The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is a park that protects and preserves a pair of rivers (Jack's Fork River and the Current River) that flow through a part of south eastern Missouri. This part of Missouri is on the Ozark Plateau, a hilly geological dome that is located in parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas as well as Missouri. Six of us from central Pennsylvania (Brian, Dave, Mark, Rick, Vern, and me) got together to explore these rivers. Our original plan was to take four days to paddle 40 miles of the Jack's Fork River, provided there was enough water to get down. We delayed our launch by a day because of forecasted storms, including hard rain, possible tornados, and hail. We got the forecasted rain and then some, so we were happy to not be huddled and shivering in tents along the river. The payoff for waiting a day was a perfect level (3.5' at Mountainview) for paddling Jack's Fork! And there was plenty of water to make for a fas...