Paddle MO 2020 Past Participant helps expand Program to Kansas City - by Jackie Halloran

I have always had a love of the water. Growing up, my fondest memories were canoeing southern Missouri spring-fed crystal clear rivers or hanging out in the summertime with my cousins at the Lake of the Ozarks. I am a self-described “water dog” or “river rat”. I bought my first recreation stand up paddleboard (SUP) for my birthday as a present to myself in 2014. I paddled my newly appointed birthday present almost every day, I was instantly addicted and obsessed. I only knew of a few people with SUP’s in the entire state of Missouri, and they were paddling the Missouri River. The river was calling and I had to go! Can you say….#obsessed?

Using my best friend Google, I found Shane Perrin from St. Louis, a prominent long distance stand up paddler. I learned there were Missouri River races being managed as fundraisers for different river advocacy organizations.

One of those races is Race for the Dome hosted by Missouri River Relief. Missouri River Relief is a grassroots, volunteer and equipment-based organization dedicated to connecting people to the Missouri River through hands-on river clean-ups, education and recreation. Race to the Dome is a Canoe, Kayak, and SUP race on the Missouri River and usually takes place the first Saturday of October.

I signed up with Shane Perrin, Blake Thornton and Phil Rodway. Back in 2014, there were only four of us in the SUP Division. We opted for the longer distance of the two options, which required us to paddle 27.6 miles from Providence to Jefferson City. I met them in Jefferson City the night before so we could manage race logistics and make our shuttling plan. We spent the evening trading paddling stories on all things SUP and river related. The discussion included: paddling gear and equipment, weather conditions, training tactics, and more. I enthusiastically listened and soaked up all the new information. My confidence was boosted due to the support and encouragement of my new friends. I knew I had found my tribe- fellow “river rats”. I did not sleep that night from anticipation. The idea of paddling the Missouri River was scary and intimidating. I was admittedly nervous of the unknown.

Once on the river, with a healthy dose of respect, a calmness took over. I marveled at the bluffs towering above the water’s edge, the occasional soaring eagle or the sound of the wind mingling amongst the tall sycamores. I felt so minuscule in the vastness of the river. The experience was like a magical wilderness, literally located in my own backyard. I was learning from other paddlers how to read channel markers, recognize underwater wing dikes and currents of the river. As my love of the Missouri River grew deeper I was becoming more enthralled with this new-found escape. I wanted more. I took sanctuary in being on the river.

I decided to test my SUP skills further in 2020. Stream Teams United offered Paddle MO, a 100 mile adventure from Hermann, MO to the confluence of the Missouri/Mississippi Rivers. This trip was divided into 5 days, visiting historic river towns and indulging in local cuisine. The best part of this trip was all you had to do was basically show-n- go. Stream Teams United staff and volunteers handled the land logistics of campsites, food, breakfast, lunch and dinner, entertainment, educational features, and shuttles, which were all included in the trip.

On the river, Jody and “Wild” Bill of Earth’s Classroom shared their educational prowess and passion of the importance of freshwater ecosystems. We learned about glaciers, species of eco-specific plants and animals, rocks and geology patterns on sandbars or cliffs, and the effect of medical waste on fresh water mussels.

Living in Kansas City, I was directly involved in Stream Teams United’s Inaugural Paddle MO KC last September 2022. Paddle MO KC was a 3 day, 70-mile paddle. Launching in Atchison, KS and paddling to LaBenite access in Sugar Creek, with two stops in Leavenworth, KS and Parkville, MO. It was important to me to extend this program across the state to the Kansas City area.

Paddle MO participants learn the significance of the Missouri River as a natural resource while sharing their river experience with other likeminded folks.

As with all Paddle MO programs, safety, river stewardship, and educational aspects are of upmost importance. Did you know the largest pecan old growth forest is located on the Fort Leavenworth military reservation? Trees that explorers Lewis and Clark recorded when paddling by in 1804. “Yeah, this is the grove of trees that they would have seen on July 1, 1804, when they paddled by and mentioned giant pecan trees on the south bank”. said Bass. Neil Bass is the natural resources manager on the Fort Leavenworth base.

This year, Paddle MO is hosting its 8th annual adventure on the Missouri River with its first Capitol to Capitol trip, a 115-mile journey from Missouri’s current Capitol (in Jefferson City), to the state’s first Capitol (in St. Charles), Sept. 23-27. Missouri Stream Team volunteers and Stream Teams United staff will once again serve as the support crew and Bill and Jody Miles of Earth’s Classroom as on-water guides and educators. Find out more and join the adventure at paddlemo.org.

There is nothing like finding your own tribe, where you truly feel you belong. Paddling the Missouri River is a passion and I am so grateful to have found the connections over the last 8 years to bring me closer to the water and to the people who love it as much as I do.