February 2019

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VOL. 46, NO. 9

FEBRUARY 2019

A memorable first day float O

By Richard Whiteside ver the years I have spent the first day of the year on some creek or river somewhere in the Ozarks.

Little Black, Current River, Sinking Creek, Big Barren and Eleven Point River are some of the streams I have brought in the new year floating on.

This year we were back on old faithful — the Current River.

The float would be from Pulltite access to Round Spring access and boy was it a nice one.!

I want to encourage anybody that is reading this to consider this experience next year.!You will float with

Journey thru the Ozarks

By MATTIE LINK

mattie@riverhillstraveler.com _____________

T

wo centuries ago a young mineralogist, Henry Schoolcraft — on his way to becoming a pre-eminent ethnologist (studier of culture) — traveled into the wilderness, which was not at the time known as the Ozarks.

Traveling with his companion, another young man in his twenties, Levi Pettibone, Schoolcraft’s three months of documentation are the earliest record of early 19th century culture and resources of the recent Louisiana Purchase.

With that being said, Eric “Rick” Mansfield, an author and storyteller in Missouri, has begun the journey of following Schoolcraft’s footsteps, recreating his walk through the Ozarks.

“I first heard of Schoolcraft at

and meet some very very neat human beings.

Anybody that loves Ozarks streams enough to brave the weather on the first day of the year to float is going to be worth meeting in my book.

The entire group number I believe was around 35 people. Meeting in the lobby of Echo Bluff State Park we gathered and sorted out the details and we were off.

First order of business was to get people and their vehicles shuttled and that went very smoothly. No shuttle fees were required, everybody just kinda chipped in and one hour later we were all on the water.

Feeling the pull of the current was a welcome feeling.

Being surrounded by people who truly have a love for

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Ozarks streams was icing on the cake.

This trip consisted of paddling instructors, awardwinning river stewards, long-time National Park ServPlease see FLOAT, 18

Absorbed by an Ozarks River

I

By Ronnie Moore n a world where everything seems so harsh, it’s nice to find the time to get back to living at a slower pace.

But plans don’t always work out and changes are made.

We had people considering passing on this trip late in the game. I had the same thoughts myself; nothing seemed to be working out as usual, but still we pressed on.

Standing on the bank of the river that Friday morning with a canoe loaded with three days worth of supplies, I still had reservations.

But I was with three of the best guys you could possibly float with. We shoved off and let the river swallow us up.

It was the same trip we’d just completed a Please see RIVER, 19

Please see TREK, 17 An Ozarks smallmouth takes a breather after being released.

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Winchester .30-30 is my first, and still favorite, rifle

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n the November issue of the River Hills Traveler, Jeffery Shoults wrote the legend of the old .30-30. rifle.

What a great article. I happen to have a Winchester .30-30 and it was my very first deer rifle.

I moved to Newton County, Mo., in 1985 and at that time I had not owned a rifle other than a .22 cal.

When my wife went to work she became friends with one of her co-workers, so we became friends with her and her husband.

I don’t remember just when but Jerry B. took me hunting for my first time with a rifle which he loaned me. It was a great time for me and I will not soon forget that time.

Some time later the man I worked for, Jerry V., asked me if I would care to go hunting with him. I explained that I did not own a hunting rifle.

Tom He had quite a Boydston collection of rifles ———— which he showed me. I was very impressed. He said take your pick, you can use any one you like.

Thanks, but I would spend more time worrying about the rifle than hunting. I had done that once before, and did not want to take that chance. My friend had loaned me a rifle once, and I worried about that.

Well, that next week he went to Wyoming on a elk hunt. He left me in charge of the shop which, of course, made me feel real special, being fairly

new to the company.

That evening after work, when I got to my truck, there on the seat lay a Winchester .30-30 with a box of ammo and a note saying, “This is for you to keep, I do not want it back.”

I never did go hunting with him.

Soon after that time, he moved to Wyoming.

That was my first rifle, and is still my favorite. A couple years ago I bought a .270, but when deer season comes around, guess what rifle I use!

Thanks, Mr. Shoults, for that article as it reminded me of this memory. For firearm season, I was out there with my trusty .30-30.

Opening day for firearms deer season is always a much anticipated day by many, including myself. It was a beautiful morning even though it was only 18 degrees.

The woods came to life about the time the sun came up. Geese flying high heading south, hawks circling overhead, crows moving from tree to tree talking to each other with a lot of noise.

Squirrels looking for acorns they had hidden earlier not remembering where they hid them. And myself watching for deer.

By 8:30 I had not seen a thing. There were several close shots. As the day wore on I heard more shots, but I never saw a single deer. After six hours I gave up for the day. There is always tomorrow, I thought.

The next day I was hoping for some luck. Another very nice day, but the results were the same as the day before.

No deer.

After seven hours I gave up and went in. Well, it was only the second day.

Never give up.

Another day for the hunt. Got up early, had some coffee and a bite to eat, and watched some news. Mostly bad news.

Stepped outside to check the weather, and it had just started to rain. I was hoping it would stop before I headed for my stand. I really didn’t want to start out wet.

Just before I left the house it stopped raining and began to snow. This I did not mind at all. By the time I reached

my stand it was coming down pretty good.

About 7:45 three does came out of thick woods and messed around under my stand for over twenty minutes. I was hoping, possibly, a buck would appear soon. Well, it never happened.

I really like the snow, so what if I didn’t see a buck. But finally it came down so heavy all my gear was getting really wet, and I was getting wet and cold.

I can’t take it like I use to. So, to the house I headed. When I got there my wife said I looked like a snowman. I went in to get warm and get out of my wet clothes.

I wasn’t thinking (as usual) and got snow all over the floor, which did not go over very well with my wife. (Sorry, kid).

Our heat is with a wood stove only, which we like very well. When you come in cold and wet, you can back up to the stove and get warm and dry real quick.

I have no clue what it would be like any other way. I put all my clothes and

gear on chairs around the stove to dry out, and it didn’t take long.

Well, the last day came and I spent the entire day hunting. I would have gladly taken a doe if one came by.

But nothing. Now I wish I had shot one of the does I had seen earlier.

Well, that’s how it goes some years.

Back to the bow.

(Tom Boydston lives in Neosho, Mo., and can be reached by text at 417-4396048.)

February 2019 • Page 3

RiverHillsTraveler.com

National parks suffering due to shutdown

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love our national parks. Some of my favorite memories were created in these national treasures.

It’s only natural that my heart breaks when I see the negative impact to our national parks during the partial government shutdown.

Images of damage caused by unauthorized off-road use, vandalism, illegal camping, and vast amounts of trash and human waste have upset me.

I am not alone; many others who support our public lands are just as heartbroken.

Take, for instance, the unsupervised visitors at Joshua Tree. Vandals cut the locks on the entrance gates to enter the park.

From there, they proceeded to cut down Joshua trees and off-road in pro- Michelle Turner tected areas causing ———— irreversible damage.

Public outrage has been voiced across our nation.

It’s easy to feel helpless when stories like this make the news, but I firmly believe that each individual has the power to make a difference.

Every good deed, no matter how small it may seem, can add up to create a positive change.

Here are three suggestions for minimizing harm and reversing any damage caused by others during times when our public lands remain unprotected: #1 — Donate to the National Park Foundation’s Restoration Fund. This fund will provide support to national parks to help them recover from the damage that has occurred. You can find them at www.nationalparks.org. #2 — When shopping for that perfect gift for yourself or a loved one, check out www.parksproject.us. Parks Project

offers a variety of awesome items for park lovers, with an excellent perk.

They give back to the national parks.

By working directly with over 30 different park conservancies across America, they do more than simply writing a check.

They have restored 3,960 feet of hiking trails in Yellowstone, provided 9,886 Junior Ranger badges in Zion, and helped restore 62 acres in Great Smoky Mountains.

This is just a sample of the work that the Parks Project has done and continues to do thanks to purchases from people like you and me. #3 — Use common sense and practice stewardship. When and if a public land is closed, don’t enter it. If you can enter, but find that it is unstaffed, lend a hand. This is YOUR public land, after all!

If the trash can is overflowing, certainly don’t try to pack more trash into it. Come prepared with trash bags to not only pack out your own trash, but also the trash that others have left behind.

With that said, stewardship is more than removing waste, it is leaving what you find as you found it.

Creating your own new off-road trail or campsite disturbs protected areas of our national parks.

Just because a ranger or official isn’t there to tell you NOT to do it, doesn’t mean you should.

(Michelle Turner lives in Union, Mo.)

Inside these pouches are bracelets that Michelle Turner won from a Parks Project Instagram contest! She and her daughter took them along for a photo op to Cabrillo National Monument in September 2018 just outside of San Diego.

AROUND the WORLD with the River Hills Traveler

Laurel Sexton, of Neosho, Mo., recently traveled to Chicago as part of a Crowder College Upward Bound program trip. She took a friend along with her.

———

If you're going on a trip or vacation, please take the River Hills Traveler with you and have someone photograph you and the magazine in front of a landmark or somewhere pretty neat. Then email the picture & info to us at jimmy@riverhillstraveler.com and we will publish it an upcoming issue. You can also text your photos & info to (417) 451-3798 or send them to us via our Facebook page.

Thank you very much & we look forward to seeing your family’s adventures!

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Everyday life customs in the early history of the Ozarks

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iver Hills Traveler staff writer Wes Franklin often opines about Missouri folklore — as he did this month at the bottom of this page.

He's not the only one interested in Ozarks folklore and legends, as I often receive email and comments from people telling me they read this or that in the magazine and offering some of their own folklore.

Marriage, funerals, hunting and religion were also subject to unique customs in the Ozarks, according to David Burton, county engagement specialist in community development with University of Jimmy Sexton Missouri Extension.

———— Here are some of Journey On thoughts Burton had recently on a variety of Ozarks customs:

MARRIAGE Regarding courtship and marriage customs, early Ozarkers referred to courting as "they're talking."

Ozarkers also believed it was best to get married in a room where the boards ran long-ways in front of you if you want to stay married.

Wedding garments were white ("marry in white and you'll always be right"). At the bride's house, they had a dinner and although dancing was a religious taboo, they did allow a wedding dance. On the next day after the wedding, there was a dinner at the groom's house.

FUNERALS Funerals were long and drawn out and were often held in the home.

"Because there was no embalming you had to bury quickly in warm

M

weather. The funeral process included a big dinner, singing about 20 songs in mourning over the casket, and graveyard preaching," said Burton.

HOSPITALITY There were unique Scot-Irish expressions of hospitality. For example, "Come in and eat a dirty bite," "Come in and see how our poor folks live," and "Come down to our shack and stay.

It leaks awful but we let the visitors sleep in the dry spot."

Moonshining was plentiful, but there was more of it in Kentucky than in the Ozarks. Alcohol produced in the Ozarks region was often called "White Mule" (called this because of its kick and being almost pure alcohol).

"The early Ozarks never resembled the Wild West: they bootlegged but never had the saloons and whiskey killings of the Wild West," said Burton.

BUTCHERING Most Ozarkers lived off the land, taking advantage of the area's abundant fish and turkeys, rabbits and squirrels.

Hogs could be butchered and packaged for $5, and turkeys were herded like cattle. In fact, Springfield was a henraising area and Crane annually hosted its Broiler Festival.

Country ham was cured using salt and brown sugar. Red pepper was used to keep away the insects. The ham was slowly smoked for two to three weeks with sassafras and hickory bark.

After butchering, soaps were made with the renderings and cracklings when mixed with lye (lye was made by pouring water through wood ashes).

RELIGION Most religious customs in the Ozarks (baptizing in the river and brush arbor prayer meetings) came from the Baptist and Methodist traditions of Tennessee.

Favorite old songs included "Amazing

Grace" and "How Sweet the Sound."

Circuit riders (preachers who rode between churches) often used the phrase of May Kennedy McCord to caution their arrival, namely, "If the Lord willin' and the Creek don't rise."

OZARKS REGION The early Ozarks of the late 19th to early 20th century was much more rural than it is now.

"Over 3 million people currently live in the 92 counties of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma that make up the region known as the Ozarks," said Burton.

Four rivers make up the boundaries of the Ozarks: the Mississippi to the east, the Missouri to the north, the Arkansas to the south, and the Neosho to the west.

——— Another topic readers of the Traveler enjoy is trees — specifically Missouri champion trees.

Bill Oder wrote an excellent article on page 13 of this issue about a National Champion White Basswood tree at Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

And speaking of trees, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) back in December crowned a new state champion American sycamore tree in Hannibal. MDC Forester David Vance presented a Missouri Champion Tree plaque to Linda Coleberd, who owns the land where the tree stands along Cave Hollow Drive at the Mark Twain Cave Complex.

Sycamores attain the largest size of any deciduous tree in the U.S. and constitute an integral part of Missouri’s streamside habitats.!

Vance noticed the behemoth tree when he was visiting the Mark Twain Cave Complex, assisting staff with installation of a nearby nature trail.

Vance took an official measurement

Ozarks folklore for making wishes

ost of us are familiar with wish-making. As children we pulled apart turkey “wishbones” or pinned our hopes upon a falling star.!

Kids in the Ozarks used to do the same sort of stuff, but might have been even more creative with it.

Thanks to the late great folklorist Vance Randolph, those old wish-making ways haven’t been forgotten, even if nobody practices them anymore.!

When you see a cardinal, “throw a kiss and make a Wes Franklin wish.” If you can do ———— that three times beNative Ozarker fore the bird flies off, your wish will come true.

But if you see the same bird again, it cancels it out. Or, if you see a cardinal in a tree, make a wish and then throw a rock toward, but not AT, the bird.

If the redbird flies upward the wish will be granted. If it flies downward, you’re out of luck.!

If you see a snake trail in the dust, make a wish and spit in the track.

When you hear the first turtledove in the spring, make a wish and spin three

times on your left heel. Then take the shoe off and look for a hair inside it. If it’s the same color as your significant other’s hair, your wish will come true.

When you see a buzzard up in the sky, make a wish. If it soars out of sight without flapping its wings, your wish will be realized.

A simpler method is to make a wish and spit in your hand when you see a newborn colt. That’s all you have to do.

The little colt doesn’t even have to do anything.

Also, always make a wish when you see a spotted horse, but then don’t look at the horse again, and be sure and tell someone about the wish as soon as you can.!

When you see a star before dark, close your eyes, spit over your left shoulder, and make a wish.

When you’re passing train tracks and there is a yellow boxcar halted upon the tracks, make a wish. If it’s moving it won’t work, though.

If you make a wish at the bottom of a steep hill and don’t stop or look back until you walk to the top, your wish will come true.

If you’re walking somewhere you have never been before, make a wish.

When you see a woman wearing a man’s hat, make a wish.!

When a wife or sweetheart is sewing a button on a man’s shirt she should

make a wish about that man’s future and it will come true.

If you drop a comb by accident, immediately put your foot on it and make a wish.

Next time your shoelace comes untied, ask a friend to tie it for you and make a wish while they are doing it.

If you find one of your eyelashes, put it on your thumb, make a wish, and blow it away.!

The first louse you ever find on a child’s head, pop it on the family Bible while making a wish about the child’s future. That’s what my mother did to me, except I think she must have mumbled. I’m just kidding about that.!

You can find more wish-making hints in Randolph’s great compilation “Ozark Magic and Folklore.”

He wrote many other books about the Ozarks he lived and died in, but that book is the best of his works, in my opinion.!

(Wes Franklin!can be reached by email at cato.uticensis46@gmail.com, or by USPS mail at 12161 Norway Road, Neosho, MO 64850.)

On the Cover Richard Whiteside’s canoe gets away from him near the Riverton access on the Eleven Point River.

(See story on page 8)

using a uniform formula to assess a point value to big trees. The formula, which accounts for the tree’s height, crown spread, and trunk size, scored 389 points for the sycamore on Coleberd’s property – with a 244-inch circumference, 108-foot height, and 146-foot crown spread.

If a tree is within four-points of a current champion, it becomes a cochampion. Two other American sycamore trees in Missouri currently share the title of co-champion with this tree in Hannibal – one on Pacific Palisades Conservation Area in St. Louis, and the other on private property in Perry County.!

Coleberd’s family has owned the property where this tree grows for more than a century. Prior to her family’s purchase of the property, Mark Twain frequently visited the cave complex which provided inspiration for his stories, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

“There’s no way to tell exactly how old the tree is,” said Vance. “The closest way without cutting it down is to multiply the diameter by the growth factor – sycamore has a factor of four – and you get 311 years.!

"Since there are many different environmental factors that play into how fast a tree grows, you could probably add or subtract 50 years. So it’s possible that this tree was around when Mark Twain was exploring the area.”

(Jimmy Sexton is owner and publisher of the River Hills Traveler. He can be reached by phone or text at (417) 451-3798, or jimmy@riverhillstraveler.com.)

River Hills Traveler 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850 Phone: (417) 451-3798 Fax: (417) 451-5188

www.riverhillstraveler.com Email: jimmy@riverhillstraveler. com Owner & Publisher Jimmy Sexton Managing Editor Madeleine Link Circulation Manager Rhonda Sexton Staff Writers Wes Franklin • Mike Roux Bill Wakefield • Bill Oder Judy Smith • Michelle Turner Dana Sturgeon • Bill Hoagland Richard Whiteside • Ronnie Moore Advertising Jimmy Sexton & Madeleine Link

River Hills Traveler, established in 1973, is published monthly by Sexton Media Group and Traveler Publishing Company. Postmaster: Send change of address notices to: River Hills Traveler, 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850. Subscription prices: $22 per year; 2 years, $40. Back issues available up to one year from publication, $5 plus sales tax & shipping.

COPYRIGHT © 2019 No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher of the River Hills Traveler or his duly appointed agent. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising or editorial submission for any reason.

February 2019 • Page 5

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VINTAGE OZARKS:

McMurtry Spring Head of Flat Creek

W

e acquired this outstanding real photo postcard after the publication of James Fork of the White or it would have been a halfpage illustration in our book. The front identifies the spring as being two-anda-half miles south of Cassville, Mo. Like many real photo postcards of this era, it is exquisitely exposed and sharp focused.

Flat Creek is the longest tributary of the James River. Access to it is limited and it isn’t much fished or floated compared to the James between Springfield and Galena.

Quoting from our book on the James (page 94): “Cherokees rested here on their Trail of Tears journey, and it was a well-known camping spot for settlers

5 years ago • We had planned this Missouri River trip from Kansas City to Rulo, Neb., for several months.

Walter, his brother Carl, and I originally planned to go with the Kansas City Boat City Boat Club, but due to a severe storm and heavy rains between St. Joseph and Kansas City, the club canceled.

Our plans had ben fermenting for months. Come driftwood or big water, we were still going to go. (Fred Ohrazda) • When I was a kid, and just had to go fishing, my bait store, regardless of the season, lay just outside my front door — a worm or a grasshopper… or maybe a crawdad or minnow from the creek across the road. Or even a locust if the hatch was right.

And before I owned my first rod and reel, I made do with a cane pole. I strung it with a length of baling twine, hung a rusty bolt or nut for a sinker, and attached whatever hook I could scrounge up.

Let me make a confession before I go any farther. I never was much of a fisherman. Never intended to be. But I had the love. (Steve Parsons) 10 years ago • They’ve been associated with misfortune and death, wisdom and prosperity. Some Native American tribes have associated them with evil and witchcraft; other tribes have considered them to be the carriers of the spirits of tribal elders.

Owls have played a part in human history and mythology since prehistoric times when men depicted them on cave walls.

Maybe owls have so many cultural roles all over the world because they are so ubiquitous. Owls are found in all regions of the earth except Antarctica, most of Greenland, and few remote islands.

They are successful in so many areas

Real photo postcard. Postmarked “Cassville, September 17, 1910.“ Hinchey Photo.

coming to Cassville to trade. Missouri highway 37, which runs next to the spring, was once the Old Wire (telegraph) Road. Both sides in the Civil War traveled this road and watered their horses here.”

The little stone springhouse is still

there, but the spring today is enclosed by a circular rock and concrete wall.

(This feature is courtesy of Leland and Crystal Payton at Lens & Pen Press, publishers of all-color books on the Ozarks. Their next book, Lover’s Leap Legends, was inspired by their

REMEMBER WHEN

because they have adapted to be extremely skillful hunters. (Josephine Cozean Styron) • We had come to Ponca, Ark., in midafternoon, four men from St. Louis down to float the Buffalo — a wild river flowing between rocky cliffs in the Ozark Mountains.

It was Mother’s Day weekend, and I meant to be home in time to take my wife to dinner. The sun played cops and robbers among snowy clouds, and breezes turned willows into wind chimes.

Our group included Wayne, a doctor; Tom, a dentist; Jimmy, a trout-farmer; and me, a newspaper columnist.

(William Childress) 15 years ago • I’ve often wondered what would happen if both of us had good fish on and we were being swept into something by the current.

Now, I know. It isn’t heroic. The Eleven Point River, like all Ozark rivers, was very low as we moved over into October.

Between Riverton and Highway 142, where Roy ad I were floating, there was still more than ample water for floating.

But regardless of the size of a stream, low water forces most of the flow into a narrower chute when you come to a riffle area.

That was the case this day. Instead of picking an easy way down through the shallows, we had to run the canoe pretty close to the main current if we wanted to keep our feet dry... and use some care if we wanted to keep everything else dry.

(Bob Todd) • Take a look at the cover this month.

It had two crappie on it, and if fishermen could tell the difference in them as easily in the field as they can on the cover, life would be easier for Conservation Department Biologist Mark Boone.

The two crappie on the cover are two separate species. Black crappie are more spotted. White crappie have spots that tend to line up in bars. But both are managed under a single regulation and this creates a major complication for Mark, who is trying to manage crappie in Lake Wappapello. (Bob Todd) 20 years ago • It had been mid-May when Roy and I got into a pack of hungry largemouth bass on Current River. It was one of those 45-minute sessions that justified an otherwise slow fishing day.

As we floated from Round Spring to Jerktail, we hoped for a repeat. It was May again, the right time, but we found only limited success. Current River is better mown for smallmouth bass, of course, but we have a theory on those largemouths.

Because there is so little suitable spawning habitat for largemouths in this swift, spring-fed river, at spawning time the largemouths that do live in the river congregate in just a few places.

Find them there, feeding, and it is one of those situations where you have a hard time getting a lure back to the canoe without a strike. (Bob Todd) • Black silhouettes hung in the sky above us like so many ebony ghosts. Unmistakeable wing flaps gave the invaders away. Mallards!

Few sights and sounds in the wild conjure the emotions of ducks, with cupped wings, settling toward a decoy spread.

Seldom do moments in hunting spur the anticipation created in an early morning duck blind.

Duck blinds are made to share with companies of both the two- and fourfooted persuasion. I have shared blinds with several of each of the highest qual-

discovery that both the Osage and James rivers had Lover’s Leaps. Mark Twain’s satiric comments on those legends added motivation and they have found Lover’s Leaps across the country.)

ity. Yet, sharing a waterfowl blind with a single companion, a Lab, is one of my ultimate foibles, as it is among most serious waterfowlers. (Bill Cooper) 30 years ago • Taking a January float trip requires a great deal of planning and weather watching. Taking a combination January float trip, trout fishing trip and overnight campout requires a great deal more planning and weather watching!

Three friends, Bob Laney of St. James, Bob Wheeler of Doolottle, and Phil Eudaly of Rolla, and I started in December planning a float/camp trip on the upper Meramec for the second weekend in January. (Bill Cooper) • When one thinks of grace and beauty the swan has to be one of the first things that come to mind.

Missouri was once visited by hundreds of these magnificent white birds during migration, but now...?

Young swans were produced at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge this past summer. And although additional stocking has ended there is hope swans will be part of the Missouri scene into the future.

40 years ago • In 1809 an English naturalist by the name of John Bradbury was commissioned by the British Botanical Society to research plant life in the United States.

He was apparently the only scientist present in the vicinity of New Madrid two years later when the great earthquakes of 1811-1812 began. (Bob Todd) • In the country, every day has a meaning. These snowy and icy days have a particular meaning all their own.

It is impossible to do any work outside, and we have had so many of these days back to back that just about all the inside work has completely drifted down to the local restaurant and just sit and talk. (Jack Leiweke) (compiled by MyraGale Sexton)

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What I learned at the fishing show in January

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have been attending the Let’s Go Fishing Show in Collinsville, Illinois, for many years.

For the last couple of years I have had the privilege of working with the Sexton family in the River Hills Traveler’s booth.

Attending the fishing show is something that I look forward to. The attendees that come to this show are an eclectic group of people.

There are obviously the hardcore fisherman. This group usually comes in pairs. These two friends have probably been fishing together for years. They wear faded, well-worn hats, flannel shirts and blue jeans.

Their faces and hands are still tanned from the many hours they have spent on the water chasing their favorite quarry. If you look closely you could see a slight smile peaking out beneath Bill Wakefield their beards as if ———— they know secrets that no one else knows.

Many do not carry the tote bag offered by show officials to carry the many pamphlets and products that the 130-plus vendors at the show are passing out or selling. They know exactly what they are looking for and there is no need to carry a bag around.

Then there is the group that have been fishing for a relative short time or would like to get started. Some arrive in packs of three, four or five individuals.

There is always discussions within the group on what to do and where to go. Some want to explore the many boats on display, others what to cruise the booths that have the latest and fancy fishing rods, reels and tackle, and then there are those who want to go to the beer garden for food and drink.

In this group also falls the individual person who may be accompanied by either his wife or girlfriend. This group will visit almost every booth and the tote bag that they carry is full of information and some of the latest tackle and baits that he or she hopes will improve this newfound passion for fishing.

Sometimes they purchase a new fishing rod and it becomes an instant device to point out the different types of spinners, jerk baits, soft plastics and topwater baits to his companion and they marvel at how pretty and realistic they look.

Members of all the various groups attend the informative seminars that are

presented by some of the most knowledgeable and experienced fishermen around. The people that I enjoy watching the most are the families. Father, mother and two or three children that are under 12 years of age.

The boys are glued to their father’s side. Some are even dressed like their fathers. They explore the hundreds of displayed lures and fishing rods, pointing out the one that they think could help dad or them catch that special fish.

Every once in a while you see a child carrying a fishing rod and reel that the parents have bought for him or her. You can see the happiness and pride on their faces as they carry their new fishing pole for everyone to see.

There was an exhibitor that performed facepainting and many of the young girls had their faces done with unique and colorful designs.

Both the boys and girls were attracted to the exhibitors that had on display mounted fish, such as large striped bass, crappie, trout and muskies.

There was a booth across from where I was sitting that had a mounted large cock pheasant on display and almost every child that walked by had to stop and admire this brilliantly colored bird.

As in every crowd there is one individual that stands out that you will remember for a long time. For me it was a little girl, maybe 18 to 20 months old.

The little girl was wearing a walking harness the mother needed because the girl did not walk but ran everywhere.

The little girl must have recently learned some new words because she said “goodbye” and waved to everyone — and I do mean to everyone.

This youngster had so much energy and a smile that was so infectious that every person she waved to and said

Wyatt Sexton, son of River Hills Traveler owner Jimmy Sexton, spent much of the show handing out January issues of the Traveler to vendors and show attendees.

goodbye to responded back with a wave, goodbye and a big smile.

My partner and wife, Carol, asked me why I like going to the fishing show so early in the year when I usually don’t go fishing until March, and why I like sitting in the River Hills Traveler’s booth for hours talking to people.

The short answer is the show itself and what it has to offer, and I also like to help in promoting the River Hills Traveler magazine. The long answer is the Let’s Go Fishing Show offers me POSSIBILITIES. And I believe that everyone needs hope and possibilities.

The first possible opportunities exist in the River Hills Traveler’s booth itself. I have been a reader of this magazine since Bob and Pat Todd were the publishers and primary writers.

Emery Styron became the publisher after the Todds decided to retire. When Emery wanted to sell the magazine and

move back to Iowa a man from Neosho, Missouri, named Jimmy Sexton stepped in to keep the magazine alive.

If a person happened to stop by the River Hills Traveler’s booth on Saturday they had a chance to meet Jimmy Sexton and some of his children — Mattie, Myra and Wyatt. The possible future of this magazine may lies with them.

I had the privilege of visiting with Bill Hoagland when he stopped by the booth. Bill is one of the writers for the Traveler who has multiple talents, knowledge and experiences concerning the outdoors, hiking, fishing and people. There is a good possibility that he will share this information with the readers of the Traveler.

I also had a conversation with Captain Ben Goebel who runs the River City Catfishing Guide Service. The young Captain Goebel has many possibilities to offer.

Fishing with Goebel a person has the possibility to catch a really large fish, somewhere between 75-100 pounds.

The Captain also preaches and practices sound catfish conservation which supports the possibility of providing more and larger catfish in the future.

There is also the possibility that Cap-

Please see SHOW, 16

February 2019 • Page 7

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Is there a Bigfoot in the Ozarks?

F

or more than 60 years, I have spent a lot of time in the Ozarks hunting and fishing; until recently, it never occurred to me that there might be a “Bigfoot” living in the Ozarks.

Of course, “Bigfoot” refers to a mysterious, ape-like creature that allegedly lives in remote areas of this country and thus far has successfully avoided any significant contact with humans.

I have always assumed that if they do exist as people claim, it is in the remote areas of the Northwest, not here in the Midwest.

But recently I came across a website that indicates that there have been at least 145 Bigfoot “sightings” in Missouri and more than half of those sightings have been in the Ozarks.

The website is www.bfro.net and it is maintained by an organization known as the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, a group monitoring “Bigfoot” sightings throughout the United States.

Bill Hoagland Information on ———— the website appears to be thorough and current; it notes, for example, that in addition to many nationwide sightings in 2018, there were two recent Bigfoot sightings in Missouri.

In fact, there have been enough sightings in Missouri that this organization is sponsoring an outing this fall in the Missouri Ozarks to explore some reputed Bigfoot territory and see what evidence they can find to prove that these creatures do exist here.

As I understand it, those who sign up for this outing will spend several days and nights in the outdoors, accompanied by two “experts” in an attempt to follow up on Bigfoot sightings.

Details about the outing are on the website.

It is not clear what part of the Ozarks is regarded as significant Bigfoot territory by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization.

The BFRO website lists every county in Missouri and the “sightings” of Bigfoot in each county. Some counties have no sightings but most of the Ozarks counties have at least one reported sighting and some have as many as three.

The definition of a sighting for purposes of this organization falls into several classifications: one is actually seeing a Bigfoot; another is hearing the sounds reportedly made by a Bigfoot; and a third is seeing footprints, broken twigs and other secondary signs suggesting a Bigfoot had been in the area.

The people running this organization seem very dedicated. They try to check out the credibility of every claim at least with a phone call and in many cases, a visit to the location and an indepth interview with the witness.

After an investigation is concluded, each sighting is rated A, B, or C based on its probable credibility.

For example, a deer hunter in a tree stand who claims to have seen a Bigfoot walk by his stand would be regarded as a very credible witness and worthy of a Class A sighting.

On the other hand, if someone reported hearing an unusual sound in the woods that might or might not be a

sound associated with a Bigfoot, that sighting might receive a Class C rating because the sound could have been caused by something else.

The names and exact locations of the witnesses are not revealed in these reports. This is to encourage people to report these things without fear of being ridiculed.

While the interviews seem relatively thorough, it is curious that the witnesses apparently are not asked if they were drinking alcohol or smoking something at the time of the encounter.

And they are not asked if they had ever watched a Sasquatch or Bigfoot movie before their encounter. Those would seem to be important questions to me.

So exactly what are the signs that a Bigfoot has been in your neck of the woods? A Bigfoot creature is reputed to be taller than an average adult human male, with an ape-like appearance in the face and a black or brown hairy body.

Normally, they walk on two feet, just like a human, but with a long, lurching gait and huge footprints. It is said that as they walk, they swing their arms in an exaggerated manner; the arms appear to be much longer than human arms.

If they attempt to look over their shoulder at you, they have to turn their body; it is as if the neck does not afford any flexibility.

It is also said that they emit a strong, unpleasant odor. They are reclusive, avoiding human contact at all costs.

In terms of secondary signs that a Bigfoot is nearby, they allegedly make several distinct sounds and these are mostly at night. The most predominant sound is described as a “whooping” sound that starts low and becomes louder and higher over the span of about five seconds.

These sounds, by the way, can be heard on the BFRO website. Another common sound is a knocking sound, as if someone were pounding on a tree trunk with a large rock.

It is said that the Bigfoot is inclined to engage in rock throwing as a means of scaring humans away, so if you suddenly notice that someone (or something) is throwing rocks at you, perhaps you are being asked to leave the area.

And speaking of rocks, the Bigfoot will sometimes stack rocks in piles or bend small trees over to the ground as a means of marking its “territory.”

Obviously, there are some significant credibility issues that Bigfoot believers

have to deal with.

For example, during the second week in January 2019, the sheriff’s office in Davie County, North Carolina, was flooded with calls, all after dark, from drivers and their passengers saying that they saw a Bigfoot in their headlights, standing on the edge of some woods next to a county road.

Some witnesses went so far as to say that this creature was eight feet tall and that the eyes were glowing red.

Attached to this article is a photograph posted by the sheriff’s office which was taken several days after the calls started; it was hoped that this would calm folks down a bit.

This photograph shows the “Bigfoot” that drivers were seeing in their headlights; the description of glowing red eyes is believed to have been caused by the red glass eyes on this creature reflecting back on headlights.

You can read the witness reports in detail on the BFRO website for yourself. Many sightings seem questionable simply because the sighting was made from a moving car at night or otherwise made by someone obviously not accustomed to being in the woods.

On the other hand, hunters who re-

port a sighting — particularly those who are in a deer stand at the time of a sighting — seem more credible because these folks usually have learned how to distinguish things moving through the timber.

So, what do you think? Could there be a Bigfoot or two in the Ozarks? Or on a bigger perspective, does a Bigfoot exist anywhere?

Personally, I have always doubted the existence of a Bigfoot creature anywhere, but I am impressed by the volume of sightings throughout North America and frankly, some of the detailed descriptions on the BFRO website seem very credible indeed.

But the credibility issue is complicated by several factors. First, we have the class clowns who gin up a phony sighting, complete with a video of a guy in a monkey suit lurching through the woods or making phony footprints and duplicating other Bigfoot signs and sounds.

Second, has anyone ever come forward with a Bigfoot cadaver? Or are we to believe that they always bury their dead?

And with all the thousands of trail cameras in operation in this country every night during deer season and beyond, wouldn’t you think that by now we would have a trail camera photo of a Bigfoot up close and looking into the camera with an Alfred E. Newman sort of grin?

I am not suggesting that anyone is intentionally lying about what they have seen. My wife once saw a mountain lion up-close and personal in Illinois, long before the “experts” were willing to admit that there were mountain lions in Illinois; people thought at the time that she was “seeing things.”

But once a mountain lion cadaver was found in Illinois, her experience became credible.

And so it is with Bigfoot: a cadaver or even an up-close frontal view of a Bigfoot on a trail camera would be a game changer for many of us.

(Bill Hoagland can be reached at billhoagland70@gmail.com.)

Page 8 • February 2019

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Riverton Bridge & a runaway canoe

H

ave you ever headed out for a day on an Ozarks stream and it seems that things just can’t go smooth enough sometimes?

We want to point at everything other then ourself. I’ll blame the traffic light or a slow driver, a long line at the lunch meat counter at the store.

No matter the case I just can’t get to the creek fast enough.

On the last weekend of the year in 2018 I (we) had one of them mornings.

Me and Mandy, my girlfriend, arrived at Riverton acRichard cess at daylight on a Whiteside cold, windy, cloudy ———— morning.

We had just parked my rig (the takeout shuttle vehicle) at the takeout down river at 142 Bridge.!It takes a total of 45 minutes from the time I leave the front door of the house to arriving at the Riverton access.

Over the years I’ve spent hundreds of days on this stretch of the Eleven Point River. I know it very well and am about as familiar with this routine as one can get.

Mishaps can and will happen to the most experienced people. All it takes is

to get comfortable and it will happen, or sidetracked and when it happens it’s a game changer.

Each day we leave the house we take risks. Never knowing when dumb luck will occur, and that morning my dumb luck came in the form of a sudden wind gust out of the south southeast.

As we were grabbing the very last items out of the rig for the day — it happened. When I turned back and looked my canoe went from the bank to 5 yards out in seconds.

The canoe had caught the wind like a sail and was covering about 3 or 4 feet a second.

If you have ever stood on the Riverton access you know the situation I was now in.

I began to frantically strip my clothes off so I could possibly swim for it, but by the time I got down to my underwear the canoe was way out in the center of the river about to hit the current.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. All our gear was in the canoe, everything. Not a soul in sight.

Anticipating the current to grab the canoe and sweep it down-river, I intended to head it off.!I slipped my boots back on and ran down-river directly under the bridge.

Here is where I predicted the canoe to be swept. When I looked out in the river I was surprised to see the wind blowing the canoe clean across the hole

and current to the other side of the river. I thought to myself, I have been doing this too long to let something like this happen.

My next thought was thank goodness for the Riverton bridge.

Quickly we drove across the bridge and I waded through the briars up-river, and luckily the boat was lodged in a treetop on the far side.

She had never tried to escape like that before and I gave her a good scolding for taking off without us.

Not sure what I would have done if it had not been for the Riverton bridge.

(Richard Whiteside lives in Doniphan, Mo., and can be reached at rlwhiteside72@gmail.com. His blog can be followed at www.ozarkriverman.wordpress. com.)

February 2019 • Page 9

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Our vests were getting heavy with cottontails

W

ell, it’s winter and the major hunting seasons have drawn to a close. The deer have been butchered, the geese have been smoked and now it is time to turn our attention to another tasty winter distraction.

Hunting cottontails has been an American tradition as long as there has been an America.

Not only are rabbits outstanding table fare, but they are also a blast to hunt. No pun intended.

In medium to deep snow I love to track bunnies and take head shots with Mike Roux my .22 rifle. Be———— cause of their natural camouflage that is virtually impossible without snow.

It is times like these that, sans beagles, I join the thousands of hunters in the “Stomp, jump and shoot rabbit hunting club.”

Shotgunning for bunnies is about as much fun as you can have shooting at non-flying game targets. They are fast and can turn on a dime and give you change. They are just as likely to jump behind you as in front of you. And when they are holding tight they can scare you so bad that dry pants are often needed.

Like dove hunting, kicking out cottontails is more fun with a group than all alone. More often than not when you are with the right bunch of guys, someone else gets the best shot at a rabbit you jump and vice-versa.

Mike Roux and Luke and Lance Terstriep proudly show why their vests got so heavy.

Knowing your hunting team and knowing where and where not to shoot is fun and can keep the event very safe.

I cannot stress this enough.

One of my favorite rabbit hunting partners is Luke Terstriep. When he called and told me he was putting together a rabbit hunt I was not only tickled, I was all in.

Luke’s youngest son, Lance, was to accompany us along with friends Brian and Eric. We met at 1 p.m. for an afternoon of brush-kicking, fencerow stomping and ditch witching. This is an annual hunt that I get to participate in when my schedule allows.

The obvious goal for this hunt was four limits of cottontails equaling a total number of 20. The daily limit is four rabbits with a possession limit of ten.

The plan is relatively simple. We all pile in one truck and drive to the east

end of a mile-long ditch that eventually meets up with a railroad track and ends up at Luke’s shop.

There are patches of grass, piles of old equipment and sheet metal, downed trees and dozens of manmade brush piles along the tracks. It is a rabbit hunter’s Valhalla.

That having been said, the shooting is challenging for those exact same reasons. I have made this hunt with just Luke and I, and I have made this hunt with 10 guns. Having 5 guys that day was near perfect to cover the ground adequately without getting in each other’s way.

As we approached the start of the hunt the three young hunters expressed their respect and gave Luke and me the outer edges. The three of them jumped right into the mess and we all went to work. Within the first 30 yards Eric, who was directly to my right, jumped a

bunny out in front of him and yelled.

Seeing that he had no shot because of the rabbit’s proximity to Lance, who was on his right, I took the shot and rolled the first rabbit of the hunt and the first for me all year.

The game was on and it only got better from there. Jumping bunnies was steady with a shot coming about every 50 to 75 yards. I think we were 5-for-5 before the first miss.

There was lots of yelling and laughing and high-fives. The social aspect of a good rabbit hunt is just as much fun as the shooting.

We had to cross a fence to start the second of four areas we were to cover that afternoon. This section was along the tracks and was loaded with brush piles. Six more rabbits found homes in our vests here and a few more were missed. The ones that escaped in front of us stayed in the hunt.

Area 3 was a deep-timbered ditch that ended at a pond dam. I picked up my third bunny in the timber and 3 more were pushed to the dam and taken there. We crossed a large cut soybean field to get to the last spot to stomp out.

This spot had many stacks of I-beams and metal bridge spanners.

I was shocked at how fast those last 4 rabbits were harvested when we got there. It was about 4 p.m. and five of us had taken 20 cottontails in less than 3 hours with no dogs.

It does not get much better than that.

Lance was the first one of us to put the fourth rabbit in his vest. He said, “We have to be to be finished. My vest is too heavy.”

(Mike Roux can be reached at 217257-7895.)

Page 10 • February 2019

RiverHillsTraveler.com

February 2019 • Page 11

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Several ‘tower mysteries’ have been solved

Y

By Bob Frakes ou may recall in 2017 I wrote a series of articles on the Forest Lookout Towers.

One of those that spring discussed several “tower mysteries” that I had been working on. Update – several of those have been solved.

First, let’s check out the “trail.” As my wife and I were leaving another fine stay at the Montauk Lodge, I asked Gregg Mendenhall if he had any good contacts in the area out east of Salem.

He suggested I contact Jason Stotlar at Indian Trail State Park. When Jason picked up the phone we both realized we had talked earlier when I was working on a piece on tower names.

Jason sent me to Tom Botkin. Tom, it turned out, was related to a Dewayne Botkin I had talked with and visited in relation to

the Jay Tower that had been moved to his then property in Centerville. More on the Jay Tower in a minute.

Tom sent me to Jerry Clements and the trail began to heat up. Jerry sent me to Darrell Smith in Viburnum, and I struck tower gold.

Darrell answered three questions: 1) The Oates Tower was, in fact, the Black Tower moved. He had climbed the same tower in two locations. I had some paperwork hints that it had been moved but this put the issue to rest.

2) The “mystery tower footings” (see picture) above Brushy Creek Mine were those of the Seever Tower.

I had an old Forest Service phone line map that had made that a possibility but nobody, and I mean nobody, had any memory of that, in fact.

Darrell, over the phone, took me right to

Critter of the Month: Brown trout

• Species: Brown trout.

• Scientific name: Salmo trutta.

• Nicknames: Brownie, German trout, German brown trout.

• Claim to fame: Brown trout are steadily increasing in popularity among anglers who fish for trout. The brown trout is warier than its cousin, the rainbow trout, and thus can be more difficult to catch.

This initially hurt the popularity of the fish in many areas of North America where this Old World species was introduced in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Today, the fish’s craftiness is a reason it is increasing in popularity as a sport fish.

• Species status: Missouri’s brown trout population is not self-sustaining and is maintained through periodic stocking.

In Southwest Missouri, Lake Taneycomo is where brown trout are found in the highest abundance. Elsewhere in the state, brown trout populations are maintained on sections of the Current, North Fork, Niangua, Meramec and Robidoux rivers.

• First discovered: The brown trout is a native of Europe and parts of Asia. It was intentionally introduced in North

America in 1883. The Missouri Fish Commission stocked approximately 260,000 brown trout in Missouri between 1927 and 1933. After that, interest in the species lagged in Missouri until 1966 when the Missouri Department of Conservation began stocking them on an experimental basis in the Current and North Fork rivers.

Since then, the number of stocking sites and angler interest in the species has grown steadily in the state.

• Family matters: Brown trout belong to the fish family salmonidae. This family includes several species high in angling popularity such as rainbow trout, salmon, char and whitefish.

• Length: The average length is in the 16- to 24-inch range, but larger ones have been caught.

• Diet: Most studies suggest that brown trout are primarily opportunists when it comes to feeding. Smaller trout feed on insects and other aquatic invertebrates. Larger brown trout tend to focus their feeding efforts more on crayfish and other fish.

• Weight: The average weight is between two and eight pounds, but they can get larger.

• Distinguishing characteristics: The upper parts of the brown trout are dark olive-brown with scattered dark spots.

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the location. Kerwin Hafner had noted the universal size of the saplings indicating the area had been clear at some point.

Max Gorman and I examined the pipe in the footings. It is not centered as Max noted.

Still a little mystery there. Two down and one to go.

3) The “Jay Tower” near the entrance to Fletcher Mine was just a name take-off on what was then the “J” Highway. The letters had at some point been changed.

Darrell also sent me to Minuard Abney who referenced a “Bear Paw Bend Tower.”

After some map work, we decided this must have been a local name for the Cub Tower.

I have sent both Darrell and Minuard some maps so – stay tuned! A big thanks to all who helped.

My book should be done this spring, I have a few updates to add!

(Questions or comments? Bob Frakes can be reached by email at frakes2@ mvn.net or by phone at 618-244-1642.)

gravelly riffle. As many as 3,000 eggs may be deposited in a nest. After spawning, the eggs are covered with gravel and receive no attention from the parent fish. Hatching occurs in 48 to 52 days.

As is mentioned above, however, Missouri’s brown trout population is not self-sustaining. No natural brown trout reproduction occurs in the state.

In Missouri, a few females ready to spawn are collected each October by Department of Conservation hatchery personnel and the eggs are removed from the fish.

The fry that are produced from these eggs are raised in carefully regulated hatchery conditions and are stocked at selected sites when they are 9 to 11 inches in length. (source: MDC) The spots are larger and more regular in outline than in rainbow trout and are interspersed with orange or rustyred spots.

• Life span: Brown trout typically live four to seven years, but some have been known to live up to 10 years or more.

• Habitat: Brown trout thrive in both streams and lakes.

In streams, the brown trout most often is found around dense cover, such as submerged logs or undercut banks or in deep water below riffles.

• Life cycle: Brown trout spawn in fall and early winter.

Spawning occurs in a shallow pit dug by the female in a

Page 12 • February 2019

RiverHillsTraveler.com

The little store that has just about everything

By MATTIE LINK

O

mattie@riverhillstraveler.com _____________

py’s, the “not so general” store, opened on Oct. 13, 2017, and has since celebrated its one year anniversary.

“When we a little over a year ago, our goal was to provide Ellington and the county with something that they need that’s close to them,” said Alyssa Smith, owner.

Alyssa and her husband, Brock, bought the house at the four-way stop in Ellington, remodeled it, and opened Opy’s.

Before opening Opy’s, the building was once a feed store and an old library.

“We had to do some work with the floor joists, sheetrock the walls and paint, and some roof work also needed to be done,” said Smith.

“When we opened, we wanted to provide the people of Ellington with anything they might need in a pinch.”

Opy’s carries a large variety of items including Melissa and Doug toys, health and wellness items, essential oils, highend and costume jewelry, and sewing items, fabric, yarn, etc.

“We also have a man room filled with outdoor supplies, reloading equipment, knives made by my husband, and we also raise Dexter cattle, so we sell pasteurized and grass finished beef by the cut,” said Smith.

Opy’s also tries to cater to the cyclists that come through town.

“We have cold drinks, energy bars, and any tools they might need,” said

Smith. “We carry the staples. Meat, wellness, batteries, and little things like that we always keep in stock, as well as seasonal items and unique gift items.”

Despite only being open for one year, the Smiths have actually been in the Ellington community for three years.

“We lost our son in 2014, and that’s a big reason why we decided to move here,” said Smith. “We want everything we do to help people and we want it to matter, so opening Opy’s just made sense.”

The Smiths both come from law enforcement backgrounds and Alyssa is now also a holistic health coach fulltime.

“We didn’t move here thinking of opening the store, but it just kind of happened,” said Smith. “The whole thing has been a huge blessing to us and we hope it’s a blessing to the community as well.”

In Ellington, the nearest place to get

supplies or anything is about an hour away, so Smith tries to have several odds and ends that the community may need quickly.

“My favorite thing is interacting with and being a part of the community. We love it here and are happy to help this community,” said Smith.

“The hardest thing is trying to keep in stock what our customers want. We constantly add new things and trade things out to give our customers variety, and also find out what they want.”

Even though Opy’s has only been open for a little over a year, the general store is gaining much attention, inside the community and in other surrounding towns.

“We have had several people in town come visit us, but also have a lot of people that haven’t been in yet,” said Smith.

“Our sign has really started to draw people in and we are also starting to get people from Piedmont. We have our

steady people, travelers, and several cyclists.”

Smith also offers a herbal class at Opy’s to those wanting to learn more about herbal health and wellness.

“I have tincture class where we take herbs and pull out the natural properties in them. The class is free if they buy the supplies to do it, or a small charge to just take the class,” said Smith.

“We are also getting ready to start a soapmaking class that we are pretty excited about, and we also have a yarn club that meets twice a month.”

The Smiths invite everyone to come

by Opy’s, say hello, and see what they have to offer.

“You never know what you’re going to find here,” said Smith.

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Measuring for champion trees M y wife and I recently made a trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. There were no flowers in bloom to see but I had read that there is a Missouri Champion Tree there and I was curious to learn a little more about the champion trees in our state.

It was a chilly morning. We had stopped in Arnold at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast hoping that by the time we got to the garden, it might be a little warmer.

It might’ve been a degree or two warmer by the time we got there, but we really couldn’t tell any difference.

Bill Oder Anyway, we had ———— brought winter coats and we knew exactly where the tree was located, so instead of taking a long walk like we normally do when we visit this place, we went straight to the tree, took some photos and returned to the car.

The champion tree that is located there is a White Basswood. It was originally a Missouri State Champion Tree and then in 2009 it was recognized as a National Champion Tree.

The tree scores 266 points, which is obtained by a formula that adds the circumference in inches to the height in feet to one-fourth of the crown spread.

It stands 87 feet tall and sports a circumference of 158 inches (a little over 13 feet) and has a crown spread of 84 feet. All of these measurements are plugged into the formula to give the tree its score of 266 points.

Along with all the other large trees at the garden, it has a copper cable stretching from a point high in the tree

down along the trunk to the ground which protects it from lightning strikes.

If you ever visit the Missouri Botanical Garden you’ll notice right away that all the plants, not just the trees, are extremely babied.

I also learned a little more about the Basswood tree itself and found out that its wood is a soft wood making it very sought after by woodcarvers.

Anyone may be able to find a champion tree. The Missouri Dept. of Conservation shows a list online of all the champions in Missouri and their locations.

There are 113 of them so there’s a good chance there’s one near you. A lot of them are on private property, rendering them inaccessible to the public, but others are at locations where they can readily be seen by anyone wishing

to seek them out.

The Dept. of Conservation also shows online the correct way to make all the necessary measurements and provides a printable nomination form to be used if you feel that you have found a champion somewhere, which could even be on your own property.

They also provide a list of 137 trees that are eligible to be nominated which are all native to our state.

First of all, I was glad to see that it’s not necessary to do any tree climbing to measure the height of a tree. It’s done with one’s feet firmly planted on the ground!

I won’t go into the details of how it is done but you’ll find the instructions online are very clear. The neat way that it is accomplished, I found very interesting.

It was hard for me to believe that you could actually measure the height of a tree while standing on the ground but it can be done.

My wife was glad to see that, too, because that meant she wouldn’t have to stand by, ready to call 911 if I fell out of the tree.

She’s very good at trying to keep me away from the ER anytime that I get involved in any of my outdoor projects.

The circumference of a tree is measured at a point-four-and-a-half feet above ground. Simply wrap the tape measure around the tree trunk at that point.

Measuring the crown spread is a little more complicated than the other two measurements but still simple, and the instructions explain the procedure in a clear way.

The crown spread is basically the width of the entire tree when you include all its limbs and foliage, not just the trunk.

I’m not sure but I suppose that if the

February 2019 • Page 13

sun was directly above the tree it would be the width of the shaded area on the ground.

Of course, you have to be certain of the identification of the tree which is something that I hope you are better at than I am.

I know a few but there’s a lot out there that I’m just not sure about and the ones that I do know have to be displaying all their leaves in order for me to be able to identify them.

Trying to identify a tree in the winter time is something I cannot do... period.

There are many champion trees out there waiting to be discovered. Some may even be in your own yard.

All you need to get started is to google the Missouri Dept. of Conservation and then search for State Champion Trees.

The champs are awarded a plaque plus all kinds of bragging rights for the proud discoverer of a champion, especially if the tree is just outside of your living room window.

Even if you don’t have a champion, at least you’ll know just how tall those trees are on your property and you can keep an eye on them as they just might still be growing and could still make the grade in a few more years or so.

(Bill Oder can be reached at oderbill@yahoo.com.)

Page 14 • February 2019

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Don’t tell my wife, I bought another tool!

S

urely each and every one of us has bought a tool to save time and or money on a DIY job. I sure

have!

I have even bought tools from a garage sale because “I might” someday be able to use it or it was just too inexpensive not to save money.

There are many times I have actually needed that obscure tool I purchased at a garage sale for a special job.

I love looking at tools that have special uses and try to figure what it might be used for. There is even an old retired shop teacher (like me) that collects and is sent specialty tools from around the world to put on YouTube for your guessing pleasure.

This gentleman’s channel on YouTube is Tubalcain, and he is great. I would hate to try to find a tool in his shop though, it is packed.

An old fellow from my church, who was a carpenter for many years, col- Bob Brennecke ———— lected tools that were either lost, broken, or given to him to fix.

He also collected any piece of hardware that was being replaced, left over or thrown away at a job site.

After he collected the tool or hardware he would fix or refurbish the tools and put each part in its special drawer, which there were hundreds of.

If I didn’t have that special fixture or piece of hardware, I knew Bud would have it.

Some specialty manufactured tools work great but sometimes you have to modify a tool to make the job go easier.

If you can’t get that flat blade screwdriver to fit either in the slot or it is too wide, the grinder is another tool that helps tools fit.

Speaking of grinders, don’t grind on a pocket knife or any other fine knife. I have always had sharp knives in my pocket or tool box, and everyone knew it.

Some fellows who couldn’t put an edge on a knife would ask me if I would sharpen their knife for them.

Sometimes if the guy had a particularly fancy or expensive knife I would take his knife and set it on the table near him and say, “I will be back in a minute and start.”

While I was gone I would have someone distract him and take the

knife off the table. I would then start up the (huge rough) grinder and start grinding on a piece of scrap steel with my back toward him.

The person that wanted the knife sharpened would start looking frantically for his knife and not finding it would fly over to see how badly I had ruined his favorite knife. “It always worked”!

I don’t know where I got this list of tools and their uses but I have always thought there was a bit of truth in each statement: • DRILL PRESS: A tall, upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

• WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, “Oh, sh—!”

• SKIL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

• PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

• BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

• HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

• VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt

heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

• OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire.

Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.

• TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

• HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

• BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheets into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

• TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

• PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Nor-

mally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

• STRAIGHT/ (FLAT BLADE) SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.

• PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50-cent part.

• HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.

• HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.

• UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts.

Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

• S-O-A-B TOOL: (A personal favorite!) Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling “S-O-A-B!” at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

Keep all your tools sharp and wear your safety equipment when needed, not just when your wife or foreman is nearby.

(Bob Brennecke lives in Ballwin, Mo., and can be reached at robertbrennecke@hotmail.com.)

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Opening day for Missouri trout I am very happy to say that I almost grew up at Missouri’s trout fishing parks.

That is to say that as I grew up in S.E Missouri, my family camped virtually every weekend at Montauk State Park and we took week-long vacations at Bennett Springs.

Camping and catching trout are both deeply imbedded in my past.

That having been said, let’s look at March 1st, the opening day of trout season in these SHOW-ME STATE parks.

There was a period in the ‘70’s and Mike Roux ‘80’s when my dad ———— and I fished 14 consecutive opening days at Montauk.

Opening day of Missouri’s four trout parks always involves excited anglers and hungry rainbow trout.

New features at this year’s event include enhanced fish habitat and improved hatchery facilities.

For more than 70 years, Missourians have been celebrating the arrival or at least the anticipation of spring by turning out in large numbers at trout parks on March 1.

Although the parks remain open year-round, anglers can catch and keep fish only from March 1 through Oct. 31. They must release fish they catch from the second Friday in November through the second Monday in February.

The opportunity to shake off cabin

Opening day at Bennett Spring several years ago.

fever and take home fresh trout attracts more than 10,000 anglers to the parks some years, along with more than a few people who come simply to witness the spectacle.

The Missouri Department of Conservation operates trout hatcheries at all four trout parks.

It stocks three trout for every angler expected on opening day.

Based on records of past opening days, the Conservation Department expects 8,000 anglers will attend this year’s trout opener and so will stock 24,000 trout at the four parks.

Weather plays an important role in determining crowd size on opening day. The trout park attendance record

occurred in 1992, when 14,947 anglers descended on the parks for a Sunday opener with beautiful weather.

Although this year’s opening-day crowd is unlikely to approach that high-water mark, pleasant conditions could boost the total considerably.

This is the 100th consecutive year of trout production at Roaring River State Park near Cassville.

Roland Bruner built the first hatchery there in 1910. The state took over the property in 1928 and has operated the hatchery ever since.

By the time anglers arrive March 1, work crews will have finished removing gravel from selected areas of the spring branch at Roaring River.

February 2019 • Page 15 Flooding last year washed excessive gravel into the stream, covering bottom structure that benefits trout.

The crews also have been removing excess aquatic vegetation to improve fishing conditions.

Similar habitat work has taken place during the off-season at the other three trout parks.

Visitors also may find ongoing renovation work at the Conservation Department’s trout hatcheries.

These include a new production building and major raceway renovations at Bennett Spring Hatchery and a new feed storage building and office renovation at Roaring River.

Anglers who have not visited Montauk State Park since the 2009 trout opener will find a new fish-cleaning station to make their post-fishing chores more convenient and keep the park cleaner.

Three of Missouri’s trout parks — Bennett Spring near Lebanon, Montauk near Salem, and Roaring River — are state parks, owned by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The fourth, Maramec Spring Park, near St. James, is owned by the James Foundation. The Conservation Department operates trout hatcheries at all four.

For more information about trout park fishing, call: • Bennett Spring - (417) 532-4418.

• Maramec - (573) 265-7801.

• Montauk - (573) 548-2585.

• Roaring River - (417) 847-2430.

Anglers need a daily trout tag to fish in Missouri’s trout parks.

Missouri residents 16 through 64 need a fishing permit in addition to the daily tag. Non-residents 16 and older need a fishing permit and a daily tag.

(Mike Roux can be reached at 217257-7895.)

Cold weather days can provide great outdoor memories

D

By Richard Whiteside on’t let cold weather stop you from getting out of the cabin.

Some of the year’s best experiences can be had in the dead of winter.

Here in the Ozarks we are blessed to have four user-friendly seasons with something exciting to do all year long — such as long hikes on a Mark Twain Forest ridgeline or canoeing down a beautiful Ozark stream.

Some of the best experiences I reflect upon are cold weather days. For me the absolute best time to go hiking is January, February and March.

No foilage opens the beautiful timber up and one can see forever down through the woods. Flannel shirts and lace up boots and a big ol’ Mark Twain Forest ridge to walk down is very hard to beat this time of year.

Winter floats on an Ozarks stream is hard to beat. No crowds, the wind at your back and the fishing in the Ozarks is spectacular in the winter.

Don’t let a cool, cloudy day stop you from getting outside in Missouri.

READER SUBMITTED PHOTOS The Traveler would like to publish your hunting, fishing & other outdoor experience photos in our next issue.

Text them to us at

(417) 451-3798 along with the pertinent info, or email jimmy@riverhillstraveler.com

Sam Mossengren, 13, of Crestwood, Mo., bagged his first deer on a Saturday afternoon the second half of youth season. According to his grandfather, Terry Arnold: "We were walking to the back of the farm when we spotted four deer across the field to our left, about 100 yards away, but they also saw us and immediately took to the woods so we kept walking hoping to circle back of them.

"To our surprise, they came back into the field. We stopped again and I asked Sam if he thought he could make that shot. Sam shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't know, so I said let's find out.

"We crossed a dry creek bed and small strip of woods, as quietly as possible. I laid down my backpack as a rest. He asked which one he should shoot. I said the closest one. Sam made the perfect shot right behind the shoulder. A little over a hundred yards with a .243 Ruger. Congratulations, Sam!"

Page 16 • January 2019

RiverHillsTraveler.com

SHOW from 6 tain Ben Goebel may write some articles on catfishing for the River Hills Traveler.

Another person that I talked to, who offered me some possibilities for 2019, was Larry Helms of Boiling Spring Campground. He has a campground and offers float trips on the Gasconade River.

I have never fished the Gasconade, so now I have the possibility of a location in which I could explore and fish the Gasconade River this year.

He is also considering modifying a few campsites to be more accessible for people with disabilities. This makes more possibilities for a wider range of people to enjoy camping in the great Ozarks outdoors.

During the fishing show I purchased a new fishing rod and reel. It is a 12-

foot crappie jigging rod. This is something that I have never owned.

I enjoy fishing the smaller rivers, streams and creeks that the Ozarks have to offer.

When the stream is only 15-20 feet wide, it is difficult for me to keep the

lure on my ultra-light spinning rod in the productive strike zone for any length of time.

I am hoping that by using a jigging rod I can reach that boulder or root wad that holds fish, and keep the lure in the strike zone longer for the possibility

that a smallmouth or goggle-eye will have an opportunity to attack it.

This could open up a whole new possibility of fishing experiences for me.

On December 31, at 12 midnight, the famous Robert Burns poem is often recited or sung — “Auld Lang Syne” (Days Gone By) which means that everything that has happened during the previous year is over, it is history and you cannot change history.

But during the first weekend of the new year the annual Let’s Go Fishing Show takes place and it opens up a whole new world of possibilities for the experienced and novice fishermen.

During 2019 I hope you will explore the various possibilities that come your way and make exciting and unforgettable memories for “days gone by.”

(Bill Wakefield runs the Traveler’s St. Louis office and can be reached at w3@charter.net.)

ADVERTISE HERE $ • Great space for fishing & hunting club meetings & other special events • Round/square tables & chairs for more than 150 people • Large open room with 2 smaller side rooms Featuring more than 40 historic photographs of the Neosho area!

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February 2019 • Page 17

RiverHillsTraveler.com

TREK from 1 Shannondale Church, where the preacher Vincent Butcher read passages from his book to me when I was about 10,” said Mansfield.

Mansfield began the journey a bit southwest of Potosi on Nov. 6 last year, at approximately 3 p.m.

“I try to do exactly what he did each day, I walk the same amount of miles he did and go to the places he went to,” said Mansfield.

Schoolcraft’s travels are documented and available online in the wonderful work of Milton Rafferty, titled “Rude Pursuits and Rugged Peaks,” as well as the 1853 re-write of Schoolcraft’s own original journal, titled “Scenes and Adventures in the Semi-Alpine Region of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas.”

There are several historical interpreters that portray Schoolcraft; Eric Fuller that performs at the Smallin Civil War Cave outside Ozark, Mo., and Bob Kipfer are two of the top.

Mansfield also portrays Schoolcraft.

“I was asked three years ago to portray Schoolcraft by Dave Tobey for the Gigs and Ghost event at Round Spring (a free event to the public sponsored by Missouri Department of Conservation and the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways/National Parks Service), and have done the event annually since,” said Mansfield.

The only thing that makes Mansfield different than the other interpreters is that he is first person to walk in Schoolcraft’s footsteps.

“I have been in touch with Fuller and Kipfer, as well as some other Schoolcraft enthusiasts, and we are all fairly sure I am the only person walking in Schoolcraft’s footsteps on the Bicentennial Celebration,” said Mansfield.

“I, so far, have walked more than 400 miles and have slept the vast majority of every night on the ground in the woods.”

During this journey, Mansfield has given several presentations; often joined in this by his sometimes-walking companion and fellow historical presenter, Cynthia Dea, who portrays Pettibone.

“I have had to come off the trails for wedding ceremonies, wedding counseling, and funerals,” said Mansfield.

When Mansfield was interviewed for this story in early January, he was on day 59 and out of all 59 days, he spent 51 one them sleeping on the ground in the woods. He’s also driven over 8,000 miles.

“That actually puts me at sleeping outside more than Schoolcraft did when he made his journey,” said Mansfield. “I hadn’t slept under the stars by myself in 20 years, so when I started this I just wasn’t used to it, so that was different.”

——— Here is a brief schedule of what Mansfield has seen and done on his journey from the end of December into January: •!Dec. 28 — Camped at the foot of Helphrey Hill, near Taneyville.

•!Dec. 29 — Camped in Swan Creek Valley and listened to Eric Fuller do Schoolcraft at Smallin Cave. ("He was great," said Mansfield).

•!Dec. 30 — Passed near Oldfield and camped in Carter Hollow, a tributary to Finley Creek.

•!Dec. 31 — Continued North to Finley Creek (also presented as Schoolcraft with Levi at Echo Bluff State Park as part of their New Year paddling and

Heather and Meaghan Findley hiking near Potato Cave.

hiking event).

•!Jan. 1 — Traveled downstream along Finley Creek/River, stopping at Smallin Cave for two hours. Went on and camped at the mouth of Pearson Creek on the James River.

•!Jan. 2-4 — Encamped at the mouth of Pearson Creek on James River, examining the lead operation.

•!Jan. 5 — Headed back toward Beaver Creek cabins, camped on Upper Bull Creek.

•!Jan. 6 — Followed Bull Creek south, crossed over to Swan Creek valley to camp.

•!Jan. 7 — Followed Swan Creek past Helphrey Hill back to Beaver Creek cabins.

•!Jan. 8 — Stayed at cabins making preparations.

•!Jan. 9 — Set out down White River traveling by canoe, stayed at Solomon Yocum’s cabin above the mouth of Bear Creek (now part of Bull Shoals Lake).

•!Jan. 10 — Traveled to Lem “Buck” Coker’s cabin opposite Sugarloaf Prairie (also under Bull Shoals).

•!Jan. 11 — Traveled 40 miles on White River to M’Gary’s cabin (all now under Bull Shoals).

——— When walking in the woods, Mansfield carries with him a compass, GPS, SPOT emergency device, topical maps, firearm, game saw, quick clot, fire starter, a wool blanket, and wears Timberland boots.

Mansfield also wears period attire while walking the trails, similar to something Schoolcraft would have worn while on his journey.

“I started with a 50-pound backpack and then went down to 30 pounds, and now have a 12-pound knapsack and bedroll that I carry with me,” said Mansfield.

“At night I sleep in a makeshift, homemade lean-to with my wool blanket. Sleeping under the stars has given a renewed sense of connection to both the earth and our Creator.”

Most nights were spent filtering water, gathering firewood and spending more time on just survival than Mansfield had expected, especially on the really cold nights.

Mansfield has eaten a lot of dried beans, cheese, and nuts while on his journey, as well as cooked his fair share of steel-cut oats.

“I have also enjoyed the occasional small-town or roadside gas station/convenience store burger while staging my vehicle,” said Mansfield.

Getting back to his vehicle has also made a few memories that Mansfield will always remember.

“Staging the truck during deer season was easy because I walked a lot of roads because it was safer and doesn’t disturb the hunters, but I also was able to get rides from hunters driving by,” said Mansfield.

Mansfield would have them take him to his truck, then follow him to his next truck drop-off, and then take Mansfield back to where he was picked up origi-

nally. Mansfield always offers to pay them for the gas to help him out.

“Once, a guy told me he and the boy with him would move my truck for me and they would hide the keys for me.

They were great fellow Christians and the keys were right where they said they would be,” said Mansfield.

“But now that hunting season is over, I see people my age, around 50, driving by and I get rides from them and my wife has even done it once.”

Mansfield has also made it a point to stop and see the things that Schoolcraft saw when he made his journey, so Mansfield was able to get as close as possible to Ashley Cave without the landowner’s permission (still seeking that) with long-time friend Dave Tobey, and “finally found Potato Cave with help from some locals, and accompanied by naturalist and friend Heather Findley and her two children — Curran and Meaghan,” said Mansfield.

“I have met some fascinating characters — a Rainbow elder who owns and operates a roadside store; a family that has operated the same store two with generations for almost 60 years; community members dedicated to preserving the historic park in their area (Markham Springs); family that runs the private mill at Topaz Springs, who are wonderful hosts and tour guides; a gentleman preparing to bury his mother the following day and shared stories of the Piney River Massacre... a story I tell about in character, so new facts will add a lot to my next presentation.”

Mansfield has seen many sites that he was familiar with, such as Dawt Mill, Montauk, Tan Vat (both on Current River), parts of the Piney River and he’s explored a lot of new territory.

“Most of the stuff that was once there when Schoolcraft was there isn’t there anymore, and it’s interesting to see what’s come and gone since then,” said Mansfield.

Mansfield has also learned some new skills, much like Schoolcraft and Pettibone had to do.

“I actually purchased a smartphone at last and have learned to post video on Facebook, and I’m learning more about my Garmin GPS as well as SPOT Gen 3 emergency device,” said Mansfield.

“I’m also learning to use Google Earth Pro to plot course, and get reacquainted with USGS topo maps and dead reckoning. Still walk mostly old school, though.”

Throughout the journey, Mansfield has been posting to his own Facebook page, Rick Mansfield, as well as on the Facebook page, Love My Ozarks.

According to Mansfield, Schoolcraft’s journey was actually supposed to begin at the beginning of October and conclude at the end of October.

“He got a late start and then he got lost, which lead him to getting back on Feb. 4,” said Mansfield. “Schoolcraft’s goal was to get to the James River, not get lost, then go down the state, but maybe he was looking for lead mining.”

When Schoolcraft left for his trip, he and Pettibone were in search of lead depots and mining operations to the west; especially an operation on the James River near what is now known as Springfield, Mo. The original trip was not intended to be just Schoolcraft and Pettibone. According to Mansfield, around two dozen were supposed to accompany them.

“There were several horror stories about people getting mauled and attacked by bears, so everyone backed out of the journey in fear of getting at-

tacked,” said Mansfield.

“Schoolcraft was very brave, but also very arrogant to think the bears would not kill them and that they’d be fine.”

For Mansfield, the hardest thing about retracing Schoolcraft’s steps has been more mental than physical.

“I have been pleasantly surprised at how well my body has adapted to this journey, and walking 40 miles in 48 hours to make it to an engagement I was scheduled to be at,” said Mansfield.

Mansfield explained that the journey has been both physical and very mentally challenging.

“On that night I knew that I had to walk all night and could not stop or I would miss my event, and it was cold and I was very tired,” said Mansfield.

Another challenge for Mansfield has been missing his wife.

“I’ve prayed a lot about that when I started this, and it’s also been a spiritual challenge, and I couldn’t have done it without her,” said Mansfield.

But his favorite thing throughout the journey has been getting to read his Bible every day.

“I consider myself a spiritual person, and in the last week or so I have felt so much closer to God and more in tune with nature,” said Mansfield. “I just feel God’s presence when I’m outside, asking me what I think of it all.”

When Mansfield is done with his journey on Feb. 4, he has plans to continue to spend more time in the outdoors because he wants to continue feeling closer to God, catch up on writing, and take a vacation.

“I will be taking a week, if possible, to go to a warmer climate with my wife, head south and get warm, and then catch up on my writing and hopefully step my writing up a level,” said Mansfield.

There will be a book, he said, with the title, “A Journey Through Time: Schoolcraft Revisited,” hopefully published in 2020, according to Mansfield.

“I really hope the book can help lead people to Christ or at least understand nature to better understand Christ,” said Mansfield.

If there are any profits from the book, they will go to support Ozark Heritage Project (OHP) and its works.

“In 2018, OHP gave away more than 1,000 books, removed more than 40 tons of debris from Missouri streams and watersheds and presented to nearly 6,000 school-age children,” said Mansfield.

The main purpose of Mansfield doing recreating the journey that Schoolcraft took was to bring more attention to Schoolcraft and Pettibone’s “too often unattributed contributions to our knowledge of 19th century Ozarks.”

“I also hope to inspire others who are similar to me — older, retired, a few health challenges — to get off the couch, out of the recliner, put down the remotes and other techie devices and reconnect to our wonderful outdoors,” said Mansfield.

Mansfield has made great strides so far on his journey, and will be finished on Feb. 4.

A farm that came and went.

Page 18 • February 2019

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Fish, float & hunt the Ozarks!

FLOAT from 1 ice employees, major players in Missouri’s natural world.

Some of the top OT and paddling gurus in the state attended this event.

Very, very fun and I recommend this event to you next year.

The highlight for me was stopping at Current River State Park. This park is simply amazing. The wonderful people with Missouri State Parks graciously opened up the park for our group.

After securing our canoe and climbing up the bank we were greeted with a giant bonfire and a heated hall and kitchen with hot chocolate and finger foods.

How neat is that?!

This place was built in the 1930s by the Alton Box Board Company as a private retreat, and what a retreat it is.

Stunning historical architecture everywhere you look. Very thankful the park service took the pains to preserve such buildings.

All in all, the first day float was a win-

ner in my book. At 2:30 we were loading our canoe and heading back home.

What a way to spend the first day of 2019.

I can tell you where I will be on the first day of 2020!

(Richard Whiteside lives in Doniphan, Mo., and can be reached at rlwhiteside72@gmail.com. His blog can be followed at www.ozarkriverman. wordpress.com.)

Convenient home delivery!

FISHING • HUNTING FLOATING • TRAVELING CAMPING • GUNS • HIKING

❏ $22 for 1 year • ❏ $40 for 2 years TO SUBSCRIBE: please fill out this form & mail it to:

River Hills Traveler

212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850 or call us with credit card information at

(417) 451-3798

Name______________________________________________ Address____________________________________________ City____________________________ST______Zip_________ Phone______________________________________________ Email______________________________________________ Missouri Stream Team ambassador Ted Haviland paddles a wooden canoe he built.

We look forward to hearing from you!

February 2019 • Page 19

RiverHillsTraveler.com

RIVER from 1 few months prior. At that time, though, it was the middle of the summer, the temps were high, the fish were a bit sluggish and we were hoping for a better trip.

We wouldn’t be disappointed.

We covered a lot miles on day one and found a place to make camp for the night. After a wonderful steak dinner and great campfire conversation, we retreated to the tents to dream of tomorrow’s adventures.

The next morning brought rain. A couple of us waited too long to get our tents packed up before a monsoon developed on top of us.

But we did manage to get the coffee made and headed on down the river.

The rains didn’t last long and eventually the clouds passed. It was turning into a beautiful fall day. The fishing was starting to pick up, as well.

The majority of my fish this day were caught on a PB&J-colored Ned rig and a bubblegum-colored floating worm, both of which produced several smallmouth bass as we continued our journey.

As we neared the end of day two, I fell way behind from the rest of the pack.

They were no longer in sight and I wasn’t in a real hurry to catch up.

I had a little bit of a curse going on with my fishing. I was able to convince the smallmouth to take the floating worm but I was unable to get any of them to the boat.

It was secretly driving me nuts. I have fished a floating worm for a very long time and I have never had this issue.

I mean, yeah, you lose one here and there on it, but not every fish! But I stuck with it. Eventually, my persistence would pay off.

I came around a long slow bend in the river. To the right, the river was being squeezed into a chute along a high bank.

To the left — the end of the long pool with some large rocks scattered about.

I cast my offering in amongst the rocks and started my retrieve. Twitch, twitch, pause… twitch, twitch, twitch, pause… twitch, twitch, pause…

On the third pause, the floating worm disappeared indicating that something had just gulped up the whole thing.

I set the hook, halfway expecting nothing, but was pleasantly surprised to feel a fish pulling away — seemed like a good fish, too!

It took a little hectic maneuvering to keep from being sucked down that chute backwards while fighting this fish but I managed to get the canoe parked and brought a beautiful 17-inch smallmouth to hand.

After that, I made my way on down river and caught back up with the group as they were making camp.

If you are one of those types to take dehydrated meals or some soup on a camping trip, then you are doing it wrong.

Corn on the cob, BBQ nachos, and peach cobbler were on the menu for Saturday night, and of course, there was a campfire.

The last day of a trip is always my

A bald eagle leads the way to the takeout.

A morning shower punishes the fishermen as they make their way down river.

BBQ nachos make an easy and delicious gravel bar meal.

A largemouth falls for a zara puppy.

cans were now empty, and the firewood we had been packing was all ash.

It was the perfect weekend. Great friends. Amazing food. And the fish had been eager to entertain.

People ask me all the time why I like

A group of floaters head downstream for a weekend of fishing and camping.

least favorite. Sometimes, I just never want the trip to end, and this was one of those times.

We broke camp and started loading all the gear back into our canoes one last time. Things were a lot lighter now. The food had been consumed, most of the

to camp and float these beautiful rivers.

It’s not something that I can easily explain.

If they don’t get it, they never will.

(Ronnie Moore can be reached by email at flysmallie@gmail.com.)