July 2011 Member's Float on Shoal Creek, photo courtesy of Kay Mason
by Brian Grindstaff
In the middle of July and after a month of no rain 13 overly optimistic paddlers headed to the put in at Tipton Ford on Shoal Creek just outside of Neosho, Missouri for a 7 mile float down to Wildcat Park. To our surprise, the creek was flowing 30 cfs above the mean for this time of the year and the gauge was sitting at a comfortable 2.58 ft. The creek had plenty of water and it was cool.
This meandering stream usually flows gently under a canopy of hardwoods, but due to the floods in May and the soft dirt embankment, our shade cover had literally washed away leaving us exposed to the harsh July sun. We only had to get out of the boats once or twice, but we did have to pick our paths around the downed timber carefully.
With 42 navigable miles Shoal Creek originates west of Cassville and meander northwest until joining the Spring River in Kansas.
Our intrepid band of floaters included:
Anabeth Minx, Lori Hurst-Nickols, Brian Grindstaff, Christine and Jonathan Austin, Christy, Curtis, and Nyah Claybaker, Matt Coombs, Jason Murrill, & David Jackson
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