"That Route To Travel Again" - Keith R. Bridgman - 1999:...The aroma of coffee brewing on the campfire seemed exceptionally pleasing that morning. It is comforting to rise early and witness dawn on the river...
One full day and night on the river was behind us, and now that evening was falling again on day two, the warming rays of the fire felt good against the chill of the night. Coyote's howled and yapped in the distance, their song echoing against the backdrop of magnificant bluffs. I leaned against the gravel which conformed to my contours, and watched the twilight sky as it rapidly filled with stars. A million miles away I was...and the fatigue of the past few months drifted away with the campfire smoke as it hovered low over the waters. It felt good to rest and enjoy one of the finer things of life.
The next morning I awoke early, the sun not yet cresting the ridge that protected the large expanse of gravel where our troop had pitched camp. I stepped out of my tent, it felt good to stretch, expecting to be the first up and about. Rocky, my long time friend and fishing buddy, already had a fire blazing and was gathering some extra wood. A chill hung in the air even though it was the first week of June. Our three tents appeared suspended in the light fog that drifted across the cool waters of the Buffalo River. The cheerful rushing made as the river flowed through gravel shoals added music to the morning seranade of birds, and the splashing of fish jumping made us eager to wet a line. On the south side of the river less than one hundred yards away stood the massive wall of the 'Nar's, and less than a quarter mile down river was Skull Bluff, two unique geological features found on this flowing jewel.
The aroma of coffee brewing on the campfire seemed exceptionally pleasing that morning. It is comforting to rise early and witness dawn on the river. At first, the day broke clear and bright, but to the west a rumbling within an ominous dark cloud threatened to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere. We fished a little before breaking camp, then carefully loaded our gear into the three canoes and shoved off just as the first drops of rain started to fall.
The Buffalo River in Northwestern Arkansas is a perfect place to canoe camp, offering countless gravel banks, crystal clear water, and relative isolation. The normal camping gear is in order, small tent, sleeping bag, small cook stove in case in rains, rain gear, fishing gear, comfortable cloths for the season, and non-perishable food stuff. Of course you must have the proper canoeing gear like paddles and lifejackets and such.
Canoe camping allows one to get away from the crowds and find some solitude and time alone. The public campground scene is not for me or any of my hunting and fishing partners. There is something wonderfully relaxing spending a few days meandering down a beautiful river like the Buffalo. A canoe camping trip should be kept simple. From the very beginning, the joys of canoe camping only get better. By the third day, all of the rush is gone and the frustrations of life in general are beginning to subside. Fresh fish cooking over a campfire is one of life's greatest treasures, and the evenings explode with thousands of brilliant stars. Golden, towering cliffs, the sight of a deer running along the bank, or even a wild turkey or two scurrying up the wooded slope, are but a few of the possible sights one can encounter while drifting silently down the Buffalo. Breakfast never tasted so fine as when cooked over a fire with an early morning haze drifting across the camp. These are indeed simple pleasures, but pleasures more often than not, we forget to enjoy. You know...it's been a while since I last floated and camped. I must soon, that route to travel again.
Keith R. Bridgman
