Meramec River, or you can't do much when it's thundering

by  Ackman

A self-supported trip created by Ackman

Trip Overview

Went on a float trip on the Meramec beginning on Friday the 25th. Stayed at Riverview Ranch overnight. The night went fine, until we got hit by overnight thunderstorms. Onto the float itself. The Meramec is a truly beautiful float stream. I undertook the five mile float. We put in after being shuttled to the Onondaga Bridge. The river was running low but fast. You will encounter every type of person on this river; from the uninitiated to the pro. In our party there were several experienced paddlers. We were barely a mile into the float when the sky grew dark as midnight and thunder pealed. Since the banks are lined with riparian forests, going under them was a no go, so we stuck it out. Luckily the storm passed and the sun came back out. Encountered several cows walking into the river. There's an excellent beach area where the Hinch Branch joins the Meramec. The rapid here is one where you can get on your butt and slide down, or you can cliff dive into the deep pool created by the meeting of the streams. We took out at the Campbell Bridge at Riverview Ranch. We were lucky that we took out in time, because about twenty or so minutes afterward it got dark again and it hailed.

Conditions

Thunderstorms came through when we paddled this stretch.

Trip Details

  • Trip Dates: 8/25/2000-8/26/2000
  • Trip Duration: Day Trip
  • Sport/Activity: Canoeing
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Water Type: River/Creek (Up to Class II)

Trip Location