BRYANT CREEK EXPEDITION!

Although access to Bryant Creek in southern Missouri was adversely affected by the historic spring floods of 2017, progress has been slowly, but steadily made, so that folks can once again enjoy all the outdoor recreation possibilities afforded on this stream in the Ozark Mountains.  

I am very thankful for this photo taken by Cindy M., of our group of adventurers, on the Bryant Creek, May 26, 2021, kayaking trip.  Counting Cindy who is not pictured, there were fourteen of us ladies who gathered very early on the day of the float, hoping to be off the water before the rain and thunderstorms hit, that were predicted for later that day.

We put in just below the 181 highway bridge in front of the iconic Hodgson Mill (more history on the Hodgson Mill, is mentioned at the end of this blog).   I walked up behind the mill, and saw the entrance to the spring that supplied water to the white-spoked, waterwheel, shown below the porch.

 

Recent rain assured that Bryant Creek was flowing well, as evidenced by this photo by Rhonda P., as we started down the stream (I am the one in the orange/yellowish kayak in front of her, with a broad-brim red hat on).  Needless to say, none of our kayaks were dragging bottom, as we skimmed swiftly through the waters of the fast moving stream.   We floated about 7.4 river miles, in less than 3 hours, which included an hour-long lunch stop.  A "rule of thumb" for float trips is about 2 river miles per hour, so we had estimated the trip would be about four hours, including stops.  Most of us were surprised to see we got off the water about noon!  Note to would-be floaters:  Estimates on length of time for an outing can be greatly affected by unexpected occurrences along your journey, such as the kayak rolling over and having to be retrieved.  Another factor affecting the length of a trip is coming upon other paddlers in distress that need assistance.  Fortunately, Bryant Creek is much less crowded that the Buffalo National River and similar well-known streams of Missouri's National River Waterways.  In fact, we did not see another human being during our entire time on the river!  It was just us, the turtles, eagles, kingfishers, hawks, and fish!

Cindy M., took this photo of me as a "happy kayaker", giving the "all is well" paddle salute: (Each kayaker in our group is required to wear a life jacket, and I am especially thankful for the one my son and his wife gave me, because it has enough pockets to hold a day's worth of easily-accessed snacks! His awareness of the need for pockets, dates back to an all-day paddling trip my son and I took on the White River years ago.  We ate all the food we had, long before the trip was over, and both of us were getting very hungry and cranky, by the time we reached our destination at sundown!)

  Our group has some astute river co-ordinators (R.C.'s), such that the fourteen of us were able to make this trip happen, without the use of an outfitter.  There were four trucks, stuffed full of kayaks.  Then, my little SUV was the "shuttle vehicle."  The four trucks went to the Sycamore Access where we put in, quickly unloaded all the kayaks, and then I followed the four trucks in my SUV, to the takeout location.  Then the four truck drivers parked their trucks,  got in my SUV, and we drove back to those gals waiting with the kayaks at the put-in location.  At the end of the float, after all the kayaks and gear were loaded into the trucks, one of the truck drivers (Thank you, Penny M!) took me back to where my SUV was parked, at the put-in location.  All participants work together, carrying kayaks and gear to get the trucks unloaded and loaded as quickly as possible.  Rhonda P. took this photo as the last four kayaks were loaded into the awaiting pickup truck.  Our take-out location was the Warren Bridge, located on County Road 328, between Highways FF and HH in southern Missouri. 

The 2021 trip was just the second time I have floated Bryant Creek, even though I have lived close to it for several years.  I only have one photo from the paddling trip I took down Bryant Creek over a decade ago, and I feel fortunate to even have it!

I mentioned in a June, 2010, blog post about the canoe trip that took place on the second day of the annual meeting of the Ozark Regional Land Trust. And, thanks to the above photo by Abigail Lambert, I have a "visual aid" to go along with the description of the expedition. In the photo, I am the one with the long-sleeved shirt, who is waving to the camera. The three guys in the photo had driven down from the Saint Louis area, which is about 4 hours northeast of Bryant Creek. ( It is not everyday that you can have your photo taken by someone with as rich a family heritage as that of Abigail Lambert. In her position as River Stewardship Project Coordinator for the ORLT, she can pursue her passion for protecting our area rivers. It was a passion for all things related to aviation, that resulted in the major airport in St. Louis, Missouri, being named "Lambert Field" in recognition of her family's contributions to the field of aviation.)

 When I first learned about the canoe trip planned for Bryant Creek, I went to the website www.southwestpaddler.com to see what they said about the stream. Most of the following information is from their website: Bryant Creek is formed in Douglas County, Missouri, and flows south about 43 miles to Norfork Lake on the Arkansas border. It is normally a gentle stream, with Class I to Class II rapids, willow jungles, rock shoals, and a nearly perpetual flow, though it may run low during periods of drought. The surrounding area is a wilderness of bluffs and farmlands in the Ozark Mountain foothills. It has a moderate gradient averaging about 5.8 feet per mile, which maintains a gentle current that makes paddling easy. For the ORLT event, our group put in at the low water bridge on Missouri SH 95, and got out at ORLT's Elixir Farm, but if you continued on to Hodgson Mill, you would be at the site where Ewell Gibbons filmed those Grape Nuts commercials back in the 80's.  However, even with such a famous endorsement, Bryant Creek is unknown to most paddlers and is seldom enjoyed because of its remoteness. And, just as the Southwest Paddler website promised, we found that it was a "pristine place to enjoy the magical beauty of the Missouri Ozark Foothills and surrounding wilderness of Mark Twain National Forest." 

  Bryant Creek could almost fit the description written by King David in Psalm 46:4 that says "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells." We can all be thankful for the work that groups like the Ozark Regional Land Trust are doing to preserve the natural beauty of our incredibly blessed, United States of America. And with the special day of July 4 on the horizon, it would be appropriate to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!   MILES OF SMILES! Tricia