April 12 - Afternoon on the Boardman
Published on 4/12/2011
Our original plan was to paddle from Brown Bridge Dam to Beitner, but after we checked out the river levels, both on the web and in person, trip hosts John and Lois decided to shorten the trip and take out at Shumsky. Otherwise, we might not have been able to fit under some of the "personal bridges" further downstream. Everyone agreed with the decision, especially after seeing all the frothy water at the base of the dam.
For all of us, it was the first spring trip that required attention to detail, and everyone did just fine. We agreed that the torrents of water coming over the dam looked ominous; none of us had ever seen quite that much volume at that location. The river was truckin'! Once we were in our boats, the current didn't feel particularly intimidating, though we did make record time to our destination. It was great to be with old friends and know that we hadn't lost our paddling skills over the winter. We observed some wildlife as well as two new bridges. At Shumsky, the water completely covered the bottom step. It was a good shakedown paddle to prepare us for the rivers in Missouri later this month.
Besides trip hosts Lois and John, the others were Tracie, Dean, Diane and Angie. Special thanks to Tracie for being gracious (as always) in offering to take the drivers back before the launch, and also to Dean, who helped to stabilize everyone's boats at the put-in, so we could slip right in directly from the dock.
Written by Lois