So. Missouri District Junior Canoe Expedition JCE

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Link to Youtube Video Slideshow and report!

JCE 2012 Eleven Point River from Greer Spring to Riverton.  20 miles of spring fed River!

We had a great time.  Tuesday night picked up the canoes and then after church on Wed night picked up the Church van and took it home and hitched up the canoes and went to Wal-Mart for a trailer light adapter.  Thursday morning met 8 young men at Life 360 loaded up and then picked up 2 more at 125 and hwy 60 and met James and Devon Evans with their truck and canoes and we caravanned to Mountain View for lunch.  Met 2 other groups there and headed towards Greer Spring campground.  The weather was perfect and soon camp was setup and we were down at the River teaching in the water canoeing practices.  Covered various strokes, swamping canoes, rescuing canoes in deep water and on the shore and practiced.  Back at camp we had Dutch oven corn bread and ham and beans..wooo whoo Rangers..that was good stuff.  Higgie sure KNOWS HOW TO COOK Dutch oven style.. YUM!  Then we taught the rest of the canoeing merit around camp.   

Early evening after supper we were heading over to drop off the pickup vehicles and empty canoe trailers at Riverton.  On the way back I got a cell phone call..Only cell service there is when you’re on top of a hill.. My buddy Rob and Steve had headed out for a hike and Rob was calling to ask us to pick them up at McCormick Lake.. We were about 25 minutes away and we were laughing because Rob was begging to be picked up...he wasn't aware of the 8 mile hike they were going on..He thought he was walking 1/8 mile to look at something... GRIN! 

We drove down to McCormick Lake at the pickup point and no one was around.  Went back to Camp about 8 miles away and no Steve or Rob was to be found.  So Jerry and Don left in Jerry's truck to find the lost hikers.. They returned with 2 guys they found walking down hwy 19 in the dark..GRIN!

I scolded them for not using the hiking merit rules and we had a good time razzing them the rest of the weekend for being lost rangers... Rob told me that Steve Copeland is an IRON MAN!  I already knew that.  GRIN! 

Saturday at 8:00 am we hit the water running.  Water is about 50 to 60 degrees so it's pretty cool and in some places it gets colder where springs run in. 

 I was in my Kayak and had got a skirt for white water rafting but didn't have it on.. Yup it always figures...when were not ready that is when it comes.... I hit a dead tree in the current and flipped my kayak and lost my fishing pole.  3 others flipped at that point as well.  It was one of those moments when that cold water hit you and you couldn't say anything...because all you could do was grunt..It was COLD!  I gathered my goods from the river and emptied the water and set out again down river!  It was exciting! 

I was paddling along and I noticed about 3 canoes in a straight line behind the lead Commanders Canoe...hum..I thought that was surely a miracle in action..That has never happened before in recorded canoeing history..Must be something going on....

I floated up and grabbed a hold of the canoes painters line and got on the canoe train... while our beloved JCE Camp Commander and our JCE River guide noticed the head wind really was dragging them down... snicker..GRIN SNORT! After a few hundred feet and seeing my buddy Rob first canoe behind the lead canoe holding a finger to his mouth and waving the other 3 kayaks to get on the train.. I couldn't help it anymore..  

My good perfect angel on my right shoulder was telling me to tell Charles and Steve the truth on that head wind... while that little red fallen angel on my left shoulder was saying... shuuhhh..Quite... let them paddle a little longer...  

WE had a GREAT BIG OLE JCE LAUGH!  

After lunch.. I noticed Steve and Charles with a look on their face...they were all business...and my little ole perfect angel was saying..Their up to something....keep your eye on Rob... while that red fallen angel was saying..shuhhh don't say anything..this could be fun...GRIN!  

Steve and Charles was in the Kayaking hiding mode...GRIN! I was watching out for my Ranger Buddy Rob!  

Another GREAT BIG JCE laugh! WE had a great time and it's just good clean fun with these called men of God working with Boys in The Royal Ranger Ministry.  

We stopped by a few places and enjoyed lunch and swimming in cold springs. 

Around 5:30 pm we made it to Riverton and loaded canoes and kayaks and 21 folk headed back to camp.  We had a closing service when we returned to camp and then enjoyed supper and council fire and camp antics.  Did I mention the boys learned how to unswamp a canoe...many times over... seemed canoe tipping was a favorite sport for those inclined for the sport.  It was a great time...my buddy Rob reminded me he had caught a crawdad and a bass and I caught zero....  

Mark Jones..  

p.s. I skunked Rob last night fishing on the Finley River..I caught 7 nice fish one bass and the rest were sunfish, perch and all got released..ROB CAUGHT ZERO! He skunked me on the JCE and it was pay back time. GRIN! CLEAN fun in God's creation. What a deal!