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Traverse Area Paddle Club

Remember: all TAPC outings are listed on our event calendar and are color coded using this scheme:

 

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Trip Reports

April 24 - May 6, Springtime in Missouri

Published on 5/15/2011
We had a grand total of 14 people join this year's spring trip in southeast Missouri.  Everyone stayed at the same location in Eminence: some in cabins, some camping in tents and two staying in their motor home.  A special thank you goes out to Fred and Judy, who left early and handed their key to Karen, Tracie and Linda, so they could use the cabin for the rest of the week.  The lifesaver awards go to Angie and John, who were a tremendous help with the rescue after the one capsize of the week.  Barb and Mike were always so gracious in using their car for shuttles, and Jocelyn gets a prize for "most hot tub visits" and for putting up with her cabin mates, Lois and John.  Marv and Marlene took the plaque for driving under the lowest downed tree with kayaks on their roof, on edge.

We arrived on Easter Sunday, and weren't able to paddle until Friday due to flooded conditions.  None of us had ever seen that much rain.  Instead of paddling, we hiked a lot, including to the highest point in MO, on our way to Mina-Sauk Falls.  We loved exploring at Elephant Rocks State Park, and also the Bell Mountain Wilderness Area.  All waterfalls were bigger than we had ever seen.  Several low-lying trails to well known springs were blocked by water, either on the road or on the trail.  We even found unusable potties that were normally 20-30 feet above river levels.

Mina Sauk Falls


Elephant Rocks


Greer Springs

But we did manage to get in five different river trips over the course of the next week: two trips on the Current River (Cedargrove to Akers and Akers to Pulltite),  Here the group is entering Cave Spring.
 

the Jacks Fork (Alley Spring to Two Rivers),


the Black (Lesterville to County K)
 

and the Big Piney (Boiling Springs to Slabtown). 


Scenery was undamaged by the flooding, so we were treated to riverside springs and high limestone bluffs, and even some sunshine.  The current in every river was fast, so we didn't have to apply many forward strokes, but we did have to be constantly alert for funky eddies mid-stream, and occasional downed trees or bushes that normally would be high and dry on gravel bars.  It was a bit challenging to find lunch spots, but several trips went so fast that we were done before it was time to eat!  We are now ready for whatever the rivers of northern Michigan throw at us this season.

On another note, John and I did two trips on Sugar Creek near Crawfordsville Indiana on the way home.  It's a lovely river that also flows through limestone bluffs, with lots of fun riffles - a great place to stop on the way south.

Lois & John
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