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Even though Ted isn't going to able to speak at the meeting in June he is still coming down to visit. I am going to be taking him collecting at various locations around NW Arkansas and SW Missouri on the 21st and 22nd of June. I do not have details yet as to where I am going to take him on which days, but they will include the following locations:

1 Day:

Spring River at Verona in Missouri (Spring River Drainage, highlight Arkansas Darters, Neosho Midget Crayfish)
Flat Creak at Star City in Missouri (White River Drainage, highlight checkered madtoms and yoke darters)
Sugar Creek east of Pineville in Missouri (Elk River Drainage, highlight best snorkeling in SW Missouri and longear sunfish)
Possibly King's river in Arkansas (need location info from Michael on this one, I was sleeping) (White River Drainage)

Another Day:

Several locations on the Buffalo River going as far east as Harrison Arkansas. This will be a snorkeling trip primarily for me, but collecting is not out of the question.


Depending on people's desire and availability I will attempt to work the schedule around you. I can not make everyone happy though with a schedule so please be patient with me. I would encourage all of you to join us on at least one of these days. Both of them will be superb collecting trips with dozens of species of fish and invertebrates viewed.

If you have questions please post them here. If you would like to go please let me know here with which day(s) you are available and which sites you would like to see. I will try to set the best schedule that I can to allow the most people to come collecting.

Kevin

Well, there you have it folks. If I'd checked the forum before the meeting I guess I would have known details.
Two comments: I will be working Sunday. Given that I know the Buffalo about as well as Kevin, I think Monday would be the better choice for that trip. It's up to ya'll though.
Secondly, the last time I collected the King's River (about a month ago) I didn't catch a darn thing. A different spot may be better, but I can't help much there. If we wanted to stop there for a quick try it would probably be better combined with the Buffalo trip as we would pass right by it on the way there.
Michael

Really I just threw the Kings in there as an honor to you my friend. If it is a slow collecting location this time of year maybe we will skip it altogether. We will have to see what the time looks like on the Buffalo trip.

Kevin

Hi, Kevin,

I wouldn't mind coming along for one, or maybe both, days. My schedule is flexible. I've never been on a collecting trip with you guys. What kind of clothing would I need to wear and what kind of gear would I need to bring along?

The snorkeling idea sounds like so much fun, that I stopped into a dive shop to see what equipment I'd need. I'm so nearsighted, though, that standard goggles won't do. I just got back from the optometrist so that I can special order workable, prescription goggles for the future. I won't get them in time to use this trip, though.

And my wife and I signed up for scuba classes in July!

I generally collect in swimming trunks and "water socks". I will have at least one seine with me, and two dipnets. You definitely want something to cover/protect your feet as we will be kicking a lot of gravel/rocks around. Cameras, containers for holding fish, towels, sunblock and other equipment are by choice.

Kevin

Hey Mike, where did you sign up for scuba classes. I've always wanted to get certified. One of my dream vacations is to go scuba diving in some coral reefs before they dissappear.
Rob

FYI if you can get "Water socks" or "Water shoes" without velcro, these are best. Water socks/shoes are very tight-fitting footwear that form to the foot and are water friendly (read: won't fall apart if they get wet). The kind frequently sold in this area have velcro closures, which work great the first couple outings, but then fail.
If you don't have water socks, old tennis shoes work, but allow gravel to get into them. In my experience, they also tend to get stuck in the mud a little worse. Kevin frequently wears sandals with tight straps.

Hi, Rob,

We signed up at Ozark Scuba Center, 718-A N. 2nd St. in Rogers. Classes last two weekends: July 18th & 19th and 25th & 26th. I think the cost is around $475 per person. It's not cheap, but the result is PADI certification. You should sign up!

Hi, Kevin,

Have you finalized the collection trip schedules for Friday and Saturday? Sharon and I have decided to go to the Oklahoma zoo and aquarium on Friday, so I won't be available for the Friday collecting trip. I should be available for the Saturday trip, if it's still on. If so, let me know the schedule and how you'd want to meet up. (You're certainly welcome to meet here.) Depending on the schedule, Sharon might even want to come along.

Sunday will be collecting around my place in Missouri. Many location close to Monett where you met me for the drive to Springfield and back towards Arkansas That will be in the Afternoon, no set time yet. Monday will be a trip to Buffalo National river starting early in the morning.

Kevin

Ok, here are the times we are looking at for collecting with Ted:

Sunday: Ted is aiming to be in Monett at the Wal - Mart parking lot at approximately noon. We are going to eat someplace in Monett and then start collecting. If you would like to come along on that trip you are more than welcome to park at my place and ride with me. My car can hold 3 passengers. Gas money is appreciated, but not required. If you are going to ride with me please plan on being at my place by 11am. You can google directions to my house:

19164 Urchin Dr.
Stella, Mo. 64867
417-628-3446

Please let me know if you plan on coming either here or calling. I would hate to leave the Wal-Mart Parking lot or my place without someone.


Monday: We plan on leaving Neosho around 8am and headed for The Buffalo National River. We will probably head south on 71 and then turn east someplace in Arkansas. We won't return until after 5pm at the earliest. This time I have 2 seats available in my car. If you want to ride with me please let me know. If you want to meet up with the caravan please let me know and we will arrange a location. I am not 100% sure of our course yet. I would rather only make 1 or 2 stops to pick up people on the way so coordination would be appreciated.


Thanks all,

Kevin

Ok, there is a change:

Ted says that he will be at the Wal Mart at 10am, not noon. Therefore if you would like to go collecting on Sunday please try to be at the Wal Mart by 10 am. If you would like to park at my house and ride with me, please be there at 9am. We won't be eating lunch in Monett.

Kevin

Do we have a set location to meet in the parking lot?

Hi, Kevin,

I'm planning to come along on Sunday, for sure, and maybe Monday, too. I'll let you know on Sunday. I'll meet you in the Monett Walmart lot at 10 a.m. Will we be meeting in the northeast corner of the lot, like before?

Michael, are you going, too? Do you want to ride with me? If so, let me know, and we'll meet at my house at 8:45 am. If anyone else in Arkansas wants to ride along, send me an e-mail at info@mikewickham.com and I'll send directions to my house.

Kevin, I forgot to ask. I plan to bring my camera. How close will we be parking to the collecting sites? I need to decide whether to pack it in a waterproof case for maximum protection or a backpack for easy transport.

Northeast Corner of the Parking Lot, just like before.

We will be parking close to the water at all locations, less than 100 yards.

Kevin

I won't be going on Sunday, but Monday for sure. We could do Walmart in Springdale as a meeting place if people want to, or we can just meet at my house. We have to head east on 412 which Walmart is right on, but I'm not too far away either.
Michael

Ok, no one said they were meeting me at my place. I will see everyone at Wal-Mart in Monett at or around 10am.

I am picking Kenna up at her place.

Wal-Mart in Springdale will be our Arkansas stop on Monday.

Kevin

Let me know what time you want to meet at Springdale Walmart. Let's plan to all meet at the east end of the landscaping/gardening section that juts out into the parking lot (that's the end closest to Wendy's).
Walmart is right off of Business 71. 412 goes east from 540 and then turns south, then east again. Where it turns east is right by Walmart.
Michael

Kevin, I don't know who all is coming tomorrow but I would prefer to ride with you.
Everybody who is going-bring lots of water. It's really easy to forget to drink when you are in the water so much and tomorrow is going to be a scorcher.

The list for tomorrow might be:

Mike W.
Michael G.
Kevin M.
Kenna P. <-- Maybe with kids?
Brandon D. <--the friend Kevin is convincing that snorkeling is cool

Mike W. offered (was coerced) into driving his vehicle tomorrow with lots of space for riding along. If Kenna brings kids along she may be driving hers.

I will be driving at least as far as Springdale and bringing Brandon. We can work out vehicular accommodations there.

We are leaving Neosho at 8am, so figure Springdale sometime around 9am dependent on traffic and actual leave time.

Kevin

Ok, ok... Nicole has her heart set on seeing Kevin in flippers. SOOOOOO...... we will see y'all tomorrow.

Since we're planning to meet up so early on Monday, are we going to stop for breakfast, or should we eat before leaving?

I will be eating before leaving. Maybe you guys can get together for breakfast before we get to Springdale?

Kevin

9am is early? And I thought I wasn't a morning person.

Well here we are waiting with baited breathe (I always wondered just exactly what was used to bait breathe) for some reports on the collecting trips. Don't keep us in suspense. Were they successful? What did you see? Denny

The rest of the gang went out to eat in Springdale. Since it was so late, and since I didn't get home until after Sharon went to bed last night, I decided to skip dinner with them and come on home. I just got home a few minutes ago, at 8:00pm. After two long days (8:45am-9:35pm Sunday and 8:30am-8:00pm Monday for me, and longer for others), I'm way too tired to make a full report, right now, other than to say that we had a good time and saw a lot of fishes. I'm going to bed early!

I took a lot of photos and plan to post some of the better or more interesting ones later. Kenna and her kids left a little before us, so I imagine she is getting home about now. I don't imagine the rest of the gang will hit Missouri for another hour.

It was quite the get-together. At times, we had three vechicles full of people!

I am just now getting home, 10:15 here.

I may write something tomorrow, but for tonight I think I will get a shower and some sleep. I have been going since about 6am.

I didn't get any photos as my SECOND underwater camera failed today.

Kevin

Hey, Kevin,

I'm working on photos from this trip. Can you update/correct the following list of the locations we visited for me to add into the photo metadata? I need (1) the name of the park, highway, or other identifying landmark, (2) the name of the waterway, (3) nearest town, and (4) state. I need them in proper order, so that I tag the right photos. I pulled most information from the original message in this thread. Thanks!

Day 1:

1. ? Park, Spring River, Verona, Missouri Someone else will have to give you the park name, I don't remember it.
2. ?, Flat Creek - Bridge on Hwy C, Missouri (no close towns)
3. ?, Shoal Creek at Hwy 97, Pioneer, Missouri
4. Missouri Department of Conservation boat landing, Sugar Creek, Pineville, Missouri

Day 2:

1. Kyle's Landing, Buffalo National River, Harrison?, Arkansas
2. Ponca River Access, Buffalo National River, Ponca?, Arkansas

Thanks for being a great tour guide and naturalist! It was a great trip!

For those wanting to hear about the collecting trip, I put a trip summary with a bunch of photos in the Gallery message section of the forum.