Wow, that's a tough bike ride even now, and back then it had to be even tougher. Those are some really big hills you have to climb, and a lot of them too. They say you ride down into the Ozark Mountains, and Springfield is on the edge of the Ozark Plateau, so the ride back must of been even tougher! That's a lot of work to go have some fun

That entire run on the river is pretty much all developed now. There are still a few stretches that haven't been, but those gaps keep getting closed in, and the water is always bone chilling cold now that it all comes from the lower depths of Table Rock Lake. Not many canoe it anymore.

The fishing is still good though. There are big bass that live in there, and so many trout you can hardly toss a line and not catch one.

I live about 12-14 miles down stream from Rockaway Beach (not even half that as the crow flies). I've seen several big floods since I've been here, and even with the dams the water can rise fast. The 2011 flood brought some huge trees down with it and I really can't imagine canoeing in that raging water. It had to be pretty terrifying, especially at night.

I have neighbors who put food on the table running trot lines on the old river back then. Those guys rowed wood john boats for miles and miles and spent many stormy nights hunkered down along the shore. I'm not kidding, you guys were just tougher than hell back then!