Coldspring

Missouri State Parks doesn't n have a director, how is anyone supposed to know? I would look at other situations involving state parks. None of regulations on Current River have been changed for Current River State Park. Of greater concern is State Representative Robert Ross. Next January, he will file a bill in the State House to strip away your ability to use Missouri streams. Rumors have it that the Plaster Family that owns Empire Ranch on the Osage Fork of the Gasconade have influenced him to keep presenting this bill that will effect Missouri streams navigability rights. He has presented it over 4 years in a row. He is also making repeated attempts to auction off Eleven Point State Park. He even added an amendment to the St. Louis area nuclear landfill buyout deal,, which caused the bill to be defeated. Either way, I wouldn't worry. There are three possible scenarios. No fishing regulations will change, the state park will be sold to private developers, or you will no longer be allowed to access the Eleven Point River and all other Missouri streams.

The watercolor art is great. I have thumbed through several editions of this magazine, it was a great era for illustration. The famed Charley Harper was also an illustrator of Ford Times, which was a publication given to purchasers of Ford Motors products to promote its brand and travel. It would be nice to have the originals on a wall.

Ford Times / October 1956 Eleven Point Float Trip by J. Noel Tucker OF THE MANY RIVERS famous for float trips in the Missouri Ozarks, the Eleven-Point is perhaps the most beautiful of all. A clear, swift stream, it is readily accessible to the motorist traveling U.S. Highway 160 or State 19, both of which cross the river near the small town of Alton, Missouri. Alton makes a good base for float operations. Good motels, restaurants and sporting goods stores are available, and inquiries around the town square bring information on boat rentals, guides and river conditions. The most favored method of floating Missouri rivers, including the Eleven-Point, is by johnboat, the native craft of the Ozarks. This boat -- flat-bottomed, square-ended, and twenty feet long on the average --- has evolved over the years into something particularly suited to Ozarks streams, which vary in depth and take sudden, swift turns. The origin of the name is lost, but visitors use it more than natives. In spring, or whenever the water is high, a johnboat is the safest conveyance; in times of low water, other float-trip craft are used. My son, Byron, and I made our float in October in our eight foot dinghy which fits nicely in our Ford station wagon. We chose the dinghy for that reason, and we chose October for its beauty along the Eleven-Point. We drove into Alton as the first rays of the sun touched the Baptist Church, and continued around the town square on State 19. Two miles from town we turned right on a dirt road and entered Clark National Forest, passing the Brasswell fire tower. From this point to the river, we saw October's work --- tall hickories, yellow-gold in the morning sun, bright scarlet gum trees, clumps of sugarleaf pine adding green accents. The road reached the river opposite Turner's Mill, a famous landmark build long ago. From Turner's Mill to the confluence of Greer Spring Branch you'll find good rainbow trout. The water from the Spring Branch is cold and clear --- right for trout, but too cold for bass. Launching our boat, we drifted lazily along with the current through the still October scenery, the river making its secret sounds among the stones of its bed. I was using a fly rod and a Number Twelve Gray Hackle, Byron a casting rod and topwater lure. A rainbow struck my fly with a rush that carried into the air in a gleaming arc. I stopped him before he reached a big tangle of roots and led him to the boat. He weight a good two pounds. We had floated down through the trout water before we knew it. In a deep, green hole at the base of a high cliff, Byron hooked and landed his first bass, and not long afterwards a pike. Another party had beached its johnboats nearby. They had a small fire going on a gravel bar. We smelled the fine odors of woodsmoke and coffee, and gladly accepted an invitation to share the coffee. Moving on, we made noon camp on a sand spit and ate lunch. There, and again and again, we saw several white herons who had seemed to be playing tag with us. As we drew near, they would take wing and fly out of sight around the next bend, moving down another bend when our dinghy showed up. As an artist, I couldn't help being impressed by the constantly changing landscape and the vividness of the fall color which seemed to set the banks of the Eleven-Point ablaze. This was our first float trip, but it will not be our last. Our memories of woodsmoke, October sun, and the river sliding along; of the swift underwater flash of trout or bass; and of the new view around the next bend, and the next, and next.

The Winter's Bone book and movie was based on a real family between West Plains and the North Fork River, and look how that turned out. I know some of these people. Scripted fiction based on reality. Not going to say much, but far more interesting things they have done. The show reminds me more of stuff that might have happened 20 years ago, although one of the main characters was caught in real life on an island he canoed to just a few years back. They are not dumb. Spend some time in the dollar store and grocery stores of the Ozarks and do some people watching of all the hllfolk. I don't understand why people get so upset, I suppose it touches a nerve about the fact they we are actually backwoodsy here. lol At least us hillbillies are smarter than the flatlanders due to our depth perception, their clocks don't tick 60 seconds a minute.

There are cabins within a half mile of Jam Up, a lot of them. There are 50 different property owners within a mile radius of there. It's only 3 miles from Hwy 60. The canyon is only 300 feet elevation in depth from river surface to ridgetops, and 1/2 mile wide at tops. I can hear pretty well because I have big-lobed hillbilly ears, and listen. There are some quieter areas on past the teacher's camp though, when you don't have to listen to chainsaws. Powerline costs and good roads are keeping that area from developing as fast. It

If they cap the numbers and you have to get reservations a year, or more, n advance for a specific weekend, something will come up or it will rain the entire weekend. That is the goal of park service, to shut down the businesses of Shannon County. And, what will you do if park service administration targets you as a fisherman that is a consumptive user of their prescious biological resources and gives you a hard time about the reservation process?

Well, it's not a "wilderness". It is more of a scenic easement. There are cabins that can be seen from the river, right up on park boundaries. Not including the Teacher's Assoc. camp. The river corridor on upper Jacks is 1/2 to mile wide, surrounded by homes, and timberland. Hwy 60 is not far. W/o being next to rippling water to mask the noise you get to enjoy the constant songs of lawnmowers, chainsaws, and semi-trucks on the highway. One of my favorite opinions is from a local Sierra Clubber only minutes away from the river. I always find it amusing those that retire from other areas to a cheap piece of property in the area on a few acres and think they own the place and want to restrict others away. This person wants the plan that will close off the accesses and campgrounds on the upper Jacks. What would they stand to gain? Oh yeah, someone can drive them down to the Prongs and they can paddle through to Alley and not see anyone for a few days. That's great if you don't hunt, dayhike, or wadefish the area, and are only a few minutes drive. Closing off those accesses and roads will hurt other types of users than the overnight primitive camper floater royalex canoe/subaru driving types. I personally think the upper Jacks is overfished. A moratorium on fishing for a few years would help it more than anything.

Let's not forget that the park was lined by farms and homesteads and private resorts only 45 years ago. I'm not sure what the wilderness character like, that must have been before the timber boom stripped every ridgetop along the rivers. West Eminence had a population of 10,000 at one time, will present day Eminence become a ghost town of sorts if park service succeed in ending tourist usage and more businesses closing up? The park was originally planned to be a recreational area, not a natural preserve that allows anglers to endanger it's biotic community if they follow present laws.

There are volunteers, like Stream Teamers that tend to enjoy removing the litter. I spent a few nights canoeing on the Jacks this summer, picking up litter. Planning to unload it in some trash barrels along the way that I later found had been removed. I was overweighted, so had to leave the trash hoping someone would take it from the access area. Of course, the park rangers showed up at that moment to check for camping fee money! If you forgot to pay for a campsite you can be assured the rangers would show up with ticket book in hand, but no time for trash service. I asked them if they could take it, they didn't seem to like the idea. I really don't have a major problem with ORVs finding thier way down to the river to camp, swim, or fish. They are not the only ones that leave litter. Everyone wants to enjoy the river and their day. Leaving a few cans and hot dog wrappers is one thing, Stream Teamers can pick it up in seconds, taking out a smallmouth that took years to grow to legal size is another. There is no more reason to take the fish than their is for the picnickers to enjoy a beer and swim. Anglers litter too. Plan B, the one preferred by the park service will end motorized boat usage above Bay Creek on Jacks and Pullite on Current, year round. No motorized boats will be allowed from March 15-Labor Day from Bay Creek to below Alley Spring and Pulltite to Round Spring. Be careful what restrictions you wish for. Your preferred activity may be next to go.

Haven't we voted against all incumbents for the last several elections? Not much will change.

I usually don't even think about shooting Hall's Bay with a load. Don't think I would have made it on this Sept 8th. If you remember the old channel on the left that formed an island by Hall's Bay, it is not there anymore.

How big was the hole washed out of Dawt Dam? It seems people are programmed to get excited about rain, until they lose the ability to get down the highway, get flooded, or lose power. I particularly love the social media posts about how excited they are to get 3 inches of rain in their rain gauge during the time they enjoy a sandwich for lunch, and their biggest concern is emptying the rain gauge so it doesn't overfill.

if you haven't heard, the Blueway is no more. Family favorite picnic and smimming holes and country church's baptismal holes are saved.

This letter explained some of the non-involvment of Missouri based organizations and agencies. I kept wondering why the Missouri Nature Conservacny, Missouri State Parks / DNR, and Missouri Department of Conservation weren't mentioned. The rumor of the 180 foot riparian buffer based on the lower White River basin wildlife area plans that would supposedly remove by force campgrounds and canoe rentals, even White River Landing, Dawt Mill and Gaston's, was one noticed the most about this Agenda 21 United Nations land crab. http://jamesriverbasin.wordpress.com/2013/06/27/from-the-directors-desk-a-national-blueway-lost/

Every big flood I'm always impressed that the dam remains standing. Possibly a concrete ramp on the side opposite the mill for walking down. It's a big mess of decks and cattle panels, not sure about the historic aesthetic qualities now. The decks did seem strong from the times I've been on them, hopefully they will support the weight of 10 or more tons of people moving around late at night.