I was working a contractor job I hated in KC and was ready to quit when the company cut all their contractors. At the same time I learned of the Missouri 340 race (world's longest non-stop canoe race). I thought, what a better way to return home than by canoe.MY GOSH!! Thats alot of floating, wow!! No wonder your name is ChickenCanoe! Amazing....
Shortly thereafter, I was building a chicken tractor when I joined BYC. Chicken tractor, chicken canoe - what's the difference.
12 of those 28 some odd streams I only floated once. My grandparents had a fishing lodge on the Gasconade when I was a kid and I floated that stream probably 20 times in john boats. Later we floated the Cuivre once. As an adult, the Courtois/Huzzah was my first. My son and I floated and camped on the Gasconade once in flood stage. We camped on a high island and I watched closely during the night as the river rose. I was afraid we'd have to evacuate in the middle of the night. The only rivers I've floated through the night were the Current, Niangua and Missouri. The Niangua and Current once by accident, the Missouri and another time on the Current by choice.
I also floated the Big, Buffalo, Marble, Huzzah and Castor in flood stage. Actually some of the creeks are only floatable in flood stage.
Growing up we had a farm with Wachita creek flowing through it so I was on it a lot. It joins Brewers creek a couple miles before it hits the St. Francois river and it wasn't till about 10 years ago that I floated those confluences and on through all the whitewater sections of the St. Francois. Been on the Current, Huzzah and Black at least 20 times. Meramec, Jacks Fork and Eleven Point about 10 times. Buffalo 5 times. Courtois, Bourbeuse, and North Fork 3 times.
Floating mid week, especially fall, winter and spring can be so magical.
