Well, you've come to the right place. This past weekend was our 2nd Annual Summer Float Trip and it was a blast. Luckily, we just missed the rain on the river, but we did opt to head home a day early since it was looking to be a pretty dreary night. I'll post those pictures as soon as I get back the prints from my waterproof disposal camera, but until then. Let's talk about preperation...
Hello, I'm a Planner. A Control Freak. An Organizer. A Maker of Itineraries. So I'm the one who puts this shindig together. Last summer was my first float trip, so I didn't really know what I was doing when it came to chosing a river...and on that front, I haven't learned must. My first move, is usually to visit the
missouricanoe.org website. Then, I start reading down the descriptions of rivers until I find one that sounds alright...being that we floated the Current River this year, I didn't make it too far down the list. Here are my reviews of the three rivers I've been on:
The Niangua - Adventures Campgrounds - Lebanon, MO
The river was crowded, which could be a good thing if that's what you're looking for. Lots of interaction with other floaters and exchanging of beverages. The only restrictions were styrofoam coolers and glass bottles. I did remember this river as being more shallow, so our boys had to get out and push or pull mulitple times. Adventures Campgrounds was less than desirable. I chose it for it's affordable price, but it wasn't worth it. The only had port-a-potties and the ground was like sleeping on a hillside of rocks. The drive was about 2.5 hours, which I think is pretty standard from Columbia. But, they do have a pretty awesome photo. So, I'll give 'em that.
The Current - Current River Campgrounds - Van Buren, MO
This was my second float trip last summer; The Fiji Float Trip. Our crowd was bigger and rowdier, but we didn't have any complaints on the river or the campgrounds. The Current is a federal restricted river, which means in addition to the restrictions on styrofoam coolers and glass bottels, they also monitor stereo volume and the posession of kegs, beer bongs and jello shots. However, these restrictions didn't seem slow down the Fiji boys. The river was much less crowded and the float wasn't as long. I think the river might have been pretty high at the time we went, because I hardly remember us gettting stuck at all. The camgrounds were cool. A large space with a lot of people. They had community bathrooms, that were a bit of a walk and on that Saturday night there was a small (local, I'm sure) concert on an outdoor stage. We had a hayday with THAT. The drive was a lot longer, closer to four hours and the route was a tricky one.
The Current - Running River Campgrounds - Salem, MO
This year we went on the Current again. It was a lot colder than I had remembered our last time on the Current being, but it was about a month earlier in the year. Again, it was significantly less crowded than the Niangua. We didn't have any issues with our stereo (thanks to Aaron for that) volume, though it was pretty bumpin'. We did get stuck a few times in various shallow waters or tree traps, none too bad...except the one occasion where we found ourselves coming right off a bit of a rapid stretch and into a perfectly formed "V" of trees that immediately trapped our rafts. The girls had to abandon ship while the boys worked to shift the rafts (tied together...shhhh, that's not allowd) over the trees. No one was hurt and I think the boys enjoyed the challenge. This campground was kind of great. It was a little further out than some of the other sites in Salem, but I think it was worth it. Aside from one other RV/camper, we were the only campers there. There were indoor, community bathrooms and showers (though they cost a $1) and there was a small convenient store on-site with just about everything you could need. They were even kind enough to reimburse our money when we decided to leave a night early.
Once you've chosen your destination, the first pain-in-the-butt arises: coordinating a date with 15 people. Choose a non-holiday weekend and try to call for a reservation two months in advance. To give you an idea of costs, most places charge $125 per raft on Saturdays. They say a raft holds four people, but honestly, six can fit comfortably with coolers. Camping is anywhere from $5 to $10 per night, unless you want electric hook-ups, which might up your price a bit. You can also try to find locations with cabins or houses to rent, but those may limit your number of people and they divide out to about $20 per person per night.
I recommend sending everyone Google Map directions, or printing maps before you leave. A lot of these places don't have an address that a GPS with recognize. When you make your reservation, confirm the directions. The website for Running River Campgrounds lists the address as: "Located on Hwy 19, 25 miles south of Salem" ...so good luck. I also recommend carpooling; if you're going to be lost without cell phone service, it's better to be lost together!
I also sent everyone a pack list. Which I will include for you now:
The packing list is based on a two-ish day trip. The itinerary was as follows:
FRIDAY
5:30 pm Meet at Casablanca (my house)
6:00 pm Leave for Salem
8:30 pm Arrive at Running River Campgrounds
SATURDAY
8:00 am Pay at Front Desk
9:00 am Bus Leaves for River Drop-off
4:00ish pm Bus Arrives at River Pick-up
SUNDAY
10:00ish am Return Home
But, if I've learned one thing from my planning experience, it's that the best itinerary is a flexible itinerary...so our leaving on Saturday night was not a problem.
Just a few last minute, random tips:
- It's good to be prepared when packing, but only take what you need. We took way too many snacky foods that we didn't eat...though I think I'll find some way to get rid of those.
- DO NOT BRING BACKLESS SHOES FOR THE FLOAT. This isn't the swimming pool for goodness sake. You are in and out of the raft constantly, climbing rocks to cliff jump, sneaking off in the grass to relieve yourself and stepping in the riverbed...which can have some sharp things in it! Old, lace-up shoes or watershoes are a must.
- A hat is also a must. I can tell you how frequently to apply sunscreen, but you already know that. The best way to protect your face is with a hat. AND when your sunglasses break (we lost four pair total on our last float) a hat my become your best friend.
- In general, don't bring nice things you like. Older shorts and shirts, cheap shades and give-away koozies are all that are necessary.
- When you leave to float for the day, keep your things locked in a car. You never know who is creeping through camp to find your left-out goodies. Also, if it rains, then your things will still be dry!
- If it rains and you have to pack your tent and chairs while they're still wet, be sure to unpack and set them out to dry when you get home. That stuff will STINK if you leave it all wrapped up.
- Mixed drinks on the river are easiest when pre-prepared. I made my summer brew (lime concentrate, one cup vodka, three beers) and kept it in this $2 Walmart water jug for the float.
Finally, a personal tip for the planners of the float trip, remember that it is just a float trip and not everything is going to work out. You can plan and schedule and organize, but you can't control the weather or the rules or anyone else for that matter. So, in the spirit of the float, just go with the flow...
