OVERALL ROUTE PROGRESS MAP 050731                       JIM'S TRIP PIX


Trip summary
Several people were following my trip by contacting my web site and are probably still wondering about the finish. Here is a brief summary of the trip to the Montana border and an account of my wanderings after that with enough detail to hopefully give the reader a little insight into why I was having such a good time. It was a fine trip with great scenery and people and I hope to do justice to both some time in a book.

See accompanying timeline on this site or sent to you by email and photos (pics).

I did some planning, bought and installed equipment for sailing, packed what I thought would be useful into the canoe, dumped the food out of my cupboards into what spaces were left in the canoe, and set off with dog Daisy out my backyard down the Flambeau River April 13, 2005. Portaging about 7 dams with a set of wheels when useful, I canoed to the Chippewa and then to the Mississippi. My intent was to canoe to Montana. The bigwater path was to the left down to St. Louis and then up the Missouri (MO). I chose the smallwater path and turned right through Lake Pepin to St. Paul. Then up the Minnesota River to Redwood Falls, up the Redwood River to Russell, MN, portage 14 miles to Lake Benton the lake, sailed 5 miles to Lake Benton the town, portaged 8 miles to Flandrau Creek, canoed down to the town of Flandrau, canoed down the Big Sioux River through Sioux Falls to Sioux City and took another right towards Montana, through a lot of flowages and the capitals of South and North Dakota, Pierre and Bismarck, reaching the Confluence Interpretive Center where the Yellowstone River joins the MO on August 3. I crossed into Montana (MT) on August 4 near Fort Union, a restored fur trading post.

August 6 (11 miles) I walked 3 miles into Culbertson, charged my cell phone, made some calls, bought chicken so Daisy could chew some bones and candy bars for later. A family at the bridge had already given me hotdogs, brats and a hamburger out of their grill (pic). August 7 (7 miles) Keenan from Culbertson in his party boat caught up with me just to talk (pic). I took a walk from camp and saw farmers harvesting wheat (pics), We had the typical conversation: "Where did you put in?" My backyard in Wisconsin. "You're shitting me; wish I had the time to do something like that."

Now on the water this was usually followed by "Wanna beer?" Here they just said "Hope to see you on your way back." But if they had cold beer I am sure they would have offered me one. August 10 (3 miles) spent time at Busy Bee's Cybercafe in Poplar. Emailed daughter Polly pic of crossing MT border, looked at some of my email. Thunder storm that night, siren and fires in Poplar across river from camp. August 13 (5 miles) Kyle Reddog and family watched my canoe while I had 100 postcards made from my pictures at Hi Tech Photo in Wolf Point. Bought a $70 MT fishing license and $26 of groceries. Also got meat for Daisy from bicycle riding, dumpster diver Wayne. August 14 caught 3 goldeye shad, used them as cut bait that night and caught a 17 inch sauger and 19 inch catfish, cooked them the next morning.

I walked up my first 2 MO river rapids on August 16 (14 miles w/ wind) and August 17 (6 miles). Camped near Fort Peck Interpretive Center (containing Fort Pecks Rex) while wrote 70 post cards and portaged first trip (5 miles one way) to Fort Peck Lake Marina. August 19 (16 miles w/ wind) made second portage to Marina where Amy had filled my water bottles (pic). August 20 (20 miles w/ wind) I camped at Hell Creek Bay and the next day hiked on the east side all day, looking for dinosaur bones, 102 degrees for a high. August 22 (25 miles w/wind) I broke the 42 year old paddle made for me by my dad, so down to the sturdy one I made for the trip, also of white ash. August 23 (15 miles) I caught 8, kept 6 catfish with a 2 hr hike and wind and rain at night. August 24 (2 miles) with the wind against me I took a 6 hour hike and saw wild sheep and deer (pics).

OK, maybe less detail. August 26 (5 miles) against wind, current and shallow water with mud as I was in the upper stretches of Fort Peck Lake where most of the silt settles and the lake was down 30 feet. I could not walk in water, had to move on hands and knees and then wash while in canoe. Tough day but caught 19 and 21 inch catfish at bottom of UL Bend. Running out of dog food. August 28 (7 miles) saw first elk, a 4x4 with bugle and nighthawks, smaller than WI. Daisy got Mac & Cheese and 2 buffalo jerky chips. August 29 (16 miles w/wind) pic of elk calf, first magpies, filtered water for drinking, split oatmeal w/ dog, finally out of mud.

August 31 (9 miles, 8 by cordelling, walking on shore with ropes to front and back of canoe), 10 elk, camped at Hwy 191 bridge where Nate and Craig treated me to elk steak and 7 pounds of meat to carry. September 1 (4 miles) got water from campsite and dog food, cool aid, sugar and bread from host Al Dvorak who was going into Lewiston MT anyway. Crossed into real MO breaks as passed under bridge. September 3 (5 miles) was first day of elk archery season in an area known for big antlered bulls. I had seen 1 rattlesnake in SD while hiking the hills; today I say my first one while cordelling in tennis shoes; eventually saw 5 more (pics). Resolved to wear hiking boots while cordelling. Saw 2 full curl rams.

September 4 hiked to Gilmore cabin and beyond (14 miles) (pics). Took 3 gallon warm shower upon return to old Gist farm on river. A lot more river travelers now and I met some good ones, including 4 who gave me 3 gallons filtered water--going upstream takes so long I couldn't carry enough drinking water even cooking with river water. September 10 (5 miles) out of the Breaks and into the White Cliffs; same scenery, different color. September 15 (2 miles) canoed up the Marias River a little and shopped at Loma.

September 17 (5 miles paddling, 43 miles by truck around Great Falls, courtesy of Jim Atkins, local canoe club, and power company) (pics), I was cold and wet and used Fort Benton laundromat as waited for ride. September 20 (9 miles) saw first McKenzie drift boats, fly fishing for trout. September 22 camped at Mountain Palace boat launch, beautifully mountainous. Served filet mignon, rice, salad, and smores by JD and Colleen from Washington. Rain overnight and next day but caught a 20 inch rainbow on a grasshopper, eaten for lunch September 23 (4 miles). September 27 (14 miles w/wind) sailed through Gates of the Mountains (pics), amazing scenery. October 3 (7 miles cordelling) arrived at 3 Forks State Park. My feet were so swollen and tender from wading in ice cold water that I couldn't sleep. I was rescued from cold and rain by a friend of my brother, Jim Fischer, fed pizza and put into a warm bed.

October 5 I met my friend Mike from North Carolina at the airport in nearby Belgrade. We toured Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Dinosaur National Monument. Mike dropped me off in Colorado and left the rental car at the Denver airport. I had a great time horse tending and hiking in the mountains west of Carbondale while 2 brothers and 2 friends hunted elk w/o success. October 21 I caught a ride to Denver, found the rental car in a parking lot and drove to Cody to pick up son Nate flying in from New Mexico. We toured Yellowstone and then Jim dropped us and all our gear at Emigrant on the Yellowstone River. With about 700 pounds of us, dog, and gear, we did well but not perfectly. We lost a fishing pole, Nate's glasses and my long underwear, warming up in a luke-warm hotspring right next to our camp. We stomped out the canoe, patched the 3 cracks with fabric tape and floated 2 miles to Livingston where the canoe was welded with help from outfitter Roy Senter and friend George. It rained on us some on our way to Billings but a pleasant trip indeed, DOWNSTREAM. Nate got 1 shot at a pheasant with his $130 license but missed. Nate flew back to NM from Billings and I continued down the river, making about 30 miles a day, easy with wind, harder without. Nov. 11(13 miles) revisited the Confluence Center, treated to lunch by "old" friends Kim and Dianne, and camped in same spot downriver as on way up, finding a tent stake lost in the previous storm. November 12 (12 hard miles, curvy, upwind, rainy, 34 degrees) camped at Hwy 85 bridge Lewis and Clark Boat Launch. Kevin and Ian Smith arrived at about midnight from Wisconsin with trailer. November 13 to 15 drove to Eureka SD and hunted pheasants w/o luck while staying warm in a rented house. November 16 (500 miles) drove back to Ladysmith WI in time for deer hunting season.

Glad to have traveled, glad to be back. Life can be good, but oh so short.

Review notes from the water

Trip pictures