A Crisp Autumn Float on the Eleven Point
River
The 11 Point, a class I river, is not
for novices as it flows sharply around curve after curve presenting maneuvering
challenges! We canoed from Cane Bluff access to Riverton Access at the Hwy 160
bridge, a distance of a little over 26 miles enjoying 2 ½ days of the crisp,
clear and cool autumn season.
The 11 Point is a quiet river designated
a National Scenic and Wild River on the edge of the Mark Twain National Forest
near Alton, Missouri. There are several
canoe rental/shuttle companies in the area with reasonable prices. We chose
Huffsteder’s because they are located at the take out point so we didn’t have
to shuttle our car anywhere – They shuttled us and our gear in a van to the put
in spot.
As we started the trip, we remarked on how
quiet the river was and the multitude of wildlife – bald eagles, otters, mink, snakes,
and the ever present kingfishers and great blue herons. By the end of the trip we had even scared up 5
beautiful male wood ducks and watched a deer crossing the river a hundred feet
away. Azul, our Australian Shepherd,
made an excellent traveling companion, sitting between Doug’s legs and
patiently observing the details of the river without barking at the wildlife.
The banks were forested with sycamore
trees. We don’t remember seeing so many
sycamore in one place. But, a KY native
once told us that the presence of sycamores means there’s a spring nearby so we
guess you could say there were springs nearby everywhere! The Eleven Point is famous for its springs.
We basked in the crisp, and bright blue
clear skies, but it seemed that we were forever canoeing into the sunrise or
sunset. It was only when we realized that the autumn sun would never fully rise
overhead; it would always be on the horizon that we understood. That autumn sun
played beautifully with the rippled surface, glistening and blinding us as we
tried to figure out the best path through rapids.
The river from Cane Bluff to Greer was
so shallow that we spent much time dragging our canoe over the pebbly bottom –
it felt like hard work and was really slow.
So as we were approaching the place where Greer Springs joins the river,
we relaxed into it! Yeah! The river’s volume would increase as over 200
million gallons of water flow out of the spring each day! Greer Springs is the second largest spring in
Missouri. Hopefully there would be fewer places to
scrape bottom. The aquamarine colors
were an added bonus to the river at each spot where springs joined the
river. After Greer Spring, we noticed
very light green clumps of plant that were sometimes floating and other times
secured to the bottom. It looked very
much like iridescent water cress! Our
research proved that it was water cress!! Nasturtium
officinale. The literature says it
is often found downstream from springs because of the cold, alkaline properties
of the river at that point. It is also
listed as a noxious and invasive species!
We were going to camp the first night at
Greer, but the camping area was too far from the river, and after a tiring
first day, we didn’t relish portaging all our belongings ¼ mile. So we kept going and camped probably a mile
past Greer on a sand bar, accomplishing just 8 miles that day. After all her patience in the boat, Azul
exploded with energy on dry land; digging in the sand and attacking the
briars. We were glad she could expel
that energy before she curled up in a corner of the tent for the night! That
early evening several canoers passed our campsite. Most canoers were also enjoying fishing.
The next day we canoed from our campsite
to Greenbriar Float Camp. As we canoed
we reflected that the river was not for novices. There were many deadfalls across the river
diverting the flow. Even though there weren’t many rapids, the stream of the
water always seemed to push you into deadfalls, as it flowed sharply through curve
after curve.
The float camps were marked, and were
usually on a side stream/gully. They were sometimes pretty mucky and looked uninviting. Yet, the “boat deck” provided a place to
disembark and the ability to unload supplies easily.
Green Briar Float Camp was right on the
edge of the 11 Point with a boat deck. We had the camp to ourselves under
beautiful huge oak trees. A fire ring,
picnic table and vaulted toilet were provided.
There were camps enough for 4 groups.
The next morning we took a side trip to
Boze Spring and enjoyed the power of the water as it flowed over the abandoned
mill’s stone dam. The rusty turbine and abandoned mill were evidence of the
importance of the river to the early communities in Missouri. We were only 2 miles from our takeout. Riverton has a good boat launch right by the
bridge and our car was parked just up the road.
We finished our canoe trip with a steep hike
down to Greer Springs, to see where all this water was coming from, with a side
visit to the mill (uphill from the springs on private property) which is in the
process of being restored. I cannot
think of a better way to spend a few days in October! Clear flowing water, crisp blue skies, in the
midst of natural beauty.
Eleven
Point River Map Information:
Missouricanoe.org/river-maps/eleven-point.html
gives a mile by mile description of
where there are access points, springs, and float camps.
Missouriscenicrivers.com/elevenpointrivermap.jpg
This map was designed by Walden
Jost. It is colorful, has GPS
coordinates and a good legend.
