STORY INDEX
Boating..................... 5 Calendar................. 23 Classified........... 25-26 Editorial.................... 6 Fishing....... 10, 15, 16 Floating.............. 3, 17 History........... 6, 8, 21 Hunting......... 7, 8, 20
Indians.................... 21 Nature..... 6, 13, 15, 19 Outdoor News.3, 8, 19 Recipes, Food... 20, 22 Seasons................... 10 SunMoon................ 10 Trapping................. 10
Traveler River Hills
ISSN 87501899
FEBRUARY 7, 2014
VOL. 41, NO. 7
124 miles on F Current River
Story & photos by Mike Kircher The bluff at Big Creek: “may be the prettiest stretch of river we passed.”
MAPS IN THIS ISSUE
Clearwater Lake....................................15 Lower Current & Eleven Point River...17 Lower Meramec River..........................18 Parkland/Arcadia Valley/Black River...27 Upper Current & Jacks Fork Rivers......16 Upper Meramec, Huzzah, Courtois......18 Wappapello Lake..................................15
ST. CLAIR, MO 63077
or many years, around many campfires, we had been talking about floating the Current River from Montauk Spring down as far as maybe Van Buren. We would take a week’s vacation sometime and do it. Last year turned out to be the year. On our spring float, Steve announced that his wife was going on a week’s trip in July with her mother and he had a free pass. We decided to go for it. Steve, Mark and I each have our own canoes. We’ve been floating together for years, logging at least 100 float trips together, with sometimes as many as 10 floats in a season. After consulting A Paddler’s Guide to Missouri, we decided to float from Baptist Camp to Doniphan, 124 miles. After so many overnight floats, mostly on the Current, Jacks Fork and Eleven Point Rivers, we’ve come to know what to expect from each other. Each guy would be responsible for two meals. Steve and Mark know I’m a good cook and always surprising them with some new delicacy. Mark and I knew Steve would bring the great seasoned pork steaks he gets from a local meat shop. Steve and I know Mark works wonders with simple things like green beans and black eyed peas. The food was a cinch, but what of the other logistics? Everybody asks “How did you get your vehicle from one end to Continued on Page 2
DGMP commenters share passion for Riverways
W
By Jo Schaper On Nov. 8, 2013, NPS released the Draft General the 60-day comment period to Feb. 8. hen the National Park Service Management Plan and Big Spring Wilderness As of Jan. 31, over 1,000 written comments had asked for public comment on the Environmental Impact Statement, for a 60-day been received by the park, as well as an earful 534-page draft Draft General of informal feedback from groups as diverse Management Plan for the Ozark as longtime native residents of the area, National Scenic Riverways, it opened the door environmentalists, equestrians, paddle sport for a flood of diverse, creative and stronglyenthusiasts, motorized boat users, wilderness held views. And that’s what the NPS received advocates, local, state and federal government in four public meetings and written and online officials, rock climbers, and people several states responses during the public comment period away who vacation on Riverways. ending Feb. 8. Four alternatives were proposed in the GMP By the time Traveler arrives, officials at document: No Action, and Alternatives A, B and park service headquarters in Van Buren will C. A, B, and C proceeded from highly restrictive, be wading through the responses, which may to moderately restrictive, to less restrictive of help to chart a course for the Ozark National access to park resources and acceptable future Scenic Riverways for the next 20 or so years. visitor behavior. “I was very pleased with the outcome The NPS preferred alternative, Alternative B, of the public meetings, and the tremendous was decided upon by park managers at several public interest,” said Park Superintendent Bill CAPACITY CROWD — More than 500 people turned out for the levels, not just Washington, D.C. nor Van Buren, Black. “At all of the meetings, the people have final open house on the DGMP at Powder Valley Nature Center said a park employee who declined to be named. in Kirkwood Jan. 22. Jo Schaper photo. been passionate about the rivers.” A No Action alternative had to be included, Nearly 1,500 people attended meetings in however park officials said from the beginning Eminence, Salem, Van Buren and Kirkwood, a St. comment period ending Jan. 8. Inclement winter that “no action” was not acceptable. This led to Louis suburb. weather postponed the meetings twice, and extended Continued on Page 24
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