Miles: 43.5
Time: 6:00 am to 5:30 pm (estimate)
Campsite location: N48.04656 W-104.18498. (We lost that day's SPOT message)
This morning my arms felt fine and I promised myself I would not paddle hard today. The morning light was beautiful.
The weather was near perfect. The wind was apparent but never a problem. We drifted often saving our arms for what come be another long paddle day. The scenery was unspectacular. We had two beavers swim directly toward us and then dive in the water a few yards from us making their two slaps as they disappeared. The cottonwoods are thick on the shoreline with some hanging over the water and barely griping the ground. Fallen trees lay half in the river and half on the high bank. The river runs fast through their branches. Throughout this section of the paddle, we have encountered numerous irrigation pumping systems. Some make loud noises and other are somewhat quiet. They are reminders that ranches and farms are not far away. We passed Wolfpoint yesterday without encountering problems with people and today we passed Poplar without incident. In the past, paddlers have had serious problems in those areas.
This morning my arms felt fine and I promised myself I would not paddle hard today. The morning light was beautiful.
The weather was near perfect. The wind was apparent but never a problem. We drifted often saving our arms for what come be another long paddle day. The scenery was unspectacular. We had two beavers swim directly toward us and then dive in the water a few yards from us making their two slaps as they disappeared. The cottonwoods are thick on the shoreline with some hanging over the water and barely griping the ground. Fallen trees lay half in the river and half on the high bank. The river runs fast through their branches. Throughout this section of the paddle, we have encountered numerous irrigation pumping systems. Some make loud noises and other are somewhat quiet. They are reminders that ranches and farms are not far away. We passed Wolfpoint yesterday without encountering problems with people and today we passed Poplar without incident. In the past, paddlers have had serious problems in those areas.
Ellen controlled the kayak with ease today. I sit in the front and navigate by using the guidebook, maps, and the GPS. Channels around islands can be difficult. We bottomed out twice today because of the shallow water. Ellen did her best at keeping the bow pointed down stream so the current would not tip the kayak while high bottomed. I would struggle out of the cockpit and pull Ellen and the kayak to deeper water and then hop back in so we could continue on our way. I would also look for debris, point out logs, and generally watch for anything in the river that might create problems for us. That was my job when in the double. Ellen spent her day guiding the boat avoiding objects in the water, and steering us to the strongest current, using the banks for protection against the wind, and straight lining when possible. Today she was making decisions on her own without my input. She was reading the river well.
It was a short mileage day on the river. For once we found a good campsite early in the afternoon. Ellen guided us to the right of an island and positioned the kayak against the shore so I could get out and check the possible site. Once we decided it was our home for the day, I lined the kayak around a log as Ellen paddled and steered the kayak. The two of us moved the kayak into a very small cove.The campsite was my favorite. The tent and kayak were close together and there was little mud and no wind. Puffy white clouds hung below the deep blue sky as they drifted from horizon to horizon changing shape. We settled into our normal routine of making camp and then used the extra downtime to stretched out the tarp and inflated our matts and nap. I told Ellen I needed to give her two things. First, a hug for being with me. I enjoyed being on the river with her. Second, an apology for being such a jerk about her trials and errors with the rudder the last three days. She graciously accepted both. It was a good day on the river. John
It was a short mileage day on the river. For once we found a good campsite early in the afternoon. Ellen guided us to the right of an island and positioned the kayak against the shore so I could get out and check the possible site. Once we decided it was our home for the day, I lined the kayak around a log as Ellen paddled and steered the kayak. The two of us moved the kayak into a very small cove.The campsite was my favorite. The tent and kayak were close together and there was little mud and no wind. Puffy white clouds hung below the deep blue sky as they drifted from horizon to horizon changing shape. We settled into our normal routine of making camp and then used the extra downtime to stretched out the tarp and inflated our matts and nap. I told Ellen I needed to give her two things. First, a hug for being with me. I enjoyed being on the river with her. Second, an apology for being such a jerk about her trials and errors with the rudder the last three days. She graciously accepted both. It was a good day on the river. John
John secures the kayak for the night and grabs his necessities.
We relax on the tarp on a sandy slope, watching the sunset.
It was great to have the kayak and tent so close.
Ellen boils water to hydrate beans and salsa for nachos. You can see the island and the small channel we came down, as well as the snag that made our little cove where we took out.
A short video of Ellen making dinner, the river, and our campsite.
John enjoys a little zinfandel after dinner.
Ellen's day three
After a good night's sleep, I woke Sunday morning feeling refreshed and ready for a day on the river! I even managed a little more efficiency in breaking camp, so I think we were ready at about 5:45. After a quick bagel share, we paddled for a few hours. Today was much less windy than yesterday, thank goodness. The morning was quiet and peaceful, just like the previous two. We rounded a corner at one point where John took a video. The high cliff walls were stunning and the birds were glorious. It was the the most scenic part of the trip for me so far.
The scenic corner during a peaceful morning.
We stopped for breakfast after a couple of hours. We found a spot that was just past a snag that jutted out at a corner. The snag created a nice little sandy landing for us, so we climbed out and had some granola and almond milk. We had lunch just after a bridge. Our lunch was chicken and bean wraps--not bad. It was strange watching vehicles cross the bridge after not having seen anyone for the better part of three days.
The real treat was finally getting to see one of the trains we have heard so often! There was an incredibly sharp corner, sharp enough that it had "limited sight distance" and made we wonder just what was coming around the bend! The tracks were right next to the river there, so we got to see the train. (Incidentally, more river and high banks were around the corner--big surprise! though the narrowness there was a bit surprising.)
We passed a couple of dead cows in the river today. I can only imagine how easy it was for them to get stuck in the mud. What a sad, slow death. We also had a little trouble with some shallow areas. It kind of frightened me at first because I was worried about getting stuck in quicksand-like mud. But John was able to walk OK and drag the kayak to deep water when necessary. It was only a small section and then we were OK.
In the afternoon, we came around a sharp, long bend to see a gathering of herd animals at the shore. At first glance, I thought they were more cows, but as we approached I realized we were seeing a special sight: wild horses up close. There were 10-15 of them, including four or five foals. They were curious about us and I thought for a moment that they were going to follow us, but the stallion suddenly kicked up and lead them away from the river.
We took a chance on a small channel between an island and the shore, hoping to find the perfect campsite. What we found was quite perfect, in fact. Where the channel re-entered the river, there was a snag that made a little protected pool. John got out beforehand, so I paddled while he lined the boat against a swift current around the log and into the little cove. We were able to pull the kayak right up onto the sand and pitched our tent next to it. It was a beautiful site, protected from the wind by the island. It also gave us a feeling of privacy--not that we saw anyone on the river.
I made nachos for dinner by rehydrating some refried beans, sprinkling on some daiya fake cheese, rehydrating some salsa, and chopping some avocado, all over some rice and bean chips. We had a little box of zinfandel. It was pretty good.
I felt pretty good after another 12-hour day, and even felt like I could keep going longer than the 43 miles we'd already done. I slept quite well that night!
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