The paddling of the Current River was fun and an absolute joy for so many of our Club’s members, especially those who just joined.  It was a two-day paddle Our base camp was at the Flying W Store & Camping, a lovely, internet-free campground that provided electrical sites as well as primitive sites.  On-premises store was well stocked and was very convenient to get ice, snacks and plenty of ice-cold adult beverages.  Building also had couple of shower rooms and a fuel pump.   Customer service was superb.

We had 29 people and 4 four-legged pups registered for this trip and three of them, Hank, Quincey and Becky joined us on the river. Indy was smart enough to stay at camp and guard A-liners, tear-drops and high-price Gazelle tents while adults were playing in the river.

Our first day paddle was an 8.8-mile run from Cedar Grove to Akers.  We had 25 boats.  It was a hot day, but the water was very cool and provided much-needed relief to keep cool with frequent breaks and stops.  As always, this section of the river was gorgeous.  We were fortunate enough to get ahead of a very large group of “tubers” and pretty much had the river to ourselves with occasional small groups of strangers.    We saw plenty of interesting things on the river, including several snakes, a small baby mink, a hawk chasing a Bald Eagle and a young fisherman sporting a European-style speedos that became the highlight of the conversation among ladies not only during the paddle, but at the dinner table and well into a second day.  A lunch-stop also included a gladiator water-pump battle between Sandy and Ana and a famous “river train”, led by non-other by Sandy herself.   Day One was a clear success.

We had experienced a quick overnight downpour that turned into occasional mist Sunday morning, delaying our departure by about an hour. Since our second day paddle was longer, we had no idea how long it will take. It turned out to be a fantastic day.

Day 2 was a 10.1-mile river run from Aker to Pultite.  The temps were considerably cooler than Day 1, and the paddle started with Teresa Beebe taking a swim in the first 3.5 minutes of the paddle. Of course, she blamed Hank and Quincey, but we all know she just wanted to take a swim in the cool waters of the Current River. The highlight of the day wasn’t even a conversation about the young fisherman’s swim trunks, although it persisted.  It was a gorgeous fog that followed us the entire trip. The visibility was about 300 feet, but it was all worth it. On the second day we counted 17 boats and surprisingly did not lose anyone in the dense fog. The other two highlights were a quick visit of the Welch Spring Hospital Ruins, that resembled more a medieval prison than a hospital, and a Cave Spring, which according to Ozark National Scenic Riverways, pumps about 32 million gallons of water into the Current River each day.  Both stops were a wonderful treat to BCCC explorers, and we managed to cover the longer distance in less time than the day before.

After the paddle, some members went back to camp, and some were ready to get home. 

All in all, a fantastic fellowship, great humor, Sasquatch sighting by Larry and Charles and wonderful time had by all.