Buffalo River and Indian Creek Trail, Arkansas

Wed. morning I left Bham with several caver friends to Arkansas to paddle on the Buffalo River. It's about a 10 hr. drive. We arrived at the Mt Hersey take-out and set up camp.
Some of our group had to work and didn't start driving until 5:30 pm, so they got into camp in the middle of the night.
In the morning we packed up everything and drove to the put-in at Pruitt. An outfitter offloading boats and boaters at Hersey told us it was too low to run the section we chose. This proved well for us because we only encountered a couple of other boaters on our journey, yet never had to portage our boats.
I was paddling in the driver's seat of an Old Town canoe. The Buffalo is very beautiful with tall bluffs and lots of swimming holes.
A handy rope swing or two...
We camped on an island.

The water was cool and very very clear.

The next day we paddled the rest of the run back to Hersey where our shuttle vehicle remained. We camped at Hersey the next two nights. It's a free camping spot with a pit toilet so it's not completely primitive. In the morning one person stayed behind at the camping spot and read, some went on their way to a crystal mine that sounded really cool - I have to get back to Ark. and check that out! and the rest of us went to Kyle's Landing to hike up Indian Creek and cave. This is the camping area at Kyle's Landing. The scenery is quite gorgeous. Heading up Indian Creek:

I will say that I believe that if Indian Creek were in Alabama it would have been paddled by some of our crazy-ass steep creekers - has it been paddled, does anyone know? A couple of guys on our trip had been there the year before when it had water, I would love to see it with water. It is beautiful, just gorgeous... There is a natural 'bathtub' in the creek bed. scalloped rock channels in the creekbed... A horizon line... The trail got steeper here...

Somewhere around where the trail started to get steeper I smelled something really really bad, and wondered if it was a bear -aren't bears supposed to stink? Then a few steps further I wondered if it was 20 bears, then 20 dead bears... what I smelled was guano from a very large bat cave. It's a habitat for grey bats and is closed to access. Though I wouldn't access it even if it was mandatory to go further - that was some serious stink!
Past that the smell dissipated and we arrived at a beautiful cliff face, and had lunch there. Pictures:

After lunch we headed up further, through a little tunnel... to a feature called the Eye of the Needle.
This has a small cave in it, that a couple of folks did a short ' through trip' through. It had a handline in it, but we rigged it anyway.
A local caver, Chaz, showed up then. He had hiked from the top where he parked his car for our shuttle. He showed us the way to a nearby 146 ft. pit, called, "Ozark Adventure". Adventure it was, because this pit is located on a very steep slope with a drop-off that would culminate your earthly adventures for good. There wasn't a 'trail', it was just clutch the trees and roots on the side of the hill, move sideways, and pick the ticks off of you when you arrived at the pit. I pondered the wisdom of going to this pit as I recalled falling off of a cliff a year ago. But there we were... ;-)
At least the pit entrance had a little flat plateau.
They rigged the pit and some of the group rappelled it. I did not do this pit.
There is a rule right now because of white nose syndrome, that cavers from out of state not use gear in Arkansas that has been in a white nose state or a state bordering the white nose states. So these guys brought new helmets, new climbing gear and boots, and sewed harnesses so that they could do this pit and the other small cave.

After the pit bouncing we headed up and out of the Indian Creek gorge.
... to find that Chaz had ice cold watermelon for us!
One more night camping at Hersey, then the long drive home yesterday.
If you get the opportunity to do the Buffalo and/or hike Indian Creek, do it! It was a great trip.

How I put my shoulder back in socket after a Kayaking Shoulder Dislocation

This is how I quickly and effectively put my shoulder back in socket 5 years ago, and how I would do it if it happened to me again.

First, I either sit down in the river or float in an eddy. I stay in the water, preferably in good cold water, to lessen the pain. My knees are bent.
I clasp my hands and lock my fingers together.
Then, I grab whichever knee is on the same side as my dislocated shoulder with my clasped hands, and lean back. This extends my arm out enough for my shoulder to slide back into socket.
Takes about 5 seconds.

The longer my arm is out of socket, the worse the pain gets, until it is unbearable. So the quicker I get things right the better.

By setting my own shoulder back in socket, I risk nerve damage and/or blood vessel damage.
However, in a wilderness setting like a remote river run, I choose to alieviate the dislocation and pain, so I can get to safety quicker.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3810/psm.2000.11.1309?journalCode=ipsm20

Fun Stuff 2008

Jan.6 - Juke Joint- Visit to Mr. Gip's Juke Joint in honor of his 86th Birthday. Pics HERE. Trip report HERE.
Jan. 15 - Pool Session at UAB. Rolled 52 times and remembered to bring towels this time.
Feb. 2 - Graffiti removal at Graves' cave. Pics here.
Feb. 2 - Jam at Kat's - First ever jam at my sister's house, in honor of my 42nd b'day.
Feb. 9 - Locust Fork, 2.8 - In my Riot Magnum. New gauge correlation. But it was low.
Feb. 22-24 - Keel Mtn. Ridgewalk, Guntersville Getaway. Pics here.
March 2 - KofC 5k run.
March 2 - Mulberry Fork Races. I did not kayak race this year.
March 3 - Hawking with Neo. Pics here.
March 9 - Spectator at Bike Race - Watched Cyclists go up the hill to Horse Pens 40.
March 14- Bobby Rush - Saw Bobby Rush, Big Daddy's New Band opened.
March 15- Ridgewalk on Keel Mtn. To see a lead of Dave Howell's. Rainfall had made the entrance too wet to enter. I found a new cave, my second find ever - and I named it Wake Up Well, because we went by Jason's house and woke him up, and convinced him to come with us. Indeed, I got so giddy about finding it that I almost fell in it - twice. I joked about naming it Piss My Pants Well because of that. Pics Here.
March 21- Hike, Oak Mtn. State Park. With The Hat. Went up the white trail, to the red-yellow connector just past Maggie's Glen, once on the red trail chose to take the second red-blue connector to the blue trail, then followed the blue trail back to the trail-head. Gorgeous day.
March 22 - Mulberry Fork, 2 ft. With Ken L. Beautiful weather, friendly level. Met a man in a canoe with his 13 year old son in a kayak. Kid was surfing the big spots with his dad spotting safety downstream. Wish I had started that young!
March 31 - Dan Morton and Fruit Cellar Caves. With Dave Caudle, Dave Howell, and Tom Hagood. Pics here.
April 2008. Swim Lessons at the YMCA. I learned how to swim laps. Addicting zen.
April 5-6 - Broad River Canoe Float, Athens Ga. With the Tag Paddlers. TR here. Pics here.
April 12. Alabama Football A-Day. Pics here.
April 19-20 Pre-Geezerfest. Nantahala, level 2.6 IIRC. Pics here.
April 22 - First ride with the Birmingham Bicycle Club. From the Botanical Gardens to near what used to be Eastwood Mall. I demoed a bike which I bought the next day, a Specialized Allez Elite with compact frame. 10 miles.
May 3- B'ham Grotto Anniversary at Horse Pens 40. Pics here.
May 6- Bike ride with BBC. To Wachovia on Crestwood. 17 miles.
May 10- Fossil hunt at Union Chapel Mine Site. Didn't find what I was looking for, but it was fun nonetheless. Pics here.
May 11- Bike ride, Oak Mtn. With Jim R. 20 miles.
May 13- Bike ride with BBC. To Exxon on Montclair. 13 miles.
May 16-18 - K1chik's B'day. Party and paddle at Bear's Den cabin in Nantahala gorge. I paddled Dave N.s Shredder on Saturday and Skully's Jackson Allstar on Sunday. Pics HERE.
May 20-Bike ride with BBC. 13 miles.
May 21-Bike ride -Ride of Silence. 10 miles.
May 22- my hiking accident. See blog.
June 1 - Cahaba Lilies. My friend Susan drove me to where you can walk a trail and see the lilies. Saw some caver friends in sit-on-top kayaks. Pictures HERE.
June 8 - Oak Mtn. Susan kindly drove me to Oak Mtn. and we visited the Demonstration Farm and walked up the .03 mile Treetop Nature Trail to the Wildlife Rescue Center and back.
June 9 - July 18 --- A long wasteland of boredom---
July 19 - Hiwassee!!! With various cavers, Dr. Wendy and K1chik. I rented a double ducky from Webb. Pictures here.
July 27 - Firelighter and Bangor caves, Blount Springs Sulfur Springs site. Jeff Harrod and I are led by Dave Caudle to the three caves on his property, including Wine Cellar Cave, and then directed to Firelighter cave. We stayed awhile in Dave's preferred entrance (there are 9), but did not 'cave', it is a wet cave for a through-trip. Then after driving Dave home Jeff and I went to Bangor Cave and the Blount Springs sulfur springs site. Pics HERE.
August 2 - Rappeling, Weaver Point at LRC. 230 ft. drop in Little River Canyon. A few pics HERE.
August 3 - Rolling Practice, Oak Mtn. Lake. First time back in my kayak since the accident. Did a couple of laps. Rolled 3-4 times. Wore a SixSixOne wrist brace. With Mark and Juliet.
August 9 - Coosa River, 6000 cfs. The locals think the release was closer to 5300 cfs. First time back in my kayak on whitewater since my accident! With Dr. Wendy, Alan, and Ray. Pics HERE.
August 13 - Rappel Practice at Tiny N' Nikky's House.
August 16 - Julie Ranelli's 50th B'day party.
August 17 - Rappeling at Palisades Park. With The Hat and Jason Wall.
August 20 - Rappel Practice at Tiny N' Nikky's House.
August 22 - Return to Gym workout. First time since my accident.
August 23 - Gross Skeleton Cave. With The Birmingham Grotto. Through-Trip. Pictures HERE. Trip report HERE.
August 30 - Hiwassee. With Mark, Juliet, and The Hat. Camped at Chilhowee with Amanda and Derek.
Sept. 6-7 - Hiwassee. With the B'ham Canoe Club. A sweet cat was at the campground, with a cute puppy as its sidekick in the morning. Sunday, 1 generator at 1pm, 2 at 2 pm, the level was low. At 3 chutes the water rose to 2 generators, and then 10 minutes later started to sink again. Saw 2 snakes, helped one (water snake) across the river and the other (black racer) was on the lunchstop trail.
Sept. 18-21 - Dauphin Island. With pretty much my entire family. ;-)
Sept. 28-29 - Whitesides Mtn., N.C. Rappel. Pics Here. Trip Report 1st part here, 2nd part here. Pics from Kevin HERE.
Oct. 4 -Coosa. With Richard T. Level 8000. In my XXX.
Oct. 9-12 - TAG Fall Cave-In. Cedar Ridge Crystal Cave. Pics HERE.
Oct. 18 - Bridge Day 08. Forbidden Caverns. I visited psychicmidget, Ronzo and J., Roberts, and K1chik. 8 state tour! I did two rappels on Bridge Day and took a helmet cam video of my first. Pics HERE. Video HERE.
Oct. 26 - Coosa. With Joan S.'s group. Level 8000, XXX. Stern Squirts and surfing Little Gap.
Oct.31- Black Sabbath Tribute Night at Bottletree. I played on three songs - Symptom of the Universe, Junior's Eyes, and Children of the Grave. Pics HERE.
Nov. 1 - B'ham Grotto Halloween Party. Pics HERE.
Nov. 2- St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox festival, Bare Hands Gallery Dia de los Muertos festival. Pics HERE.
Nov. 8 - B'ham Grotto Trip to Anvil Cave. Trip Report HERE. Pics HERE.
Nov. 15- B'ham Grotto Trip to Secret Society Cave and Unnamed Pit. A biking trip to these two caving destinations, along with some cold, wind, rain, and a couple of stream crossings. Pics HERE and HERE.
Nov. 16- Hike at Red Mountain Park. A short hike with Susan and Donna to the newly minted Red Mountain Park, site of many (35) iron ore mines in our city's past, now wooded and set aside as an urban park. Read about it at:http://www.redmountainpark.org/. Pics HERE.
Nov. 22- McClendons Cave trip. 6 months to the day from my hiking accident. Pics HERE.
Dec. 6 - BCC Christmas Party at Steve n' Sue's.
Dec. 13-14 Howdy Puff Fest at Moses' Tomb.
Dec. 26 Mulberry. In the Riot Magnum 72. Level 2 ft. With Joan S.
Dec. 31-Jan 2 New Years at Dneesh's.

More Bridge Day pics including 3 of yours truly...

My friend Ron Miller has a gallery of Bridge Day pics here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=194812&id=692685402&ref=mf

And he got 3 pics of me on rope... I am stoked because I don't have any others:


I hope all of y'all are having a Merry Christmas...

Richard Lloyd Scale Lesson

Check out this lesson by Richard Lloyd. I find this exercise very helpful in my playing. He is a frickafrackin' genius.

Groovy Amp!

Check this out - I went into Highland yesterday and saw a big amp in Sam's repair room. I said WTF is that and Jeff W walked around the counter and looked in and said WTF is that ... lol. Manny brought it out and said a buddy of his bought it at a yard sale or flea mkt. for $20. I said it was so huge I wouldn't have paid $20 for it and Manny said oh yes you would once you plugged it in. He plugged it in and revealed thus:

http://www.vimeo.com/2387013

And we all geeked...

Bat Video

Here's a great link to a video about bats from Scientific American. It's in 3 parts for a total of approx. 12 minutes.

http://www.sciam.com/video.cfm?id=3156681001