Newbie Questions On Floating The Jack's Fork

[scklopf]

Apologize if these are major newbiew questions ... my son and I are looking at doing a 2-3 day float on the Jack's Fork/Current Rivers in early August. I have a fair amount of canoeing experience and he is fairly new. I have done a lot of day trips, and a few overnights, and canoed the BWCA. My questions are this:

1) Drinking water - do you have to bring all you need, or can you filter/treat water from the river? I have a filter pump system I used in the BWCA and it was very easy. I have also used the pills to treat, much more work and time. So what do folks do to get their water?

2) Distance - if we wanted to do a 3 day/2 night trip, any recommendations on start to finish and total distance? A lot of the outfitters offer 3 day trips of various lengths, some up to 50+ miles, which seem like a long distance for 3 days. We aren't serious fisherman but do throw some casts, we do like to explore, and are not interested in setting long distance or speed records.

3) Camping - can you camp anywhere you want, or are there specific areas for your overnights? Are the camping areas gravel bars, sand bars, or what?

4) Fires - is it OK to build and have fires along the river where you camp? I know this seems basic, but in the BWCA they often had a no fires rule in place, so I just want to check on it.

5) Outfitters - any advice on who to use

6) Any other advice you have would also be appreciated.

Thanks!

[GloryDaze]

Your questions about distance are personal preferance, so let me try and tackle the easy "Yes" or "No" questions best I can:

I bring my own water, simply bring gallon jugs, one for each day. You could filter if you choose, but with a canoe you will have plenty of room for a few gallons of water.

Most people camp on gravel bars along the river. As long as you are camping below the high water mark on that gravel bar you are considered to be on public land. However, discretion is important when making that decision. I wouldn't recommend setting up camp in sight of a cabin or a house or an obviously traveled road. Not that you are doing anything illegal, but to try and avoid any conflict if there is any. You shouldn't encounter any problems as long as you follow those basic rules.

Yes you can build a fire when you are on the gravel bar, once again common sense on keeping it safe. However, be very careful that when you are gathering that wood, you stay below the high water mark or you would be trespassing. Last year there was a ban on fires for most of the summer, but not yet this year.

** I should mention, if you are floating the Jack's Fork, the land on both sides of the river from Buck Hollow to about Eminence is owned by the National Park Service. So you wouldn't need to worry about the private property issue while camping on the river** Here's a link to view a map: http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/stream-and-watershed-management/missouri-watersheds/jacks-fork-river/land-use/figure-5 ** The Current has less public land.

As far as outfitters, I've always had good luck with Harvey's and they are right next to Alley Spring.

The mileage is dependant on many factors...... If I were to go on a 2 night 3 day trip, in order to enjoy the scenery and do some fishing, I personally would not do more than 8 miles in a day. An easy way to time it is figure 1 mile per hour if you are fishing, exploring heavily, etc.... figure 2-3 MPH if you are just paddling and not stopping much at all.

One last thing- if you go in August on the weekend, be prepared for a river full of people and canoes, no matter if you do the Current or the Jacks Fork.

Hope this helps a little.... I'm sure others will jump in and share their thoughts and opin

[countryred]

Yep, he pretty much covered it.......Also, no glass bottles on the river, camp up high if the is any chance of rain. expect the good gravel bars to be taken. We have always used Harveys, but I am sure the others are ok too.

The good and easy firewood is hard to find. Watch your step when nature calls, others have looked for that magic spot too.

[Gavin]

Go during the Week..Monday-Thursday...I'd float from Blue Spring down to Alley Spring if it has enough water in it. Firewood wont be easy...I'd bring a folding bucksaw...or a 16" chainsaw...and an axe.

[lee G.]

I am kinda old, it really hit me hard red when you said i had to watch my step on the river, the good days are gone i guess!

[TroutRinger]

GloryDaze pretty much covered it. I would recommend freezing the gallon jugs. They'll keep your food cool and give you cool drinking water. As far as outfitters, Two Rivers Canoe is my preferred outfitter, but Windy's has been fine the couple times I've used them. I also think 8 miles is the MAX. I'd rather do 6 miles/day so I could take my time to enjoy it and not have to rush.

Fishing is better on the Jack's Fork from Alley to Two Rivers than the Current just about anywhere IMHO but the Current has better scenery. You'll also run into jet boats on the Current. Rarely happens on the JF.

[Al Agnew]

Just to add, by that time of year the upper Jacks Fork will almost certainly be too low to float loaded canoes without doing a lot of dragging, and the canoe rental places probably won't even rent you a canoe to run the Jacks Fork above Alley Spring.

You camp on the gravel bars, as GloryDaze said. Choosing a good camp spot is not as easy as it sounds. You want a gravel bar that's a few feet higher than river level, and that doesn't have a wet channel behind it. Not only will this make it a little safer in case of a big nighttime thunderstorm that raises the river, because you will still have an escape route to higher ground instead of suddenly being stuck on an island, but also the isolated little pools in those back of the gravel bar channels are mosquito breeding grounds. Usually you don't have much trouble with mosquitoes on Ozark gravel bars. You also want to look for a level spot on the gravel bar with fine gravel, NOT sand. Sand gets into all your stuff, and if the wind starts blowing you end up in a sandstorm.

By the way, most of the upper Current is in the Riverways, too, but there are a few private inholdings. Just avoid camping on a gravel bar that adjoins land with a cabin on it, or that has a well used dirt road running down onto it.

It's actually pretty easy to cover ten miles or a little more a day on the upper Current, which moves along pretty good and doesn't have a lot of long, dead pools to slow your drift down.

Given the probability that the upper Jacks Fork will be too low to float, your best choices would probably be the Current from Pulltite or Round Spring to Two Rivers, with Two Rivers Campground and Canoe Rental servicing you. As an alternative, you could go the Jacks Fork from Alley Spring to the Current and down to Powdermill, in which case Harvey's would probably service you for that float, or Two Rivers. If you want to cover more territory, you could extend either float down to Logyard on the Current.

Given that both the lower Jacks Fork and the Current move along so well, you shouldn't ever be pressed for time. I would suggest getting good maps and GPS and paying attention to them as you float, so that you know about where you are at any given time, and thus how far you've come and how far you need to go the rest of the day or the trip. One thing you can do is go to Google Earth and print off the satellite photos of the river's course. They are good enough these days that you can see individual logs in the river. Take those prints along and use them to orient yourself and pick out tentative camping gravel bars.

[OzarksRiverman]

Some great info in this thread. Cheers.

[joeD]

I second Glory's point about freezing gallon water jugs. They have a dual purpose of keeping things cold without the ice sloshing, and then can be used as drinking water. Further, I put an absolute premium on having things cold and having viable ice for the duration of an August multi-day float. There is nothing worse than having lukewarm drinks in the middle of a hot trip. You cannot get refreshed adequately. and it starts to wear on you after awhile. Not good. Ice and good coolers to preserve it are essential.