Favorite places to paddle in MO

[DanMo]

Hello all,

I have never posted, but I have lurked for a long time. I have so many pictures from my years of paddling in Missouri, I thought they might be of interest to some of you. We are not as blessed with as many choices as you are in arkansas, but we make do with what we have. I love going to the natural state to paddle when feasible, but it is hard to catch water in some of the runs when you travel.


This is a quick video of one of my favorite local creeks in Taney county. It is called Bear creek. It has a large watershead area by Arkansas standards, which is good because it needs to get up pretty high to make it a good run. I have so many carnage stories from paddling it through the years. It is like a familiar old friend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVMDyyR2SOY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


This is a video of Bull creek in Christian county MO. It is very popular with Springfield area paddlers. It has become so popular that the Christian County sheriffs department has participated with landowners in posting most of the access to the upper river. It is a run that I don't do as much as I used to since it can get uncomfotably crowded in the popular streches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBPFmzUCpgg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you like this I have many more pictures and videos to share.

Thanks

Dan Simons

[Mike_P]

Thanks Dan for posting. As someone who grew up in Missouri & travels there often I appreciate this. Have never paddled those rivers, but the video looks like crazy flood water more than something I might kayak. What class are they?

In terms of references there are some to the Missouri rivers in Kennon's book, Ozark Whitewater & I've seen the Missouri Conservation guide on the rivers which is only somewhat helpful. Is there a website that links river levels, optimum levels, class of river, etc much like ozark pages does for Arkansas?

Feel free to post more pix!

Mike P.
Rogers, AR

[Prairie Tater]

Hey Dan, I just want to thank you again for helping us with the Dixon Ford road last weekend. I really don't think we would finished in one day without ya. I haven't been back down there, but Paul McCune and some other Springfield paddlers ran the Hailstone on Wednesday. He said that its in good shape...no new wood. Wills & I did Bull on Thursday. I really expected to see you there.

Terry

[DanMo]

Mike,

The bull, swan and beaver are in guide books and on the internet, the bull and beaver have gauges on them, swan does not. It is fairly easy to guess what the swan is doing since it is bracketed by the other two creeks. As far as levels go I want it to be as high as possible without going out of its banks. When they leave the banks the water flattens out and eddys start to disapear.

Terry,

I paddled cane creek and swan creek in taney county on wedsday. It was a lot of fun, got my whitewater fix. Thursday I had to work, I have other people waiting for me to finish the floor in this house. It is extremely hard to concentrate on work when bull creek is just down the hill, but I am glad to be working.

I will end with a couple of shots from long creek in taney county. This one looks fun if I can catch it with enough water. It is definately on my short list.

Thanks

Dan