Post #50: Double on the River Friday, June 20

Speed: 4-6 mph

Miles: 35

Time: 10:15 am to 7:09 pm 

Campsite location:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/48%C2%B000'47.7%22N+105%C2%B057'35.9%22W/@48.01326,-105.95998,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en:  

We got up early Friday morning and had breakfast at the same site we had dinner the night before.  The weather was looking very promising.  Beautiful clouds in the sky and no wind.  Of course that was early in the morning.  We drove to the launch site and Ellen prepared our breakfast as I started to sort out my gear and clothing for the next section of the paddle.  After packing the single daily for four weeks, the double presented capacity problems.  We had already determined the Ellen would sit in the back and control the rudder.  That left me with the smaller front compartment and the space behind my seat (which was open to her cockpit) for all the gear and clothing that had been in the single's two compartments. Ellen packed the food, Dutch oven, small cooler, and my sleeping bag in the rear compartment along with her items. It was very frustrating packing the double.  I felt very unorganized and rushed as I was determining what we needed and what was being left in the car. All of this should been done Thursday night.

As soon as we finished breakfast, both of us packed the double as well as we could. This was our first time with a double kayak.  At 9:45 am I returned to the motel to secure the single on the car, check out, and wait for Heather, our shuttle driver.  I found Heather in the lobby reading while she waited for our arrival. She had been there since 8 am.  She forgot about the time change.  Fort Peck is on Mountain Time and Williston is on Central Time. I had Heather drive the Forester to our launch site as I described the nuances of the car.  Ellen was finished with packing the double and we were ready to go. Heather headed back to her home in Williston with the Nighthawk and our car.  I told her we would be 5-7 days on the river and would call her when we arrived in Williston.

We launched and were off for the final two hundred miles. We zig zagged across the lakeish river.  It was difficult for Ellen to get used to the rudder. I was rude throughout the day about the zig zagging. Also, I was disappointed in the lack of current below the dam. I was concerned about leaving needed items in the car.  My arms tired easily due to the lack of exercise the past week and also because of the larger paddle surface I was using now that I was using my paddle and not Ellen's. The weather was outstanding and we had little wind to contend with during the 39 miles we paddled. Ellen was really strong throughout the day.  My arms were tired. By the end of the day, Ellen had improved her rudder skills and was starting to read the river well.  She had very good questions about the river.

Once our campsite was selected, I set up the tent and she began preparing dinner. Dinner was amazing. We shared a small amount of boxed wine during our dinner. The campsite was lovely.  We never encountered a person throughout the day and in camp we felt distant from all the world's distractions. The sounds of passing trains softened the quietness.  I did my best to catch the songs of the chants and drums for as long as I could but I was asleep before 9 pm. It was very special to share it all with my wife. For the previous four weeks' solo, I had set up my daily routine and now I was sharing the river with my best companion. Ellen fit right in and began developing her own routine. She seemed to enjoy the river.  My rants must have been discouraging for her. John

We are set to begin the last section of the paddle.  The double kayak looked and felt very stable.

Ellen's take on the day
We began the day early, heading to the launch site at about 7:30. We had a breakfast of OSM (oats, sunflower seeds, and millet) pancakes and turkey sausage. It was delicious! After packing the kayak and determining what to leave behind, we set out around 10:15 after having made arrangements with Heather. The launch area was a placid lake of sorts, but soon we entered the river and encountered some current, though not as much as John expected. I was a little nervous starting out, but mostly excited to be sharing in the last part of John's journey. I made the rookie mistake of paddling too hard the first few hours and wore myself out. Normally, our paddles last a few hours, never more than four, so I was in for a real treat but very tired arms.

I had some trouble getting the hang of the rudder. It takes a light touch and a bit of finesse. I kept over-steering, which would then cause me to over-correct and get into a cycle of zig zags. It was terribly frustrating. We stopped every two hours to take a break. On this day, our first break was lunch, which was a turkey sandwich, one of the last fresh foods we would have. We barely spoke and when John checked his cell phone for coverage, I figured he was calling Heather to tell her to come back! I was determined to figure out how to control the rudder better, and focused on small, gentle pushes. I also adjusted my foot pedals, which were WAY too close for the first two hours. Fortunately, my strategy worked and I soon began to get the hang of it. I had to completely focus on controlling the rudder at all times. I found it actually easier to control when we had wind because I could be more forceful on the pedals. The calm, still water of the morning hours was always the most difficult because it required the most finesse.

We paddled until around 6:00 (an eight-hour day!) and made camp at a truly beautiful beach. There was a short strip of sand where John pitched our tent, a big log to sit on, and a forest of waist-high, wide-bladed grass. I made dinner as John set up camp--buffalo burgers with pickles, mustard, and ketchup with a side of baked potato chips. A simple burger has never tasted so good! I also brought along little boxes of wine, one for each night. We had a muscat with our burgers. We sat on the log to eat dinner and I was surprised by a large toad who crawled out from the bark still on the log. I thought I had heard something rustling and chirping in there! He disappeared back inside the bark.

John finishes his dinner and enjoys some wine. You can see our tiny tent in the center of the photo.

I was astounded by the quality of the light as the sun set. The grass turned a bright green with long, deep shadows, and the water turned as blue as the grass was green. Everything was tinged in the golden light of the setting sun. As soon as the sun disappeared, there was a chill to the air, though not an unpleasant one. It had been nicely warm that day and evening, so I was surprised by the overall cooler temperatures we encountered, both day and night. I figured the real heat was probably on its way.

In addition to the trains somewhere in the unseen distance passing a couple times an hour, we could also hear what sounded like Native American drums. The wind carried rising voices with the drums, culminating in the four strong beats that always close a Native American song. We figured there was a powwow on the other side of the river.

As we assembled our beds inside the two-person backpacking tent, our Big Agnes, I was a little dismayed to find the the sleeping mats didn't quite fit toward our feet, as the tent is tapered. Once inside, there was very little room to turn around, but it actually turned out OK. I liked the fact that I didn't slide off my mat (because there was nowhere to slide off the mat to...) and that I could feel warmth coming from John. He used my medium weight bag (rated for 20) and I used his summer bag (rated for 45). I am a warm sleeper, so I figured it would be OK.

We both read our Kindles for a little while until our eyes got heavy.We continued to hear faint sounds of the celebration as we drifted off; it was a special time. I ended up being a little cold that night, so I just tucked into my bag and zipped it up around my head, leaving only my nose and eyes showing. It was pretty cosy. Thank goodness for my Nemo pillow! I didn't have enough air in my Nemo mattress, so I didn't sleep very well. I made up my mind to make a few changes to my sleeping attire and mattress the next night. Throughout the night, we heard the slap of the beaver tails on the river, something that delighted me to no end; having first heard about it from John, it was exciting to experience it firsthand.  Ellen

               

Ellen prepares a buffalo burger dinner for our first meal on the river.

Our first campsite was lovely.  We could hear the trains in the distance.  

It is always nice to be able to set up camp near the kayak. 

We could hear the trains and the combination of drums and chants in the distance.

We easily fell asleep.