Hobbes' floating, rafting, kayaking, &/or canoeing thread

[MSM Hobbes]

Thought might be good to have a thread just for the above activities. Be a place to list your favourite places to enjoy traveling down/up-stream on any body of water: lake, sea, ocean, white-water, river, etc. Share your past trips, plan future trips, and/or just post advice/questions about gear, vendors, rivers, etc.

Thanks to LuckyStrike for the questions in another thread that gave idea to start this one...

 

[MSM Hobbes]

Following is taken from the collecting thread http://forums.techguy.org/showthread.php?t=173524&page=9&pp=15

Originally Posted by MSM Hobbes
LuckyStrike, while I agree that the Current River {ed: found in the Ozarks of south-central Missouri} is very nice - for a truer and IMHO a much better experience, if a more scenic and/or less crowded river interests you, please look instead at either the Jack's Fork River or the 11 Point River, as these offer deeper valleys, fewer people, and more awesome scenery, along with a tad bit more fun via some extra rapids. Current is great, don't get me wrong, its a cool party river, and good for those just wanting a taste of the Ozarks. But, I can not recommend either the Jack's or the 11 Point enough - they are VERY great. BTW, if you have time, there are many very wonderful additional sights in that area too - Johnson Shut-Ins [along w/ many other less known versions], Elephant Rocks, many many springs, old grist/flour mills, etc etc. Will fire off a note with some other recommendations - how long will you have to play in the area?

ps: yea, I guess you could say I'm maybe just a tad passionate about that area...

Originally Posted by LuckyStrike
I figured you would be the one to ask. We will have four days, we will need one to get there and get our bearings, two days on the river and one day to get back and recuperate.

I've been shopping at Cabelas and other outfitters and so far we have collected (an attempt to make this relative to this thread) a compact lightweight two person backpacker's tent, a couple of lightweight +40 mummy bags, a compact single burner butane stove for cooking breakfast and coffee, two small backpacks and a cooler as our luxury item.

I read a little about Jack's Fork, it sounds great for the two day trip, maybe start up Jack's Fork and finish down Current River? Can you recommend any single canoe rental outfitter over the others?

Jonesiegirls's suggestion sounds very appealing also for maybe a three day weekend with one day on the river. The more learn about the area, the more I am sure we will be taking two or more trips trips there this year.

For starters, take a gander at the following links {I'm sure there are others, but these are one's I've handy in my b'marks}:

General overview, history, and info on various MO float & fishing streams:
http://www.missouriscenicrivers.com/
http://www.nps.gov/ozar/

Current River map/description:
http://www.missouricanoe.org//current.html

Jack's Fork map/description:
http://www.missouricanoe.org//jacksfork.html
http://southwestpaddler.com/docs/JacksForkmap.html

11 Point map/description:
http://www.missouricanoe.org//elevenpoint.html

Check out the official NPS links, which will direct ya to vendors:
http://www.nps.gov/ozar/canoe2.htm

Over the many years that I've floated these streams, can not say that I've had a negative experience w/ any of 'em... yes, I've used 'em all... But, its also been a few years since I've used any of them, since purchasing my own canoe, I guess ~7 years ago. Best to just check 'em all out, for your particular needs, and see what kind of deal you can acquire...

BTW, if possible and have time, use Highway 19 from Cuba down to final destination - very scenic, and offers many side trips. However, don't use this path if in a hurry! Also, don't drive nor ride upon it if you get roadsick... esp. if a passenger w/ Hobbes... If go through Rolla, and ya like thin crust pizza, check out Alex's Pizza downtown... YUMMMMMMMMYYYYYY!!! If BBQ is more you style, Johny's BBQ on Hwy 72 heading east/south. Cuba also has a cool restaurant, The Depot. Wineries flank both sides of I-44 between Cuba and Rolla too [Hermann, to the north of this area on Hwy 19, has the best wines, IMHO ]

Getting back to water-related activities... check out the following, as it will give ya an idea as to what the water level has been tracking. Recall that t'storms in the area can impact the amount of water instantly and/or w/in a few day lag [delay is due to that these rivers are spring-fed, and t'storms somewhere else could rise the water in the streams when not expecting them too].
For example, the USGS data for the Jack's Fork River:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mo/nwis/uv/?site_no=07065200&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060

 

[LuckyStrike]

Hobbes,

Thank you for all the great information. I especially like Steve King's site, there is a wealth of information including a really great zoomable pdf map of the Current River/Jacks Fork River system. I am going to try to get a 36"X42" print made off the engineering printer at work.

Looks like my wife and I have found our prefered vacation area for the next couple of years. Too bad it is a five hour trip from home. I wish I had known about this thirty years ago when I was a hard core caver.

 

[lighthouse]

Canoed from the mainland - in beautiful sunshine - to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The water was crystal clear, we had a slight warm breeze and the current with us so really we were just steering the boat as it coasted slowly along past some of the most stunning scenery you ever saw. And to make the experience even more memorable Seals would pop up about 10 feet away from us to see what was going on. A thoroughly enjoyable day.................sheer total bliss!!!!!

 

[MSM Hobbes]

About how far in time and in distance was that trip? Any photos to share here?

 

[moonmist]

I dont do any of the above...........but can i play anyway??

 

[MSM Hobbes]

My lady, just thinking of you, I don't need a river to float my boat...






Why of course you can play, silly girl, and since ya evidently haven't... errrrr, why not? Wanna try some time?

 

[moonmist]

My lady, just thinking of you, I don't need a river to float my boat...






Why of course you can play, silly girl, and since ya evidently haven't... errrrr, why not? Wanna try some time?

ooOOOooo sure thing.........wanna teach me???

My Brother loves to canoe and kayak........... he just got back from a 5 day excursion through one of the remote rivers around here........he had a blast........oh and did I tell you he is getting his Honors in Geology??? .............. maybe he is a mini-you ........nahhhhhhhh that wouldnt be fun at all

 

[MSM Hobbes]

What a silly question... of course I'd love to teach you.



Ummmm... will just say congrats on having a brother, and leave it at that...

Curious tho', older/younger? What river(s) did he float?

 

[LuckyStrike]

A question that came to my mind while my wife and I were canoeing the river at Turkey Run in Indiana; those who canoe at a nudist camp, would they be called canoedists?

What about all the people who float down the river in tubes. I call them tubers. Is that the prefered method of river floating for couch potatoes?

 

[MSM Hobbes]

LS... bad, bad, bad,,,







Ummm,,, so, would then a nudist in a tuber be then a tuberdist, or a nudber, a nuber, or a nuder?

 

[moonmist]

What a silly question... of course I'd love to teach you.



Ummmm... will just say congrats on having a brother, and leave it at that...

Curious tho', older/younger? What river(s) did he float?

Older bro............ hmmmm not sure which ones but i will find out. ummmm float?? as opposed to sinking, damn i hope so

 

[LuckyStrike]

I just made reservations for the early upper sugar creek 15 mile trip with Clements canoe rentals for tomorrow. We'll be floating from Crawfordsville Indiana to Deer Mill. Clements' claims that in high water there is up to class two water on that stretch. I have never been on that stretch of sugar creek, so it will be new territory for us to explore. http://www.clementscanoes.com/index.htm

My wife and I are excited about going to current river when we can make it. It looks like labor day weekend will be the earliest time that we can both get a long weekend. We're planning a two day trip on the river, probably from Cedar Grove to Two Rivers. We have pretty much all the gear we will need and have been doing dry runs to work out the bugs and get the gear organized into as little volume and weight as possible. We have been playing with cooking on our magic chef butane stove, that and our cabela's six cup coffee pot can make really great coffee in about six minutes. I did get the zoomable map of the current river/jacks fork river system printed in several sizes from 13X16 up to 40X48. Really cool. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/national_parks/ozark_park99.pdf

Another river that we are planning to float, although we may not make it there until next spring, is the Blue River in southern Indiana. Looks like they have up to multi-day trips combined with cave exploring. http://www.cavecountrycanoes.com/

 

[LuckyStrike]

My wife and I made a dry run to current river yesterday on an intelligence gathering mission, to prepare for our labor day weekend trip. Hobbes, you were right about route 19 from Cuba, my hands are sore from my death grip on the steering wheel, and my wife nearly pounded her foot through the passenger side floor board pushing her imaginary brake pedal. The trip from home to the Round Springs access took six hours.

We started at Round Springs, talking to canoeists at the landing, and talking with the folks at Carr's Canoe rental. Next we went to the Pulltite campground access and talked with folks at CurrentRiver canoe rentals. Then we went to Aker's ferry and surveyed the river there. We crossed the river on the ferry. While we were at Aker's we saw a four wheel drive Chevy pickup truck drive down the river in the water, disappear around the bend, and during the half hour or so that we were there, he never came back. From the south side of Aker's ferry we then traveled to the Alley Springs access to the Jack's Fork river. Along the way we stopped at a road side over-look to the upper Jack's Fork river valley. The view was fantastic, and it is easy to see why the upper Jack's Fork is so secluded. Next we went to Eminence and talked with the folks at Jack's Fork canoe rental. Time was running short, so we never made it to the two river's access, from Eminence we headed north up route 19 back to Round Springs access. From what we saw and heard from canoeists, the river is good from Welch springs on down with no dragging. I was a bit surprised at how fast the water is.

After our recon mission, our tentative plan for the labor day weekend is to leave early Friday morning with the goal of reaching Pulltite campground by 10:00 a.m.. If Pulltite campground is full, then we will divert to our alternate target and try to get a camp site at Alley Springs. We then plan to float from Alley Springs to Eminence Friday afternoon. Early Saturday morning we will catch the 8:00 a.m. shuttle of CurrentRiver canoe rentals at the Pulltite campground and put in at Welch landing for a two day float trip down to Round Springs, camping over night on the river. Depending on how we feel when we reach Round Springs, we might even stretch the trip another day and float on down to Two Rivers.

On our trip back last night, we ran into some rain at Steelville on route 19, and the roads were wet from there all the way home. On interstate 44 east of St. Louis we nearly bought it when some idiot in a small car was speeding along, weaving through traffic. Traffic was cruising along at 70 mph when this idiot came up behind me fast in the middle lane, passed me on the left and then whipping right crossing my lane in front of me into the right lane. He then started to pass a van on the right in that lane but had to veer back to avoid stopped vehicles on the shoulder. He got squirrelly and started skidding left toward me and I had to veer left while braking, trying to avoid him. The pavement was wet and as I steered left while braking hard I felt my rear end break loose and start to slide around. Somehow I managed to maintain control while avoiding the idiot, and so did everyone else. For just a moment it looked like a NASCAR near miss. Damned idiots!

I can't wait until labor day.

 

[cheese]

Ive never done it, but id love to go white water rafting