropped sharply downhill.

The day began with temperatures around 71 degrees, but by the time we returned to the trucks, it had warmed to 84 degrees. Our group of 14 paddled a total of 8.5 miles. It was mostly nonstop paddling until we stopped for lunch at Boze Springs. The water level was low, so it wasn’t quite as scenic as in previous years, but it remains one of the best lunch spots around.

Several people decided to take the plunge into the spring, and judging by the shrieks that followed, the water was far too cold for me! Shortly after Boze Springs, we reached the rapids, which looked very different from previous years because of the low water. Nevertheless, we had a great time navigating our way through them and enjoying one last bit of excitement before finishing the day’s paddle.

It was another wonderful day on the river, filled with good friends, plenty of laughs, and beautiful Ozark scenery.

Kayaking - Jacks Fork, Ally Springs to Eminence Ballfield

 

It was an early start today, and we met at the campground at 8:00. From there, we drove to Wendy’s Outfitters, where they loaded our kayaks into the shuttle cage. After snapping both a group photo and a fun photo inside the cage, we were ready to head to the river and begin the day’s adventure.

We put in at Aly Springs and paddled to the ballfield in Eminence. As we settled into the rhythm of the river, we navigated a few strainers along this stretch and managed only a couple of tumbles once we reached Eminence. Along the way, we made our customary stop at the cliff where a few brave paddlers carry on the tradition of jumping off. Unsurprisingly, I was not one of them!

By the time we reached the end of the route, we had paddled a total of 7.5 miles. To cap off the day, we treated ourselves to a visit to the Dairy Shack in town, which was the perfect ending to another great day on the water.

Kayaking – Current River, Akers Ferry to Round Springs

We awoke to another beautiful day. I really think this has been the best week of paddling we’ve ever had when it comes to weather. The days have been warm but not overly hot, and the evenings have cooled down enough to make for great sleeping.

Today we put in at Akers Ferry and paddled down to Pulltite. We stopped at a gravel bar for lunch, and as always, this section of the river was an easy and beautiful paddle. The route from Akers Ferry to Pulltite is 9.7 miles long and offers plenty of scenic views along the way.

Once we reached Pulltite, we had the option of ending our day there or continuing on to Round Spring Campground. Six of us decided to keep paddling, turning the day’s route into a total of 19.5 miles.

As usually happens with a smaller group, our pace picked up on the second section. The current started off fairly slow but gradually increased as we moved farther downstream, making for a fun finish to the day.

After such a long paddle, we were pretty proud of ourselves. We were also a little disappointed that there wasn’t a throng of cheering fans waiting to greet us at the takeout. Since no cheerleaders appeared, we simply cheered for ourselves—and honestly, after 19.5 miles, we had earned it.

Another wonderful day on the Current River and another reminder of why we keep coming back to the Ozarks.

Kayaking- Current River Cedars Grove to Akers Ferry

 

At 8:30, we met in the campground parking lot to drive to Akers Ferry. We needed to leave two cars there for the shuttle back from our takeout, so once those drivers were organized, we headed upstream to Cedar Grove to begin our paddle downriver.

The river is narrow at the beginning of this stretch, so we often paddled single file. This is such a great group of paddlers—all experienced and comfortable on the water—so we never had any bottlenecks or bunching up along the way.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, with temperatures probably in the 80s, bright blue skies, and just a few white clouds. Days like this always remind me how lucky we are to be out in nature, paddling some of the clearest and most beautiful rivers around.

The Current River is becoming very familiar to us now. We passed springs flowing from the rocky bluffs and stopped for lunch at the old hospital site, with Blue Spring providing a stunning backdrop. Altogether, we paddled about eight miles, spending roughly four hours on the water.

We saw plenty of wildlife throughout the day. An eagle soared overhead, geese lounged along the riverbank as if they were enjoying a spa day, and an otter rolled around on the bank, looking both funny and adorable. We also spotted several ducks and lots of large fish swimming in the clear water.

Back at camp, we enjoyed a community dinner with Michelle and Lauren, with everyone contributing something to the meal. We feasted on hamburgers, sautéed mushrooms and onions, Caesar salad, and fresh vegetables with dip. By the end, we were completely stuffed.

Later, we headed down to the lower campsite, where we sat in a circle, shared stories, and laughed until our sides hurt. As if we hadn’t eaten enough already, Doug made a dump cake for dessert. It was delicious—and the perfect ending to another wonderful day in the Ozarks.

Kayaking- Current River Pull-Tite to Round Spring

 

There were five of us at the campsite—Scotty, me, Lauren, Lita, and Michelle—who wanted to go kayaking. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to get on the water before the rest of the Paddling Buds arrived later in the afternoon.

We launched around 10:00 a.m. and paddled 9.7 miles on the Current River. We loaded all the kayaks into Scotty’s truck, put in at Pulltite, and took out at Round Spring Campground, where we were camping. About halfway through the trip, we stopped for a lunch break. Unfortunately, Scotty and I had forgotten our lunch. Hopefully, that doesn’t become a recurring pattern on this trip!

Our total paddling time was about three hours, and it was a nice, relaxing way to start the week on the river.

Back at camp, I took a shower—and it wasn’t just any shower. Scotty has rigged up an outdoor shower on our trailer, and I absolutely love it. There’s something special about showering outside and looking up at the sky while you do.

Later, Scotty and John went to retrieve Scotty’s truck and the kayaks we had left at the Round Spring takeout. For dinner, we made fajitas, and Michelle arrived just in time to join us. She’s camping out of her car, which always impresses me. I’m continually amazed by the single women who come on these trips and the creative ways they make them happen—whether it’s camping in a car, pitching a tent, or occasionally bringing a camper.

As the evening settled in, we gathered around the tent campsite, getting reacquainted, sharing stories, and enjoying plenty of laughs. It was a wonderful ending to a beautiful day on the river.

Camping - Roundspring, Ozarks

 We had a slow start and left the campground around 9:30, heading straight to Walmart for a few last-minute supplies, including a toilet deodorizer to deal with a slight but annoying trailer odor.

After a late lunch in the parking lot, we made our final drive into Eminence. There’s something reassuring about arriving at a campground we’ve visited many times before. We quickly settled into our site and put out all the extras: the outside tent, side table, festive lights, and even our marquee-style sign that proudly says, “Scotty & Julie, Paddling Buds.” We are home.

Best of all, we reunited with our paddling friends Lauren, John, his new friend Kara, and Leta. We spent the afternoon catching up and sharing stories from our camping adventures over the past year.

For dinner, we made pizza on the Blackstone grill and enjoyed a Pumphouse beer. Life is good!

To top off the evening, we attended the ranger talk on turtles at 8:30. Then, like the old folks we are, we headed back to the trailer and turned in, excited to kayak the next day.