OZARK NATIONAL SCENIC RIVERWAYS EXPEDITION!

This photo, that shows our group on the first day of a three-day kayaking extravaganza, was taken by a kind and thoughtful stranger at the launch site, so that all the gals could be in the picture.  We were kayaking the lovely Current River, that is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, in Shannon County, Missouri.

On the first day, we put in at Cedar Grove, which enabled us to float past the old Welch Hospital, which I wrote about in an article published on July 14, 2017,  called "Current Events Expedition".  (You can see that article by looking in the archives section of this blog).  I learned when researching the 2017 article, that the Welch hospital was built over a cave entrance.  Also, there is a placard at the site that gives the history of the hospital, along with photos and sketches of what it looked like when originally built. 

The only remaining edifice of the Welch Hospital, are the stone walls shown in this photograph.  The roof has long since disappeared.  At the top of the steps, there is an unofficial path that leads the explorer up the hill, and on to the top of the bluff, that overlooks the spring and river. 

The Welch Spring gushes out with such force that it assures the Current River is floatable year round!  Welch Spring contributes an average of 121 cubic feet of water per second to the flow of the Current River.  To put that number in perspective, remember that a basketball is approximately one cubic foot.  So imagine 121 basketballs coming towards you PER SECOND!!  I have trouble catching just one basketball when it is thrust at me, so to think of 121 basketballs thrown at me at one time is a little overwhelming!

Maybe that is why I was a little apprehensive about kayaking past these rapids where the Welch Spring flows into the Current River.  However, I steered far to the right of the "intersection" (along with the other row of single-file kayakers in my group), and navigated through the challenge without a rollover!  (The tongue-in-cheek phrase among kayakers, for a rollover, is "to become a swimmer".) So, I could re-write that sentence to say there were "no swimmers" at the Welch Spring---which is a good thing, because the sign from the park service clearly indicated NO SWIMMING, and NO FISHING, at this environmentally sensitive area.

Since this is an NPS riverway that is popular year round, it is not surprising that we encountered other groups along our voyage.  I took this photo of one such tourist, and if you saw the movie "Deliverance" you may know what this tee shirt message is referencing!

I took the picture of the back of this man's shirt, as he was photographing his friend jumping off the bluff into a deep swimming hole of the river:

 

I live in Arkansas that boasts being the home of the first national river---which is now called Buffalo National River.  So I was a bit confused when reading that the Ozark National Scenic Riverways also claims to be a "first".  (However, the NPS property for this area is an IUCN Category V, meaning protected landscape/seascape).  The below photo shows the sign you will see along the highway, as you enter property that has been designated for public use by the NPS.  The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was created by an act of Congress in 1964, to protect both the Current and Jacks Fork Riverways.  The park was dedicated in 1971.  It is promoted as the Midwest's best float streams, in part due to contributions of some of the nations largest springs.   The list includes Welch Spring, Cave Spring, Big Spring, Blue Spring, and Gravel Spring.  It has the U.S.'s largest concentration of First Magnitude Springs, which are defined as having an average flow of more than 100 cubic feet per second, in dolomite rock.

After an enjoyable day on the river, our group came back to the Timber Lodge, where we were staying.  You can find out more about this property, by going to the Shannondale page on Facebook.

Although some would call Timber Lodge "rustic", it has the main things I was interested in---electricity, indoor plumbing, and WiFi!  Most people in the group were using their cell phones for photography and Internet access, as there was very limited---to non-existent---use of of them for talking to anyone!

After our potluck supper on Tuesday night, several in the group used the three 25 cent pieces (aka, quarters) we had been told in advance to bring, to play the game called "Left, Right, Center". 

Using U.S. quarters for this game is totally appropriate since there was a SPECIAL quarter issued in 2017, highlighting the Ozark Riverways!

On the second night of our trip, we had the unique opportunity to hear from a local storyteller and author---Rick Mansfield. 

You have heard the phrase "telling ghost stories around the campfire", and that is literally what happened!  Rick portrayed the ghost of the deceased "Caretaker of the Current River", a Mr. Luther Rowlett. (The white hat signifies when the "ghost" is talking vs. when Mr. Mansfield is talking).

By weaving many Ozark sayings, doings, and traditions into his "ghost story", we got a hint of the culture of these Ozark mountains in days gone by.  As you can imagine, we gave him a big round of applause for his endeavors at the end:

Those who wanted to, could purchase some of the books he has published that tell even more stories !!  Rick's wife, Judy, assisted in showcasing some of the books he had available for sale.  You can find out more about his work and volunteer activities , on the Rick Mansfield Facebook page.

 

When kayaking on the last stretch of our trip, it was a unique experience to get to paddle into a cave.  All twenty of us would not fit in at one time, so we lined up and took turns going into the cave. This first photo shows me paddling into the cave, and was taken by my friend, Christine.

 

This photo below that  DQ took of me with uplifted hands, shows my jubilation and gratitude, for getting to have this awesome "kave-kayaking" experience! !

Christine also took this photo below of me in yellow kayak and red hat, paddling out of the cave.  Notice how clear the water is, as evidenced by the visibility of the very long submerged log!

 

I like the way the opening of the cave provides a "frame" for this photograph, that shows two kayakers crossing their paddles to form an "X"!

In addition to the paddling, there is another experience in the area that I would recommend you try if you have the opportunity.  The Current River State Park is a public recreation area occupying 1200 acres of land along the Current River, also in Shannon County, Missouri.  It consists of land and buildings originally developed as the

Alton Club, a corporate retreat (used in the 1930's and 1940's) of the Alton Box Board Company, of Alton, Illinois.  It's been included in the National Register of Historic Places, since 2005.  The site includes the main lodge, classroom/pool hall, lower dorm, gym, BBQ house, lake house, manager's residence, and entrance columns.  It also has 9 miles of hiking trails, two small fishing lakes, picnicking facilities, and a location where the public can launch their kayaks. 

Its gymnasium (built in 1940) is unique because of its Lamella Wooden Truss roof. 

The roof consists of intersecting arches, hinged together at their midpoints to form an interlocking network, in a diamond pattern.  Although the Lamella Roof was patented in 1910, it did not become popular until the period between the World Wars, when metal for construction was in short supply .

A different photo of the gymnasium interior shows some of our group listening to NPS volunteer, Barbara Gibbs Ostmann, tell stories about the history of the park over the years.  (I am thankful that I first had the opportunity to meet Barbara Gibbs Ostmann, way back in the 1960's, when we both were involved in the Noark Girl Scout Council.  The area represented by Noark Girl Scouts back then, included her hometown of Springdale, and my hometown of Harrison.) Although the outdoor facilities of the Current River State Park are open year round, guided tours are only available on weekends, during warm weather.  If you want to tour the interiors, it would be best to phone ahead before your visit, to find out if tours are available. 

Even if the interiors cannot be accessed, the scenic views throughout the property would make your visit worthwhile and enjoyable!

Another interesting place to visit in this area is an NPS site called "Devil's Well".  The word "well" describes a deep hole in the ground, and as you can see from the photo below, this is definitely a deep hole in the ground.  Although the steps at the entrance to the location start out as wooden, when they go below ground level, their construction changes to stainless steel.  Although I have been to many places across the USA that include the ominous word of "devil" in their name (e.g., Devil's Tower in Wyoming, Devil's Lake in Wisconsin, Devil's Postpile in California, and Devil's Den in Arkansas), I am always keenly aware of what the headlines would say if I died while at one of these places!  So please make note of the following, if that happens:  "She died at Devil's What-cha-ma-callit", but she now rests peacefully in the arms of Jesus."

Once you reach the bottom, you enter a small opening in the ground, that lets you peer down at the underground lake:

 

Another landmark along the Current River one needs to keep an eye out for is the Medlock Waterfall:

 

The second day of our float trip, we put in at Akers Ferry, Upper Landing.

There is also an Akers Ferry, Lower Landing, and that is the site of the car ferry.  I have yet to see this ferry in operation because when I kayaked past it a few years ago, it was undergoing repairs because of damage done from flooding.  This year, it was the opposite problem.  It was not working because the water level was not high enough.  A local resident we talked to said the NPS was going to have to dredge the river bed at the ferry crossing, so that there would be enough water to float the ferry, with a car on it, across the river to the county road, on the opposite shore.  I hope I get to take my car across on that ferry, when---and, if---it ever starts to operate again.

I took this photo of our group on the third and final day of our Current River paddling expedition.  I have given a lot of thought as to why I SO MUCH enjoy spending time with this group of ladies, and I have concluded it is because we are "LIKE-minded", that is, we all LIKE kayaking!  This serves as a visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one purpose." Philippians 2:2   The Zondervan NIV study Bible expounds on this, saying that unity can exist within a group, without meaning uniformity in thought---rather, in the common disposition to work together and serve one another.  Working and playing together with this group of LIKE-minded friends  gives me "MILES OF (kayaking!) SMILES!!"   Tricia

 

"CURRENT EVENTS" EXPEDITION!

www.mostateparks.com/

I used the phrase "Current Events" in the title of this blog post, because it is all about a trip I made with a group of friends, to float the Current River, which has its headwaters in Montauk State Park  (  www.mostateparks.com/ )

  in southeast Missouri. 

Even though we were not staying within the park boundaries, we stopped at the Montauk Lodge and Cafe ( www.MontaukLodge.com ), to get refreshed and look around their gift shop.  On their wall, was a large map of the Current River, which helped us get our bearings, as to where we would be floating our kayaks in a few hours. 

Long before it was a state park, the village of Montauk was a destination for area farmers to bring their corn and wheat for milling.  The original village was settled about 1829, and a Civil War battle was fought near the area.  (I could not figure out why that name "Montauk" sounded so familiar to me, until I read that the Missouri Montauk was named after a location in New York state---the eastern most point of Long Island, where I had visited via sailboat with my husband and his family, back in the last century---mystery solved!).  The old mill ceased operation in 1926, at the time when the area was opened as Missouri's fourth state park.  The old mill was rehabilitated by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in 1935.  It is a two and a half story frame building with a multi-gabled roof and stone foundations.  It has a central tower-like extension above the second story roof.  It is periodically open for tours---one of only four restored mills in the Missouri state park systems that still function, and allow visitors to see corn being ground. 

These days, Montauk is known more for its fishing than its milling.  We saw anglers fishing throughout the park, and we saw plenty of them reeling in a fish!

One reason for the high success rate of landing a trout here, is most likely the trout fish hatchery that is located at Montauk Springs.  The cool waters flowing from the spring are perfect for trout, and these spring waters combine with the water from Pigeon Creek, to form the headwaters of the Current River.  This photo shows Amy, Peggy, Penny, and A.J. taking the self-guided tour to observe the life cycle of the trout.  This tank had some really big fish in it, that were easy for Peggy to photograph!

The Nature Center at Montauk State Park provided a nice photo opportunity to point out that many of the ladies I kayak with have taken the training to become certified Arkansas Master Naturalists (www.wordpress.arkansasmasternaturalists.org ) .  The ladies in this photo are associated with the North Central Arkansas chapter of the organization.  It is an added bonus to be able to spend time in the outdoors with folks like Amy and Peggy, who spend hours photographing, identifying, labeling, and posting, the various plants that they encounter, so we can have a greater appreciation for what we are seeing!

After all 12 of us had assembled at our rendezvous point, we drove the short distance to the Cedar Grove low water bridge crossing, where we could relax beside the Current River. 

Because of its easy access and ample parking, Cedar Grove is a popular swimming hole for those who know about it.  There were several folks enjoying the refreshing waters that evening, including a young man snorkeling, and some teenage girls enjoying sunbathing inside their large floating yellow duckie.  (Since a "yellow duckie" is the mascot for our WHOyaker group, I had to overcome my desire to hijack their floating sanctuary, for the purpose of photographing the WHOyaker girls with it!)

When plans were being made for the Current River float trip earlier this year, the Montauk Lodge was already booked up, as were all other cabins in the area.  However, the very helpful folks at the Jadwin Store told about some new cabins that were in the process of being built.  They said there was a possibility they might be finished by July 10, so the River Co-ordinators (RC) for our trip researched that possibility, and made it happen!

Although the owner/builder of the cabins said he was not finished with the landscaping and marketing for his property, he allowed us to stay there, and take advantage of its close location to the section of the Current River where we would be floating.

The owner delighted us when he stopped by to give each one of us a "cozy" beverage can holder, that had been personalized with the WHO-YAKER name!  He said since we were the first group to be guests at his newly-built cabins, he wanted us to have a souvenir of our stay there.  The Current River Cabins have a page on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/CurrentRiverCabins ), where you can message them and see photos of the inside of their rentals.  Their phone number is 417-260-1976.  (By the way, the name "WHO-YAKER" is a spin-off from the name of our hiking group---WHO---which stands for "Women Hiking the Ozarks" )

In

1964, over 134 miles of the upper course of the Current River and its tributaries were federally protected as the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (shown within purple boundaries on the map).  This represented the first national park in America to protect an entire river SYSTEM.  Their website is www.nps.gov/ozar   .

We had a delicious supper of grilled burgers, plus a potluck of side dishes brought by each lady.  It was all delicious, so we lingered later outside, just letting our food digest, and telling tall tales about previous adventures the group has had!

Dot brought her ukulele, so it was fun to sing "campfire" songs, even though it was much too warm for an actual campfire!

Even more musical talent was unveiled the next morning, when thanks to Shelley, "the hills were alive, with the sound of music"!

This photo shows the boats are loaded, and we are ready to head out to the river.  We did our own "river shuttle", which means that once the pickup trucks dropped off the kayaks at the starting point, the empty pickup trucks were driven to the take out point and left there.  Then the shuttle driver (Peggy K) brought the pickup drivers back to the starting point, where the rest of us waited with their kayaks.

While we waited at the Cedar Grove starting point, it seemed there was non-stop launching of canoes and kayaks, with one yellow bus after another yellow bus, dropping off dozens of visitors onto the gravel bar launch area.

I took this photo of a young woman starting down the river, because I heard her yell out to her companions, "How do I get this thing to turn around??!!"  (She was headed into the rapids going backwards!)  This would be funny, except that none of them are wearing a life jacket.  It is a RULE in our group---life jackets must be worn when on the water!!

We stopped at Medlock Waterfall to have our lunch.  Lucky for us, a man and woman were there who did not mind to take photos, so several of us handed them our cameras, and they happily obliged!  (You can see the small waterfall in the background)

Where the Medlock Falls flow into the Current River, is a very small little creek, and our 12 kayaks just about took up the entire "floatable" space!

Another stop we made along the way was Welch Spring.  This photo shows the remains of an old hospital that used to be on this site.  (Even though the bars on the openings make you think it was a jail! The bars are there to keep humans from accessing the cave, where endangered bats live).

Welch Spring is accessible by a dirt road, so you do not have to arrive via boat.  The girl in this photo is headed out the path leading to a parking area for cars.

A placard at the site has a sketch of what the hospital used to look like.  This particular location was chosen, because it was believed that the cool air coming out of the cave was beneficial for asthma patients. 

In this photo, Ellen and Peggy K. are peering through the bars, looking at those of us standing up at the back of the old hospital.

Shelley did her best to try to see the cave, but the park service has done a good job of blocking the access!

Beneath this bluff is where Welch Spring gushes out so much water, that it nearly doubles the flow of the Current River where it enters.

Welch Spring is 14 miles from the headwaters of the Current River in Montauk State Park.  The mouth ( or "end") of the Current River flows into the Black River at Pocahontas, Arkansas.  (I just learned through my Master Naturalist training, that from 1899-1902, the Black River was the leading supplier of fresh-water mussels for all of the USA!  The mussel shells were used to make pearl buttons.)  The Black River then flows into the White River, which eventually flows into the Mississippi River, which then flows into the Gulf of Mexico, thereby connecting it with all the oceans of the earth!  This realization, along with a Project Learning Tree training exercise I did about drops of water ( www.plt.org ) made me realize once again the wisdom of Solomon, when he wrote in Ecclesiastes 1:2  "All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, there they return again." 

This photo shows our group arriving at our take-out point---all doing well!  We started with 12 kayakers and ended with 12 kayakers!

It is of interest that one can see the actual ferry at Akers Ferry.  It is a cable ferry, also called a "reaction ferry".  There were several reaction ferries used to cross rivers in the Ozark Mountains, during the first half of the 20th century.  This one is a 48 ft by 18 ft wooden ferry.  There is a bell to ring to signal the ferryman, that someone wants to cross.  The ferry is built with an oar board to use the current power.  Then to make the job easier, the Akers Ferry had an electric motor to scoot the ferry across the river, and another to pump out water from the hull.  Sadly, it was not in operation when we were there, and recent epic flooding earlier in the year, may preclude its re-opening for quite some time.  However, it could be thought of as an "educational demonstration", for future generations to see how things were done in the "olden days"!  So hopefully, the federal administrators of Ozark National Scenic Riverways will facilitate its use sometime in the future. (A full explanation of the structural and operational issues with the ferry, are listed on the NPS website)

As we loaded up the kayaks, and gathered our gear, I was giving thanks to God for a safe float trip, and I had a heart full of gratitude to be able to spend time with such a fine group of ladies----this expedition gave me "MILES OF (river!) SMILES"!!  Tricia