Post #49: Ellen's Arrival Thursday, June 19th

Ellen finally arrived at Fort Peck.  She started from the Seattle area on the 18th after dismissing her students for the summer and a hotel stop in Missoula.  Crossing Montana is a two day affair.  She made it. She is safe. We are together.  It has been four weeks since I saw her last when I put in at Three Forks. We had a wonderful dinner with wine and pie at a picnic table below the dam.

It is so nice to have her with me.  What was I thinking when I left her for four weeks? I missed her.

Ellen opens a bottle of wine as she prepares dinner for the two of us on the shores of the Missouri below the Fort Peck Dam.  Finally, I get to eat a great dinner prepared by my favorite chef.  I find it hard to describe how nice it is to have her next to me and knowing that she is going to finish the last section of the paddle alongside me.  This is what life is all about. John


Ellen's point of view
After an eight-hour drive yesterday, I arrived in Missoula, MT. I left directly from school and drove into rain. With help from a hotel worker, I took the Whisper off the Forester in the pouring rain and stashed it in a conference room. Safe and sound. I had made the hotel reservation a month ago and forgotten that I'd reserved a suite. My room was big enough itself for the kayak (if I could have gotten it up to the third floor).

OK, this doesn't really do the room justice. This was about at third of the floorspace and the bed was around the corner!

This morning, I did a quick run along the Clark Fork river, showered, loaded up the kayak, and headed out for what would be a nine-hour drive to Fort Peck, eating breakfast in the car. Every couple of hours, I would call John to update him as to my whereabouts--my progress. It was kind of exciting, knowing that though I had a long drive ahead of me, I was getting closer to him with each mile. When I finally arrived at the Fort Peck Hotel, John sauntered down the path toward me with his arms stretched wide. I was astounded at the trim, tanned, beard-wearing, handsome man in front of me. To say that he was a sight for sore eyes was an understatement. He walked me around the town, arm around my waist, to shake out my legs from sitting so long, and then we headed down to the dam to make dinner--steak, mushroom risotto, corn on the cob, and apple pie! 

My god, it was good to see John, to be able to hug him, to be able to talk to him in person!  Ellen

Post #48: Fork Peck Motel Tuesday, June 17

This will be all for posts for now, as I leave for Montana tomorrow around 10:00 am from work. I updated the posts from 36 and on with lots of photos. Sorry the format needs work...it's all I have time for now. Ellen

I met most the crew that work at Fort Peck Motel. Dinners are not available during the week days so I munch on energy bars left over from the paddle on the lake.  Bar food is greasy and does satisfy my need for food. The soccer games entertain me during the mid day. I walk a lot during the day.  Mostly I read, watch the news updates, and walk.  The town of Fort Peck has no store and no gas station. The locals travel the 18 miles to Glasgow to fill gas tanks and cupboards.

Billy resides at the motel with his actress girlfriend.  He does everything at the motel. 

He is their chef and bar tender at night and cleans rooms during the day.  

The motel does not get ESPN so Billy setup his laptop to stream the soccer games through their TV so I could enjoy the games. 

He is down to earth and one of the nicest guys I have ever met.  He wants to be an actor.

Chase is from Washington State and volunteered to work the summer at Fork Peck Dam as an inspector. 

During the day he makes sure the work at the dam meets government regulations. He would often sit at the end of the bar and surf the net, eat dinner, have one or two drinks, and tell us about his daily frustrations due to his work.  

Chase is quiet but very approachable. 

Linda, right, runs a pretty tight ship at the motel.  Not much gets by her.  She is up early in the morning and late into the night. 

Here she is seen introducing Summer, a foreign exchange worker from Peking, to a local. 

Linda scheduled me to wash my clothing on Tuesday by using their washer and dryer at night but the washer broke down.  I was able to use their brand new washer on Wednesday.

Summer, left, eats breakfast with the new foreign exchange worker also from China who was dealing with jet lag.  

Summer was very happy to have a "friend" with her at Fort Peck. 

Post #47: Ellen's Final Preps Monday, June 16

T-minus 38 hours until I leave. I have been doing a little each night getting ready--I have four different lists going, but now I am down to one. I only have some food prep to do Tuesday night and then I'll pack the car.

I am worried about all this fitting in the double with John's gear, too!

The Forester is cleaned and ready to be packed.

The deck awaits John's return...

...and so does Banks. Ellen

My time at the motel is filled with idle time. I told Linda and Carl that if they needed an extra pair of hands getting something done, I was up to the task. I was never requested so much of my time was used for cleaning the kayak and the gear and taking walks.  My first walk was to explore the town of Fort Peck.  My second walk was to the visitor center which had an informative dinosaur display.  The entire Fort Peck Lake is world renowned for dinosaur bones.  My third walk was to the dam's powerhouse for a tour.  The fourth, fifth, and sixth walks took me to a brewery for coffee, smoothies, and breakfast sandwiches.  My last walk was to the boat launch for our put in and to scout for a nice location to have dinner with Ellen. I should have volunteered at the theatre and helped build sets for their next play. Oh, well.  John

  The historic Fort Peck Motel was my home for five days.

I arrived too late to catch the afternoon showing of Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story.  

This is a well respected theater which has actors from throughout the nation competing for roles.  

Post #46: Fort Peck, Mt. Sunday, June 15

John is safe and warm in a motel room in Fort Peck tonight. Someone from the motel came to the marina and picked him up. It was two miles away and, therefore, too far to portage the kayak. The daytime weather turned cold on him the last few days, and the nights have remained cold. He has been wearing three layers of clothing at night. He previously sent me his medium weight sleeping bag and I sent him his summer bag--it was a mistake. The days are usually very hot, so it is surprising that the nights are so cold.


I am all packed and ready to head out Wednesday morning. I have eight hours of driving to do Wednesday to Missoula, and nine hours on Thursday to Fort Peck. This will probably be the last post until we get to Williston. Ellen

Sunday's weather included high winds and rain.  Early in the morning, from inside my tent, I called Fort Peck Motel and requested a room. That weekend there was a women's conference in Glasgow and there was not an empty room within 100 miles of the conference. Fort Peck Motel is about 18 miles from Glasgow and they had been booked all weekend.  I was asked to call back at 10 am in order to talk to Carl, the owner, about portage and storage of the kayak.  The room for the week, storage of the kayak, and the trip to the motel were all arranged after speaking to Carl.  He arrived at the Marina at 11 am and I was hauled the two miles to the motel in the back of his pickup and in my room taking a much needed shower by noon.  Linda, co-owner, made a wonderful breakfast for me out of left overs from the morning's breakfast.  I needed that food.  The warmth, the soap and hot water on my body, the pancakes and sausage, and the bed restored my energy. Throughout the day I kept thinking about my days on the lake and how lucky I was with the conditions I encountered. It was raining hard and the winds were strong as I sat in the lobby catching up on the World Cup games and the news. The storms continued to roll across the lake throughout the day. I had just beaten the bad weather. Had I not left James Kipp Monday afternoon and had taken the scheduled full two days of rest, I would still be on the lake in those miserable conditions. I lucked out.  John

The rain and thunder rolled through Fort Peck in the 

afternoons through Tuesday  like clockwork. 

Post #45: Last Day on Fort Peck Lake Saturday, June 14

Speed: 1-2 mph

Miles: 18

Time: 6:45 am to 2:44 pm

Campsite location:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/47%C2%B059'43.8%22N+106%C2%B029'19.1%22W/@47.9955,-106.48863,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en

John is finally off Fort Peck Lake and he is safe! He will rest now until Thursday when I join him. I picked up the Whisper today. Ellen

                         The front of it is hiding in the tree branches--it's a long boat, 18 feet!

John's location: http://fms.ws/HP0rD/47.99550N/106.48863W. The hotel in Fort Peck is booked, so he is camping at the marina campground tonight. Ellen

That was the toughest and most dangerous day I have ever had in the kayak.The lake kicked my butt throughout the18 mile day. The day started early with calm conditions.  Minutes after launching, the ripples started. Then the chop. Waves soon followed. After crossing the first bay and arriving at Fourth Ridge, I found a spot on the second spit to rest and remove the water from the front compartment. By the time I started across the next bay there were whitecaps moving from the NW. I struggled with progress. Skunk Coulee Bay had 2-3 foot waves and I was moving parallel with them. It was scary, but the Nighthawk bobbed up and down with the waves. I had to concentrate so I could brace if a rogue wave hit me. 

I finally made it across the bay and rested in a swampy area among the ducks and geese and their droppings. Again, I emptied the front compartment, ate, drank water, and rested and wished I had some of Ellen's SecondSurge to spike my energy level. Hoping the wind would die down, I sat in the cockpit and waited. Duck Creek Bay is the widest and the next to the last crossing. Where I was sitting the wind continued but out in the bay the white caps appeared to decreased. I went for it. Mid-way the bay blew up. I looked to my left at a progress point and noticed I was not moving forward. Shit. I increased my strokes and turned the kayak slightly to the right hoping the wind would push me. It did. Slightly. The kayak continued to move slowly across the bay and also dangerously out into more open water. The waves were breaking over the kayak's cockpit and my spray skirt was not keeping me dry. They were now 3'-4' waves that were breaking across the deck. 

I believe the bay is 2.7 miles wide and it was the toughest mental and physical test I have ever encountered. There were two fishingnboats close to the opposite shore and I turned toward them putting me parallel with the waves again. By the time I got close to the boats, they had left for the Marina. Finally, I made it across and found a rest site. I was tired, wet, cold, and frightened by the entire day's experience. After bailing out the front compartment and the cockpit, I ate, drank, and rested for the remaining three shorter crossings. None compared to the last one. They seemed protected from the wind by the closeness of the hills. 

I finally made it to Fort Peck Marina and portaged my kayak and gear to their bar to change my clothes and have a beer. There was a party of six on the covered porch of the bar. None said a word to me. Two fishermen bought me a beer and shook my hand as they told me they were in one of the bays and had watched my crossing in case I needed help. I simply said,  "I appreciate that." The last day on the lake was a humbling experience.The winds today were the strongest of the trip. The conditions on the water were the worst yet. I was so very glad to be off the lake. The lake is behind me. I slept well as it rained all night and the strong winds continued through the morning hours. 

When I got home I looked at the weather almanac for Fort Peck (actually, it was for Glassgow) to see what the wind direction and speed was for June 14. According to one site it was a west wind and the speed was from 11 mph to 28 mph.  Another site had the average wind speed at 39 mph with 50 mph gusts. I am happy for not be a statistic.

Shannon, the manager of the marina, gave me a space for the tent Saturday night. Christina and Rachel (above), who work at the marina's bar entertained me with their life stories as I drank Pepsi until closing hour. 

I must have smelled bad having no shower since Fort Benton.

           

Two fishermen bought me a beer and told me they had their eyes on 

      me while I made one crossing. The beer never tasted so good. 

         A changed of clothing and rest seem to perk me up.  

           My home Saturday night was under a tree and a few steps from the bar.

Post #44: Pines Recreational Area Friday, June 13

Speed: 2 mph

Miles: 18

Time: 7:07 am to 2 pm

Campsite location:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/47%C2%B049'21.4%22N+106%C2%B036'43.9%22W/@47.82261,-106.61218,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en

John is almost done with Fort Peck Lake. He expects to reach the Fort Peck Marina tomorrow. His current location is http://fms.ws/HNanU/47.82261N/106.61218W. He saw some cabins in the area and a cell phone tower, so he thought he'd try his phone. He had one bar, so he was able to call me and fill me in. The river is running high, so he didn't have any problems with choosing the right channel and running into mud. There was no current, so the days were long and the paddling tough. He will have five days of rest before I get there!

His current location is Pines. It is 18 lake miles and five wide bays from Fort Peck Marina. The largest bay is ahead of him.

The evening light filled Fort Peck Lake with color.

The kayak is on the shore and the tent is set up

 near a much-needed table, his first since James Kipp.

Ellen

The day started well with an early start in more SE wind. As the day progressed, the wind became less, yet not absence.  I felt fresh from the long day of rest.  About midday the direction of the wind changed and was now pushing me. The sail was pulled from under my deck bag and released to the winds. My speed jumped to between 5-10 mph for about an hour and a half. The practice sessions I had at home on windy Rattlesnake Lake paid off. My technique of holding the sail and paddle with the hands and using the elbow to dip the blade in the water to steer the kayak worked. I zipped by a boat of three fishermen and heard one of them say "That guy is really moving". I was. Needless to say it was an easy day of paddling to Pines even with the five bay crossings. I had Pines to myself even though it is only 18 miles from the dam. The summer homes in the area and cell phone tower told me I was no longer on my own. Once I had camp set up I called Ellen and we were able to catch up. I told her tomorrow would be my last day on the lake if all goes well with the weather. A storm moved in later and thunder shook the ground. I ate dinner, munched on treats, hydrated, walked the road for miles, and fell asleep reading from my Kindle.

Post #43:Strong Southeast Winds Thursday, June 12

Speed: 3-4 mph

Miles: 15

6:45 am to 11 am

Campsite location:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/47%C2%B040'50.1%22N+106%C2%B058'07.1%22W/@47.68058,-106.96864,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en

John's location: http://fms.ws/HMgGq/47.68058N/106.96864W

Today was the first day of paddling on Fort Peck Lake. His package arrived today from James Kipp. Lots of food returned--more food than clothes. It makes me wonder just what he is eating. He's going to be one lean dude when he gets back!

Crossing the numerous bays on the north shore and fighting the wind, John found his inspiration in Ellen's ability to run the Chuckanut 50k. "I see her every day," he says. He has my photo inside his map case. Ellen

After a great morning of paddling, at 10:00 am the wind forced me off the lake. At 7:00 pm, I gave up waiting for the SE winds to stop. I set up camp on a small sandy spit.  This camp is east of navigational light "F".  

Collecting rocks for holding down the tent stakes, walking the surrounding hills, snacking on treats, reading, eating lunch then dinner, dozing, and taking photos, I endured hours of non-paddle time. My arms loved the down time. The soft sand stuck to everything. It was the first time I realized I should be checking the keel for mud when I put in. 

I fell asleep listening to the waves and woke up at 4:30 am hearing the same sound. By the time I was ready to paddle the wind had calmed down enough that I was able to judge the morning paddle to be safe. My goal is five bays away, Pines Recreation Area.

I waited and waited for the winds to calm down. They did
the next morning.