River 'Round Conservation Area to Robertsville State Park

We didn't have a break in the cold, snowy weather for another, full month.  Saturday, March 9th was our next chance.  The forecast predicted mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the lower 60s.  I decided we'd float the 11 miles from the River 'Round Conservation Area to Robertsville State Park.

I had been watching the hourly forecast like a hawk for weeks. Every forecast said there would be no rain. Woke up to rain. Even while we were driving there in the downpour, the weather on the radio said "No rain today!"  I was worried that the rain would raise the river too much, but when we got to the boatramp that wasn't the case.  The water was even surprisingly clear, (for that part of the Meramec at least), in spite of the rain.  The river was shallower and skinnier here than at the Robertsville State Park, or the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area boatramps.  While there was a noticable current, it didn't seem as strong either.  We put on our ponchos in case it started raining again, and shoved off from the boat ramp!

Because the river was narrower, and shallower, there were quite a few more obstacles in the beginning here than the last float.  Thankfully the current was slower, so it was easier to maneuver around them all.

All along the riverbanks there were trees that were in the process of being washed away, still stubbornly clinging to whatever they could grab.  Their roots looked really neat and sometimes looked like monstrous faces!

Like the last float, there was no shortage of beautiful, smooth riverbluffs.  Many of these were hollowed out like swiss cheese.  We wondered and speculated about what kinds of fish and animals might make a home in all those holes and just how far some of them stretched.

There weren't a whole lot of rapids and obstacles on this trip, but there were a few.  This set was exceptionally loud.  We could hear it from quite a ways away.  The river was more than wide enough to avoid this one though.

Many miles of this length of the river were more like this.  Long, straight or slowly curved stretches with steep banks and tall valleys on each side.  It didn't help that it was so cloudy that day.  Very, very dark.

Every now and then the river would open up though.  We stopped on a seemingly endless soft strand of beach on the right bank and made lunch.  It was in the mid 60s, but because much of the river was in shadow, it felt colder.  It was very nice to get to sun ourselves and fill our bellies with warm food on this beautiful beach.

We passed several landmarks on this float.  First, an old railroad bridge, and later the Highway O bridge.  Its fascinating to see the underside of bridges like these, especially the old ones.

About 3/4ths of the way through the float, the river became noticeably shallower and the current really picked up.  Other than a few places where the river split around, over, and through gravel bars, our paths were mostly clear.

And then the river widened again, and deepened.  I recognized the landscape as that of the beginning of the last trip we took.  And then we spotted the tip of the Robertsville State Park boat ramp barely sticking out of the steep, muddy bank on either side.  We had made it the 11 miles on our second float!

This was a very beautiful, and mostly easy float.  There were bald eagles watching over their nests and soaring over the river, looking for fish.  Countless, glossed riverbluffs.  Sandy and gravelly beaches.  And long stretches of mostly obstacle free river.  There weren't too many gushing bends that I remember.  Lots of steep, towering valleys that cast their shadows over everything.  Tall, vertical, striated layers of red and orange and brown and white sediment carved away by the turn of the river.  Like last time, we only saw a handful of people, and just one motorboat.  It was fantastic enjoying the scenery, just me and my daughter, all by ourselves.