The summer is passing and like all things, the seasons drift by. Sometimes the milestones we strove for in the past escape us unnoticed, then we are all one year older and the passing seasons can never be recaptured. With our family and probably with most families, as our children grow, their interests take center stage and the family traditions are set aside for greater ambitions. Such is the case this year.
This summer has loaded with adventure and opportunities for our kiddo to spread her wings and grow her talents, but it is still important to spend time together in the quiet, forced to just be as the natural world just exists. So, with the next few weekends filled and time slipping by we made a mad dash to the Current River for a day. That's a two and a half hour drive each way and 10 miles of river on this section full of past adventures and it was worth it. This section of river is familiar to us, numerous days have been spent gliding upon this spring fed water and numerous nights have been spent on these gravel bars. I couldn't help but flash back to places we had camped as we took in the scenery, paddling past areas that jar memories into place. Yet, one thing was crystal clear; the river had changed too, gravel had been remolded by the floods of 2017 and this year, nothing stays the same. So the sentiment that embraces me at this time is one of reflection. Happy we took the time to make past adventures happen and thrilled that our daughter still enjoys these family outings, and now paddles at the bow of the boat every opportunity she gets! I can only hope we continue to Make time for these outings as long as we can. Kyle and I unknowingly scheduled an outing on the same stretch of water for the same two days. It's hard enough to find a weekend that works for both of us, but this was amusing to say the least. He called to see if he can borrow a couple of items then we put two and two together; so we decided to join forces.
When I called Two Rivers to schedule the shuttle I wasn't sure what I'd get. Springtime floods had impacted all of the outfitters and tore down the cabin that had stood since the 1940's and was used for the home base of Two Rivers Outfitters. They're currently doing business out of a trailer and in the process of rebuilding. The owner of Two Rivers was glad to see her dog, Harvey playing with our kids as we loaded our canoes onto the trailers for the shuttle to Williams Landing. We settled our bill and when Kyle and I looked at the total, we noticed the owner had lowered the price significantly since we booked the shuttle separately but were going to the same place. Once the van and trailers were loaded, we were off with serious enthusiasm. We started the steep climb out of Two Rivers and noticed some smoke seeping out of vents and radio. We crawled to stop and made our way off of the van as smoke filled the interior. We shared glances and tried to make light out of the situation. Soon a small school bus pulled up, we loaded into our new yellow chariot and rode it to the top of the hill, the van followed with the trailer and drivers transferred the loaded trailer from the van to the bus. Once again a roar of enthusiasm came over us as we began our journey anew: the adults talking of school bus rides from years ago and the children talking about last weeks school bus adventures. We finally arrived at Williams Landing and unloaded our duty boats. The bustle of carrying canoes, paddles, PFD's, coolers, dry bags, and fishing rods carried on in frenzy, only interrupted by hungry kids seeking snacks, PB and J sandwiches and sealed snack packs. Only after everyone's bellies were satisfied did we put on PFD's, loaded the children and eased out into the barely moving current. Sophia took the bow of the boat. We covered the some of the basic strokes once again including the draw and cross-draw, she was spot on and ready to roll. Kyle and Chris joined us as we finally relaxed and let out the contended sigh that only a quiet river could evoke. The trees rose above us on both sides and sat atop cliffs, some teasing with colors of change. Soon we spotted a bald eagle looking majestically down upon us, our necks craning to take in his beauty while we floated underneath his perch. A few moments later another bald eagle was gliding above the crystal clear water in the high blue skies. We took notice of the changes in the river since the springtime floods. We did this stretch of the river last fall, and our campsite last year was washed away, leaving a drop off where a sturdy rope hung connected to a tree. We took time to enjoy the 80 degree day as the tree swings invitation was to welcoming to pass up. A Saturday and Sunday filled with adventure. Saturday arrive at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch and climb; camp at HCR and Float the Buffalo on Sunday from Ponca to Kyles with 8 inches of airspace.
You have to love the Journey. Meeting at gas stations, someone is always running late, the sun starts to warm the day, the last check of canoes tied to rooftops, the highway pullover to double check something that doesn't look right and the anticipation of adventure as the Boston Mountains come into view. We joined some friends on a new adventure this weekend. I'm not much of a climber so we we're excited to join someone who knows his stuff in the climbing arena. Tim has a tremendous amount of knowledge about climbing, so we spent the weekend with him, Michelle, Quenton and Heather. We traveled to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Arkansas, near the Buffalo River. It had been a while since we visited the Buffalo as a family and our daughter had a new perspective of the landscape. As we exited Harrisonville Arkansas, and entered the Boston Mountains she took note in the change of scenery with enthusiasm, bigger hills, and long valleys presented themselves as we traveled to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. We checked in at the Horseshoe Canyon Ranch office to pay for an overnight and rent some climbing gear for my wife and daughter. Our friend Tim met up with a friend, Tracy that lead us to her camp site. As we where setting camp along side her we were warned about the horses.? We were told they were "worse than bears", apparently, this is true, if they find any food out, they will eat it! The next stop was "Kindergarten Boulder". This is where we spent the day, it had a good mix of routes, up to 5.10, and it suited our needs. My daughter was taking things in, she had climbed at some gyms previously, but she prefers bouldering. Tim was kind enough to lead climb the routes and set up a top rope belay. I took time with Sophia to review the process by which she will be belayed and went over the knots, and strength of ropes and harness to keep her safe. She climbed her first route and was quite successfull, descending down the wall was the most difficult portion of her climb. She tried one more route where the crux was at the beginning of the climb. Unable to get past this sticking point, she called it quits and spent the remainder of the afternoon reading Harry Potter and chasing goats. Kelli knocked out two climbs in grand fashion. She spent the remainder of the time with Sophia as they ventured around, thanks for taking pics! Tim, Quenten, Tracy and Heather showed their climbing prowess, knocking out some good routes. Quenten can no longer claim to be a beginner! We spent the evening in camp with good conversation. We had a few visitors venture into camp, a family of skunks seem to like this camp also. They moved on peacefully. Sunday we headed to the waters of the Buffalo River. At 8 inches of airspace, it was a perfect day to be in a canoe. We came upon a pinned boat, the people where safe, Tim and Quenten put their swiftwater rescue skills to work to unpin the boat, a little crinkled but still floating. We made it out unscathed, Kelli and Sophia got quite wet on a couple rapids, with whitewater splashing over the bow of the boat. We lent out our extra paddle so a kayaker who lost his paddle could make it a couple of miles downstream to Kyle's landing. Sophia is old enough now that she has the kid's version of Me and Kelli's life jacket. It fits her better and is more comfortable. She also has a good comfort level with the water, but she isn't a daredevil. Grape Soda still does the trick for a happy face, just add jerky to the mix and her smile will double. Gotta Love It! Buffalo River Trip 4/8/17-4/10/17 Ponca to Pruitt, about 25 miles Our adventure began with Kyle's precise planning and attention to detail concerning everyone's ability level and goals for the trip. Then he threw all of that out the window and went with the flow. His master cooking skills and pursuit of the perfect campsite "we've all been there" added to the fun and unexpected adventures that will make this trip truly memorable.
Saturday started with the late starts and driveway pickups that come with gathering 7 people together for a three-day outing. Some may have been a little hung over due to a general excitement of hanging out with each other the previous night after months apart. But this train kept on rolling with a couple of needed stops on the way, a fantastic breakfast burrito and general momentum in the right direction. When we arrived at Ponca we checked in with Lost Valley Canoe to confirm our vehicle shuttle from the low water bridge to Pruitt. The key exchange occurred on the Ponca low water bridge where the water flowed at 15 inches of airspace. We prepared our canoes for adventure on river right, loaded to the brim and set off. The water was the usual Turquoise blue, rushing below the steep cliffs that corral the wild water. From Ponca to Pruitt the river falls 13ft per mile, creating a fun run. We joined a multitude of people that took advantage of a wonderful Saturday on the Buffalo. This included one pinned boat (not ours), one boat checked by NPS for properly secured coolers (that was ours and thanks NPS for being present during a busy weekend), and two tipped boats (that was us), the properly secured coolers allowed a quick recovery, We also had a chance meeting with a longtime friend who happened to be camping at Jim's Bluff, go figure. Our initial plan was to camp at horseshoe bend, across from Hemmed in Hollow, but the number of people on the water drove us down stream. We decided to seek a campsite past Kyle's Landing since most people end their daytrip at this point. We were informed some nice spots existed just past Kyle's and before the boyscout camp on river right. With shadows getting long and a general sense that we needed to set up camp to make dinner, we explored downriver. We stopped at an area that would be OK, but would encroach upon other overnight campers. Kyle and I set off on foot through a strong current to explore Just Around The Riverbend. We found a great spot and worked our way back upstream to inform everyone else to bring the canoes. We set up camp on river left. Started a fire, Kyle broke out this tripod grill and some incredible pieces of steak and began grilling. I couldn't believe my eyes, he was cooking for everyone! Most of us were salivating around the steak, but Carl had made his way downriver chasing the hog johnson of smallmouth as the sun dipped below the hills. Soon, Carl called from downstream to Kyle, there was someone else with him, wearing a sash. Carl and sashed man made their way toward our camp. The sashed man was part of the boyscout camp, he informed us that we where camped on Camp ORR property and we needed to move. We made note that on the map, Camp ORR was approximately a half mile downstream on river right, and there wasn't any indication on the gravel bar or in the woods that this was Camp ORR territory. If there was any indication, we wouldn't have made camp. The sashed man informed us that he is planning on using the gravel at 10pm that night for a ceremony and we need to move. He offered that downstream about a half mile there could be a gravel bar on river right that is on Camp ORR territory, we could use this if it's still there, or there are some islands past Camp ORR. Although it was kind of him to offer a gravel bar on Camp ORR territory that might be there, I was upset. Mainly because we're being told to set off downstream in the dark in water we are not familiar with. Begrudgingly, we packed up camp and Kyle finished cooking the steak. We ate while hashing out the many levels of" it is not a good idea to canoe at night on water you don't know". Yet the steak was incredible. So we set off, seeking the "other" gravel bar that might be their. The black of night surrounded us, broken by the sound of rushing water we couldn't see. We passed large boulders, only seeing them when they were past the bough of our boats. We were smacked by phantom limbs in the face and found a large eddy to reconnect and count the canoes and group members. We set up camp in the dark on a gravel bar that reflected the washout, driftwood and the flood water that had engulfed it the previous week. We could see Camp Orr high on the hill and some car lights moving in the dark. We decided not to make a fire, questions of "who was the sashed man?" and "what authority does he really have at Camp Orr?" ran through our head. The night passed with good conversation and the morning greeted us with a beautiful sunrise. Day two on the water brought to light the "islands" where we could've camped and an enormous strainer that we chose to walk around. The fishing was good, the beauty was immense and the day was perfect. We reached Ozark and decided not to camp there, and sought more solitude. Between Pruitt and Ozark we found a campsite that topped of our adventure. Current River, Williams Landing - Two Rivers 10/7/16-10/8/16 This twelve mile stretch on the Current River suited our needs in terms of miles and scenery. We invited some friends on our annual canoe outing and we were happy to have Kyle and his son Beckett with us on this adventure. Kyle was interested in introducing Beckett to a canoe and camping outing. We were happy to have them join us on what was to be their inaugural outing of this type. We started with much initial excitement followed by a two and a half hour car ride. To our surprise when we were entering the town of Eminence we were greeted by a traffic jam. Cars were backed up on 106 and 19 as they tried to gain entrance into an arts and crafts show. With a shrug of the shoulders and a small grin, we navigated the issue and made our way to Two Rivers. I had called Two Rivers Canoe Rental and arranged for them to shuttle us and our canoes to Williams Landing, thus saving us the extended drive time. When we arrived at Two Rivers, Kyle and I went to check in on the status of the shuttle. The kids where on the deck playing outside and when they began laughing a German Sheppard emerged from a t=shirt rack in the store to investigate. The owner said "Harvey" is always awakened by the sound of kids playing. She then informed us that our shuttle may be a little late due to a traffic jam if you can believe it...we could believe it and it was alright. With only a 12 mile section before us on a two day outing, we were in chill mode and really just enjoying the day. Beckett and my daughter, Sophia played with Harvey for quite a while as we set up lunch and began loading the canoe trailer and van. We were charged less than originally quoted for the shuttle, possibly due to the wait. The drive from Two Rivers to Williams Landing became a bumpy ride after we left Hwy 19. The kids enjoyed the jolts and turns, while the adults were entertained by the stories and banter from our driver. We arrived at the put in and untloaded our canoes and gear. After the somewhat frantic transportation of gear from the van, the securing of items onto the boat and the configuring of some puzzling gear, we were off. I can't help but go into an, "aaahhhh" type of mode once we stop paddling for a moment and let the current take us. A completely relaxed feeling comes over my mind and body when I begin to take in the silence and scenery. Although it was too chilly to swim, the bluffs and deep pools greeted us with a welcoming warmth. We took our time in the late afternoon, fishing every hole and exploring in the shallows. Kelli caught the first fish, of course and we released the nice smallmouth back into the water unharmed. We traveled about one and a half lazy miles and the shadows were beginning to get long. We stopped at a wonderful sandbar with a creek emptying into the Current River on river left. We dallied about the possibility of moving on, but quickly recalled several other trips when the statement, "we'll stop at the next good gravel bar", and the next good gravel bar never came. We really enjoyed this area and the evening. A small trail allowed for some easy exploration into the woods, and the gravel was small enough to allow a sound nights sleep. While we were gathering wood up for the fire and beginning to cook dinner we were treated to a nature moment. A sound in the sky drew our eyes to a spot, and in front of us unfolded a scene with a hawk striking a duck with his talons. The duck fell to the water and the hawk flew off as the duck swam away. The duck had obviously been injured and we found ourselves piecing together the fragments of action we all witnessed. The cool of the evening engulfed us as we cooked dinner. A wonderful sunrise greeted us as it burned off the fog that wrapped our tents. The sun also brought a warmth that swelled throughout the afternoon. It was an 11 mile paddle until reached Two Rivers, but the journey was great. Bald Eagles were perched on the river, their white heads stoic with piercing eyes. Several more fish were caught and the day warmed so much that the thought of jumping into the water nudged into our heads. We saw the Jacks Fork entering the Current as we made our way to our take out. It was a very nice couple of days. 7/24/16-7/25/16 North Fork of the White River, MO. Hammond Camp to Sunburst Ranch www.sunburstranchcanoe.com, just below Blair access. More to come. We'd planed this trip for a couple of weeks, Kelli's shoulder was feeling good enough and it was time for us as a family to get on the water for an overnight! I returned from a three day outing with work on the North Fork and was informeed that Sophia's friend, Jollea had called during my absence and she was having a sleepover B-Day party the same night of our canoe outing, Bummer! Sophia chose to attend her good griends party with the promise that she would attend the next canoe outing. I was a bit bummed, but I get it, she's ten and she's only seen her best friend a few times this summer. Yet I see the clock ticking and time going by, each adventure missed with her is an opportunity for our family to connect that has been missed. The best thing that happended to come out of this is a chance for kelli and I to spend some time together unplugged. During our time together we discussed goals for the family and ourselves, and we addressed some parenting approaches that will help our daughter be the best she can be. It was good to spend time chillin' and plannin'. We decided to camp a couple miles downstream from Hammond, just past blue spring. It's a nice gravel bar , but we'll have a few miles tomorrow. We listened to thunder throughout the night and into the morning, but no rain and the skies were clear. It was super HOT. When we woke, a dark cloud was moving in and making some noise. We stayed ahead of the threat and the thunder disipated before we got on the water. Overall I had a blast with Kelli, even though she caught the most fish. Akers to Pulltite, October, 2015. You cannot beat this stretch of water for a simple, beautiful outing! This is one of those trips that we really didn't have time for but we fit it in anyways. I didn't want a whole year to slip past us without camping. I believe it's traditions such as this that truly take hold in a child's memory and solidifies a feeling of belonging. Oh, and 24 hours away from any technology is OK with me too.
We know this stretch of water very well, it makes it easy to pack up and go knowing the amount of time it takes to paddle from put in to take out, but even on a familiar stretch of water the changes in the gravel bars and foliage is notable. This year a certain type of grass seemed to engulf some of the areas we usually camp and we found an area that I wouldn't consider "prime" but it was enjoyable just the same. Our daughter really enjoys the act of camping. She has the routine down and acted on her own this year to gather wood and break down the smaller sticks, setting them up for the beginnings of a fire. She likes paddling now and prefers to do some of the work in bow of the canoe. Telling scary stories at night and wondering at the stars still puts a stamp on the outdoor experience. I hope she continues to enjoy these adventures as much I do! We are lucky to have so much access to beautiful waters. Solitude can even be found on some of Missouri's most used waters in the off-season, luckily I think this is the best season. |
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AuthorI'm your average wanna be adventurist. I spend more time day dreaming about expeditions than actually accomplishing them, but I guess life is the ultimate expedition. |