Kayaking - Flint River

 Put-in at bridge across the street from Brown Bear Canoe Rental, Take Out  at bridge at Little Cove Road- 13.7 miles, 3:42 paddling time, 16 min/mile, river 8.5 feet

We got on the river at 10:30, after a delicious breakfast at Ethan’s—homemade cinnamon rolls and fresh watermelon. The river was only rocky for a very short stretch, which was a relief. The last time we paddled this section, we remembered about half a mile of rocks that forced us to portage at times. The higher water level today worked in our favor.

Around three miles in, we reached a spot where the road crosses the river. From our position on the water, we couldn’t tell exactly how steep the drop was, though we could see a small waterfall ahead. We chose to portage on the left side—and we were glad we did. Looking back from below, the drop was quite steep and rocky.

The first few miles were hot and sunny, and I found myself wishing for rain. Sure enough, a light rain began falling not long after—just about 10 minutes’ worth—but enough to cool the air. We spent much of the day paddling under the shade of trees, and for the first stretch, we had the river nearly to ourselves.

Somewhere between miles seven and eight, we passed NACK Outfitters loading people onto the river—lots and lots of people. Shortly after, we stopped for lunch on a small island and watched the groups float past. After lunch, we continued downstream and couldn’t believe how many paddlers we encountered. The river became loud and crowded, full of inexperienced groups with blaring radios, making their way downstream in clusters.

This is exactly why we try to avoid paddling on Saturdays toward the end of the day. Out of curiosity, I counted boats for 25 minutes—we passed 125 boats in that time!

The takeout was just as chaotic. Scotty waited for us while we retrieved the other vehicle, and even then, we had to wait in line just to get the vehicle down the ramp and load the boats.

Despite the crowded second half, we were glad we went—because honestly, it was just too hot to do anything else. And when we got home, Ethan had another great meal waiting for us: hamburgers, broccoli salad, and perfectly crunchy chips.

Kayaking - Current River

 Today was our final—and by far the most exciting and nerve-wracking—paddling day of the trip. Originally, we had planned to paddle the North Fork of the White River, but high water levels forced us to change plans. Instead, we decided to launch right from our campsite at Round Spring Campground and paddle to Two Rivers Campground—a solid 18 miles. We made incredible time, covering the distance in just 3 hours and 40 minutes, averaging over 5 miles per hour.

We launched into a heavy downpour, thinking it would pass quickly. It didn’t. The rain kept pouring for nearly two hours as we paddled. At one point, it felt like the temperature dropped, and everyone began to feel the cold. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, it was a stunning paddle. Mist clung to the water, mountains lined the riverbanks, and waterfalls poured down from the cliffs all around us—it felt surreal.

We stopped for lunch on a gravel bar, only to realize the water was steadily rising. We had to keep pulling our boats farther up as the river crept toward them. Between the constant rainfall and the torrents from the waterfalls, the river was swelling quickly. That’s when William started getting concerned about our takeout—worried that the rising water might flood the parking lot and make it difficult to get the cars out.

We picked up the pace, paddling faster than we had all week. I paddled back to check in with Scotty, who reassured me that everything was fine and he wasn’t worried. That message got relayed to William, and we could see the tension ease from his face.

As we approached the takeout, we stayed on high alert. The ramp was completely submerged—impossible to see—but we spotted the road that led to it and took out there instead. We were a group of soaked, cold, but very relieved paddlers. I finally understood what it means to be “soaked to the bone.”

After loading up the kayaks, we headed into town for gas—and couldn’t resist one final stop at Dairy Shack for our last ice cream of the week. A sweet ending to an unforgettable day.

Kayaking - Eleven Point

 Today’s paddle was 8.52 miles and took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes on the water.

We started the day with a scenic hour-and-15-minute drive. William was clearly in his element—once he hit the road, he took off! The drive itself is half the fun, full of rolling hills—up and down, up and down—which made it feel like a mini adventure before the river even began.

When we arrived at Hufstedler’s Outfitters, they quickly got to work loading our kayaks. Unfortunately, one of their trailers had a dangerously bent wheel, forcing them to pull over. You could tell the staff were really trying to make things run smoothly this year—especially after some hiccups last year. Thankfully, the delay was minor. They ran one trailer to the river and came back for the others.

The river was running higher than usual thanks to the recent heavy rain. The sky was dark and moody, but the water was clear and the banks were lined with lush trees. It felt like we were paddling through a painting. How lucky are we?

We stopped for lunch at one of my favorite places—Old Mill Springs. We sat on the old stone wall, overlooking the historic mill where water gushes out from the spring. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Some of us walked around to explore, while a few brave souls jumped into the freezing water. One of the funniest moments came when a butterfly landed on Rebecca—probably drawn to the floral print on her bathing suit. Everyone got a good laugh out of that.

Our favorite part of the river is usually the waterfall, but this year, the water was so high that the falls had turned into fast-moving rapids instead. Honestly, I think it made it even more fun! Many of us paddled back along the shoreline just to go through them again.

Even after tackling the roughest stretch of the river, we finished without a single swimmer. Another successful and memorable day on the water with our paddling buds.

Kayaking- Jack’s Fork

 We started today’s adventure at Windy’s Outfitters. After loading up the boats, we drove to our put-in at Alley Spring Mill. The river entrance there is narrow and runs alongside a gravel bar, so we launched one by one, easing into the water. It was overcast at first, but as the day went on, the sun gradually broke through.

The river was absolutely beautiful—winding gently through tree-lined hills, with occasional towering cliffs rising above us. Some of those cliffs had large caverns, which made me wonder if people might have once taken shelter in them long ago.

At several points, we had to space out because the current would pull us toward the bank. We all felt a little victorious after navigating each tricky stretch. But then came the moment—we had our only flip of the day. Barney capsized while maneuvering through a narrow section near a log, and unfortunately, he lost his prescription glasses in the process.

Thankfully, the paddling crew jumped into action. They pulled his boat to shore, and from there, Barney followed Scotty, whose bright orange kayak made a great guide, while his son Josh stayed beside him, giving directions.

Though the section from Alley Spring to Eminence Ballpark is only about 3 miles, we ended up paddling around 7 miles in total. It was a successful and satisfying trek. And of course, since we finished in Eminence, a stop at the Dairy Shack for a snack was a must.

Back at our trailer, Scotty and I heated up some homemade pasta and a seafood medley from Aldi’s. It made for a delicious dinner—especially eaten under the tarp while torrents of rain poured down around us. The rain had started right at 2:30, just as we got off the river, and as I write this at 9:00 p.m., it’s still coming down hard. There are streams of water running down the road outside, and we’re feeling pretty grateful to be warm and dry inside tonight.

Kayaking - Current River

Today we paddled from Akers Ferry to Pulltite—a 9-mile stretch. The weather was a bit overcast, and the wind picked up at times, making the paddling a little more challenging. Still, it was an absolutely wonderful day on the river.

There were no incidents, and everything went smoothly. We stopped for lunch across from Cave Spring. Even though we’ve visited this cave before, it never loses its charm. The striking blue water and the way the cave frames the view of the outside world always makes it feel special.

This time, we were lucky enough to spot a Midwestern water snake near the cave. That was such a cool moment—I’ve always wanted to see one up close.

All in all, it was another great day on the water.

Kayaking- Current River

 The day started with an unexpected pleasure - wild horses strolled through our campsites!

We put in at Cedar Grove and paddled to Akers Ferry, covering about 8 miles. The river starts out fairly narrow with a few twists and turns, but nothing too challenging—just a smooth, enjoyable float.

We had a big group today—25 people in total—and remarkably, no one flipped. The weather was perfect, and we were even lucky enough to spot a bald eagle soaring overhead.

We usually stop at Welch Springs for lunch, but today that wasn’t an option—trees and mud were blocking the entrance. Instead, we found a nice sandbar directly across from Welch Springs and had our lunch break there.

As always, getting everyone shuttled back and forth in cars was a bit of a logistical puzzle, and there was the usual reshuffling at the end of the trip. But eventually, we all made it back to camp.

We ended the day with a relaxing evening, sitting around and chatting with Lauren and Liz—another great day on the river.

Kayaking - Jack’s Fork

Today we started our paddle at Eminence Ball Park, stopped for lunch at Shawnee Creek, and finished at Two Rivers. The route was about 8 miles long and took us around 3.5 hours of actual paddling—just over four hours total on the river. The current was moving quickly today, which made things more exciting.

We had three additional paddlers from our campground join us, making a group of ten in total. About a mile into the trip, Lauren and one of our tagalongs flipped their boat after hitting an eddy near a tree. That was the first of five flips we had throughout the day.

The toughest situation came when Lauren’s boat got away from us and floated downstream. Karen managed to chase it down and catch it, quite a distance downstream. We initially planned for Scotty to tow it back upstream, but the current was too strong and it was a distance downstream. After paddling hard—about 25 strokes—he barely made any progress. It was a losing battle.

We ended up pulling the boat ashore and considered portaging it along a nearby path, but the trail was far too overgrown. That led us to Plan C, which finally worked. Once we had the boat back, we discovered it was completely filled with water. After emptying it, we tied two tow ropes to it. With a lot of effort, Scotty managed to paddle upstream and return the boat to Lauren.

It’s moments like these that make our paddling trips truly memorable.

We wrapped up the day at the Dairy Shack—and honestly, that alone made the adventure worthwhile.