~by Michael Baird
The September float on the Jacks Fork originally started out as an overnighter, but turned into a wonderful day trip instead. On the drive out to the put-in, it started raining about 5 minutes before we reached our destination. Thankfully it only rained for that 5 minutes….the day turned out to be beautiful!
On deck was Marty and Misty Zerr, Tom Smith and yours truly. I almost missed my own float when I realized that there were two different put-ins—one at the bridge and the other at the park. Once again, thankfully, I was able to catch up with the rest of the paddlers in the nick of time. We floated 6.3 miles from Alley Spring, the seventh largest in the state with an average daily flow of 81 million gallons, to the Circle B campground just across from Button Rock.
Along the float we spotted green herons (smaller than blue herons) turtles, trout and a few half sober boaters. The water seemed a little warmer than most spring fed rivers, but maybe it was just in our heads. To our surprise the water was moving right along; no need to paddle if you were so inclined. We all enjoyed the sunny day and lunch on the gravel bar. Marty commented that food always taste better on a gravel bar…I would have to agree.
Marty and Misty stopped by to see Alley Spring before our trip down river. Since we floated the 6.3 miles in about 3 hours I checked out the spring, the Mill, and did a little hiking after the float. It’s a beautiful spring, and if you have not already had the chance to see it, I recommend this hike.
I will say Marty and Tom did a great job getting the four kayaks tied down to Marty’s little truck. Jerry (Rig) would have been proud! On a final note, this is the easiest shuttle I have ever seen on a float. Just one road and what seemed like about 4 miles. It was a beautiful stretch of river, even though it lacked the amount of canyon walls upriver. The only downside to this section is that is right next to where the outfitters launch from. Lucky for us, it was not a busy day for the outfitters!
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