The Ozark mountains with their beautiful bluffs, spring-fed rivers and critters of the forest did not disappoint the BCCC group gathered from Middle Tennessee, NE Arkansas and the Memphis TN area October 2-9. While the week was off to a hot and muggy start, some rain and a cold front moved in and offered extraordinary paddling weather to explore at least two different sections of the Jack’s Fork of the Current River later that week:

• ●Jack’s Fork of the Current River from Bay Bridge to Alley Springs Campground (Oct. 6 with 12 boats and paddlers)
• ●Jack’s Fork of the Current River from Alley Springs Campground to Eminence City Park, Missouri (Oct. 7 with 27 boats and paddlers & Oct. 8 with 12 boats and 13 paddlers)

Highlights include:

Spring floods significantly rerouted the Jack’s Fork at the former Alley Springs National Park campground put-in. No more does the channel pass on the far side of the gravel bar. The river has carved a new narrower and deeper path running under the right half of the bridge. After years of driving on the sand bar and dragging boats to the put-in, paddlers now conveniently put in at the end of the paved campground parking lot.

The river level was low with no recent rain in the area. Even a couple of rainy days didn’t raise the water level significantly, nor did it stir up the rivers. This caused some dragging the last mile of the Bay Bridge paddle, though the group weaved our way down river and enjoyed the pretty surroundings. We were grateful to see this section again, which is rain dependent and not always navigable on our Fall trips.

Paddling Alley Springs to Eminence on the Jack’s Fork never disappoints. The beautiful bluffs, clear water, smell of the fresh springs and eagle spotting offered a great nature recharge. The Saturday group of 27 worked together well to enjoy the day while looking out for each other. We fit in a couple of lunch stops along the way. One paddler recovered from a swim at the first lunch stop – I bet the Currents Editor would have more details. I understand Billy the Fish has been recovered and will once again celebrate swimmers for pushing their limits.

By moving the October weekend to be one week earlier, we were able to return to the Jack’s Fork for the Saturday paddle and had the river to ourselves with a few others floating. The last two years due to the change in festival location, we changed our paddle location to the Current River, another pretty spring-fed, natural river though with a much longer shuttle. The fall colors however were only beginning to show themselves with a cold snap not yet shocking their color change.

Beautiful crystal-clear rivers with lots of minnows, a few sited fish and watercress abounded. Eagles, both solos and mating pairs, made daily appearances on the river. So did Belted Kingfishers and Pileated Woodpeckers.

The evening sounds of Owls and Coyotes were a backdrop to the campfire chatter as we caught up with friends new and old. I always love the sounds, the sites and the surroundings the Alley Springs National Park, Ozark National Forest and Eminence, MO area offer, whether on the river, in the woods or around the fire.

Saturday evening brought out the best chefs in the region at the annual potluck. Scrumptious hot and cold entries, salads and desserts abounded and made our tummies happy. Over 33 folks stayed around the fire after dinner and got to know each other. One at a time, people introduced themselves by sharing their names, history with the BCCC, and what makes them happy. We sang and celebrated Marilyn Upchurch’s birthday too. It was so fun getting to know this interesting and varied group with paddling participants from 11 to 89 years old.

Thanks go to all the folks who supported this group and our fun, safe paddling adventures! A shoutout to all the shuttle bunnies who made magic happen delivering the right cars to the right place at the right time. Thanks for the paddler support by Points, Sweeps, and those kind river helpers who pointed out the best route to keep us safe, Thanks to the Landers/Adams/friends crew who gathered firewood at the sawmill and provided exceptional fires. We appreciate all those who brought yummy food to the annual potluck and are grateful to the Landers for hosting.

Look forward to seeing everyone at this fall mountain getaway again next year!

The water level at the Jacks Fork at Eminence, MO – 07066000 river gauge hovered around 1.90 ft all 3 days.