2007 St. Patty’s Float

Seventy two hours before meet time we had only 6 people committed to the trip. By the time we got on the water we had 19 overnighters and four day trippers. I believe it is the largest group since we established the St. Patty’s float seven years ago with a contingent of seven.

This years run was Mt. Hersey to Woolum on the middle Buffalo. Among the 23 participants we had most of the usual suspects whose names we will conceal to protect the innocent, but we also had a few that are not normally along on our outings. Our day trippers were the Goeke’s and the Strawbridge’s From Mt. Home, AR, two couples that have been involved in our White Water Clinic the last couple of years but had never made a monthly float. Charles Guhman is a new member who recently moved to Cabool from Atlanta (can anyone say culture shock?). It was also great to have Josette Webb along, a long time member that we have not seen around much lately.

While it was not as sunny as we all would have liked it was a very pleasant day for mid March and in our usual style we managed to get on the river just before the crack of noon. We reached The Nars around 4:30 and made camp on the big gravel bar directly across the river. After way too much food the real party animals managed to make it until 10:30 before they hit the sack.

After 15 or 16 pots of coffee and the usual monstrous breakfast the majority broke camp and crossed the river for the climbing of The Nars. For at least three of the group it was the time up.

The majority reached the take out by about 12:30 with a few slackers coming later. Just another routine trip on that awful river with all of that horrible scenery.

-- Ed McClung