Canoeing, Camping Superb On Missouri's Current River

Editor's Note: The Current River in Southeast Missouri is one of the most spring-fed streams in the world and one of the most beautiful in the Ozarks. Flip Putthoff, outdoors editor, took a six-day solo canoe float May 5-10 of all 125 miles of the Current River that are in the Ozarks. The trip was from Montauk State Park to Doniphan, Mo. After Doniphan, the stream leaves the Ozarks and enters the flatlands. Here are excerpts from a journal he kept along the way.

Eve of Departure: Just got a good look at the river here in Doniphan. It's high and full. Hope to average 25 miles per day and that shouldn't be a problem.

Float the Current

The book, “A Paddler’s Guide to Missouri” has a mile by mile description and maps of the Current River from the source to the Arkansas border. It is available from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Several outfitters in Eminence, Mo., and Doniphan, Mo., operate on the Current River and Jack’s Fork River. All offer canoe and kayak rentals and shuttle service. There are campgrounds and lodging in Eminence and Doniphan.

It's big water down here. Where I start at the headwaters tomorrow you can almost hop across the river. This trip will go through Ozark National Scenic Riverways land, some U.S. Forest Service land and private land.

My love of rivers is why I'm here. From Ozark streams to the Mississippi, I love them all. The forecast looks good, I've been planning this trip for weeks so let's go!

Day One: Beautiful float today. Got on the water about 12:30 p.m. at Baptist Camp access, about a mile downstream from Montauk State Park. The Current River is formed by springs in the park.

Hired Windy's Canoe Rental in Eminence, Mo., for the three-hour shuttle upstream from Doniphan. Randy, the shuttle driver, was a nice, talkative guy who showed me all the sights. This is truly rural Missouri, as far out in the boons as anywhere in Arkansas.

Good, steady current. Did 15 miles today. OK for four hours on the water I guess. The spring-fed river is beautiful, clear and cold. The woods are alive with dogwood trees. What impressed me most was all the wood ducks. Flocks of them of up to a dozen birds or more. Never seen so many wood ducks on a river.

Stopped at Welch Spring, the sixth largest in Missouri at 105 million gallons per day. Gorgeous. Good leg stretch and exploring.

I have a nice gravel bar camp this evening on a quiet bend right at the water's edge. Lots of firewood laying around so it didn't take long to gather a nice pile of wood.

All my gear fits nicely in the canoe. Got the tent up, my luxurious air mattress inflated, two pillows, and my summer sleeping bag. River camping is so wonderful. With a canoe you can take lots of creature comforts.

Day Two: Sitting here enjoying another fabulous camp spot. Beautiful, shady gravel bar. The river is rushing by over rocks so I hear the sound of flowing water. This campsite is about as good as it gets. Did about 25 miles today, give or take.

The highlight was to come to Cave Spring. It flows at 24 million gallons per day and pours out of a huge cave. You can paddle back into the cave quite a ways, which I did. I could have gone farther, but it got kind of spooky. The water is so blue and pretty at this spring.

Also passed Round Spring, another big one.

Had a nice lunch break, then the afternoon Zen paddling experience. Don't know why, but after about 2 p.m. I drift into this dreamy state, almost like a trance. I love to paddle and don't want to stop, maybe because paddling is so meditative. I don't snap out of it until about 4-ish when it's time to start looking for a camp spot.

Had a nice swim and rinsed out my clothes. Now the sun is going down, lighting up the trees that are in their bright greenery of early May.

Time for some bodacious barbecue ribs and a corn salad I made. All food was prepared at home and ready to heat on the campfire.

Day Three: Very nice long day on the river! Did about 29 miles today. Good to cover some water. There was welcome cloud cover and light rain this morning. Cool enough that I wore my rain pants to keep warm. I always wear my life jacket and it felt good.

Turned sunny and warm by lunchtime. Had some wicked headwind to deal with today. Here in camp now it's still windy. Stopped about 11 a.m. to buy ice where the Jack's Fork River joins the Current River. There's a campground and store here. Saw one guy on the river today, a fisherman in a motor boat. No one else on the river all day.

Lots of pretty bluffs and the water is still so clear. Sometimes you think you aren't moving much until you look at the river bottom and see it racing by under your canoe.

I have the river to myself, just me and the wildlife. Saw several bald eagles today which I didn't expect. Saw an osprey with a fish in its talons, one deer and lots of wood ducks. I passed Blue Spring pouring into the river. All the springs are so pretty and blue with watercress all around.

Had a nice river bath a bit ago with biodegradable soap and washed down good. I feel clean!

I'm pretty pooped from all the headwind. I'll just see what's easy to fix for dinner then go to bed. The golden light of sunset is coming in. A kingfisher just flew upstream.

Day Four: A nice early start before Mr. Headwind kicks in. It wasn't so bad today, but when you float a river in May that flows south, you're going to have some headwind.

Early morning is such a peaceful time to float. So lovely in the morning light. And no headwind.

Went by Paint Rock Bluff, a 200-footer. Tallest I've seen on the trip.

Stopped about noon in Van Buren, Mo. This is the only town I'll pass on the trip. It's a good place to resupply. They have everything. Downtown is just a short walk from the river. Fixed lunch, bought some ice, wrote some picture postcards and mailed them at the post office.

Five miles after Van Buren I came to Big Spring. It's the largest spring in Missouri and one of the biggest in the world, flowing at 286 million gallons per day. Where it flows into the Current, the spring is like its own river. I paddled up the spring a bit, but the current is really strong.

Big Spring is a sight to behold. Clear water with a turquoise hue. Mats of watercress waving underwater in the current under my canoe.

Another fine camp spot. When I got to this gravel bar and was unloading my stuff, there was this black snake about 4 feet long moseying across the pebbles. It was a beautiful, shiny black. We just said hi to each other and he went about his business and I did my camp chores.

Nice and cloudy today. Clouds are thickening. I hope it rains tonight and shifts the wind to the north on to my tail tomorrow.

Day Five: Got that rain last night that I wished for. Great to read in the tent then doze off to sleep snug, warm and dry. It really poured at times. Woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise and clear sky. The air smelled so sweet, cleansed by the rain.

I usually eat a healthy breakfast, but fixed bacon and eggs on the campfire this morning. A once-a-trip treat. Heard some wild turkeys gobble while I dined.

What a day! Ideal weather and the river level is perfect. Again I didn't see a single human being all day.

The river is really big now. Up to 100 yards wide in spots. I'm camped at a bend in the river where the water is really swift. This is my last night on the river. So 115 miles down and only 10 to go tomorrow the my take-out at Doniphan. Neat to think I've come this far with just a canoe and a paddle.

Day Six: A foggy, cloudy dawn today. Fixed coffee and oatmeal, broke camp and took off. It was easy to tell when I floated out of U.S. Forest Service land. All kinds of river houses now, from little cabins to McMansions.

Fun as this trip has been, I'm ready to be done. Got to Doniphan about 10:30 a.m. today, a Saturday.

So a guy in a suit walks down the boat ramp to my canoe and we chat. He's curious about my trip. I say, "Judging by your attire I'd guess you work for the city or you've been to church." Almost right. He works at the local funeral home and was biding time until the next service.

The community was having a river cleanup. Sweet! But all the trash must be downstream. I didn't see any litter my entire trip.

Packed my stuff, hit the highway and now I am home. I'll leave the unpacking and cleanup until tomorrow. Then I'll be ready for the next river adventure, wherever that may be.

Outdoors on 06/26/2014

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