Paddle of the Sexes: Springtime on the Niangua River

Saturday we paddled a 7-mile stretch of the Niangua River, near Bennett Spring State Park. Friday night we camped at Hidden Valley Outfitters, and Saturday morning we dropped off a car 6 miles up the road at Ho Humm Canoe Rental and Campground, where we planned to take out of the river. With comfortable water levels due to spring weather, there wasn't too much risk of Honeybee scraping the rocks that create riffles in various places on the river. We would definitely camp again at HVO, and we would happily return to kayak or tube this stretch of river.

Saturday's trip went really well. Simply making short trips is building our experience and helping us improve our skills. On the water, we're getting better at handling our boat and reading the river. Off the water, we are becoming more efficient with things like tying down our boat, packing our dry bags, and deciding what gear we'll need.

Springtime on the Niangua was beautiful - leafless trees let us see our distant surroundings, while blossoming spring flowers of redbuds, dogwoods, and bluebells caught our attention. We spotted lots of turtles basking, some heron, and a magnificent bald eagle!

Stay tuned to our blog for some very exciting news this upcoming weekend, the first weekend in May!