We did the route I loosely refer to as “Upper Center Creek”, from Fir Road back to my house. I like this route because it was the very first route I did in a kayak. It’s about 5 miles and has some nice rapids and passes the old lakeside park. The only part I tend not to like is the Dyno factory, and the pipes of water (?) that drain directly into the creek…which I find fairly disturbing. Each year the river changes a little bit because of floods – sometimes clearing out debris, sometimes creating new obstacles. This year there seemed to be a lot more obstacles than in previous years, but it was fun nonetheless.

We stopped to release a sea turtle that was snagged on someones trot line, so if nothing else we accomplished a good deed.

Lakeside Park near Carterville, approximately 100 years ago.

This place has always fascinated me and I like to walk around and imagine what it was like back in the day. Sometime I should take copies of the old postcards and try to take photos from the exact same angles… another day I suppose.

Here is an old post card. This is cool because at least part of all 3 structures are still around today. The arched bridge, the supports for the bath house, and parts of the dam.

This bridge is long gone but the support posts are still around – however I didn’t get a pic.

This used to be the low dam that held back the small “lake”. People would walk across here and get their feet wet. I have concluded that the roller coaster was located to the southeast of the dam – so it would be in this photo if still standing.

Another random old wall further downstream. I think it’s cool to imagine the people constructing this wall around the turn of the previous century. For decades this place was full of people and good times. Now there is only the sound of the river and the birds.

Grant checkin' out a small waterfall along Center Creek (insert waterfall sound)

The furthest I had ever been down Center Creek was the park in Carl Junction. So this time we started there and floated down to the bridge near Smithfield, which is the last takeout point before the river flows into Kansas and merges with Spring River. I found this section of the river to be particularly enjoyable because it seemed to have an abundance of rapids compared to other sections, and there were a lot of large rock bottom areas. I also enjoyed the numerous small wet weather waterfalls along the bank… though there are several of these just upstream from my house as well.

It is also worth nothing that Grant and I have become fairly proficient at the logistics of a self-guided float trip, considering we both drive compact cars. Who would have thought a kayak can almost entirely fit in the trunk of a jetta with another one tied to the top without even taking off my bike rack!? Sweet lovin!

I was also on a mission to trim various branches that hang into the river from recent storms… which was a good idea in theory but I should have known it wasn’t a good idea to try and trim branches while standing in a kayak that was tied to a paddle being held by a friend standing on the shore. Good thing I bought that water proof camera case.

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Here is one of my new favorite spots along the river. It’s just a ways down from the western boundary of the farm.

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Grant and Matt enjoying a sack lunch on the cool rocks.

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In this slow spot we stumbled across a cool rope swing hanging over the river. So we each had a go at it.