Pros:

• Tons of volume!  The boat really pops in the whole.  It has incredible speed once you sink the bow.  I don’t loop well but the momentum it gave when popping out of the whole was incredible.
• Maneuverability in the whole is second to none.  You can play, surf, and swap ends all day in this beast.  It is soooo smooth!
• Awesome Colors, Carbon option if you are loaded = best playboat ever built.
• I got to see the Jackson Crew paddling them in BV and they were doing some amazing stuff.  These guys are changing the world of playboating and this is their newest tool!

Cons:

• This boat will have a steep learning curve for beginners.  It took me a while to get tricks that I normally get confidently.
• Slow.  The boat is a bit slower in my opinion which may come into play if you plan to do any river running in it.
• Specifically a play boat, not much cross over potential here.

Overall this boat is a game changer.  The Best Playboat money can buy.  If playboating is your gig don’t waste time on any other boat.

Overall Anthony Rating – AAA+

(For and explanation of the Anthony Rating click here)

Trip Mileage: 6 miles

Hiking Time: 3 Hours

View at the falls: Not the highest fall in the area but definitely one of the prettiest.

Difficulty:  Easy-Moderate

Ramona Falls Links:

Ramona Falls – Portland Hiker Field Guide

A good Forum Entry 

Blog With Decent Trail Map

Google Map Link to the Ramona Falls Trail Head (End of Muddy Fork Road)

Pros:

• Extremely buoyant.  Allowing paddler to get a lot more action from having your ends in the water.
• Snubbier, I imagine over time the hull would ware much better than other models.  This also allows for easier cartwheeling and more maneuverability.
• The boat seems more rounded, there is almost nothing to catch you, I felt that surfing was much easier in this boat.
• Quick – you can feel how much faster this boat is than other models.
• Cool colors.
• Mr. Jackson knows what he is doing so… you cant go wrong with his newest project.

Cons:

• For beginner paddlers I would say that this boat is significantly more difficult to paddle.  It is harder to roll, the reduction in size makes it quicker and thus a bit harder to control.
• I felt like it was harder to get ends in the water on flat water, harder to double pump.

Overall it was a great boat, and with the right skill level, especially if you are looking for a great arial boat, I would say it is the best boat on the market.  For a beginner paddler it might be a more challenging choice but a choice that would give the paddler unlimited growth potential.

Overall Anthony Rating – AAA+

(For and explanation of the Anthony Rating click here)

You could get a lot of climbing done in one day here and could stay here for months and never get bored.

Campground:

From the North 40 looking back at the campground.

There is a pretty cool teepee in the campground that can be rented out for a minimal fee.  The teepee has a fire pit in the middle and we were able to fit 15 high school kids in it comfortably.

The Teepee

Rock Climbing:

The rock climbing is some of the best in the country.  The North 40 is a great place to take a group, or for beginner climbings to try our top roping or leading.  Route range in difficulty covering the entire spectrum from 6.5 all the way to 5.reallyhard.  There is a great guidebook that you can get online for $5.

Rock Climbing

There are also several great day trips that are close to HCR as well.

• There are several great caves in the area and on is Copperhead Cave
• Kyles Landing, a great park on the Buffalo River is only a few minutes drive from the area.
• Ponca and Boxley Canyon are popular scenic and elk viewing areas.

Arkansas is one of the best places to go for great outdoor activities.  The trip outlined here is a suggestion of a five day trip that will include canoeing on the Buffalo River, rock climbing at Horse Shoe Canyon Ranch, and Caving.

Trip Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive at Gilbert, check in with the Gilbert Store and camp on the sandbar.

Day 2: Canoe from Gilbert for about 10 miles and camp on the river.

Day 3: Canoe to the Highway 14 bridge. Camp at Horse Shoe Canyon Ranch.

Day 4: Horse Shoe Canyon Ranch day 1.

Day 5: Half day at Horse Shoe Canyon Ranch and Second half at Copper Head Cave

Please make sure to click on the links for the detailed reports of each day and place.

Winding and beautiful Buffalo River is in North West Arkansas and contains some of the most beautiful stretches of river in the United States.  The National Park Service has great website that can help you with much of your trip planning.

There are several great itinerary ideas and depending on what you like there are lots of options for this trip ranging from 2 days to as long as you want!

There are several really good sections of the Buffalo River, two of my favorite short trips are Ponca to Pruitt and Gilbert to Highway 14.  Here is a good milage chart to help you plan your trip.  You might also take a look at this interactive map.

Season for Paddling

The Buffalo River can be paddled year around.  During the winter temps can be very cold and snow can be present.  Spring and Fall can have cold nights and the Summer is a great time to paddle short days and swim a lot.  there are pros and cons to Winter paddling, in the Winter you not likely to see anyone else on the river but the nights will be very cold and of course swimming is not likely.  The water level is different at different times of the year but in general the spring has better water levels.  Average temps are posted on this website.

December on the Buffalo

Ponca to Pruitt

This is perhaps the most beautiful section of the river, the problem is that there is not always enough water to run this section.  This website will give up to date river levels and tell you if the section of the river starting in Ponca has enough water to run it.

There are some amazing sites on this stretch of the river including Hemmed in Hollow, Kyles Landing and several other beautiful bluffs!

This section is only 23 miles so it can be done in 2-3 days depending on how fast the river is running, at low levels you may have to drag or cary your canoe so make sure you take than into account when planning your trip.

In my opinion if you only have a couple of days and the river levels are right, this is the section of the river to run.  Here are a few good links to help you get started planning you trip.

Ponca boat rentals and shuttle rates.

In depth Info on the river.

Official Ponca Water Levels

Hemmed in Hollow

Gilbert to Highway 14

This section of the river is perfect for beginners, there are few obstructions in the water, and during normal water levels, only a few rapids.  This section has great scenery, Red Bluff is one of the many great views on this section of the river.  During the Winter months you will see almost no other people and lots of wildlife.  I have seen beavers, bald eagles, wild hogs, deer, hawks, and mountain goats on the same float trip.  This section of the river is very dependable and rarely has water level too low to run.  The sandbar in Gilbert is a great place to start and a great way first night stay as well if you want.  The Gilbert store has all of the essentials including canoe rentals, food, and shuttle service.

Gilbert To Hwy 14

“An all-season pole with an ergonomically angled, natural cork grip, the Trail Ergo Cork is built for long days in the backcountry.

• 15-degree angle of the grip ensures optimal grip position
• Natural cork wicks away sweat
• No-slip foam on upper shaft
• Double FlickLocks for three-section adjustability
• Long Flex Tips, low-profile Trekking Baskets and Powder Baskets”

Anthony Says:

I took these poles on a summer ascent, before all of the snow came, of Mount Shavano near Salida Colorado.  Overall the Poles did pretty well.  I am a big guy so I need a rugged set of poles to hold up to some serious bashing.  I used the poles both ascending and descending and I did not go easy on them.

Cons:

• A bit too much flex in the shaft for my liking, not too bad just a little loose on the descent.
• Cork is great for wicking away sweat but also absorbs dirt and starts to look grimy pretty quick, not sure how it will hold up in the long haul.
• Bottom foam handles seem to not fit in, why not cork here as well?

Pros:

• Black Diamond makes THE best trekking poles on the market for one major reason, the locking design,  These poles do not slip… ever!  The flick lock design is easy to use and bomb proof.
• The cork feels much better to the hands than the foam.
• The angled handle really feels great on both ascent and descent. (I was skeptical of this at first but I ended up loving it.)
• The tip design is great, very durable and it also will not slip on slick granite, very nice.

Overall Anthony Rating: AAA-  (What does the Anthony Rating Mean?  Click here)

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Bing: Bing cash back will get you cash back at many of your favorite online retailers, the list includes: backcountry.com, moosejaw.com, altrec.com and several more.  The discount ranges from 10%-20% depending on the retailer.

Moosejaw.com: Moosejaw is holding their winter clearance sale, some items are up to 70% off!  If you combine that with the %12 bing cash back, and the 10% that you get back for Moosejaw rewards, that makes it a pretty good deal!

Sierra Trading Post: Sierra Trading post is having a huge blowout sale with huge discounts.  Check out all of the great deals they have going on right now!

Hope this helps you get the most bang for your gear buck this Holiday Season!