Crane Pond Creek, |
|
| Usual Difficulty | III-IV (may vary with level) |
|---|---|
| Avg. Gradient | 84 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 115 fpm |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Fork Black River near Lesterville, MO | ||||
| usgs-07061270 | 2.00 - 6.00 ft | III-IV | 01h16m | 1.25 ft (rc= -0.2 ) |
(Big Creek tributary)
Park in the parking lot right next to Crane Lake. Put in and paddle toward the gorge in the
distance ... about 1/4 mile. (Note: this distance is not included in the gradient numbers cited
above). The lake and land surrounding the gorge are public lands (Missouri Dept. of Conservation
& Forest Service). After the creek exits the gorge, it's all private until the
take-out.
While the run is only 2.35 miles, you'll need to paddle across the lake, carry around the dam
which creates Crane Pond, scout the drops (7 in all), pick your way through willow jungles from
Hell, and carry around a dam 1/2 mile above the take-out, so it will seem longer.
The gorge drops about 80 feet in 1/2 mile before it ends. Scenery is spectacular in the gorge,
with short, catchable eddies. The most serious drop (about the 3rd or 4th one) is recognizable by
the creek curving to the left and vegetation from the left intruding into the paddling corridor
(i.e. be prepared for a fandango with a bush). Low-water runs have resulted in a lot of pins at
this spot.
One final note ... because you have to paddle a tiny creek through private land be especially
courteous if a landowner is encountered. We have had no encounters so far (except for the one at
the take-out) but there's always a chance. Happy paddling!
History:
Crane Pond Creek was first run on Easter Sunday, 19 April 1992, by Greg Brown, Chuck McHenry,
Bill Knight, Rich Bryant, Frank Wentz, Bill Weiss, and John Tansil.
The USGS gauge is a crude indicator for runnability of this small creek. Better to look for 1-2" of rain within 24 hours at the Glover rain gage and look for a sharp rise in the E Fork Black River. A paddler’s gauge is on the CR 134 low-water bridge at the take-out. The gauge is new (3/16/2005) so the levels given below are somewhat uncertain.
| Crane Pond Cr @ CR 134 bridge (feet) |
|
| Minimum | 1.0 |
| Optimum | 1.5 - 4.0 |
| Maximum | 5.0 (top of the bridge) |
It is not recommended to run Crane Pond Creek below the minimum. The reason for this is that the creek bed widens significantly after leaving the gorge and a low-water run entails a lot of boat abuse. Additionally, there is a mile-long section of “willow jungles from hell,” a consequence of the creek bed being dewatered by the upstream reservoir. It’s very difficult to negotiate the “slalom forest” in the wide river bed when the water is low. Also, watch out for snakes in warm weather when the trees have leafed out!
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Fork Black River near Lesterville, MO | ||||||||||||
| usgs-07061270 | 2.00 - 6.00 ft | III-IV | 01h16m | 1.25 ft (rc= -0.2 ) | ||||||||
|
Level shown is for a nearby USGS gauge and is only a crude indicator for runnability of this creek. |
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|
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1y248d18h30m | Crane Pond Creek [MO] |
2nd Drop
|
12 inches under take | Ben Corrado |
No guide books for this stream. If you know of a book that describes this stream please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. No Comments
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State News
River Links
NWRI - Crane Pond Creek Crane Lake to County Road 134 (Minimum Rd/Neal Huff Rd) (2.35 miles) (mobile)
