Hot Summer Float on the Big Piney River
The mercury is pushing 99 as we put in on the Piney some time before one.
We’re slathered up in sunblock, tee shirts on, and keeping the water bottles close as we embark upon the hottest summer float trip – ever.
And despite the demon drought, this lower section of the Big Piney River will provide enough flow(even for our fully loaded canoe) to
Exercise Relief!
Into the cool waters we dive and revive all afternoon. There’s not even a hint of the slightest chill, but it’s a refreshing cool that’s truly incomparable.
We spend a lot of time sitting in the shadier channels of the river as we watch the sun blaze the hills and bake the gravel bars. I am encouraged that the greens of summer are still holding up along the river, and there’s a beautiful blue sky with a few bright clouds.
Hot Summer Day on the Big Piney River / July 2012
These classic elements of scene never fail me on an Ozark river.
paddle paddle paddle your canoe, gently down the stream…
As we lazily make our way down river, we make a stop for something a bit more ambitious.
We’ve come upon some nice riffles.
It’s snorkeling time!
And with the ideal water temps and conditions today, I’m guessin’ we’ll be in the water for a spell.
Our first sighting is some gilt darters. They display beautiful colors but they are especially brilliant in the spring. (I’m making a note that I need to purchase a new wetsuit by next spring)
Gilt Darter in the riffles
And in just a short while, a baby Smallmouth Bass swims into view.
Baby Smallmouth Bass and a Gilt Darter in the riffles/Big Piney River
There’s also a lot of big flat rocks embedded in this part of the river.
It’s a call to start looking for the ancient one, the elusive one,
the endangered one…
No sightings of this one today. But it’s a promising location, so we’ll check it again when the opportunity arises.
After a good session of snorkeling, I have a growing appetite for grilled brats as we paddle to our campsite. We do a little fishing along the way, but didn’t have much success as we spent a lot of time in full sun conditions.
Snorkeling, swimming, refreshment is certainly the mantra of this hot summer float.
We pull into our campsite well before six. We quickly set up our campsite(no tent of course) and I gather some smaller wood for our cooking fire. And then, instinctively, I start to gather some wood for our nightly campfire. As I drag a heavy piece to the pile, I realize that any earlier concerns about the heat and humidity have seemingly abated.
It’s been a hot day alright(right at 100), but the humidity just hasn’t been a factor. And it was so comfortable in the evening, we lit our campfire just before dusk.
Praise to the River Gods!
We had a great night sky for stars the first half of the night, then a crescent moon arced its way over the river as if to bid us good night.
Peace on the River
