Month: July 2016 (Page 8 of 9)
July 10, Day 109
When I rounded the very first river bend I could see a bluff, probably the one above the Marias confluence. Was that side channel actually the Marias River? I drifted back 75 yards and checked my GPS. This is it! I would have paddled right past it if I didn’t know it was here.
Under current conditions the Marias looked slow and rather silty, a much smaller river than the Missouri in appearance.
I paddled up the Marias a hundred yards, tied up the kayak and headed through the willows to the bluff. Right away I hit a path that led to a gravel road which I followed to the bluff, then climbed the very steep 100 foot hill.
Here it was, Decision Point, where Lewis and Clark tried to determine which was the Missouri. It took many days with scouting for the Captains to make an educated and correct guess, despite the crew thinking the Marias was the right fork. It was on top of this bluff that I saw the Rockies for the first time on this trip.
Decision Point
Overall the wind wasn’t bad today but I had to get out and pull the boat many times due to strong current and/or shallowness.
It started to rain, one of the first soaking, daytime rains in my two months of paddling. I spotted a few buffalo bones and an ancient elk antler. When I reached for it, cold water cascaded up my sleeve and down my ribs. I was soaked from the waist down by rain and wading.
There were carp feeding on foam again today. I took this shot:
Carp Slurping Foam
Deer are plentiful, nearly all mule deer. I saw twin fawns again today. During one break I heard splashing and stood up to see a deer behind the willows, wading into the river and then swimming to an island, trotting down a gravel bar and wading all the way to an opposite shore.
I spooked the thousandth family of ducks. As they scattered a bald eagle swooped down and made a grab, but missed. He was way too slow.
There has been so much interesting wildlife, and nature being what it is I’ve seen some sad things, too, animals in their last hours. There was another case like that today.
I passed the site of Fort McKenzie. The fort was run by the American Fur Company in hostile Blackfeet country for about 10 years.
My paddl started splashing, a sign mud is stuck to it, but this time I found the end of the paddles were delaminating. Bummer.From beating on rocks for hundreds of miles I guess. I cut off the worst parts and duct taped the edges, a temporary measure that finished my supply of tape.
It rained all the rest of the day, including while I set up camp on an island about 4 miles short of Fort Benton. I look forward to a real hot shower and hot food. Colter
Lewis: June 2ed 1805…the bear was very near catching Drewyer; it also pursued Charbono who fired his gun in the air as he ran but fortunately eluded the vigilence of the bear by secreting himself very securely in the bushes untill Drewyer finally killed it by a shot in the head; the shot indeed that will conquer the farocity of those tremendious anamals…
Lewis: June 3rd 1805 This morning early we passed over and formed a camp on the point formed by the junction of the two large rivers… which of these rivers was the Missouri… two months of the traveling season having now elapsed, and to ascend such stream to the rocky Mountain or perhaps much further before we could inform ourselves whether it did approach the Columbia or not, and then be obliged to return and take the other stream would not only loose us the whole of this season but would probably so dishearten the party that it might defeat the expedition altogether.
Lewis: June 8th 1805... The whole of my party to a man except myself were fully peswaided that this river was the Missouri, but being fully of opinion that it was neither the main stream or that which it would be advisable for us to take, I determined to give it a name and in honour of Miss Maria W-d. called it Maria’s River.
Trip overview and route map with position updates:
https://bucktrack.com/Lewis_and_Clark_Trail.html
July 7, Day 106
I slept hard. At 5 AM I was paddling.
Fog hung over the river. It was quiet except for the sound of water. The scenery likely looked similar a thousand years ago. Many times I had to get out and pull my kayak, sloshing upstream through the fast water. It wasn’t hard to imagine the men of the Corps appearing ahead in the fog, straining at the elk hide ropes, a man stumbling and cursing, his friends laughing, the Captains occasionally shouting an order, making another mile, looking to see what lies around the bend, farther west.
The white cliffs were spectacular with varied formations, walls and spires. Two mule deer spooked and scrambled up before the cliffs stopped them. They tensely watched me pass a hundred yards below.
Paddling Past the 7 Sisters
My shoes are intent on falling apart so at nearly every break I made some adjustments to my repairs, which consist of duct tape, parachute cord, and webbing.
I stopped at Slaughter River, where L&C camped May 29, 1805 and Lewis camped July 29, 1806. I also stopped at the May 30, 1804 site. It’s fun to know just where they stood.
There were several groups of canoes and kayakers today. Two ladies paddled over.
“I wanted to say how impressed I am you are paddling upstream.”
“Thanks!”
“Where did you start?”
“St. Louis. I walked the first part and paddled the last 1,200 miles.”
“St. Louis! Wow. Are you headed to Three Forks?”
“I’m doing the Lewis and Clark Trail, so I’m headed to the Pacific.”
“Amazing!”
Those exchanges are always fun.
Today was the best scenery of the whole trip. I took many photos. My mini tripod is missing. Did I leave it somewhere? It was tough taking self timers without it.
I passed the Hole in the Wall, a hole in a rock wall, visible for miles.
Hole in the Wall
I camped near another famous landmark of the upper Missouri, the Citadel. Even with headwinds at time I made 21 miles today, and today I passed the 2,000 mile mark. Colter
Approaching the Sentinel
A reminder that my updates depend on coverage. No need to be concerned if I miss many days.
Lewis: Wednesday May 29th 1905. Last night we were all allarmed by a large buffaloe Bull, which swam over from the opposite shore and coming along side of the white perogue, climbed over it to land, he then alarmed ran up the bank in full speed directly towards the fires, and was within 18 inches of the heads of some of the men who lay sleeping before the centinel could allarm him or make him change his course, still more alarmed, he now took his direction immediately towards our lodge, passing between 4 fires and within a few inches of the heads of one range of the men as they yet lay sleeping, when he came near the tent, my dog saved us by causing him to change his course a second time… This morning we set out at an early hour and proceded as usual by the Chord. at the distance of 21/ 2 miles passed a handsome river which discharged itself on the Lard. side… Cap. C who assended this R. much higher than I did has thought proper to call it Judieths River… today we passed on the Stard. side the remains of a vast many mangled carcases of Buffalow which had been driven over a precipice of 120 feet by the Indians and perished; the water appeared to have washed away a part of this immence pile of slaughter and still their remained the fragments of at least a hundred carcases they created a most horrid stench. in this manner the Indians of the Missouri distroy vast herds of buffaloe at a stroke… this stream we called slaughter river.
Clark: May 30th Thursday 1805 The rain conmmenced yesterday evining, and continued moderately through the course of the night, more rain has now fallin than we have experienced Since the 15th of September last, the rain continued this morning, and the wind too high for us to proceed, untill about 11 oClock at which time we Set out, and proceeded on with great labour, we were obliged to make use of the Tow rope & the banks were So muddey & Slipery that the men could Scercely walk not with Standing we proceeded on as well as we could wind hard from the N W. in attempting to assend a rapid our toe Cord broke & we turned without injurey, those rapids or Shoaley points are noumerous and dificuelt…
Trip overview and route map with position updates:
https://bucktrack.com/Lewis_and_Clark_Trail.html
My Facebook, email, Youtube, Twitter and more!