Post #31: Cow Pie Camp, Saturday, May 31

Speed: 5-7 mph

Miles: 30

Time: 9:49 am to 6:54 pm

Location:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/47%C2%B024'22.9%22N+111%C2%B026'45.5%22W/@47.40635,-111.44598,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en

I spent a leisurely morning in Cascade waiting out thunderstorms. After having a great breakfast (two eggs sunny-side up and a slice of ham) I felt ready to move on and take advantage of good weather. I got some good advice from the locals during breakfast.

                     

     The Cascade friendly folks: Breakfast in Cascade provided plenty of 

     insight and well wishes from the local fishermen that were waiting 

        out a thunderstorm while having their ham and eggs.

My launch site at Cascade: After a half-mile portage from the 

Trout Motel in Cascade, I put in at 10:00 am and I paddled for 

a few hours, lunched at Olm and then continued on to 

get closer to Great Falls.

 

I pushed six miles past Ulm before a strong storm caught up to me. I had watched it approach me for hours while paddling. I set up camp in cow pasture while strong winds blew through the stand of cottonwoods across the river. It rained hard soon after the tent was up. I call it Cow Pie Camp One.

There will be more like it along the way.

    

                                                 Fifteen minutes later the sun came out and 

                                                 dried everything except the fresh cow pies. 

Post #30: Trout Motel, Cascade, Mt., Friday, May 30

Speed: 6-8 mph

Miles: 19

Time: 7:38 am to 12:10 pm

Campsite location:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/47%C2%B016'23.1%22N+111%C2%B041'58.7%22W/@47.27309,-111.69963,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en

                               

It's Friday and the landscape tells me I am out of the mountains now. The river is still flowing north. I launched at 8:30--a bit late as I needed extra rest. Half Breed Rapids were tough and scary and about half a mile long! There was a rock in the middle that you had to make a sharp left at, which plunged you into more rapids.There was a drift boat off to the right and I am sure they were watching how the kayak handled the rapids. My heart was pounding for a while afterwards. I stopped at 10:00 and had breakfast and called my wife to let her know I'd made it through the rapids without getting wet. There was no wind, and the sun was warm and the current good all the way to the town of Cascade.

                                         

Jared, a guide and his clients, joined me at Pelican FAS (Fishing Access Site), where I had breakfast           after Half Breed Rapids, rapids.

                                       

Take out at Cascade FAS; half mile portage to the Trout Motel, the old Badger Motel. The portage cart worked flawlessly. The backpack was full of gear and hung over my shoulders on top of my PFD. The spray skirt was worn and the six gallons of water stayed in the cockpit.

                                       

I managed to fit my16-foot kayak into a 14 foot motel room by putting it diagonally across the two beds. The hot shower was wonderful and I was able to do my laundry! I had some greasy chicken, onion rings and a beer for dinner.

                             

Mike, the new owner of the Trout Motel in Cascade, called Terry and Pam, who used to own the motel. He asked if I could see Terry's wooden kayaks. They invited me over and I walked the two blocks. Terry met me in front and took me to the back deck where Pam and a friend were enjoying the view of the river. They offered me a glass of wine, but I told them that I wanted to see his kayaks. They are cedar artwork. It was a relaxing and great day on and off the water.

                                        

                                   Walking the streets of Cascade to Terry and Pam's.

   I visited Terry, the former owner of the Trout Motel, 

   who makes cedar kayaks. They are a work of art. 


Terry's beautiful wooden boats which he estimated 
as having invested around 500 hours in building each.

Post #29: Mid-Canon, Thursday, May 29

Speed: 6-8 mph

Miles: 32

Time: 6:37 am to 3:30 pm
Campsite location: 
https://www.google.com/maps/place/47%C2%B007'26.2%22N+111%C2%B053'09.6%22W/@47.12394,-111.88599,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en

The Nighthawk rest quietly in the Gates of the Mountains while I hike the area.

After a 7:30 launch, I paddled on flat water and stopped at the Meriweather Recreation Site to view a 1949 memorial to 19 fallen firefighters.

The memorial is surrounded by mountains that reach from the
river to the sky.  It was breathtaking.

I paddled flat water to Holter Dam and had strong breezes

         to the Holter Dam take out.

Tim, the dam manager, made the Holter Dam portage quick and painless. He helped pack my kayak and gear into his truck. He released 2000 gps more over the dam so the river is now at 12000 gps. Tim retires in September and plans on living in Great Falls.

I met Mac who was drift guiding two senior women from Kent, WA, on a fishing trip. I thought I had missed the Dearborne Motel, and Mac offered to drive me back up to it after they finished fishing. An hour and a half later, we realized the motel had been converted to a private lodge. It was late in the day so I set up at Mid Canon which turned out to be the worst site yet.

Dearborne Motel is now a privately owned lodge, so I had to camp at Mid Canon Campground--ugh! It was a 33-mile day from the camp in the gates to this one.

My kayak on Mac's truck.

       

Post #28: The Gates of the Mountains, Wednesday, May 28

Speed: 6 mph

Miles: 9.5

Time: 6:30 am to 12:25 pm

Campsite location :https://www.google.com/maps/place/46%C2%B051'07.7%22N+111%C2%B054'47.9%22W/@46.85213,-111.9133,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en    

It was a short paddle to Hauser Dam from Black Sands State Park. Hauser Dam portage took 1.5 hours down a dirt road and a well used path. I had to unload my kayak, carry everything up to the bank, and then down the trail to the put in using stages along the way. Empty the Nighthawk weights only 49 pounds. Carrying the kayak up the bank and over the Jersey barrier was difficult because it is awkward carrying it.

 I portaged my kayak and gear separately to the put in location below Hauser Dam. As always below a dam, the water was swift, cold, and ideal for trout.

My first glimpse of the Gates of the Mountains from Holter Lake.

 After waiting out three-foot white caps for two hours today around 10:00 am, and I finally got to my campsite 15 miles down river at around 12:30 pm. While waiting out the wind, I had oatmeal for breakfast/lunch while a goose protected her nest from me. The gap in the right center of the photo is the entrance of the Gates of the Mountains. It is narrow.

   I have a good spot that will be sunny in the morning.The tent is holding up well with the tarp over it, but the hailstorms are pretty noisy. I had cell phone reception this afternoon and was able to talk to Ellen for a short while. I told her I lost my hat to the wind/lake, so she would need to send a new one to Fort Benton. I also thought I might run out of food and that I might need my summer bag sooner than I thought. I am sleeping well; my Nemo sleeping pad and pillow are very comfortable. The site demands a revisit in the future.

                                                                                                    

                   This is Miller's recommended campsite in Gates of the Mountains. It was 1.76 miles past the Gates. It was a beautiful, peaceful and serene location. The paddle from the entrance of the Gates of the Mountains to the campsite was near perfect. The mountains touch the water on both sides of the river.

Below is a link to a professionally made video by Skyworks flying over the Gates of the Mountains.

http://youtu.be/S0s2p_3H2R0

       

Post #27:Black Sands State Park, Tuesday, May 27

Speed: 4 mph

Miles: 19 

Time: 5:20 am to 1:55 pm

Campsite location:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/46%C2%B035'01.1%22N+111%C2%B040'24.9%22W/@46.58365,-111.67358,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en

Winds gave me a 18 mile paddle from Mahoney to Black Sands State Park, my camp location for the third night. Buzz, a park ranger, was a great help. He told me great stories about working there and then checked on me later in the evening. It was a $23 tent campsite.

The Canyon Ferry Lake changes as you approach the north end.  The rocks there are stunning. The homes built on the shoreline are high end vacation homes for people from the Helena area which is not far away.

I stopped at the Marina on the west side of the lake and found it closed until the weekend.  I did talk to a young couple in a car and they suggested that I try the Marina across the lake. I crossed the lake to Kim's Marina. There, Craig, the owner, gave me free portage around Canyon Ferry Dam. Logan drove me to Riverside Campground where I put in to continue to Black Sands for the night.

 Canyon Ferry Dam from Riverside campground is well developed. The campground is clean and has plenty of camping sites. It was a great location for lunch and I was entertained by a curious tourist. I need to push on to get a full day's paddle in before setting up camp.

The Black Sands State Park expensive campsite provided a
picnic table and a view of Lower Hauser Lake.

After a long paddle day, it was worth the money.

Post #26: Mahoney Recreational Area, Monday, May 26

Speed: 3 mph

Miles: 14

Time: 6:22 am to 2:20 pm

Campsite location:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/46%C2%B035'01.1%22N+111%C2%B040'24.9%22W/@46.58365,-111.67358,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en

After yesterday's perfect weather, today I was met with wind in my face for a more challenging paddle. I made camp at Mahoney. The wind blew my hat into the water and carried it away.  I never saw it again.  Late in the day I took a bath in the chilly water.  It was refreshing and much needed. I slept well that night until another boat floated into the bay with bow and arrow fishermen.  The bright lights woke me up.  They floated silently into the next bay. The campsite is a great one.

The low water levels on Canyon Ferry Lake provided a nice cove and 

a sandy beach for my second campsite.

The cove provided some relief from the wind.  

I took a bath and was dry in a few minutes.

Post #25: Three Forks, Mt. The Journey begins! Sunday, May 25

Speed: 8-10 mph

Miles: 47.5

Time: 9:45 am to 4:12 pm

Campsite location:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/46%C2%B024'38.8%22N+111%C2%B034'16.1%22W/@46.41079,-111.57114,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en

Sunday, May 25 began as and remained a beautiful, windless day with a fast current and high water. The river was running at 7,000 cfs after a great winter for a snow pack.

At the headwaters of the Missouri boat launch, I had 

  to pack all my gear into and onto my boat for real.

  It's hard to believe it all fits!

      

     I said good-bye to the pups who refused to get out of the car. I hugged Ellen and gave 

                              her a last look in the eyes.  I will really miss them!

After months of planning, I am ready to begin my 

   journey at long last.

            I dropped my skeg and got my GPS going while Ellen heads down river to catch me on                         camera. The river is moving fast and my kayak is riding in low in the water.

She watched until I disappeared out of sight around the bend.

              

The Toston Dam portage took 1.5 hours and there were no dam workers (on a Sunday) so I portaged myself. The dam was at 16000 cfs. With my first campsite being closed, my goal was Indian Road near Townsend.  I used my GPS waypoint and directions from Miller's book, but I passed it by mistake. Locations have changed since the book was published. I tried to paddle up river to get back to it but nearly tipped so I decided to go five miles farther to Silos on Canyon Ferry Lake. The river did braid as it met the lake water. There were some tight areas that I had to maneuver through to deeper water. Once on the lake, I relaxed and eased up on my paddle strokes. I finally made it to Silos on the west shore of Canyon Ferry Lake. It was a 48-mile day. The lake input was at 21,000 cfs. The host, Erwin, allowed me to camp on the sand right next to my kayak and gave me the campsite for free. He was so excited to see me; he took my picture and had me write some things down so he could post it up for others to see and follow. He even offered to take me to dinner but I declined. After calling Ellen, who made it all the way home by 7:45, I spent the evening reading my Kindle. Late at night a boat with huge lights silently drifted into the cove. Three men and a woman were fishing using bow and arrows. The craft looked like some high school student's movie about a UFO!

                My first campsite was at Silos Campground

                           on Canyon Ferry Lake.

    

Post #24: Heading out

Kayak, gear, wife and dogs are all loaded up in the car ready to make the trip to Montana.

Dinner at Wild Horse Monument: Cold hot dogs and potato salad!

Post #23: Final Packing

Now I unpack the kayak and map the location of each item. I check that list with my gear list on the IPad to make sure everything goes to Three Forks.  The items go into a bin and hauled out to the car to be placed in the cargo bin on top of the Forester.  Some items, like the tripod, will remain in the kayak. Ellen will arrive around 3:30 and we should head east on I-90 soon after her arrival.The pups will be with us.

Ellen is home, and we are finally ready to go. Kayak, gear, wife and dogs are all loaded up in the car ready to make the trip to Montana.

We stop at Wild Horse Monument viewpoint to have dinner. It was so windy that we opted to eat our hot dogs cold with our potato salad. I guess I had better get used to cold meals!

Post #22: Down to hours

It is down to hours now before we head out for Three Forks, Montana. Now it is all about details.
The kayak had the final packing today. I have to find room for my running shoes. The supply boxes for Fort Benton and James Kipp are packed. The Forester received its timely maintenance. It will need to get us to Three Forks and get Ellen and the pups back home without mishap. Then in three weeks get Ellen to Fort Peck, Mt. safely and then get us back to the pups after a short visit to Washburn, ND.
What have I forgotten? TP? Oh, shit.

.

What have I forgotten? The deck. Details. 
There are a few deck boards that have ends popping up. They will have to wait for my return in 
July

Post #21: Snafus

My first campsite is being remodeled and is closed until July.  I will need to paddle to Indian Road Campground near the town of Townsend instead.  That will be a 43 mile day.  Other problems are due to the winter ice.  As of now, there is no drinkable water at James Kipp.  The ice tore up the campground as seen in the BLM photos below.