August 13th, 2016.   Gasconaide Float from Boiling Springs to Jerome Missouri.  Click on a picture for a larger view!

6.4 mile float.  Temps 84.  Partly cloudy.  River was above normal due to recent rains and a bit cloudy and swollen.  Water was also much larger than what we are used to floating. It was like floating a big James river up by Delaware Access just west of Nixa. 

We had 5 in the total group of Rangers.  Bob Wenneker researched and was the guide on this new float to all of us.  The current kept it moving it was more of a float in most places.  A few places we did paddle but the most of the time all we did was steer with a few paddles.  The river is a class 1 in this section wide and nothing that would tip a kayak or canoe  unless you got into a tree root or tree in the water. 

We left Springfield at 7:00 am and met Bob W. at the Boiling Springs Campground.  A neat little campground right accross the river from the spring.  It truly boils up out of the water.  14th largest spring in the state of Missouri. 

We floated and fished.  I caught 10 nice fish.  Rob 1,  Oliver 1 and almost 2.  Ernie got Skunked and Bob caught one on a brand new broken pole. 

We enjoyed the current and the water laughter and Rob and Ernie and Oliver took up Kayak Football and Kayak Jousting after fishing for several hours with only a fish or two.  I just kept catching fish. 

We floated from 10:30 to 3:30 did a 15 mile shuttle and ate at Steak n Shake in Lebanon and then back to Springfield by 6:30 pm.

Nice float.  Great weather.  We prefer our smaller rivers for the rapids and smaller flats of water.  Probably won't do this one again.  Yet it's fine for a family that doesn't want to flip due to rapids.  It's that easy!

Mark Jones  Click on a picture for a larger view.