The Expedition Database is a huge resource in planning
your journey down the Missouri River.
This page contains links to
blogs, websites, interviews, newspaper, and magazine stories
and photos of past expeditions on the Missouri.
Expeditions are in descending order by year, back to 1961
If you know of any not listed, please notify us.
2024: This year was a busy start for paddlers, with nearly 20 starting
from Montana, but only a handful finished.
from Montana, but only a handful finished.
2024: Dee Landau made history by becoming the oldest known solo woman to kayak from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis at the age of 63.
She departed on June 3rd and arrived 83 days later on August 24th.
Dee had 7 zero days (staying at camp due to weather) for a total of 76 actual days paddling.
She came back to the Missouri River in 2025 and kayaked with Ann Ogg, repeating the challenging Sakakawea and Oahe reservoirs again.
Check out Dee's Q&A here on this website: Q&A
Photos below compliments of Dee Landau and Norm Miller.
Click each to enlarge or hover to read the caption.
She departed on June 3rd and arrived 83 days later on August 24th.
Dee had 7 zero days (staying at camp due to weather) for a total of 76 actual days paddling.
She came back to the Missouri River in 2025 and kayaked with Ann Ogg, repeating the challenging Sakakawea and Oahe reservoirs again.
Check out Dee's Q&A here on this website: Q&A
Photos below compliments of Dee Landau and Norm Miller.
Click each to enlarge or hover to read the caption.
2024: Newlyweds Tim and Cora Berry and dog Whiskey paddled from Clark Canyon reservoir on the Beaverhead near Dillon, Montana, and descended to the Gulf of Mexico.
They attempted to complete a Source to Sea by hiking partially to Brower's Spring, where the waters of the Missouri River begin. They made it part ways, then jumped. They paddled and fished their way from May 25 to October 12th, descending the Beaverhead, Jefferson, Missouri, Mississippi, and Atchafalia Rivers to the Gulf. Their journey was life-changing.
They attempted to complete a Source to Sea by hiking partially to Brower's Spring, where the waters of the Missouri River begin. They made it part ways, then jumped. They paddled and fished their way from May 25 to October 12th, descending the Beaverhead, Jefferson, Missouri, Mississippi, and Atchafalia Rivers to the Gulf. Their journey was life-changing.
2024
A historic, most likely first descent by a woman from Alberta, Canada, to St. Louis down the Milk and Missouri Rivers was completed by adventurer "Tennessee Kris", as she is known in the paddling world. The details of the start and finish dates are unclear, but she did paddle beyond St. Louis a ways.
There are only two previous known descents by canoe, one being Canadian Dom Liboiron, who paddled the Frenchman & Milk and eventually the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans in 2012. The other was Leonard Trolstrup, who canoed the route in the late 1930s. Below is a map showing the Milk from the Canadian border to the Missouri River below Ft Peck Dam.
A historic, most likely first descent by a woman from Alberta, Canada, to St. Louis down the Milk and Missouri Rivers was completed by adventurer "Tennessee Kris", as she is known in the paddling world. The details of the start and finish dates are unclear, but she did paddle beyond St. Louis a ways.
There are only two previous known descents by canoe, one being Canadian Dom Liboiron, who paddled the Frenchman & Milk and eventually the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans in 2012. The other was Leonard Trolstrup, who canoed the route in the late 1930s. Below is a map showing the Milk from the Canadian border to the Missouri River below Ft Peck Dam.
2024
Justin Graviett- Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis
June 20 to November 2nd, a total of 136 days.
2024
Dan Faust & Joe Speldrich kayaked from Three Forks, Montana, to the Confluence with the Mississippi north of St. Louis from May 29 to August 19 for a total of 82 days.
Check out their Q&A here on this website: Q&A
Dan Faust & Joe Speldrich kayaked from Three Forks, Montana, to the Confluence with the Mississippi north of St. Louis from May 29 to August 19 for a total of 82 days.
Check out their Q&A here on this website: Q&A
2024.
Canadian Thorin Loeks continued on this cross-USA paddle trip by starting where he left off in 2023 in Mobridge, South Dakota, and paddled to Memphis, Tennessee. He hopes to begin again in May of 2026 and paddle to Florida.
Photos below of Thorin during his 2024 trip with fellow MoRP paddlers.
Canadian Thorin Loeks continued on this cross-USA paddle trip by starting where he left off in 2023 in Mobridge, South Dakota, and paddled to Memphis, Tennessee. He hopes to begin again in May of 2026 and paddle to Florida.
Photos below of Thorin during his 2024 trip with fellow MoRP paddlers.
2023:
Annie Balthazar paddled her Kruger Sea Wind canoe from Three Forks, Montana, to the confluence with the Mississippi River near St. Louis for a total of 68 days.
Photos below of Annie's journey.
Annie Balthazar paddled her Kruger Sea Wind canoe from Three Forks, Montana, to the confluence with the Mississippi River near St. Louis for a total of 68 days.
Photos below of Annie's journey.
2023
Steve Ohrt- Solo by canoe from Montana to St. Louis.
Steve's Blog and Photos Click
Below: Photos from Steve Orht's journey.
Steve Ohrt- Solo by canoe from Montana to St. Louis.
Steve's Blog and Photos Click
Below: Photos from Steve Orht's journey.
2023
St. Louis Bill Behrns- Three Forks to St. Louis.
Bill paddled solo his Clipper Sea-1 in 73 days from
Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis.
Below: A few photos of Bill Behrns journey.
St. Louis Bill Behrns- Three Forks to St. Louis.
Bill paddled solo his Clipper Sea-1 in 73 days from
Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis.
Below: A few photos of Bill Behrns journey.
2023
Tom Boyko began the journey at Three Forks with his son Jacob, who paddled with him to North Dakota. From there, Tom continued solo in his canoe.
Tom finished at the arch paddling with another 2023 alumnus, Bill Cottrell, on Aug 21st.
Tom's Q&A about his trip is found at LINK.
Photos below of Tom's journey.
Tom Boyko began the journey at Three Forks with his son Jacob, who paddled with him to North Dakota. From there, Tom continued solo in his canoe.
Tom finished at the arch paddling with another 2023 alumnus, Bill Cottrell, on Aug 21st.
Tom's Q&A about his trip is found at LINK.
Photos below of Tom's journey.
2023:
"Missouri Bill" Cottrell paddled solo from Three Forks, Montana, to the arch in St. Louis. Bill skipped ahead and bypassed a few of the big reservoirs in North Dakota and South Dakota. After Bill finished, he paddled with Tom Boyko, who had arrived from Montana. The two meet up in Montana during their journey.
Newspaper story on Missouri Bill's Journey.
Photos below of Bill's journey.
"Missouri Bill" Cottrell paddled solo from Three Forks, Montana, to the arch in St. Louis. Bill skipped ahead and bypassed a few of the big reservoirs in North Dakota and South Dakota. After Bill finished, he paddled with Tom Boyko, who had arrived from Montana. The two meet up in Montana during their journey.
Newspaper story on Missouri Bill's Journey.
Photos below of Bill's journey.
2023:
Mark Crance started in 2022 but ended in South Dakota for the season. He returned in June and finished up at St. Louis for a total of 120 paddling days.
photos below of Mark Crance.
Mark Crance started in 2022 but ended in South Dakota for the season. He returned in June and finished up at St. Louis for a total of 120 paddling days.
photos below of Mark Crance.
2023:
Warren Johnson departed from Ft Benton and is headed to the Gulf of Mexico. Several years ago, Warren and his wife Diane paddled from Ft Benton to Florida.
Warren Johnson departed from Ft Benton and is headed to the Gulf of Mexico. Several years ago, Warren and his wife Diane paddled from Ft Benton to Florida.
2022- One of the biggest paddling years on the Missouri River, including the MoRP Rendezvous in South Dakota with 100 paddlers from 21-states, a majority being past Missouri river through paddlers.
Connor Clevenger- 63-day descent from Great Falls, Montana, to St. Louis. Following the completion of his journey, Connor joined the Rendezvous and paddled for a week with members of the MoRP.
Larry Boehmer - 82-day descent from Three Forks, Montana, to the confluence with the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis. Larry arrived at the start of the MoRP Rendezvous for the kick-off celebration before proceeding on.
Yankton Press News Story: HERE
Steve Snell - 88 days solo canoe trip from Three Forks, Montana, to his home in Kansas City. This art professor painted images of the Missouri River during his descent. Snell joined up with the MoRP Rendezvous in South Dakota, which was inspiring!
Kansas KSHB News Story of Expedition: Here
KCUR Article and photos of Expedition: Here
KQ TV Story on Steve: Here
Steve Snell's Website: Here (website includes all of his paintings.)
Kansas KSHB News Story of Expedition: Here
KCUR Article and photos of Expedition: Here
KQ TV Story on Steve: Here
Steve Snell's Website: Here (website includes all of his paintings.)
Dave Hillman: The only known Montana to the Gulf of Mexico paddle expedition during 2022.
Dave departed Three Forks, Montana, on June 4th
and arrived at the Gulf of Mexico on October 5th for a total of 123 days! Dave joined up with the MoRP Rendezvous in South Dakota, which was great to have him there.
Dave's Presentation on ZOOM- Part 1
Keith Forsythe kayaked from Three Forks to St. Louis, departing on June 1st and ending on July 31st for a total of 2 months on the river. Keith is a long-distance hiker and opted to do a long paddle trip in 2022. He began his journey with paddler Larry Boehmer, and later met up with paddler Kyle West, and finished at St. Louis.
Dave Haggard- Solo canoed from Three Forks, Montana, to Columbia Bottoms, Missouri, a few miles from the confluence with the Mississippi River.
Dave departed on May 20th and arrived on August 5th for a total of 77 days. Photo of Dave at Tobacco Gardens, ND, enjoying a cold beer.
Mark Crance & Miriam Abraham departed Three Forks, Montana, on July 22nd. Miriam dropped out once in North Dakota, and Mark continued solo until Bismarck, ND, for the season. (In 2023, Mark completed the rest of the river solo to St. Louis)
Clinton Johnson - Solo SUP descent from Twin Bridges, Montana, on the Jefferson River and continues down to the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Clinton bypassed Ft Peck, Lake Sakakawea, and Lake Oahe, the 3 largest reservoirs on the Missouri, due to persistent winds and bad weather. He continued to near Cairo, Illinois on the Mississippi to end his journey.
Buffalo Roamer Podcast Interview with Clinton: HERE
Linda Elder- Solo from Three Forks, Montana
to St. Charles, Missouri by kayak in 83 days from May 26th to August 17th.
2021: Graham Jordison: Three Forks, Montana to St. Louis.
Solo by kayak- 73 days.
Sierra Club Magazine article: Rolling Down the River.
KCAU Article Sioux City, IA Article: Nebraska Man Kayaking Down Mo
Channel 5 Kansas City YouTube news brief: CLICK
Photo by Patrick Tenny
2021: Jerry Bricker: Solo- Three Forks, Montana to Nebraska City, NE.
Jerry departed on May 15th and arrived at his destination on July 23rd. Jerry had paddled from Nebraska City to St. Louis back in 2011, so this completes his journey.
Jerry's blog if full of details, images, and insight:
BLOG
Jerry departed on May 15th and arrived at his destination on July 23rd. Jerry had paddled from Nebraska City to St. Louis back in 2011, so this completes his journey.
Jerry's blog if full of details, images, and insight:
BLOG
2021 -2022: US Marine Veteran Amanda Hoenes
and dog Hank paddled from Three Forks, Montana, to the Gulf of Mexico.
She departed on July 12, 2021, and reached the Gulf via the Atchafalaya River on January 18, 2022, for a total of 190 days.
Springfield News Article and photos. HERE
Branson, MO, graduate on canoe trip: HERE
Amanda recently published a book about her
trip, which is entitled: Digging Deeper. Order BOOK
and dog Hank paddled from Three Forks, Montana, to the Gulf of Mexico.
She departed on July 12, 2021, and reached the Gulf via the Atchafalaya River on January 18, 2022, for a total of 190 days.
Springfield News Article and photos. HERE
Branson, MO, graduate on canoe trip: HERE
Amanda recently published a book about her
trip, which is entitled: Digging Deeper. Order BOOK
2020- Blake Miller: Blake built his own rowing scull and rowed from Three Forks, Montana, departing on June 16 and finishing at the arch in St. Louis on July 28th. Photos below by Blake Miller
|
Jonathan Wiley June 30 - November 2, 2020: Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis. Wiley built and rowed an Angus Rowboat and is one of four others who have recently rowed down the Missouri River. Photos by Jon Wiley. |
2020
Sean Trombley
This Michigan resident paddled from Three Forks to St. Louis by kayak.
Sean had an incident near Bismarck, ND, when someone stole his pack guitar. Members of the Missouri River
Paddlers group pitched in and bought him a new one, and it was FedEx'd to him along the river. That's what
river folk do!
Photos below by Rob Kalthoff and Norm Miller
2020
Cameron Gelber & Shon Mackie
Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis
64-Days!
They departed paddling a Wenonah Itasca canoe, which was damaged on Lake Sharpe and traded out for an aluminum canoe.
(Photo by Mark Fingerhut)
2020
Lucus Potter & Jason Lape & Bear
Departure: July 31st- Three Forks, Montana
The duo departed together but eventually split into their own solo expedition.
Jason and Bear arrived in New Orleans and ended their expedition there on December 11, 2020.
Lucus arrived at the South Pass-Gulf of Mexico on December 9th, 2020.
Lucus Potter & Jason Lape & Bear
Departure: July 31st- Three Forks, Montana
The duo departed together but eventually split into their own solo expedition.
Jason and Bear arrived in New Orleans and ended their expedition there on December 11, 2020.
Lucus arrived at the South Pass-Gulf of Mexico on December 9th, 2020.
2020-21: 22-Rivers Expedition:
On February 9th, Neal Moore departed from Astoria, Oregon, on the Columbia River headed for New York City, where he arrived after 22 months (675 days) on December 14, 2021. Moore ascended the Columbia and Snake rivers to Lewiston, Idaho. From there, he walked north to Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, where he then paddled up the Clark Fork River to Missoula, Montana. From Missoula, Moore portaged by cart over 100 miles to the Missouri River. Neal spent the winter months along the Gulf coast and worked his way through Alabama north into the Ohio River. From Ohio, Neal paddled up it to Pittsburgh, north to Lake Ontario, the Erie Canal to the Hudson River.
Neal's website:
The Independent Record article
Explorer's Web article
Montana Standard article
April 2021 newspaper story from Columbia, Mississippi on Neal's journey:
July 2021 New Interview WOWK-TV
Aug 4the article "From Sea to Shining Sea":
Photos below of Neal Moore in Montana by Norm Miller
2019: Missouri River Corps. of Rediscovery Expedition:
Three Forks, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri
Tom Elpel, Chris Dawkins, John Gentry, Scott Robinson, and Josiah Fischer paddled a dugout canoe named Belladonna from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis. The canoe was built through a significant volunteer effort, including Churchill Clark, the 4th great-grandson of Capt. William Clark. Elpel documented the journey, which was published in a book entitled Five Months on the Missouri River-Paddling a Dugout Canoe. The book has won many awards.
Elpel's book: Learn more and order here:
Helena Independent New's article, June 14, 2019
Helena Independent New's article, July 12, 2020
KFYR Bismarck News article, August 23rd
Photos below of Tom Elpel's expedition
2019: Ashley's Return Expedition:
On July 9, 2019, a party of modern Mountain Men began their journey to re-trace the trail of William Ashley from his rendezvous site near the Green River, Wyoming, to St Charles, MO, using the same modes of travel and historic equipment. Scott Staggs (Amish), Gerry Messmer (Lucky), Jack Mitch (Poncho), Captain William Bailey, John Robert Harvey, and Ron Schrotter departed by horse at the Green River Rendezvous site of 1825 in Wyoming. They eventually paddled the Big Horn, Yellowstone, and Missouri rivers by dugout canoe and bull boats. From Yankton to St. Charles, they descended in a 31-foot keel boat named the Muskrat.
(Photos by Kimberly Mitch, Scott Mertz, Steve Jeff, and Cheryl Stephenson)
On July 9, 2019, a party of modern Mountain Men began their journey to re-trace the trail of William Ashley from his rendezvous site near the Green River, Wyoming, to St Charles, MO, using the same modes of travel and historic equipment. Scott Staggs (Amish), Gerry Messmer (Lucky), Jack Mitch (Poncho), Captain William Bailey, John Robert Harvey, and Ron Schrotter departed by horse at the Green River Rendezvous site of 1825 in Wyoming. They eventually paddled the Big Horn, Yellowstone, and Missouri rivers by dugout canoe and bull boats. From Yankton to St. Charles, they descended in a 31-foot keel boat named the Muskrat.
(Photos by Kimberly Mitch, Scott Mertz, Steve Jeff, and Cheryl Stephenson)
Mark & MoStar by Patrick Tenny
2019:
St. Louis resident Mark Fingerhut led the way as the first expedition of the year. He paddled a beautiful 20' stripper kayak from Timber Longboard boats, dubbed the Mostar. Mark departed from the border of Yellowstone National Park, just north of West Yellowstone, Montana, on the Madison River on May 13 at 12:51 p.m. He followed the Madison to where it joins with the Jefferson and Gallatin Rivers to form the Missouri. He continued over the next 100 days, arriving at the arch in St. Louis on August 17th at 2:09 p.m.
- Mark's Blog archive of entire trip & photos: Click here
- Mark's appearance on KRTV, Channel 3- Great Falls TV: Click here:
- e-Missourian article on Mark kayaking the Missouri River: Click here:
- St. Charles Community News article on Mark: Click here:
- March 2024: Buffalo Roamer Podcast interview with Mark Fingerhut. Scroll to episode #85: PODCAST
2018
Dirk Rohrbach became the 13th person to descend the Missouri River system from the utmost source at Brower's Spring to the Gulf of Mexico. Dirk is a German filmmaker and professional adventurer. Dirk spent 135 days in his stripper-made kayak. Dirk departed Brower's Spring on June 3, 2018, and arrived at the Gulf of Mexico on October 15th. A total of 135 days, of which 109 days were paddling/non layovers/portaging. Dr. Dirk Rohrbach is a German physician,
radio journalist, and National Geographic author and photographer. With his award-winning live presentations, he is one of Europe’s most renowned inspirational speakers. For 20 years, he has hosted regular shows on national prime time radio in Germany and created several formats, including “Americana,” a five-hour weekly music program introducing American country and folk music to his audience.
Dirk Rohrbach’s photojournalistic projects have been decorated with prizes multiple times. His live presentations are impressive with charismatic rhetoric and brilliant production. The books Yukon and Americana about his previous adventures were published through Malik/National Geographic in Europe. In the fall of 2013, renowned German publisher Piper released Manual Instructions for Alaska , a book about his experiences in Alaska.
In the summer of 2013, Dirk traveled across America by bicycle and camera for the new project Highway Junkie, collecting stories and photographs for a picture book published by National Geographic Germany, as well as his latest release, 'YUKON - New Adventures on the Great River'.
Dirk Rohrbach became the 13th person to descend the Missouri River system from the utmost source at Brower's Spring to the Gulf of Mexico. Dirk is a German filmmaker and professional adventurer. Dirk spent 135 days in his stripper-made kayak. Dirk departed Brower's Spring on June 3, 2018, and arrived at the Gulf of Mexico on October 15th. A total of 135 days, of which 109 days were paddling/non layovers/portaging. Dr. Dirk Rohrbach is a German physician,
radio journalist, and National Geographic author and photographer. With his award-winning live presentations, he is one of Europe’s most renowned inspirational speakers. For 20 years, he has hosted regular shows on national prime time radio in Germany and created several formats, including “Americana,” a five-hour weekly music program introducing American country and folk music to his audience.
Dirk Rohrbach’s photojournalistic projects have been decorated with prizes multiple times. His live presentations are impressive with charismatic rhetoric and brilliant production. The books Yukon and Americana about his previous adventures were published through Malik/National Geographic in Europe. In the fall of 2013, renowned German publisher Piper released Manual Instructions for Alaska , a book about his experiences in Alaska.
In the summer of 2013, Dirk traveled across America by bicycle and camera for the new project Highway Junkie, collecting stories and photographs for a picture book published by National Geographic Germany, as well as his latest release, 'YUKON - New Adventures on the Great River'.
- Dirk's Waypoints HERE
- Dirk's Website: HERE
- Dirk's Q&A: Here
- Podcast: In German, BUT the interviews with director Norm Miller and paddler Churchill Clark are in English:
- Dirk's photo album through America. Great images: Click
- Added Oct 24, 2024: Documentary entitled, "Flow" by Dirk-- 5-hour, winning film of his Source to Sea: CLICK
2018 Coursing Through America Expedition-
Martin Trahan & Jill A. Brown
Coursing Through America Expedition was the 2017 winner of Canoe & Kayak's "Dream Adventure" Award. Canadian paddlers Martin Trahan and Jill A. Brown began their historic cross-continent expedition at the mouth of the Columbia River at Astoria, Oregon. They paddled up the Columbia and Snake Rivers before making an epic 20-day, 375-mile portage over the continental divide to the Missouri River near Helena, Montana. From here, they continued down the Missouri River to St. Louis together as a team. Due to conflicts among themselves, the duo split into two solo journeys. Jill continued from St. Louis to near Baton Rouge, LA, and Martin continued from St. Louis to the Gulf, then along the coast to Florida, where he ended his journey at Key Largo, Florida.
- Coursing Through America Website: HERE
- Canoe & Kayak article- Underway: Article Here
- Canoe & Kayak article: Article Here
- Canoe & Kayak Article: Team Splits- Article Here
- Facebook Site: (Includes Jill A. Brown's amazing photos): Facebook Site Here
- Audio Interview with Martin when he arrived in Key Largo: Clyp Audio
- Jill A. Brown Winnipeg Free Press article: Click Here
- Post Depression Article on Martin Trahan
2018- Jim Emanuel- Three Forks, Montana, to the Gulf of Mexico.
- Jim paddled a Clipper Sea-1 during his expedition. He was raising money and awareness for Children's cancer. The organization is known as Alex's Lemonade Stand:
- Click Links Below:
- ~Alex's Lemonade HERE
- Jim paddled with several other expeditions during his journey.
- ~Helena News Story:
- HERE
- ~News Story: Here
- ~News Feature story: Article Here
- ~Yankton News story: Includes Gary & Linda DeCock, Martin Trahan and Jill A. Brown: HERE
- ~ Jim Emanuel Q&A about his expedition. Click Here
2018: Water for People- Gary & Linda Dekock
Gary and Linda paddled from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis, raising awareness for the organization Water for People.
~ Q&A with Gary & Linda: Click Here
~Website and video link:
~The First 38 Days:
~Gary's YouTube Channel 2018 Missouri Videos:
~ An informative inside look at Linda & Gary in,
"Revealed", Click Here
2018:
Neal Moore - A Little Wake Expedition: Neal departed from Astoria, Oregon, on the Columbia River, headed to his final destination of New York City. Neal reached Williston, ND, on the Missouri River mid-summer and opted to halt his journey until 2020, when he will resume. Click Links below:
Neal Moore - A Little Wake Expedition: Neal departed from Astoria, Oregon, on the Columbia River, headed to his final destination of New York City. Neal reached Williston, ND, on the Missouri River mid-summer and opted to halt his journey until 2020, when he will resume. Click Links below:
2018: (Below)- Two other expeditions set out from Three Forks headed to St. Louis but came up a little short.
(L) Don Wood and dog, Fred paddled to Williston, ND. (R) Tomas Dawson and dog Tagg paddled to Great Falls.
We hope they both continue with their journeys!
(L) Don Wood and dog, Fred paddled to Williston, ND. (R) Tomas Dawson and dog Tagg paddled to Great Falls.
We hope they both continue with their journeys!
2017: There were 4 major historic descents of the Missouri River in 2017.
2017
Tina Brooke made history by becoming the first known woman to start on the Madison River near Bear Trap Canyon, Montana, and paddle her canoe to the state of Mississippi. Tina's original plan was to continue to the Gulf of Mexico, which she plans to complete in the year ahead.
Question & Answer with Tina: Click Here
Contact Tina
Tina Brooke made history by becoming the first known woman to start on the Madison River near Bear Trap Canyon, Montana, and paddle her canoe to the state of Mississippi. Tina's original plan was to continue to the Gulf of Mexico, which she plans to complete in the year ahead.
Question & Answer with Tina: Click Here
Contact Tina
2017:
Ellen "Megellen" Falterman: This Texas native paddler made history by becoming the youngest woman to solo the Missouri River from Three Forks, Montana, to the confluence with the Mississippi. She has since won the 2018 Peddle Boat division in the Mo340 race. In 2017, she wrote a fantastic blog of her account, which can be found here at Paddleabout.
Question & Answer with Ellen: Click Here
UPDATE: November 2023: Ellen is making plans and will soon depart on a solo circumnavigation of the planet in an ocean rowing rig. Read more about her endeavor, follow along, or read her blog at her website. ELLEN
2017
Hunter Yale and Brooks Taylor paddled a wooden cedar strip Prospector canoe from Three Forks to the Gulf of Mexico in 118 days. They occasionally met up with a few other long-distance paddlers. Their friend Mike Carey joined them in Kansas City and paddled to the Gulf of Mexico. Their journey began on July 10 and ended on November 4th. They made an initial hike into Brower's Spring, the source of the Missouri, but car portaged most of the way to Three Forks.
Hunter Yale and Brooks Taylor paddled a wooden cedar strip Prospector canoe from Three Forks to the Gulf of Mexico in 118 days. They occasionally met up with a few other long-distance paddlers. Their friend Mike Carey joined them in Kansas City and paddled to the Gulf of Mexico. Their journey began on July 10 and ended on November 4th. They made an initial hike into Brower's Spring, the source of the Missouri, but car portaged most of the way to Three Forks.
2017
Evan Rench: Long-distance hiker turned paddler in 2017. His first time paddling was his first stroke at Three Forks, Montana. Evan paddled to St. Louis on a sit-on-top kayak with his guitar tied to the back.
Click the Images below of Evan during his first 2 days.
2017: Adventure Aaron Carotta paddled solo from Three Forks, Montana, to Florida, having no previous paddling experience.
~Canoe & Kayak Story: 5000 miles on $37.00
~The Advocate News story
Q&A with Aaron: Click Here:
As of 2025, Aaron is attempting to circumnavigate the earth in an Ocean Rowing boat. He was near Papua New Guinea as of the spring of 2025.
2017: Lloyd Bailey: A retired railroad worker and great-grandfather who pushed his canoe off from the shores of Three Forks and paddled home to St. Charles, Missouri. The wind and weather caused him to play it safe and jump ahead at Lake Sakakawea, then put back in at Yankton. I’m sure the grandkids will have plenty of stories to listen to from their grandpa Lloyd.
Question & Answer with Lloyd: Click Here
2016- Early spring descent! Alaska resident, John Wetherby, departed from Helena, Montana, on March 11th and kayaked to Omaha, NE, on May 29th. John will depart from Omaha in the spring of 2021 for the Gulf of Mexico.
World Herald news article: Click here
World Herald news article: Click here
2016
Laurie made history in 2016 by becoming the 10th person to "Source to Sea" the Missouri River system from Brower's Spring to the Gulf of Mexico. This was the 2nd known descent by "Canoe"; all previous paddlers were in kayaks.
Links Below:
~Canoe & Kayak story: Mother's cancer diagnosis sparks Source to Sea Descent.
~Great Falls Tribune Story
~LeRoy,New York News Story:
~Kris Laurie talks about descent from Brower's Spring.
~Youtube Interview by Norm Miller:
Make sure you listen to this video if you're planning on going to Brower's Spring.
Photos below from Kris Laurie, click to enlarge.
2016
Lisa Pugh & Alyce Louise - Source of Confidence Expedition- Source to Sea: Lisa & Alyce made paddling history in 2016 by hiking & Canoeing from Brower's Spring, the utmost source, and paddling to the Gulf of Mexico. They are the first known woman to have "canoed" and completed all mileage, including portages, under their own power. Their expedition was committed to accomplishing three goals: 1) Become the first women to canoe the 4th longest river system in the world; 2) Deliver a unique confidence-building curriculum, via adventure learning models and in-person workshops; and 3) Create a documentary film that, through a series of individual and group interviews with girls and women of all ages and backgrounds. Links Below
Lisa Pugh & Alyce Louise - Source of Confidence Expedition- Source to Sea: Lisa & Alyce made paddling history in 2016 by hiking & Canoeing from Brower's Spring, the utmost source, and paddling to the Gulf of Mexico. They are the first known woman to have "canoed" and completed all mileage, including portages, under their own power. Their expedition was committed to accomplishing three goals: 1) Become the first women to canoe the 4th longest river system in the world; 2) Deliver a unique confidence-building curriculum, via adventure learning models and in-person workshops; and 3) Create a documentary film that, through a series of individual and group interviews with girls and women of all ages and backgrounds. Links Below
2016
Missouri Break Expedition- Lance Stroheker and Gary Rice- Two kayakers from Missouri paddle from Three Forks, Montana, to Mobridge, SD: Gary and Lance own Astral Glass Blowing in New Haven, Missouri, and have helped many paddlers when they pass through. Make sure you stop by their shop and "blow a ball and sign the wall", a new tradition for thru-paddlers.
Link: Missouri Break Expedition Facebook Page:
Photos below by Gary and Lance. Click to enlarge:
Missouri Break Expedition- Lance Stroheker and Gary Rice- Two kayakers from Missouri paddle from Three Forks, Montana, to Mobridge, SD: Gary and Lance own Astral Glass Blowing in New Haven, Missouri, and have helped many paddlers when they pass through. Make sure you stop by their shop and "blow a ball and sign the wall", a new tradition for thru-paddlers.
Link: Missouri Break Expedition Facebook Page:
Photos below by Gary and Lance. Click to enlarge:
2016
Bruce "Buck" Nelson: Lewis & Clark Trail:
Buck became one of the few paddlers to start in St. Louis and hike & paddle UP the Missouri River. Buck arrived at Three Forks, Montana, the start of the main Missouri, after just 4 months. From Three Forks, Buck hiked the overland route through the mountains to the Clearwater River in Idaho, where he traded in his boots once again for his paddle and kayak. Buck arrived at the Pacific Ocean. He completed the 3300-mile expedition in under 6 months. Buck kept great journals and took some fantastic photos. All of his blogs and photos are archived here: Links Below-
Links on Buck's expedition below:
Bruce "Buck" Nelson: Lewis & Clark Trail:
Buck became one of the few paddlers to start in St. Louis and hike & paddle UP the Missouri River. Buck arrived at Three Forks, Montana, the start of the main Missouri, after just 4 months. From Three Forks, Buck hiked the overland route through the mountains to the Clearwater River in Idaho, where he traded in his boots once again for his paddle and kayak. Buck arrived at the Pacific Ocean. He completed the 3300-mile expedition in under 6 months. Buck kept great journals and took some fantastic photos. All of his blogs and photos are archived here: Links Below-
Links on Buck's expedition below:
- River Press News Ft. Benton News Story: (Article mainly features Missouri River Paddlers Gary Rice and Lance Stroheker but also mentions Nelson.)
- The Spokesman Review Newspaper story
- The Daily Astorian Newspaper Story:
- Canoe & Kayak Magazine Story: Bucks Source to Sea of the Mississippi River in 2015:
- PHOTOS-- Below by Norm Miller as Buck approached the start of the Missouri River at Three Forks, Montana. Buck had spent the past 4 months paddling upstream from St. Louis. The bottom set of four photos by Buck.
- Click each photo to enlarge.
2016
Chris & Tiffany Allen made history for the 1st known rowing scull descent of the Missouri River. The two rowed individual solo rowing sculls that they built in their shop in Bozeman, Montana. They started in Three Forks and rowed to St. Louis.
Chris & Tiffany Allen made history for the 1st known rowing scull descent of the Missouri River. The two rowed individual solo rowing sculls that they built in their shop in Bozeman, Montana. They started in Three Forks and rowed to St. Louis.
Click the slide show below to see more images of their expedition.
2016: Steve Borcherding: Paddling a Wenonah Voyaguer solo canoe, Steve departed Garvins Point dam near Yankton, S.D., on September 30, 2016 and reached the Gulf of Mexico on November 21st.
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2016: Diane Arnold & Warren Johnson: Started June 20 from Ft Benton, Montana, to St. Charles, Missouri, on October 22, 126 days. They had five wind days where they didn't paddle. They arrived at Pierre, SD, on August 29th. They paddled two 16.5 Riot Polaris tandems with the front seat removed. The couple, over the following two years, paddled down the Mississippi and Gulf to Florida. (In 2023, Warren repeated a descent of the Missouri River, solo from Ft. Benton to St. Louis... and beyond. )
2016: Diane Arnold & Warren Johnson: Started June 20 from Ft Benton, Montana, to St. Charles, Missouri, on October 22, 126 days. They had five wind days where they didn't paddle. They arrived at Pierre, SD, on August 29th. They paddled two 16.5 Riot Polaris tandems with the front seat removed. The couple, over the following two years, paddled down the Mississippi and Gulf to Florida. (In 2023, Warren repeated a descent of the Missouri River, solo from Ft. Benton to St. Louis... and beyond. )
2015:
Jack Kuhl: from Pierre, SD, kayaked from Three Forks, Montana, to the arch in St. Louis. Jack paddled an Eddyline Shasta kayak. Jack arrived at Pelican Island (Mile 10) during the 2015 MoRP Rendezvous. Jack is a retired game warden and was 73 years young when he made the descent. Jack has helped out many paddlers when they reach Pierre by offering to help portage, a place to stay, and a resupply of food.
Photos below by Norm Miller of Jack's departure on the Jefferson River at Drouillard access.
Click to Enlarge
Jack Kuhl: from Pierre, SD, kayaked from Three Forks, Montana, to the arch in St. Louis. Jack paddled an Eddyline Shasta kayak. Jack arrived at Pelican Island (Mile 10) during the 2015 MoRP Rendezvous. Jack is a retired game warden and was 73 years young when he made the descent. Jack has helped out many paddlers when they reach Pierre by offering to help portage, a place to stay, and a resupply of food.
Photos below by Norm Miller of Jack's departure on the Jefferson River at Drouillard access.
Click to Enlarge
2015
Renown dugout canoe builder, Churchill Clark carved a dugout dubbed "Knotty", and paddled her from Twin Bridges, Montana, down the Jefferson River over the course of 2 summers to St. Louis. This was his 3rd trip on the Missouri. Between 2004 and 2006, he retraced the Lewis & Clark Expedition with other re-enactors during the bicentennial. Churchill has it literally in his blood, being the 4th Great Grandson of Capt. William Clark of the L&C Expedition. Canoe Canoe!
~Yankton News Article on Churchill's Expedition Click Here:
~Columbia News Story: Descendent of William Clark Find Solace: Click Here:
~Knotty the Dugout on the Missouri River Facebook Page-Lots of photos! Click Here:
~Dugout Canoe Love Youtube Channel: Contains a lot of videos! Click Here:
Renown dugout canoe builder, Churchill Clark carved a dugout dubbed "Knotty", and paddled her from Twin Bridges, Montana, down the Jefferson River over the course of 2 summers to St. Louis. This was his 3rd trip on the Missouri. Between 2004 and 2006, he retraced the Lewis & Clark Expedition with other re-enactors during the bicentennial. Churchill has it literally in his blood, being the 4th Great Grandson of Capt. William Clark of the L&C Expedition. Canoe Canoe!
~Yankton News Article on Churchill's Expedition Click Here:
~Columbia News Story: Descendent of William Clark Find Solace: Click Here:
~Knotty the Dugout on the Missouri River Facebook Page-Lots of photos! Click Here:
~Dugout Canoe Love Youtube Channel: Contains a lot of videos! Click Here:
2015:
Beyond a Book Expedition ~On the River Expedition: Sara Dykman, Nia Thomas, Aaron Viducich, and Matt Titre descended from Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park, Montana, and hiked, peddled, and paddled to the Gulf of Mexico. This route has never been done before. The waters from this peak flow into three different oceans---Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic. Their expedition was well documented and followed by many. Make sure you check out their amazing educational videos.
Links Below-
- Website: (Includes Sara's Bike trip from Mexico to Canada.)
- Blog of entire journey & photos. Click Here:
- Videos: Fantastic educational and informative videos filmed during their expedition! Click Here:
- Sioux City Journal Story:
- Discovering the Missouri by Canoe: 1-hour presentation: Click Here:
- Canoe & Kayak Magazine Story: Bikes, Boats and Big Rivers: Reflections on the journey:
- A 45 minute audio interview with Sara Dykman about the expedition, recorded by Norm Miller:
- Clyp: Click Here: (Click left arrow to start audio once page opens)
- Photos below by "On The River Expedition"
2015
Allen Palmer: In 2015, Allen paddled and portaged from Brower's Spring to the upper headwaters of the Jefferson and down the Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico. Allen's photo albums and detailed trip are downloaded here. It is a must-read for anyone paddling the length of the river. One of the most informative reports ever.
Allen also has a detailed report from Hellroaring Creek to Three Forks, which is a must-read for anyone doing the upper source waters.
Click Here for the report:
Allen's Brower's Spring account:
Allen Palmer: In 2015, Allen paddled and portaged from Brower's Spring to the upper headwaters of the Jefferson and down the Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico. Allen's photo albums and detailed trip are downloaded here. It is a must-read for anyone paddling the length of the river. One of the most informative reports ever.
Allen also has a detailed report from Hellroaring Creek to Three Forks, which is a must-read for anyone doing the upper source waters.
Click Here for the report:
Allen's Brower's Spring account:
2015
Scott Hite started on June 15, 2015, in
Twin Bridges, Montana, on the Beaverhead River, and kayaked to the Gulf of Mexico, ending at Port Eads, ending his 151-day expedition.
Scott Hite started on June 15, 2015, in
Twin Bridges, Montana, on the Beaverhead River, and kayaked to the Gulf of Mexico, ending at Port Eads, ending his 151-day expedition.
2015
Ellen McDonah paddled her Current Design kayak from Twin Bridges, departing June 13th. She paddled to Pierre, SD that summer and finished her descent from Pierre to St. Louis in 2017. In 2013, Ellen kayaked the length of the Mississippi River and wrote a book entitled,
"One Woman's Journey" is about her expedition. Ellen is a fantastic painter; many of her images are in her book.
Check out Ellen's website for more information or to obtain a copy of her book.
Ellen's Website and Book Here:
Photos by Ellen McDonah collection. Click to enlarge.
Ellen McDonah paddled her Current Design kayak from Twin Bridges, departing June 13th. She paddled to Pierre, SD that summer and finished her descent from Pierre to St. Louis in 2017. In 2013, Ellen kayaked the length of the Mississippi River and wrote a book entitled,
"One Woman's Journey" is about her expedition. Ellen is a fantastic painter; many of her images are in her book.
Check out Ellen's website for more information or to obtain a copy of her book.
Ellen's Website and Book Here:
Photos by Ellen McDonah collection. Click to enlarge.
2015
Brian Herdman- Solo- Three Forks to St. Louis.
Brian started on July 13th and arrived at the arch on Sept 26th for a total of 75 days, 4 hours, and 8 minutes...but who's counting?
Photos below by Brian. Click to enlarge:
2015
Dave Starkey paddled from Three Forks to St. Louis. Starkey started in May and ended in August. The only high-tech gear he carried was a cell phone to keep tabs on his wife back home in Illinois.
Photos below by Dave Starkey
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2015:
John Johnson: John paddled from Livingston, Montana, to the Confluence with the Mississippi River. This was J.J.'s 2nd trip down the Missouri River. (See 2008, below) John started out in a kayak on the Yellowstone and capsized on day one. John skipped a few of the more challenging sections of the Yellowstone and proceeded to Williston, ND, where he continued downstream. John traded his kayak for a traditional canoe near Sioux City and completed his journey. John arrived at the kick-off party of the first-ever MoRP Rendezvous.
John Johnson: John paddled from Livingston, Montana, to the Confluence with the Mississippi River. This was J.J.'s 2nd trip down the Missouri River. (See 2008, below) John started out in a kayak on the Yellowstone and capsized on day one. John skipped a few of the more challenging sections of the Yellowstone and proceeded to Williston, ND, where he continued downstream. John traded his kayak for a traditional canoe near Sioux City and completed his journey. John arrived at the kick-off party of the first-ever MoRP Rendezvous.
2014:
Blackwater Drifters Expedition - SOURCE TO SEA. In 2014, Joe Zimmerman and Nick Caiazza began at Browers Spring, the ultimate source of the Missouri, and paddled to the Gulf of Mexico. This historic expedition became the 1st source-to-sea descent while paddling SIT-ON-TOP kayaks.
Links Below-
Nick has since produced an award-winning documentary of their journey.
Blackwater Drifters Expedition - SOURCE TO SEA. In 2014, Joe Zimmerman and Nick Caiazza began at Browers Spring, the ultimate source of the Missouri, and paddled to the Gulf of Mexico. This historic expedition became the 1st source-to-sea descent while paddling SIT-ON-TOP kayaks.
Links Below-
Nick has since produced an award-winning documentary of their journey.
- AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY: (A must-see, especially if you intend to start at Brower's Spring)
- Hobie Blog about their expedition:
- Nick and Joe on NPR in Omaha:
- News story in the Bismarck newspaper:
- COMMUNITY RADIO OF N. COLORADO:
- Interview with Missouri River Paddler Org., founder Norm Miller by Nick Caiazza on Vimeo
- NICK AND JOE ON FACEBOOK: Lots of great photos here! FACEBOOK SITE
2014:
KEITH LYNCH Paddled from Montana to Dallas, Texas:
One of the most remarkable journeys we've ever followed here on the Mo Paddlers page is that of Keith Lynch. Lynch had never canoed or camped before he departed from Twin Bridges, Montana, in the spring of 2014. Keith paddled through 15 states and five rivers, including 800 miles upstream on the Red River in Texas, before arriving via the Trinity River at his home in Dallas.
This 4000-mile journey was followed by many, and Canoe & Kayak Magazine dubbed this route the "Lynch Trail".
Keith won Canoe & Kayak Magazine's "Spirit of Adventure" Award in August of 2015!
KEITH LYNCH Paddled from Montana to Dallas, Texas:
One of the most remarkable journeys we've ever followed here on the Mo Paddlers page is that of Keith Lynch. Lynch had never canoed or camped before he departed from Twin Bridges, Montana, in the spring of 2014. Keith paddled through 15 states and five rivers, including 800 miles upstream on the Red River in Texas, before arriving via the Trinity River at his home in Dallas.
This 4000-mile journey was followed by many, and Canoe & Kayak Magazine dubbed this route the "Lynch Trail".
Keith won Canoe & Kayak Magazine's "Spirit of Adventure" Award in August of 2015!
- Keith's blog is a must-read! Here is the link including archived photos:
- Canoe & Kayak's story on Keith's Journey:
- Humorous promo video of Keith Journey: This is great to see his transformation--
- Dallas Newspaper of his epic arrival after paddling 4000 miles!
- Grind TV covers Keith's journey:
- Louisiana newspaper covers Keith's canoe trip:
- Keith video of the Missouri Breaks, Montana:
- Paddling the dangerous Ft. Peck lake, Montana---Every paddler's challenge!
- Keith capsized on day 4 of his trip and lost $4000.00 in camera equipment. Norm Miller &
- Kris Walker from Montana found and retrieved it 4 months later: Here is the discovery.
- ALL of Keith's YouTube Videos of his journey: Make sure you check all these out....lots of great information to be had.
- Keith Lynch arrives in Texas---Norm Miller surprised Keith and filmed his final few days: Here is Part 1 of Video
- Keith on the Trinity River Video---
- Keith Arrives near Dallas from Montana: YouTube Video
- Canoe & Kayak Magazine's Spirit of Adventure Award --Acceptance speech by Keith:
The route of Keith Lynch in 2014. Keith began on the Beaverhead River in Twin Bridges, Montana. From there, he paddled and portaged the Jefferson, Missouri, Mississippi, Red, and Trinity rivers to Dallas, Texas.
Click Photos below to enlarge-
2014-- Dale Waldo became the 2nd person to go from the Source of the Missouri to St. Louis by CANOE!
Dale made a huge effort, paddling the 2800 miles from June 25th to August 19th for a speedy descent. Dale and his father, Rick, in 2013 paddled the Source to Sea of the Mississippi. In 2017, Dale and friend Luke Rookus attempted a speed descent of the entire Missouri from Source to Sea. The trip ended abruptly three days into the journey due to personal reasons. Despite their early end, they managed to be the first known people to portage a tandem canoe to the source at Brower's Spring and to make the difficult portage down the canyon to the valley floor. This required monumental effort and determination.
Below is the link to Dale's journey on FACEBOOK---Lots of Great photos including the Brower's Spring area and the epic Red Rock River......with all of it's fences!!
Photo by Norm Miller of Dale Waldo at Paddle Hard Brewing Company in Grayling, Michigan. Dale is standing in from of a map of Verlen Kruger's 28,000 mile route through the US and Canada. Link Below-
Dales Facebook Page:
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2014- Paul Gamache: Paul made a speed descent down the Missouri river during the summer of 2014. Paul started at Brower's Spring, the utmost source of the Missouri River to the Gulf of Mexico in 78 days! Paul's quest for 2014 was to climb the highest peak in North America (Denali) and paddle the longest river.
A Vimeo film of Paul's endeavor, showing both the paddling and climbing, is linked below.
LINKS BELOW-
2014- Paul Gamache: Paul made a speed descent down the Missouri river during the summer of 2014. Paul started at Brower's Spring, the utmost source of the Missouri River to the Gulf of Mexico in 78 days! Paul's quest for 2014 was to climb the highest peak in North America (Denali) and paddle the longest river.
A Vimeo film of Paul's endeavor, showing both the paddling and climbing, is linked below.
LINKS BELOW-
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2014
Brian Duncan from Chamois, Missouri, kayaked solo from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis aboard his Wilderness Systems kayak. Brian has competed in the Mo340 before. He departed Three Forks in May, along with his father, who paddled the first 25 miles with him.
Photos by Norm Miller. Click images below to enlarge.
2014
Brian Duncan from Chamois, Missouri, kayaked solo from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis aboard his Wilderness Systems kayak. Brian has competed in the Mo340 before. He departed Three Forks in May, along with his father, who paddled the first 25 miles with him.
Photos by Norm Miller. Click images below to enlarge.
2014
Janessa Onwiler and Dylan Mangel kayaked from Three Forks, Montana, to their home in Omaha, Nebraska. During their descent, they encountered paddlers Brian Duncan and Rod Weeding, both headed to St. Louis. The quad paddlers paddled a few times throughout the journey. The departure date was May 21st, and the trip lasted 81 days, arriving on August 21st. Janessa paddled only to Omaha. They ran into Brian Duncan and paddled with him from Fort Peck until Jefferson City, MO, on day 76. The boat Dylan used was a 16’6” Dagger Magellan Sea Kayak.
Janessa Onwiler and Dylan Mangel kayaked from Three Forks, Montana, to their home in Omaha, Nebraska. During their descent, they encountered paddlers Brian Duncan and Rod Weeding, both headed to St. Louis. The quad paddlers paddled a few times throughout the journey. The departure date was May 21st, and the trip lasted 81 days, arriving on August 21st. Janessa paddled only to Omaha. They ran into Brian Duncan and paddled with him from Fort Peck until Jefferson City, MO, on day 76. The boat Dylan used was a 16’6” Dagger Magellan Sea Kayak.
2014
Rod Weeding kayaked over two summers from Three Forks to St. Louis. In 2014, he paddled to Pierre, SD, and finished the following year--2015. Rod made his stripper kayak, seen here in the photo by Gail Weeding. Rod paddled with Brian Duncan, Dylan Mangel, and Janessa Onwiler for a few days during their descents.
Question & Answer with Rod: Click Here
Rod Weeding kayaked over two summers from Three Forks to St. Louis. In 2014, he paddled to Pierre, SD, and finished the following year--2015. Rod made his stripper kayak, seen here in the photo by Gail Weeding. Rod paddled with Brian Duncan, Dylan Mangel, and Janessa Onwiler for a few days during their descents.
Question & Answer with Rod: Click Here
2013:
Scott Mestrezat became the first person to paddle a SUP--Stand Up Paddle Board from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis in 2013. Scott is an incredible photographer, check out his blog, photos, and video of his historic expedition:
Q&A with Scott: Click Here:
LINKS BELOW-
- Scott's 400-page trip blog with/ hundreds of photos. A must-read! Click Here:
- Facebook: Scott's Facebook account of his SUP journey:
- Canoe & Kayak Magazine story:
- Big Muddy Moose Video Trailer of his journey:
- Aquapac Promo video of Scott:
- Small Boat Monthly Magazine story:
- Youtube video #1:
- Youtube video #2:
- Youtube video #3:
- SUP Radio Interview:
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2013:
Janet Moreland & Love Your Big Muddy Expedition:
In 2013, Janet became the first known woman to go from the source of the Missouri River at Brower's Spring, Montana, and follow the water to the Gulf of Mexico... solo... 3700 miles, 223 days. Here is Janet's blog with many great photos and stories. Janet won Canoe & Kayak Magazine's "Spirit of Adventure" Award in 2014 for her efforts! Janet has since solo kayaked the Mississippi and the Yukon rivers, both source-to-sea! Links Below-
Janet Moreland & Love Your Big Muddy Expedition:
In 2013, Janet became the first known woman to go from the source of the Missouri River at Brower's Spring, Montana, and follow the water to the Gulf of Mexico... solo... 3700 miles, 223 days. Here is Janet's blog with many great photos and stories. Janet won Canoe & Kayak Magazine's "Spirit of Adventure" Award in 2014 for her efforts! Janet has since solo kayaked the Mississippi and the Yukon rivers, both source-to-sea! Links Below-
- LoveYourBigMuddy BLOG:
- Janet's Facebook Page:
- This epic ski to Brower's Spring with Janet Moreland and Norm Miller--Part 1- Here:
- Part 2- Skiing to the ultimate Source of the Missouri River:
- Janet arrives at Three Forks, Montana. Video by Norm Miller:
- Janet was the 2014 winner of Canoe & Kayak Magazine's "Spirit of Adventure" award!!!!!
- Here is Janet accepting her award at the OR-Show in Salt Lake City. Video Here-
- Rapid Media story on Janet here:
- The Missouri River Paddlers are honored to have Janet as a key person in the paddling group. Make sure you read Janet's blogs for more videos and stories of her historic journey.
Click Photos below to enlarge and read captions: These cover Brower's Spring and the Missouri River headwaters.
2013:
David Forbes solo kayaked from Three Forks to St. Louis. David has since paddled the entire Mississippi River and is a wealth of information if you are planning a trip down this river.
Trails Journal and Blog:
Question & Answer with David: Click here:
David Forbes solo kayaked from Three Forks to St. Louis. David has since paddled the entire Mississippi River and is a wealth of information if you are planning a trip down this river.
Trails Journal and Blog:
Question & Answer with David: Click here:
2013:
Shawn Hollingsworth Expedition-- Solo stripper canoe, Three Forks to St. Louis. Shawn set out on his expedition from Three Forks with 2 other paddlers, who eventually quit. Shawn proceeded on solo.
Here is a brief trip report by Shawn:
CLICK HERE TO READ
(L)Scott Mestrezat photo
Photos below by Shawn, click to enlarge.
Shawn Hollingsworth Expedition-- Solo stripper canoe, Three Forks to St. Louis. Shawn set out on his expedition from Three Forks with 2 other paddlers, who eventually quit. Shawn proceeded on solo.
Here is a brief trip report by Shawn:
CLICK HERE TO READ
(L)Scott Mestrezat photo
Photos below by Shawn, click to enlarge.
2012-13
On April 2, 2013, Rod Wellington became the first Canadian to kayak the Missouri-Mississippi river system from source to sea, a distance of 3800 miles. The solo journey lasted 256 days. Rod started in June of 2012.
See 2012, below, for all of Rod Wellington's links and information.
Photos by Rod Wellington. Click to Enlarge Contact Rod, Click Here:
On April 2, 2013, Rod Wellington became the first Canadian to kayak the Missouri-Mississippi river system from source to sea, a distance of 3800 miles. The solo journey lasted 256 days. Rod started in June of 2012.
See 2012, below, for all of Rod Wellington's links and information.
- Rod Wellington's Website Here:
- Rod's Missouri River descent-Brower's Spring Blog:
- Rod talks on TEDx:
- CK Review Canada-Article on expedition:
- Sioux City Journal News story:
- YouTube: Pack Rafting Hell Roaring creek 2012:
- YouTube: Descending Hell Roaring Creek:
- A Missouri River Minute: #1 Near Ft. Peck video:
- A Missouri River Minute #2 Coulees: The Badlands video:
- A Missouri River Minute #3 Banks of the Missouri video:
- Rod has over 20 videos of his historic kayak descent, which are a must-see for anyone paddling the entire river system. Rod has a YouTube Channel where all his 2012-13 descent videos are located. CLICK HERE:
Photos by Rod Wellington. Click to Enlarge Contact Rod, Click Here:
2012 This year was an historic year for the Missouri river and the paddling community. This was the year that the 1st "Kayak" descent of the 4th Longest river system in the world took place from Brower's Spring, Montana, to the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of nearly 3800 miles. The whole "Source to Sea" concept became a recent fad in the paddling world with the race to descend the Amazon River from its source to the Atlantic. (The first known descent of StoS was by Mark Spitzer in 1988 by canoe. Click Here to See the Brower's Spring page & information.
2012: Australian Mark Kalch makes the 1st descent of the Missouri River system by kayak
(The 1st descent was by canoe in 1989 by Mark Spitzer)--the world's 4th-longest river, from source to sea. Mark paddled and portaged nearly 3800 miles from Brower's Spring to the Gulf of Mexico in 117 days. Mark has since paddled the longest river systems on 4 continents from Source to Sea — the Amazon, Missouri-Mississippi, Volga, and Murray-Darling. Click the Links below for more information on Mark Kalch's historic descent.
- Mark Kalch Expedition Video of Brower's Spring to Three Forks by Norm Miller
- Mark arrives at Three Forks, Montana video--The First 10-days by Norm Miller:
- Mark Kalch Website on his 7Rivers-7Continents Project:
- Interview with Alastair Humphreys with Mark on his river project
- Mark Kalch on a TED talk about his river trips:
- RapidMedia Interview with Mark Kalch:
- Canoe & Kayak: The Utmost Missouri article
- Sidetracked Magazine Story by Mark on his trip to the Source:
- Canoe & Kayak article & photos by Mark Kalch on the Missouri River descent: The American Amazon.
- Paul Kirtley Blog & Interview with Mark Kalch:
- The Red Zone Tech Interview with Mark Kalch:
2012
Aussie Bob Bellingham paddled from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis in his EddieLine Shasta kayak named "Barbara May", after his better half in Australia. Bob wrote one of the most enjoyable blogs to read this summer. Bob seemed to be the life of the party wherever he went along the Missouri River. Once Bob completed his journey, he sold his kayak to Janet Moreland, who used it to become the 1st woman to descend the Missouri River from Source to Sea. Bob and his wife Barbara attended the Missouri River Paddlers Rendezvous in 2015, and they also paddled together from Three Forks to Kipp Bridge, Montana, in 2017.
Bob's blog, including photos and video, is archived here. A very informative read:
- SteadyPaddling Blog
- The South Dakota Capital Journal News story on Bob:
- Q&A with Bob about his Missouri River journey- CLICK HERE:
- Click the images below to enlarge
T&T Expedition 2012 :
Thomas Walker and Tyler Ranes,
The Montana duo paddled an aluminum canoe from Great Falls, Montana to St. Louis. They occasionally paddled with Aussie Bob Bellingham during his descent.
Photos below by T&T: Click to enlarge
2012:
Dom Liboiron - To honour his uncle Mitch & raise awareness about heart disease, Dom canoed from Saskatchewan, Canada, to New Orleans - a distance of 3,300 miles/5,200 km.
Dom was the 2013 Spirit of Adventure award winner by C&K magazine.
Click below for Dom's Links.
Question & Answer with Dom about his journey: Click Here:
Photos below by Dom Liboiron. Click to enlarge and read captions.
Dom Liboiron - To honour his uncle Mitch & raise awareness about heart disease, Dom canoed from Saskatchewan, Canada, to New Orleans - a distance of 3,300 miles/5,200 km.
Dom was the 2013 Spirit of Adventure award winner by C&K magazine.
Click below for Dom's Links.
Question & Answer with Dom about his journey: Click Here:
- Canoe To New Orleans Carrying Uncle Mitch's Ashes Website:
- Canoe To New Orleans Facebook Page:
- CBS New Interview: Dom's interview was televised on National TV during the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans. Fantastic Interview by Steve Hartman: HERE:
- Dan Reynish Interview, CBC Radio with Dom: Here:
- First Interview by CBC Radio Canada prior to Departure: Here:
- Billings Gazette News Story:
- 2013 Canoe & Kayak Spirit of Adventure Award presented by Verizon: Here
Photos below by Dom Liboiron. Click to enlarge and read captions.
2011: Andy Bugh
This Plano, Texas, resident paddled from Lima, Montana, on the Red Rock River to the Gulf of Mexico during the 2011 flood. Andy paddled a Shasta Eddy Line kayak. Andy did some of the earliest recon of the source of the Missouri River at Brower's Spring. That information is used by current "Source to Sea" paddlers. See our section on Brower's Spring on this website. Andy is referred to as the Grandfather of the Brower's Spring Paddlers for his work.
Photos below by Andy Bugh: Click to enlarge.
This Plano, Texas, resident paddled from Lima, Montana, on the Red Rock River to the Gulf of Mexico during the 2011 flood. Andy paddled a Shasta Eddy Line kayak. Andy did some of the earliest recon of the source of the Missouri River at Brower's Spring. That information is used by current "Source to Sea" paddlers. See our section on Brower's Spring on this website. Andy is referred to as the Grandfather of the Brower's Spring Paddlers for his work.
Photos below by Andy Bugh: Click to enlarge.
2011:
Misty Rose Johnson & Patrick Igou paddled their aluminum canoe from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis. They often met up, paddled, and camped with Andy Bugh during his descent. They started on July 20th and ended 78 days later on October 25th.
Photos below by Misty Rose Johnson. Click to enlarge:
Misty Rose Johnson & Patrick Igou paddled their aluminum canoe from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis. They often met up, paddled, and camped with Andy Bugh during his descent. They started on July 20th and ended 78 days later on October 25th.
Photos below by Misty Rose Johnson. Click to enlarge:
2011
Aussie Dirk Embery paddled down the Yellowstone River to the confluence with the Missouri and continued to Jefferson City, Missouri. Dirk started in Livingston, Mt, on July 26th and arrived in Jefferson City on October 10th for a 65-day descent.
Click here to read Dirk's blog about his journey:
Photos below by Dirk Embery-Click to enlarge.
2010
Charles Vaught & Tom Bailey paddled from Three Forks, Montana, to the Gulf of Mexico, becoming the youngest known paddlers to descend the entire river system.
Q&A with Charles: Click Here:
Q&A with Tom: Click Here:
2010:
Helena, Montana resident Will Garvin canoed from Helena, Montana to Helena, Arkansas down the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Will has been a river angel to many long-distance paddlers, offering assistance around Canyon Ferry and Holter dams on the Missouri River.
Helena, Montana resident Will Garvin canoed from Helena, Montana to Helena, Arkansas down the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Will has been a river angel to many long-distance paddlers, offering assistance around Canyon Ferry and Holter dams on the Missouri River.
2010
Jeff Medley of Missoula, Montana, paddled from Three Forks to the arch in St. Louis. Starting on July 10th from Headwaters State Park, Jeff paddled and portaged 2300 miles in 59 days. YouTube compilation of Jeff's Expedition, Click Here: Photos below by Jeff. Click them to enlarge: 
2009: In June of 2009, as a fourth-year medical student, Joe Forrester departed from Three Forks, Montana, and kayaked solo to the Gulf of Mexico, raising awareness for Parkinson’s Disease, which his grandfather had been diagnosed with. Joe departed on June 2, 09, and arrived in the Gulf of Mexico 94 days later on September 3rd, 2009. His cause shadowed his endurance, Joe raised nearly $22,000.00, of which 100% went to the National Parkinson’s Foundation! A very commendable and heartfelt journey was followed by many. ~ An in-depth Q&A with Joe regarding his expedition: Click Here: ~ Bozeman Chronicle News Story from Three Forks Click Here: Photos below by Joe Forrester unless otherwise noted. Click images to enlarge. 
2008
John Johnson - Three Forks to the confluence of the Mississippi River-Mile 0. John started on July 1st and arrived in 115 days. John paddled an Old Town Penobscot. John says it's his favorite expedition vessel that he's owned. (Note: John paddled the Missouri again in 2015 from the Yellowstone River near Livingston, Montana, to the Mississippi. The start date was May 23, and he finished around August 8th. ) |
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John during descent of the Mississippi.
Photo by Chuck Martin.
2007
John Sullivan is a canoeing enthusiast who enjoys extended trips down (and sometimes up) our nation's streams, rivers, and waterways. His excursions began in 1998 and were primarily centered in Wisconsin. His initial interest was following the paths of our early explorers and voyageurs on their historic routes from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi. He then left Wisconsin and began paddling other "state-named" rivers that flow into the Mississippi - the Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa, and Illinois.
In 2007, he started down the first leg of the Missouri River from Three Forks to Bismarck. He paddled the very long reservoir reach from Bismarck to Sioux City in 2008 and finished the channelized portion down to the Mississippi in 2010. He had planned to paddle the Mississippi headwaters back to La Crosse in September 2011, but postponed that trip until June of 2012, when passage through the vegetation-filled headwater marshes was less of a problem. John is a moderator for the Mississippi River Paddlers group on Facebook.
Question & Answer with John: Click Here:
John Sullivan is a canoeing enthusiast who enjoys extended trips down (and sometimes up) our nation's streams, rivers, and waterways. His excursions began in 1998 and were primarily centered in Wisconsin. His initial interest was following the paths of our early explorers and voyageurs on their historic routes from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi. He then left Wisconsin and began paddling other "state-named" rivers that flow into the Mississippi - the Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa, and Illinois.
In 2007, he started down the first leg of the Missouri River from Three Forks to Bismarck. He paddled the very long reservoir reach from Bismarck to Sioux City in 2008 and finished the channelized portion down to the Mississippi in 2010. He had planned to paddle the Mississippi headwaters back to La Crosse in September 2011, but postponed that trip until June of 2012, when passage through the vegetation-filled headwater marshes was less of a problem. John is a moderator for the Mississippi River Paddlers group on Facebook.
Question & Answer with John: Click Here:
2007
Adam Brooks kayaked from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis. He has also paddled the Mississippi and Yukon rivers and hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. You can read all about his Missouri River descent in his detailed blog with many photos. Adam paddled a 17ft fiberglass Romany Explorer by Nigel Dennis.
Adams Missouri River 2007 Blog here:
Photos below by Adam Brooks:
2006-07
"Coach" Larry Hoff- During the summers of 2006 and 2007, he paddled and portaged a canoe 6,200 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific by way of the Potomac, Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, Snake, and Columbia Rivers. Larry started in June of 2006 in Washington, DC, and worked his way to Mandan, North Dakota, which was the wintering headquarters of Lewis and Clark on their epic journey. Then, in 2007, he completed the trip to the Pacific Ocean. This expedition was a coast-to-coast endeavor. Larry paddled a decked canoe built by Verlen Kruger called a Sea Wind.
Larry's extensive blog and website are full of information about his Missouri River portion and many other adventures. Larry is a very inspiring man, and we are glad he is a part of the MoRP.
Larry's Website Here:
Question & Answer with Larry: Click Here
"Coach" Larry Hoff- During the summers of 2006 and 2007, he paddled and portaged a canoe 6,200 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific by way of the Potomac, Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, Snake, and Columbia Rivers. Larry started in June of 2006 in Washington, DC, and worked his way to Mandan, North Dakota, which was the wintering headquarters of Lewis and Clark on their epic journey. Then, in 2007, he completed the trip to the Pacific Ocean. This expedition was a coast-to-coast endeavor. Larry paddled a decked canoe built by Verlen Kruger called a Sea Wind.
Larry's extensive blog and website are full of information about his Missouri River portion and many other adventures. Larry is a very inspiring man, and we are glad he is a part of the MoRP.
Larry's Website Here:
Question & Answer with Larry: Click Here
2006-2004
These years marked the 200th anniversary of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. There was a vast increase in adventurers on the Missouri. One of the largest historical re-enactments took place during this time. Many of the founding members of the MoRP formed a bond with those involved in this re-enactment. One cannot put into words the magnitude of these couple of years on the Missouri River. The Missouri River is a connecting body of water for those who paddle it, and no group is more prevalent than this one. In short, a large contingent of people from all walks of life retraced the entire Lewis and Clark route from Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello, Virginia, and headed west over the next three years, starting in 2003, to the Pacific Ocean and back to St. Louis. They followed the same timeline as Lewis & Clark, wintering at Camp Dubois, Ft. Mandan, and Ft. Clatsop in relation to the same time the original explorers were there...only 200 years later.
These years marked the 200th anniversary of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. There was a vast increase in adventurers on the Missouri. One of the largest historical re-enactments took place during this time. Many of the founding members of the MoRP formed a bond with those involved in this re-enactment. One cannot put into words the magnitude of these couple of years on the Missouri River. The Missouri River is a connecting body of water for those who paddle it, and no group is more prevalent than this one. In short, a large contingent of people from all walks of life retraced the entire Lewis and Clark route from Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello, Virginia, and headed west over the next three years, starting in 2003, to the Pacific Ocean and back to St. Louis. They followed the same timeline as Lewis & Clark, wintering at Camp Dubois, Ft. Mandan, and Ft. Clatsop in relation to the same time the original explorers were there...only 200 years later.
2006
Bill Nedderman crossed the U.S. by canoe from Astoria, Oregon, to Savannah, Georgia, between April 1st and Christmas Day, 2006. During the Missouri River portion, he was joined by Belgian Dr. Karina Van Houcke. They reached the arch in St. Louis on Sept.23rd during the close of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. Bill is a paddling legend, having covered close to 40,000 lifetime miles. Bill solo'd the Great Eastern Loop-6,000 miles over 12 months in 2012.
* Note 2025 Bill solo paddled the entire Columbia River from Canada to the Pacific, then hopped on a bus to Livingston, Montana where he once again dipped his paddle in. He descended the Yellowstone River to the confluence with the Missouri River, then continued to Coopers Landing, Missouri, near Jefferson City.
Below are a few links to Nedderman's journeys.
East Loop: Cumberland, N.J Newspapers Click Here:
The Voice article: Click Here:
Canoe & Kayak Interview: Click Here:
2006-2003
Illinois man Larry Hazzard paddled upriver in the wake of Lewis & Clark. Over the course of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, Larry paddled his way up the Missouri River. Averaging about 10-15 miles a day in a canoe named after his 19-year-old daughter, Rebecca Lynn. Larry says he's "cooked everything from frozen Pizza to homemade apple pie on a campfire."
News Story of Larry's Expedition Here:
Illinois man Larry Hazzard paddled upriver in the wake of Lewis & Clark. Over the course of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, Larry paddled his way up the Missouri River. Averaging about 10-15 miles a day in a canoe named after his 19-year-old daughter, Rebecca Lynn. Larry says he's "cooked everything from frozen Pizza to homemade apple pie on a campfire."
News Story of Larry's Expedition Here:
2005
Sipke Debour- This Minnesota resident paddled from Three Forks to St. Louis during the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. Sipke is a Greenland-style paddler who also attended the 2015 MoRP Rendezvous. The photo to the left is of Sipke by Norm Miller, taken at Judith Landing on the Missouri River. Note the white Lewis & Clark perogue in the background. Sipke was at Judith Landing 200 years to the day that Lewis & Clark camped there.
The SD Capital Journal News Story: Man retraces L&C: CLICK HERE:
2005: Julian Wedgewood, age 70, from London England canoed from the upper Missouri headwaters on the Beaverhead River to Corpus Christi, Texas arriving just as Hurricane Katrina was making landfall. According to Julian, he departed at 8:45 am on Tuesday, May 3rd. He had just completed a 19-mile portage with his canoe and cart around Great Falls when he flipped and swamped below Morony Dam, Montana, and nearly died and lost the canoe. He made it to Baton Rouge on Saturday, the 27th of August, then a few more miles to Corpus Christi as the hurricane roared in. He did have a motor in his canoe, which he used on occasion. He spent a total of 117 days on the trail. This author recently contacted Julian in London, and he's still just as adventurous today. As of this writing, 84-year-old Julian is about to set off on a cycle trip through Romania. He has written a book, which I hope to download from the MoRP site in the future. Julian is the 2nd great-nephew of Charles Darwin and is a descendant of the famed Wedgewood Pottery Company in England.
Sioux City Journal article: London Man Canoes Down the Missouri: CLICK HERE:
Sioux City Journal article: London Man Canoes Down the Missouri: CLICK HERE:
2005
Apple Valley, California resident John McFarland is a key paddler in the MoRP. In 2005, John paddled from Three Forks to Vicksburg, Mississippi, only being forced to stop by the deadly hurricane Katrina. John has a wealth of information on the Missouri River. John has also paddled the Columbia and Mississippi rivers. John paddles a We-no-nah canoe and is known as "Can Man McFarland", the nickname which he received from fellow MoRP members after colliding with a can buoy in his canoe during the 2018 MoRP Rendezvous. John is one of the earliest members of the MoRP, having run into founder Norm Miller in the White Cliffs near Slaughter Creek on May 28, 2005. John is a veteran of the Vietnam War.
Apple Valley, California resident John McFarland is a key paddler in the MoRP. In 2005, John paddled from Three Forks to Vicksburg, Mississippi, only being forced to stop by the deadly hurricane Katrina. John has a wealth of information on the Missouri River. John has also paddled the Columbia and Mississippi rivers. John paddles a We-no-nah canoe and is known as "Can Man McFarland", the nickname which he received from fellow MoRP members after colliding with a can buoy in his canoe during the 2018 MoRP Rendezvous. John is one of the earliest members of the MoRP, having run into founder Norm Miller in the White Cliffs near Slaughter Creek on May 28, 2005. John is a veteran of the Vietnam War.
2005: Jim Kurz- Jim paddled from his hometown of Ladysmith, Wisconsin, across the state, through Minnesota and into the Missouri river near Sioux City, Iowa. From there, he paddled up the Missouri River to Three Forks, Montana. Jim wrote a book about his experience entitled "Out of My Backyard". On June 9, 2023, Jim Kurz tragically died while paddling in the Missouri Breaks National Monument. You can read about this event in the News section and the Paddlers Memorial Page. If you would like to read Jim's book, you can order one here for a total of $10, including shipping and handling. Any profits from this sale will go towards the maintenance of this website, the planting of trees at a few locations in memory of Jim, and a possible plaque at his last camp.
Click here to email the moderator for a copy of the book and more details.
Photos below by Jim Kurz
Click here to email the moderator for a copy of the book and more details.
Photos below by Jim Kurz
2005- James Sheldon. Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis. Sheldon encountered Jim Kurz on his trip, who took these photos. See the previous expedition above. If you have any more links or information on Sheldon, please let us know.
2005- Andrew Marsters:
Rowed a homemade boat from Billings, Montana, on the Yellowstone River to St. Louis, Missouri. Jim Kurz encountered Marsters and took this photo. See Jim Kurz's trip above.
2005- Jeff Otten: From Gardiner, Montana, on the Yellowstone River to St. Louis in an inflatable kayak. Jim Kurz took this image of Otten. See the above Kurz report for more information. If you have any information on Jeff Otten and his journey, please notify the web host.
2005- Ronrick Thomas: Billings, Montana, on the Yellowstone to Key West, Florida by kayak. Jim Kurz took this image as the duo met along the river. If you have any information on Ronrick's journey or contact information, please let us know.
2004:
Norm Miller is the founder of the Missouri River Paddlers group (MoRP). Miller fulfilled a childhood dream of tracing the westward journey of the Lewis & Clark trail during the bicentennial. Miller began his expedition from Alton Dam on the Mississippi River on March 23rd. Miller ascended the Missouri over the next 17 weeks to Three Forks, Montana, then began a 4-week backpack journey over the continental divide through Montana to the Clearwater River in Idaho. From there, Miller descended the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers to the Pacific Ocean, arriving on Sept 27th. His detailed record keeping and love of paddling were the cause for creating the MoRP group. Miller says his role is a "Bridge Builder", connecting paddlers worldwide with the Missouri River. Miller says, "I cherish the friendships and connections created through our paddling group; they are my family, my brothers and sisters, and I love them dearly".
Norm Miller is the founder of the Missouri River Paddlers group (MoRP). Miller fulfilled a childhood dream of tracing the westward journey of the Lewis & Clark trail during the bicentennial. Miller began his expedition from Alton Dam on the Mississippi River on March 23rd. Miller ascended the Missouri over the next 17 weeks to Three Forks, Montana, then began a 4-week backpack journey over the continental divide through Montana to the Clearwater River in Idaho. From there, Miller descended the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers to the Pacific Ocean, arriving on Sept 27th. His detailed record keeping and love of paddling were the cause for creating the MoRP group. Miller says his role is a "Bridge Builder", connecting paddlers worldwide with the Missouri River. Miller says, "I cherish the friendships and connections created through our paddling group; they are my family, my brothers and sisters, and I love them dearly".
- Canoe &Kayak Magazine's "Unfiltered" interview with Norm Miller. Click Here:
- Article: Wind Swept paddlers struggle through the Dakotas: Click Here:
- Article: Kayaking finds human skull: Click Here:
- Article: Norm nears Great Falls, 2004: Click Here:
- Norm Miller, "Revealed", interview & a bit of humor: Click Here.
- Norm's 2004 checklist. Lots of things to consider. Click Here.
- Canoe & Kayak article by Norm Miller on the Missouri National Recreational River. Click Here.
- Canoe & Kayak article on the Paddlers of Standing Rock Protest featuring Norm Miller. Click Here.
- Question & Answer with Norm Miller: Click Here
-
Sept, 2025 Interview with Norm Miller by Clay Jenkinson
Click Below:
Click Below:
2004
On May 16th, Abe "Freight Train" Quinby and Larry "Wolfhound", along with dog Midnight, departed Three Forks, Montana, and paddled to New Orleans. They arrived at the arch in St. Louis after 130 days of paddling. Arriving on Sept 22nd was the exact date the Lewis & Clark Expedition arrived home as well. While they were nearing Ft Union, they met up with MoRP founder Norm Miller, who was paddling upriver. Abe has a detailed journal with photos of their expedition.
Freight Train & Midnights Blog Here:
Detailed Gear List of Basic items used: Click Here:
Question & Answer with Abe about his expedition. Click Here:
Photos below by Abe "Freight Train" Quinby:
On May 16th, Abe "Freight Train" Quinby and Larry "Wolfhound", along with dog Midnight, departed Three Forks, Montana, and paddled to New Orleans. They arrived at the arch in St. Louis after 130 days of paddling. Arriving on Sept 22nd was the exact date the Lewis & Clark Expedition arrived home as well. While they were nearing Ft Union, they met up with MoRP founder Norm Miller, who was paddling upriver. Abe has a detailed journal with photos of their expedition.
Freight Train & Midnights Blog Here:
Detailed Gear List of Basic items used: Click Here:
Question & Answer with Abe about his expedition. Click Here:
Photos below by Abe "Freight Train" Quinby:
2004
Texan Craig Swanson kayaked solo from Three Forks, Montana, to the Gulf of Mexico. Craig was camped on the edge of Wolf Point, Montana, on Sioux reservation land one evening and was assaulted by four individuals who were trying to steal his kayak. The following day, Swanson met up with MoRP founder Norm Miller at the boat ramp in Culbertson, Mt, where they camped together for 2 days. Swanson told Miller of the assault. Swanson had made arrangements in Williston, ND, for dental work that was the result of the attack. Swanson continued on and met up with paddlers Abe Quinby and Larry-"Wolfhound", along with Churchill Clark, on the Lower Missouri. Swanson's attack is mentioned in Dave Miller's "The Complete Paddler" guidebook. Paddlers are encouraged to camp off the reservation on the south side of the river once leaving Peck Dam. On a side note: Swanson had a portage cart made and manually hauled around all the dams, including all five at Great Falls. Swanson paddled the waters between each of the dams at Great Falls and then hauled around each dam.
Texan Craig Swanson kayaked solo from Three Forks, Montana, to the Gulf of Mexico. Craig was camped on the edge of Wolf Point, Montana, on Sioux reservation land one evening and was assaulted by four individuals who were trying to steal his kayak. The following day, Swanson met up with MoRP founder Norm Miller at the boat ramp in Culbertson, Mt, where they camped together for 2 days. Swanson told Miller of the assault. Swanson had made arrangements in Williston, ND, for dental work that was the result of the attack. Swanson continued on and met up with paddlers Abe Quinby and Larry-"Wolfhound", along with Churchill Clark, on the Lower Missouri. Swanson's attack is mentioned in Dave Miller's "The Complete Paddler" guidebook. Paddlers are encouraged to camp off the reservation on the south side of the river once leaving Peck Dam. On a side note: Swanson had a portage cart made and manually hauled around all the dams, including all five at Great Falls. Swanson paddled the waters between each of the dams at Great Falls and then hauled around each dam.
2004-05: Dennis & Jeri Stewart - Cross Country hike and paddle expedition.
During the L&C Bicentennial, this Higginsville, MO couple hiked and paddled from Astoria to the Atlantic.
Dennis describes the journey in this report: Here
Photos below of Dennis and Jeri
2004
Bruce & Kathy Kurzhals from southern Michigan paddled from The Gates of the Rocky Mountains, near Helena, Mt, to St. Louis during the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. Both paddled expedition-Sea Winds, was built by Verlen Kruger. They camped with MoRP founder Norm Miller on a sandbar near Washburn, ND, one evening, and told stories well into the night.
Bruce & Kathy Kurzhals from southern Michigan paddled from The Gates of the Rocky Mountains, near Helena, Mt, to St. Louis during the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. Both paddled expedition-Sea Winds, was built by Verlen Kruger. They camped with MoRP founder Norm Miller on a sandbar near Washburn, ND, one evening, and told stories well into the night.
2004:
Neil Rosenblad kayaked up the Missouri from St. Louis to Bismarck, ND during the L&C Bicentennial. He had intended to finish his upstream ascent of the Missouri in 2005, but was injured in a cycling accident. This author has tried to track Neil down, but no information has been found. Neil began his journey paddling with Richard Sylvestri, who was paddling from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Neal also met up with paddlers Craig Swanson, Bruce, and Kathy Kurzhals, who were mentioned in previous expeditions above.
Neil Rosenblad's Daily Trail Journal and photos HERE:
Interesting stats about Neil's Journey Here:
Photos below by Neil Rosenblad. Click to enlarge.
Neil Rosenblad kayaked up the Missouri from St. Louis to Bismarck, ND during the L&C Bicentennial. He had intended to finish his upstream ascent of the Missouri in 2005, but was injured in a cycling accident. This author has tried to track Neil down, but no information has been found. Neil began his journey paddling with Richard Sylvestri, who was paddling from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Neal also met up with paddlers Craig Swanson, Bruce, and Kathy Kurzhals, who were mentioned in previous expeditions above.
Neil Rosenblad's Daily Trail Journal and photos HERE:
Interesting stats about Neil's Journey Here:
Photos below by Neil Rosenblad. Click to enlarge.
2004-05
Retired Firefighter Richard Silvestri paddled across America following the Lewis & Clark Trail.
He started at the Atlantic in 2003 and paddled to St. Louis. In 2004, he paddled up the Missouri to Bismarck, ND. Picking up where he left off in 2005, he continued up the Missouri and beyond to the Pacific Ocean. The first few days out of St. Louis, he paddled with Neil Rosenblad, as mentioned in the previous expedition post.
Retired Firefighter Richard Silvestri paddled across America following the Lewis & Clark Trail.
He started at the Atlantic in 2003 and paddled to St. Louis. In 2004, he paddled up the Missouri to Bismarck, ND. Picking up where he left off in 2005, he continued up the Missouri and beyond to the Pacific Ocean. The first few days out of St. Louis, he paddled with Neil Rosenblad, as mentioned in the previous expedition post.
Richard wrote a book about his journey entitled:
"A Paddle Across America-Searching for
Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery but Finding Us"
You can order the book by clicking the image to the right:
2002,03,04
Over three summers, David L. Miller kayaked from Montana to St. Louis, mapping and logging information that would become the guidebook for paddling the Missouri River. Published in 2005, "The Complete Paddler: A guidebook for Paddling the Missouri River from the Headwaters to St. Louis, Missouri", has been carried downriver by nearly all expeditions. Dave is a retired professor and Chair of the Department of Geography at the State University of New York's College at Cortland. Dave has connected with paddlers worldwide since his book was published, and is a key member of the MoRP. Dave has attended several paddlers' rendezvous over the past few years and is currently updating his guidebook.
If you are planning to paddle all or part of the Missouri River,
you need to get The Complete Paddler: Click here to purchase a copy:
There are other options in obtaining this guidebook, and that is through members of the MoRP who have
loaned or given the book away to get paid forward when completed.
2000
Richard Bennett
Lewis & Clark 2000-Retracing History Expedition.
Wood River, Illinois to the Pacific including an ascent of the Missouri River from April 8th to September 25th.
This was Richard's first time in a kayak on departure day.
"Why on earth would anyone want to paddle up the Missouri River?" That's the question I've been asked most since I began organizing this expedition. The reasons I chose to follow, as closely as possible, the original route of Lewis and Clark are several. First, as a historian, I wanted to get a sense of the challenges the Corps of Discovery faced when they embarked on their historic expedition in May of 1804. Second, while many have retraced the route going downstream, few have taken the upstream voyage. I hope to join those few and gain my fifteen minutes of fame.... Third, I was intrigued by the personal challenge. Did I, as a 50-year-old man, have the strength and stamina to complete such an expedition? Call it one of those male midlife crisis phenomena. The sources of my inspiration were Stephen Ambrose's biography of Lewis, "Undaunted Courage", and Ken Burns' documentary, which sought to recreate the original expedition. Both of these works were historical in perspective. I aim to focus on comparative history: what historical and ecological changes have occurred since 1804 - 1805, and how do we explain them? Most of these changes are apparent: the land has essentially become farm and ranch land; towns, villages, and cities have grown; and the river has been dammed and channeled. Except in the more remote regions of Montana and Idaho, I expect to see a vastly different country from what Lewis and Clark encountered." Richard Bennett -April 8, 2000.
Richard's Journal, Gear List, and more photos can be found on his website: CLICK HERE.
Photos & news clippings below by Richard Bennett-Click to enlarge.
Richard Bennett
Lewis & Clark 2000-Retracing History Expedition.
Wood River, Illinois to the Pacific including an ascent of the Missouri River from April 8th to September 25th.
This was Richard's first time in a kayak on departure day.
"Why on earth would anyone want to paddle up the Missouri River?" That's the question I've been asked most since I began organizing this expedition. The reasons I chose to follow, as closely as possible, the original route of Lewis and Clark are several. First, as a historian, I wanted to get a sense of the challenges the Corps of Discovery faced when they embarked on their historic expedition in May of 1804. Second, while many have retraced the route going downstream, few have taken the upstream voyage. I hope to join those few and gain my fifteen minutes of fame.... Third, I was intrigued by the personal challenge. Did I, as a 50-year-old man, have the strength and stamina to complete such an expedition? Call it one of those male midlife crisis phenomena. The sources of my inspiration were Stephen Ambrose's biography of Lewis, "Undaunted Courage", and Ken Burns' documentary, which sought to recreate the original expedition. Both of these works were historical in perspective. I aim to focus on comparative history: what historical and ecological changes have occurred since 1804 - 1805, and how do we explain them? Most of these changes are apparent: the land has essentially become farm and ranch land; towns, villages, and cities have grown; and the river has been dammed and channeled. Except in the more remote regions of Montana and Idaho, I expect to see a vastly different country from what Lewis and Clark encountered." Richard Bennett -April 8, 2000.
Richard's Journal, Gear List, and more photos can be found on his website: CLICK HERE.
Photos & news clippings below by Richard Bennett-Click to enlarge.
2000 - "The Girls" from St. Louis Expedition:
Linda SLoss & Barbara Rice
Three Forks to St. Charles 68-days
St. Louis residents Barbara Rice (59) and Linda Sloss (51) departed from Three Forks, Montana, on June 2, 2000. After 68 days of paddling, they arrived in St. Charles, greeted by a hundred friends and family, including Rice's grandchildren. 'We're not really canoeists." Sloss said. Their worst enemy off the water was the wind. One evening near Brownville, Nebraska a storm brought 70mph winds which toppled a tree nearly landing on their tent. River angels offered them food, including one woman in St.Marie, Montana, who fixed them a gourmet meal that included wine and caviar.
Sept 30, 2000, Mark Hamilton arrives at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis after a 29-month journey retracing the route of Lewis & Clark. Hamilton made a rowing dory and departed from Pittsburgh, Pa, in 1996. He rowed down the Ohio and up the Mississippi to Wood River, Illinois, where he ended for the season. Skipping 1997, he returned in the spring of 1998, traded his dory for a 16 1/2 foot kayak, and paddled up the Missouri River to Washburn, ND. He returned in 1998 and paddled from Washburn to Dillon, Montana. At Dillion, he purchased a 20-year-old pack mule. The pair traveled over the mountains for over a month to Orofino, Idaho, where he once again switched to his dory for the descent of the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia rivers to Astoria, Oregon. In the spring of 2000, he ascended the Columbia and Snake, hiked over the divide to the Jefferson, portaged to the Yellowstone River, and paddled back to St. Louis.
Mark has recently uploaded many videos to YouTube of his expedition. Please watch and subscribe! Youtube Channel
Below are several newspaper accounts of Mark Hamilton's journey.
Bismarck Tribune, October 1998; Click here:
The Independent Record, July 1999: Click here:
The World Press, April 2000: Click here:
St.Louis Dispatch. October 2000: Click here:
Update - November 2023: Mark has a new book of poetry about his upstream paddle on the Mississippi from his 2000 journey. You can order a copy at: Upstream
2000- Dean Christensen
Three Forks, Montana to St. Louis. Dean started in 1999.
2000-
William Foster
From Fort Benton, Mt, to the Gulf of Mexico. Not sure of any details about whether he had reached his goal.
Page #2 of the newspaper story.
1999:
Ron Severs- Three Forks to Wood River, Ill- 43 Days, Severs, from Sawyer, Minnesota, slipped his kayak in the Missouri River at Three Forks, Mt, on July 7th and arrived at the confluence with the Mississippi at Wood River, Illinois, 43 days later.
Ron said, "There are days when you say, 'I don't need this.' But those always come about mid-afternoon. You learn to never make any decisions from 1-4 p.m. You just shut up to yourself and paddle."
Severs paddled a 17-ft Perception Sea Lion kayak. He averaged 47 miles a day on the Upper Missouri and an average of 85 miles during the final 10 days.
While looking to portage the dams at Great Falls, Sever stashed his kayak in the bushes and started walking along the road towards the visitors' center. Passing a scenic overlook, a car pulled off, covered with kayak stickers and a kayak rack on the roof. He walked over to the driver, who was sipping coffee. Severs said, "I've got this kayak down in the weeds. You don't know anyone who can take me around these dams, do you?" The guy said, "I'll take you around".
"This guy knows me from no one. He takes me to his house, lets me shower, feeds me, and then drives me around Great Falls. What were the fates in the universe that put him and me in the same place at the same time?"
Ron Severs- Three Forks to Wood River, Ill- 43 Days, Severs, from Sawyer, Minnesota, slipped his kayak in the Missouri River at Three Forks, Mt, on July 7th and arrived at the confluence with the Mississippi at Wood River, Illinois, 43 days later.
Ron said, "There are days when you say, 'I don't need this.' But those always come about mid-afternoon. You learn to never make any decisions from 1-4 p.m. You just shut up to yourself and paddle."
Severs paddled a 17-ft Perception Sea Lion kayak. He averaged 47 miles a day on the Upper Missouri and an average of 85 miles during the final 10 days.
While looking to portage the dams at Great Falls, Sever stashed his kayak in the bushes and started walking along the road towards the visitors' center. Passing a scenic overlook, a car pulled off, covered with kayak stickers and a kayak rack on the roof. He walked over to the driver, who was sipping coffee. Severs said, "I've got this kayak down in the weeds. You don't know anyone who can take me around these dams, do you?" The guy said, "I'll take you around".
"This guy knows me from no one. He takes me to his house, lets me shower, feeds me, and then drives me around Great Falls. What were the fates in the universe that put him and me in the same place at the same time?"
1998: Bob "Rocky" Ferera canoes from Montana to St. Louis possibly the Gulf of Mexico. Not much more information about his journey has been released yet. Here is an article below about his arrival in Yankton.
1995: Don Besom-
Three Fork to St. Louis
I believe Don skipped some of the large reservoirs. We are currently trying to track him down.
History Calls Riverman Back to the Missouri
By Angus Phillips- Washington Post:
Voyaging kayakers and canoeists figure 25 miles is a good day's work. Do 35 and you've really pushed it. But one day during his 2,000-mile sea kayak voyage last summer down the Missouri River from its headwaters to the Mississippi at St. Louis, Don Besom of Bethesda knocked back a staggering 72 miles.
That would be a feat for a barrel-chested distance racer in a stripped-down boat. Besom is a 60-year-old retired foreign service officer who weighs 140 pounds soaking wet, and he was paddling a boat full of camping gear in a downpour while his wife, Kay, waited on the dock in Bellevue, Neb.
"I guess I was pretty stoked to get in and see her again," after weeks alone, said Besom. He was also getting a push from the muddy Missouri, channelized for barge traffic by the Army Corps of Engineers and booming along at 3 to 4 mph all by itself.
So he put his head down and stroked into the darkness, arriving to a hero-husband's welcome at 8:30 p.m. Behind lay nearly a month's plodding through Montana and North and South Dakota; ahead lay another month along a more familiar route, one he'd been down before, where on a fateful day 40 years earlier the Missouri had nearly left him for dead.
Besom is a familiar figure to Washington area paddlers who have shared the Potomac with him off and on since 1970, when he bought his first canoe. He and Kay raced their Grumman in local and national competition for a while. They hit the river for pleasure whenever they weren't on the road for the State Department in Spain, Argentina, Vietnam, Ecuador, Chile, Cuba, Jamaica, or Sweden.
When he came home for good last year, Besom decided to reacquaint himself with his homeland by cruising its heartland in a 40-pound boat loaded with food and gear. A Nebraska native, he'd grown up in the land of Lewis and Clark, the explorers who in 1804-06 forged west up the Missouri to its headwaters, then across the Continental Divide to the Pacific.
Besom chose to reverse the route and headed down the Missouri to St. Louis, starting at the head of the Jefferson River in southwestern Montana in a rental canoe. The water in this Missouri feeder was too swift and tight for his touring boat, which he left 70 miles downstream at Three Forks.
Kay took her leave at Three Forks and drove home to Maryland, returning twice thereafter to drive long car portages around dammed-up lake sections too dull to navigate.
Besom hated the dead-water lakes but loved the river stretches. Even with the Missouri "bound up in a strait-jacket," as he put it, channelized to make travel easier for lumbering tugs and barges, he found charm on the ageless waterway.
"When you run the Missouri, you paddle through history," he said. "It's not what's there that's so interesting, but what happened there."
Among things that happened was his near-demise in 1955, when he and a college pal decided to cap their summer by rafting from Nebraska to St. Louis. They built a floating slab from 55-gallon drums, 4-by-4s, and planks and put a tent on top, but had no steering.
Down the Mighty Mo they spun, fetching up on sandbars and shoals and eluding barges. Nothing too bad happened until they hit Kansas City, where the river makes a sharp left as the Kansas River joins it.
The Missouri bent, but the raft went straight, smashing into a docked grain barge that flipped it and sent Besom skidding under the entire length of the steel, 290-footer. When he came out the downstream end, he was semiconscious. "The guys who worked on the barge said they'd seen other people go under, but nobody ever came out alive," he said.
Their possessions gone, Besom and his mate took a bus home and went on with their lives. But through four kids and a 34-year State Department career, Besom never forgot the river that nearly took him, and always hoped to finish the trip.
And while he conceded that the Missouri's rip-rapped banks, straightened channels, and commercial traffic leave something to be desired, he enjoyed the voyage and the people he met anyway.
"I had an older woman in a gingham dress and sunbonnet come up to me and say, Are you the river man?' " he said.
"I told her I guessed so, and she said, My father worked for the Corps of Engineers, and my man has fished the river all his life. We're {river}bottom folks, and God bless you and your trip.' "
Besom finished his odyssey by passing through a lock at the foot of the Missouri that lowered him and his boat into the Mississippi. For the company, he had 40 personal watercraft and their impatient operators, who had to sit and wait for him to arrive before the lock-keeper let them down.
"They weren't happy," said Besom.
But he was. So happy that when he got in the car, bound for home with Kay at the wheel and his unscathed Necky sea-kayak strapped on the roof, he was already poring over the Road Atlas, looking for new rivers to try. CAPTION: Bethesda's Don Besom, 60, kayaked 2,000 miles down the Missouri River to St. Louis.
Three Fork to St. Louis
I believe Don skipped some of the large reservoirs. We are currently trying to track him down.
History Calls Riverman Back to the Missouri
By Angus Phillips- Washington Post:
Voyaging kayakers and canoeists figure 25 miles is a good day's work. Do 35 and you've really pushed it. But one day during his 2,000-mile sea kayak voyage last summer down the Missouri River from its headwaters to the Mississippi at St. Louis, Don Besom of Bethesda knocked back a staggering 72 miles.
That would be a feat for a barrel-chested distance racer in a stripped-down boat. Besom is a 60-year-old retired foreign service officer who weighs 140 pounds soaking wet, and he was paddling a boat full of camping gear in a downpour while his wife, Kay, waited on the dock in Bellevue, Neb.
"I guess I was pretty stoked to get in and see her again," after weeks alone, said Besom. He was also getting a push from the muddy Missouri, channelized for barge traffic by the Army Corps of Engineers and booming along at 3 to 4 mph all by itself.
So he put his head down and stroked into the darkness, arriving to a hero-husband's welcome at 8:30 p.m. Behind lay nearly a month's plodding through Montana and North and South Dakota; ahead lay another month along a more familiar route, one he'd been down before, where on a fateful day 40 years earlier the Missouri had nearly left him for dead.
Besom is a familiar figure to Washington area paddlers who have shared the Potomac with him off and on since 1970, when he bought his first canoe. He and Kay raced their Grumman in local and national competition for a while. They hit the river for pleasure whenever they weren't on the road for the State Department in Spain, Argentina, Vietnam, Ecuador, Chile, Cuba, Jamaica, or Sweden.
When he came home for good last year, Besom decided to reacquaint himself with his homeland by cruising its heartland in a 40-pound boat loaded with food and gear. A Nebraska native, he'd grown up in the land of Lewis and Clark, the explorers who in 1804-06 forged west up the Missouri to its headwaters, then across the Continental Divide to the Pacific.
Besom chose to reverse the route and headed down the Missouri to St. Louis, starting at the head of the Jefferson River in southwestern Montana in a rental canoe. The water in this Missouri feeder was too swift and tight for his touring boat, which he left 70 miles downstream at Three Forks.
Kay took her leave at Three Forks and drove home to Maryland, returning twice thereafter to drive long car portages around dammed-up lake sections too dull to navigate.
Besom hated the dead-water lakes but loved the river stretches. Even with the Missouri "bound up in a strait-jacket," as he put it, channelized to make travel easier for lumbering tugs and barges, he found charm on the ageless waterway.
"When you run the Missouri, you paddle through history," he said. "It's not what's there that's so interesting, but what happened there."
Among things that happened was his near-demise in 1955, when he and a college pal decided to cap their summer by rafting from Nebraska to St. Louis. They built a floating slab from 55-gallon drums, 4-by-4s, and planks and put a tent on top, but had no steering.
Down the Mighty Mo they spun, fetching up on sandbars and shoals and eluding barges. Nothing too bad happened until they hit Kansas City, where the river makes a sharp left as the Kansas River joins it.
The Missouri bent, but the raft went straight, smashing into a docked grain barge that flipped it and sent Besom skidding under the entire length of the steel, 290-footer. When he came out the downstream end, he was semiconscious. "The guys who worked on the barge said they'd seen other people go under, but nobody ever came out alive," he said.
Their possessions gone, Besom and his mate took a bus home and went on with their lives. But through four kids and a 34-year State Department career, Besom never forgot the river that nearly took him, and always hoped to finish the trip.
And while he conceded that the Missouri's rip-rapped banks, straightened channels, and commercial traffic leave something to be desired, he enjoyed the voyage and the people he met anyway.
"I had an older woman in a gingham dress and sunbonnet come up to me and say, Are you the river man?' " he said.
"I told her I guessed so, and she said, My father worked for the Corps of Engineers, and my man has fished the river all his life. We're {river}bottom folks, and God bless you and your trip.' "
Besom finished his odyssey by passing through a lock at the foot of the Missouri that lowered him and his boat into the Mississippi. For the company, he had 40 personal watercraft and their impatient operators, who had to sit and wait for him to arrive before the lock-keeper let them down.
"They weren't happy," said Besom.
But he was. So happy that when he got in the car, bound for home with Kay at the wheel and his unscathed Necky sea-kayak strapped on the roof, he was already poring over the Road Atlas, looking for new rivers to try. CAPTION: Bethesda's Don Besom, 60, kayaked 2,000 miles down the Missouri River to St. Louis.
1995:
P.J. Wentzien and Tim LeBarge canoe from
Three Forks to St. Louis.
They departed on May 19th and arrived on August 11th, a total of 85 days.
Below Morony Dam, at Great Falls, their canoe swamped, flipped, and dashed into the rocks. They hauled the damaged canoe overland until some friendly stranger took them to his house. The family fed them and helped find someone to repair their canoe.
Tim LeBarge is the 3rd great-grandson of the famed steamboat Captain Joseph LeBarge, who was one of the most famous on the entire river.
The young men said they think the gleam they saw in the eyes of many they talked to indicated interest and maybe envy.
In a letter to his family, Tim wrote: "They start daydreaming right then and there as they seem to stare past us instead of looking at us as we speak. I guess these people want at least to give something to a couple of young guys who have actually set out to do it. It makes me happy not only to do the trip myself, but to provide a dream for another man."
Tim LeBarge is a member of the MoRP group and is a professional photographer in Portland, Oregon. He has since paddled portions of the Missouri for a second time, and you can see some of these photos on his website:
Tim's Website Here:
P.J. Wentzien and Tim LeBarge canoe from
Three Forks to St. Louis.
They departed on May 19th and arrived on August 11th, a total of 85 days.
Below Morony Dam, at Great Falls, their canoe swamped, flipped, and dashed into the rocks. They hauled the damaged canoe overland until some friendly stranger took them to his house. The family fed them and helped find someone to repair their canoe.
Tim LeBarge is the 3rd great-grandson of the famed steamboat Captain Joseph LeBarge, who was one of the most famous on the entire river.
The young men said they think the gleam they saw in the eyes of many they talked to indicated interest and maybe envy.
In a letter to his family, Tim wrote: "They start daydreaming right then and there as they seem to stare past us instead of looking at us as we speak. I guess these people want at least to give something to a couple of young guys who have actually set out to do it. It makes me happy not only to do the trip myself, but to provide a dream for another man."
Tim LeBarge is a member of the MoRP group and is a professional photographer in Portland, Oregon. He has since paddled portions of the Missouri for a second time, and you can see some of these photos on his website:
Tim's Website Here:
1995:
Patrick Dobson: Tired of an unfulfilling life in Kansas City, Missouri, Patrick Dobson left his job and set off on foot across the Great Plains. After two and a half months, 1,450 miles, and numerous encounters with the people of the heartland, Dobson arrived in Helena, Montana. He then set a canoe on the Missouri and asked the river to carry him safely back to Kansas City, hoping this enigmatic watercourse would help reconnect him with his life.
In Canoeing the Great Plains, Dobson recounts his journey on the Missouri, the country’s longest river. Dobson, a novice canoeist when he begins his trip, faces the Missouri at a time of dangerous flooding and must learn to trust himself to the powerful flows of the river and its stark and serenely beautiful countryside. He meets a cast of characters along the river who assist him both with the mundane tasks of canoeing—portaging around dams and reservoirs and finding campsites—and with his own personal transformation. Mishaps, mistakes, and misadventures plague his trip, but over time the river shifts from being a frightening adversary to a welcome companion.
Canoeing the Great Plains won the 2016 Thorpe Menn Award for Literary Excellence and the 2016 High Plains Book Award in creative nonfiction.
Patrick Dobson: Tired of an unfulfilling life in Kansas City, Missouri, Patrick Dobson left his job and set off on foot across the Great Plains. After two and a half months, 1,450 miles, and numerous encounters with the people of the heartland, Dobson arrived in Helena, Montana. He then set a canoe on the Missouri and asked the river to carry him safely back to Kansas City, hoping this enigmatic watercourse would help reconnect him with his life.
In Canoeing the Great Plains, Dobson recounts his journey on the Missouri, the country’s longest river. Dobson, a novice canoeist when he begins his trip, faces the Missouri at a time of dangerous flooding and must learn to trust himself to the powerful flows of the river and its stark and serenely beautiful countryside. He meets a cast of characters along the river who assist him both with the mundane tasks of canoeing—portaging around dams and reservoirs and finding campsites—and with his own personal transformation. Mishaps, mistakes, and misadventures plague his trip, but over time the river shifts from being a frightening adversary to a welcome companion.
Canoeing the Great Plains won the 2016 Thorpe Menn Award for Literary Excellence and the 2016 High Plains Book Award in creative nonfiction.
Purchase Patrick's books here: Click here:
Fantastic video presentation by
Patrick at the Big Muddy Speaker Series.
A must listen! Click Here:
Wyoming Public Radio Interview with Patrick:
Click here:
1994
Joe Glickman: Montana to New York: Joe launched his Kruger Sea Wind at Clark Canyon Dam, on the Beaverhead River on April 8th. He arrived in Sioux City, Iowa, 54 days later. Once he arrived at the Mississippi, Glickman paddled up the Mississippi to the Illinois and Des Plaines rivers to Chicago. Once he arrived in Chicago, he traded in his Sea Wind for a lightweight surf ski kayak and was joined by two 2-dozen other kayakers in the Finlandia Clean Water Challenge. That race was a 1000 miles from Chicago through Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Joe paddled and raced across the country in the years that followed. He was a tremendous competitor and loved by many. Sadly, Joe passed away on May 22, 2015, from Pancreatic cancer. Hundreds of his friends have honored Joe by placing a sticker on their boat which reads: "OMMFG" ~ One More Mile For the Glicker. Below are a few articles on Joe.
Joe Glickman: Montana to New York: Joe launched his Kruger Sea Wind at Clark Canyon Dam, on the Beaverhead River on April 8th. He arrived in Sioux City, Iowa, 54 days later. Once he arrived at the Mississippi, Glickman paddled up the Mississippi to the Illinois and Des Plaines rivers to Chicago. Once he arrived in Chicago, he traded in his Sea Wind for a lightweight surf ski kayak and was joined by two 2-dozen other kayakers in the Finlandia Clean Water Challenge. That race was a 1000 miles from Chicago through Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Joe paddled and raced across the country in the years that followed. He was a tremendous competitor and loved by many. Sadly, Joe passed away on May 22, 2015, from Pancreatic cancer. Hundreds of his friends have honored Joe by placing a sticker on their boat which reads: "OMMFG" ~ One More Mile For the Glicker. Below are a few articles on Joe.
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1993-94
Jim & Lisa Lisius: Crossed the U.S in an 18ft canoe in 14 months. They started at the mouth of the Columbia River on February 1, 1993, and arrived at the Atlantic on April 10, 1994. This journey included a descent of the Missouri River, from which they portaged over to the Snake River. |
1992 - Mike Smith: Red Rock Lake, Montana to Portland Michigan
3-Months
Mike Smith paddled a solo-decked Sea Wind canoe built by Verlen Kruger. He started on the Red Rock River and flipped the first day on a barbed wire fence stretched across the river. His departure date was June 15th. He paddled the Red Rock, Beaverhead, Jefferson, Missouri, Mississippi, Illinois, Des Plaines and Grand Rivers.
Mike's Story Covered in Magazine: Click Here:
1992:
John Wade (29) began his journey in New York Harbor, paddling up the Hudson River to the Erie Canal, down the Ohio, up the Mississippi to the Missouri River. From St. Louis, he paddled up the Missouri and made a left turn at the confluence with the Yellowstone River. He paddled up the Yellowstone to Pompey's Pillar, where he supposedly portaged 200 miles to the Snake River in Jackson, Wyoming. This author was recently given a copy of Wade's handwritten journal describing his trip.
Wade quit his job as a pilot for KittyHawk Air Cargo because they would not give him time off to do the journey. He purchased the 20-foot green-and-white Seda kayak as his means of transportation. He began on April 5th at the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Day 65 found him in St. Louis, MO, 20 pounds lighter. His original plan was to ascend the Missouri all the way to Three Forks. He felt he probably would not make the Pacific by snowfall and would resume the following spring from where he left off. By August of 1992, he had reached Williston, ND, and lost about 30 lbs. A newspaper story out of there stated that, "The scariest thing was calling his boss to quit my job so I could take this trip. It wasn't fantasy anymore, it was reality."
Expedition Facts: Taken from the actual journals of John Wade.
John Wade (29) began his journey in New York Harbor, paddling up the Hudson River to the Erie Canal, down the Ohio, up the Mississippi to the Missouri River. From St. Louis, he paddled up the Missouri and made a left turn at the confluence with the Yellowstone River. He paddled up the Yellowstone to Pompey's Pillar, where he supposedly portaged 200 miles to the Snake River in Jackson, Wyoming. This author was recently given a copy of Wade's handwritten journal describing his trip.
Wade quit his job as a pilot for KittyHawk Air Cargo because they would not give him time off to do the journey. He purchased the 20-foot green-and-white Seda kayak as his means of transportation. He began on April 5th at the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Day 65 found him in St. Louis, MO, 20 pounds lighter. His original plan was to ascend the Missouri all the way to Three Forks. He felt he probably would not make the Pacific by snowfall and would resume the following spring from where he left off. By August of 1992, he had reached Williston, ND, and lost about 30 lbs. A newspaper story out of there stated that, "The scariest thing was calling his boss to quit my job so I could take this trip. It wasn't fantasy anymore, it was reality."
Expedition Facts: Taken from the actual journals of John Wade.
- Distance: 5257 Miles
- Duration: 225 days.
- Sixteen Rivers traveled.
- Longest Portage: 247 Miles by cart from Pompeys Pillar, Montana, to Flagg Ranch, Wyoming.
- Highest Point: 8632 Ft.
- Temperature Extremes: Low: 10F, High: 101F
- Total Cost: $8500.00
1989: Travels with Groucho Expedition.
Mark Spitzer and his dog Groucho made the 1st known descent of the Missouri River watershed from "Source to Sea". Mark started at Brower's Spring on June 13, 1989, and arrived 7 months and 1 day later at the Gulf of Mexico. It was initially believed that Aussie Mark Kalch had made the 1st Source-to-Sea descent in 2012. Spitzer paddled a Wenonah canoe and walked all the miles between dams and the upper Hellroaring Creek, where the Missouri watershed starts. Spitzer's story was recently discovered, and MoRP founder Norm Miller interviewed him in December of 2019. Mark is currently publishing a book about his historic account. During the descent, he wrote a series of stories for the Dickinson, ND, newspaper and others.
NEWS: Mark finally published his book entitled, 'Waterlogue" in October of 2023! To order a must-read copy, click the LINK. Photos below by Mark Spitzer during his Source to Sea descent of the Missouri watershed.
Mark Spitzer and his dog Groucho made the 1st known descent of the Missouri River watershed from "Source to Sea". Mark started at Brower's Spring on June 13, 1989, and arrived 7 months and 1 day later at the Gulf of Mexico. It was initially believed that Aussie Mark Kalch had made the 1st Source-to-Sea descent in 2012. Spitzer paddled a Wenonah canoe and walked all the miles between dams and the upper Hellroaring Creek, where the Missouri watershed starts. Spitzer's story was recently discovered, and MoRP founder Norm Miller interviewed him in December of 2019. Mark is currently publishing a book about his historic account. During the descent, he wrote a series of stories for the Dickinson, ND, newspaper and others.
NEWS: Mark finally published his book entitled, 'Waterlogue" in October of 2023! To order a must-read copy, click the LINK. Photos below by Mark Spitzer during his Source to Sea descent of the Missouri watershed.
1989
Three men from Helena, Montana, attempt to paddle to New York City. Bob Siloti, Stacy Henry, and Scott Lucero are raising money for the American Lung Association. As of this writing, the author is in touch with one of the members about the details of this expedition. I believe only one member finished. Stay tuned for more information. (NM-2019)
Three men from Helena, Montana, attempt to paddle to New York City. Bob Siloti, Stacy Henry, and Scott Lucero are raising money for the American Lung Association. As of this writing, the author is in touch with one of the members about the details of this expedition. I believe only one member finished. Stay tuned for more information. (NM-2019)
1989:
"A Journey Back to the Beginning Expedition". Group retraces the famed Ashley Expedition down the Wind, Bighorn, Yellowstone, and Missouri rivers to St. Louis. Paddlers and historic re-enactors, Allen Maybee, Roger Melton, Rita Healey, Shana LoLomia, Wayne Montgomery, and William Sayer, partake in this major Centennial state's project.
News story Page #1: Click Here:
Part-2: Click Here:
Great Falls newspaper story & map: Click Here:
"A Journey Back to the Beginning Expedition". Group retraces the famed Ashley Expedition down the Wind, Bighorn, Yellowstone, and Missouri rivers to St. Louis. Paddlers and historic re-enactors, Allen Maybee, Roger Melton, Rita Healey, Shana LoLomia, Wayne Montgomery, and William Sayer, partake in this major Centennial state's project.
News story Page #1: Click Here:
Part-2: Click Here:
Great Falls newspaper story & map: Click Here:
1988:
Sioux Center, Iowa, resident Bill Baumgart started from Three Forks, Montana, on May 21st and tragically drowned just upstream of Culbertson, Montana.
This website has been dedicated to his honor and the message he carried.
See our Paddlers Memorial Page and read Bill's tragic story there.
In 1987, Bill did a shack down descent from Bismarck to Sioux City. That year he meet expedition paddler Karl Adams near Chamberlin, SD. Adam was midway through his cross-continent kayak expedition from Astoria, Oregon, to Miami. Adam wrote about his time with Bill Baumgart in his book, Wake of the Wind Dancer. See Karl's story below in the 1987 section.
Two News Clippings below:
Sioux Center, Iowa, resident Bill Baumgart started from Three Forks, Montana, on May 21st and tragically drowned just upstream of Culbertson, Montana.
This website has been dedicated to his honor and the message he carried.
See our Paddlers Memorial Page and read Bill's tragic story there.
In 1987, Bill did a shack down descent from Bismarck to Sioux City. That year he meet expedition paddler Karl Adams near Chamberlin, SD. Adam was midway through his cross-continent kayak expedition from Astoria, Oregon, to Miami. Adam wrote about his time with Bill Baumgart in his book, Wake of the Wind Dancer. See Karl's story below in the 1987 section.
Two News Clippings below:
1988:
World Record attempt to paddle from Three Forks to St. Louis. What started out as a team/group effort began to fall apart after just a few days. Scott Rader & Keith Kawecki continue despite challenges and a stolen canoe. They end their attempt near Washburn, ND.
World Record attempt to paddle from Three Forks to St. Louis. What started out as a team/group effort began to fall apart after just a few days. Scott Rader & Keith Kawecki continue despite challenges and a stolen canoe. They end their attempt near Washburn, ND.
1987: Pacific to Atlantic Canoe Expedition- Phil Buck & Susan Miller.
They started on May 25th from Astoria, Oregon. This was the 2nd known tandem expedition across the USA at the time.
They departed the same year as Karl Adams' first kayak crossing of the USA.
Phil Buck has since been an accomplished mountaineer, being the first to climb the highest peak in all the countries of North, South, and Central America.
He's made a successful crossing of the Pacific from Chile to Easter Island by a reed boat designed similarly to Thor Heyerdahl's.
In 2020, he is making an attempt to cross the Pacific via a reed boat.
They started on May 25th from Astoria, Oregon. This was the 2nd known tandem expedition across the USA at the time.
They departed the same year as Karl Adams' first kayak crossing of the USA.
Phil Buck has since been an accomplished mountaineer, being the first to climb the highest peak in all the countries of North, South, and Central America.
He's made a successful crossing of the Pacific from Chile to Easter Island by a reed boat designed similarly to Thor Heyerdahl's.
In 2020, he is making an attempt to cross the Pacific via a reed boat.
1987:
Karl Adams makes history by becoming the first person to solo kayak from the Pacific to the Atlantic through the US. Karl wrote a book about his expedition entitled "Wake of the Wind Dancer". During his cross-country paddle trip, he met paddler Bill Baumgart, who was paddling from Bismarck to Sioux City in preparation for a 1988 trip down the entire Missouri. Bill tragically died during that journey. You can read more about Bill's story above under 1988, as well as in our Paddler's Memorial Page.
Order Karl's book here: Click
Four Newspaper Stories Below
1987 Newspaper story on Karl's expedition: Click Here:
Man paddles kayak across the USA, News clip: Click Here:
Additional News article and photo; Click Here:
Oregon Man Paddles Through article: Click Here:
1984-85:
Forty-three-year-old Dean Cowless departs Portland, Oregon, on June 21, 1984, in a 16 1/2 ft. canoe/kayak. He sailed, paddled, and portaged to Florida. The newspaper story says he skipped South Dakota because 'it was too boring'.
Dean Cowless' story below:
1984
Paddling two Kruger-designed decked canoes, Michigan paddlers Bev Gordon and Mary Schmidt break the record descent to New Orleans.
They began below Clark Canyon reservoir on the Beaverhead River in Montana on July 4th. They paddled and portaged down the Beaverhead, Jefferson, Missouri, and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. They arrived on their 98th day.
Paddling two Kruger-designed decked canoes, Michigan paddlers Bev Gordon and Mary Schmidt break the record descent to New Orleans.
They began below Clark Canyon reservoir on the Beaverhead River in Montana on July 4th. They paddled and portaged down the Beaverhead, Jefferson, Missouri, and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. They arrived on their 98th day.
News clippings on Mary and Bev's journey below:
1983: Harvey Van Patten, Tresa Burcher, and dog Josephine.
Three Forks, Montana, to Tawas, Michigan, 128 days. The duo and their dog departed on May 17th at the headwaters of the Missouri. Once they reached the confluence with the Mississippi, they paddled upstream to the Illinois River, Lake Michigan, and along the coast of Michigan. Once they reached the Manistee River, they paddled upstream, portaged to Grayling, Michigan, on the AuSable River, then paddled downstream to Lake Huron. From Lake Huron, they paddled the coast to Tawas, Michigan. They were planning to get married during the trip, but spent the money on the marriage license on food. VanPatten built the 20-foot canoe out of redwood strips.
Images below of the duo and their route. Click to enlarge.
1982:
Three St. Louis paddlers descend the Missouri River from Three Forks, Montana, raising money for their local hospital. Michael Lange, Sam Sanfilippo, and Jack Kuhn each paddled their own fiberglass canoe. Lange said of the journey, "Steinbeck said a man doesn't take a trip, a trip takes a man."
They started with one additional paddler. Schuler Kingsland lost his canoe in rough water about two weeks into the journey and went back home to St. Louis.
Several newspaper stories below:
Article #1 Click Here:
Article #2 Click Here:
Article #3 Click Here:
Article #4 Click Here:
1981
Modern Lewis & Clark counterparts head east. Gene Downs, Craig Zuger, Ann Samsel, and Scott Roberts paddled and portaged from Astoria, Oregon, to St. Louis. They departed on March 23 and arrived in St. Louis on Sept 21st.
News article #1: Click Here:
News article #2: Sioux City Journal: Click Here:
News article #3: Click Here:
Modern Lewis & Clark counterparts head east. Gene Downs, Craig Zuger, Ann Samsel, and Scott Roberts paddled and portaged from Astoria, Oregon, to St. Louis. They departed on March 23 and arrived in St. Louis on Sept 21st.
News article #1: Click Here:
News article #2: Sioux City Journal: Click Here:
News article #3: Click Here:
1980
Steve Landick & Verlen Kruger
Lima, Montana, to St. Louis.
April 29-June 4th, 37 days, 2,575 miles.
This is the fastest known descent down the entire Missouri River. This journey was only the start of what would become the longest paddle trip ever undertaken by anyone. Landick and Kruger spent 3 years paddling 28,000 miles throughout North America. Dubbed the "Ultimate Canoe Challenge", the duo paddled decked canoes built by Kruger.
Expedition facts below.
Steve Landick & Verlen Kruger
Lima, Montana, to St. Louis.
April 29-June 4th, 37 days, 2,575 miles.
This is the fastest known descent down the entire Missouri River. This journey was only the start of what would become the longest paddle trip ever undertaken by anyone. Landick and Kruger spent 3 years paddling 28,000 miles throughout North America. Dubbed the "Ultimate Canoe Challenge", the duo paddled decked canoes built by Kruger.
Expedition facts below.
- 935 total days paddling
- Total expedition: 3 years, 7 months, and 16 days.
- Greatest distance in one day: 173 miles
- Distance traveled in the US: 18,200 miles
- Distance traveled in Canada: 7,600 miles
- Distance traveled in Mexico: 2,200 miles
- Distance paddled upstream: 6,950 miles
- 9,140 miles of ocean paddling: Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic
- Distance portaged manually: 560 miles (approximately 1,500 total miles covered on foot because of double hauling on most portages.
- First ascent of the Colorado River from the Sea of Cortez to Farson, Wyoming: Upstream through the Grand Canyon.
- Canoe & Kayak article: The Inside Line with Steve Landick: Click Here
- Canoe & Kayak video interview with Steve Landick: Click Here:
- Dupont promo video of Verlen Kruger during the UCC: Click here
- Ultimate Canoe Challenge Book: Order Here
- Verlen Kruger Biograpy: Order Here
1979
Greg & Cathy Jensen: Honeymoon couple paddled from Astoria, Oregon, to Savannah, Georgia.
The Jensens paddled an aluminum canoe and began on May 2nd. After 225 days, they arrived on December 12th on Tybee Island, Georgia.
Bismarck Tribune Story: Part 1: Click here
Part 2: Bismarck Tribune story: Click here
People Magazine story: Click here
1978
Wisconsin resident, Mark McCorkle, departs on a multi-year expedition. This was Mark's 2nd descent down the Missouri River, his first being in 1975, which took him to the Gulf of Mexico. His 1978 expedition would become one of the longest expeditions undertaken by anyone. He departed from Astoria, Oregon, on June 1st, and paddled up the Columbia and Snake rivers to Lewiston, Idaho, where he put his boat on a make-shift portage cart and walked to Dillon, Montana, for a descent down the Jefferson, Missouri, and Mississippi rivers to the Gulf of Mexico.
He followed the Gulf and Atlantic- intercoastal waterway to New York City, where he ascended the Hudson River to the St. Lawrence Seaway, then on to Montreal, Canada, where he arrived exactly 1-year from departure. He continued on to International Falls, MN, where he took a year off to work. In 1980, he resumed his journey from International Falls across Canada to Alaska, then descended the Yukon River to the Bering Sea. This journey was about 14,000 miles in length. During his journey across Canada, he paddled with Verlen Kruger and Steve Landick during their 28,000-mile expedition throughout N. America. Kruger had built McCorkle's boat in 1977. The Loon design was also paddled by Kruger.
Bismarck Tribune Sept, 1978 article
Wisconsin resident, Mark McCorkle, departs on a multi-year expedition. This was Mark's 2nd descent down the Missouri River, his first being in 1975, which took him to the Gulf of Mexico. His 1978 expedition would become one of the longest expeditions undertaken by anyone. He departed from Astoria, Oregon, on June 1st, and paddled up the Columbia and Snake rivers to Lewiston, Idaho, where he put his boat on a make-shift portage cart and walked to Dillon, Montana, for a descent down the Jefferson, Missouri, and Mississippi rivers to the Gulf of Mexico.
He followed the Gulf and Atlantic- intercoastal waterway to New York City, where he ascended the Hudson River to the St. Lawrence Seaway, then on to Montreal, Canada, where he arrived exactly 1-year from departure. He continued on to International Falls, MN, where he took a year off to work. In 1980, he resumed his journey from International Falls across Canada to Alaska, then descended the Yukon River to the Bering Sea. This journey was about 14,000 miles in length. During his journey across Canada, he paddled with Verlen Kruger and Steve Landick during their 28,000-mile expedition throughout N. America. Kruger had built McCorkle's boat in 1977. The Loon design was also paddled by Kruger.
Bismarck Tribune Sept, 1978 article
1977
Nicholas Francis: Three Forks to New Orleans. In 1977, Francis, a lecturer in Paris, paddled his kayak the entire distance to raise funds for cancer research in England--and succeeded in setting a record for solo kayaking. The expedition was underfunded and loosely organized; the estimated eight-week timeline stretched to five months. Promoting the American Cancer Society's "Great Smoke Out"
- Bismarck News article: Click Here:
- News article and photos St. Louis Post: Click here:
Click the photo to the right to order Mississippi Madness.
1976-77
Stan Sroka: Springfield, Mass, to Astoria, Oregon, including an ascent of the Missouri River. Sroka paddled 22 rivers during his expedition. Once he reached Great Falls, he portaged over to the Blackfoot River near Lincoln, MT, before continuing west to the Pacific.
Stan Sroka: Springfield, Mass, to Astoria, Oregon, including an ascent of the Missouri River. Sroka paddled 22 rivers during his expedition. Once he reached Great Falls, he portaged over to the Blackfoot River near Lincoln, MT, before continuing west to the Pacific.
- Lincoln Journal Star article: Click Here
- Iowa City Press article: Click Here
- Great Falls Tribune article: Click Here
- The Bennington Banner article: Click Here
1976
Leavenworth, KS resident, Bill McCullough, paddled from Three Forks, Mt to New Orleans over a 17-week period. He was joined by his wife, Penny, for the last 1400 miles from their home in Kansas to New Orleans.
Here are a few newspaper stories about the journey:
Click each
1975:
Paddlers Mark McCorkle, Keith, Dale, Scott, and Joel Whitmer descend the Missouri River from Three Forks, Montana, to New Orleans. The two canoes were dubbed "Genesis" and "Spirit of Pembine". In three years, Mark McCorkle would again descend the Missouri River, this time on a 14,000-mile odyssey through N. America.
Paddlers Mark McCorkle, Keith, Dale, Scott, and Joel Whitmer descend the Missouri River from Three Forks, Montana, to New Orleans. The two canoes were dubbed "Genesis" and "Spirit of Pembine". In three years, Mark McCorkle would again descend the Missouri River, this time on a 14,000-mile odyssey through N. America.
1974
Bill Burnham & Tim Chamberlain departed on July 8th from the border of Yellowstone National Park on the Madison River and paddled their aluminum canoe to the Gulf of Mexico. They arrived on November 2nd. Their 117-day descent is one of the first known to have started on the Madison River, one of the three main tributaries of the Missouri.
Click the image to the left to read the article.
Bismarck Tribune Story:
Long Beach Independent article:
Bill Burnham & Tim Chamberlain departed on July 8th from the border of Yellowstone National Park on the Madison River and paddled their aluminum canoe to the Gulf of Mexico. They arrived on November 2nd. Their 117-day descent is one of the first known to have started on the Madison River, one of the three main tributaries of the Missouri.
Click the image to the left to read the article.
Bismarck Tribune Story:
Long Beach Independent article:
1973
Five explorers retrace the Lewis & Clark Expedition: Starting at Ft Clatsop on the Columbia River, they paddled up the Columbia and Snake Rivers, portaged overland to the Missouri, then down the Missouri to St. Louis. From late May to November 19th, the group endured many hardships, including one canoe capsizing a total of 22 times. The paddlers included Gary Kimsey, Clay Asher, Mike Cochran, Mike Wien, and Bob Miller. Cochran was a cartoonist who documented the entire trip in cartoons.
Below are a few articles on their expedition.
Ogden Standard Examiner:
Gary Kimsey Blog on the journey:
Gary Kimsey's article on a near mishap during their trip:
Below are 2 of Mike Cochran's cartoons of their expedition. Click to see full view. Mike moved to Santa Fe, NM after the expedition, but later moved to Palm Springs, CA. In December of 2015, he boarded a bus bound for New Mexico and has never been seen again. Law enforcement had been notified, but no clues to his whereabouts have surfaced.
Cartoon images below were created by Mike Cochran during the expedition. Click to enlarge.
Five explorers retrace the Lewis & Clark Expedition: Starting at Ft Clatsop on the Columbia River, they paddled up the Columbia and Snake Rivers, portaged overland to the Missouri, then down the Missouri to St. Louis. From late May to November 19th, the group endured many hardships, including one canoe capsizing a total of 22 times. The paddlers included Gary Kimsey, Clay Asher, Mike Cochran, Mike Wien, and Bob Miller. Cochran was a cartoonist who documented the entire trip in cartoons.
Below are a few articles on their expedition.
Ogden Standard Examiner:
Gary Kimsey Blog on the journey:
Gary Kimsey's article on a near mishap during their trip:
Below are 2 of Mike Cochran's cartoons of their expedition. Click to see full view. Mike moved to Santa Fe, NM after the expedition, but later moved to Palm Springs, CA. In December of 2015, he boarded a bus bound for New Mexico and has never been seen again. Law enforcement had been notified, but no clues to his whereabouts have surfaced.
Cartoon images below were created by Mike Cochran during the expedition. Click to enlarge.
1966:
Jimmy Curness of Wheeling, WV, and John Davidson, of Carlisle, PA., kayaked from Astoria, Oregon to Washington, DC, including a descent down the Missouri River. The men departed on May 19th and arrived at the nation's Capital on November 18th. They estimated the cost of their trip to be around $450 each. They portaged their kayak, named "River Pig", from Kamiah, Idaho, to Great Falls, Montana.
Newspaper links below:
The Standard Speaker-Nov,1966: Click here:
The Statesman Journal: Click here:
Lebanon Daily News: Click here:
1964:
"Miss Rumpus Room Canoe", paddled by Woody Guillot,39, and Walter Karas, 56, from Butte, Montana. They set out from Wisdom, Montana, on the Big Hole River, intending to paddle to New Orleans. At Great Falls, Karas decided canoeing was no way to travel, so Guillot started out alone. They started in October, and winter set in early, halting the journey. Guillot ended up stopping in Montana to work for the Lewiston Daily News for the winter, hoping to pick up again in the spring. As of this writing, the author has not found any information if the trip continued on in the spring.
Article below from launch day.
The Montana Standard: Click here:
"Miss Rumpus Room Canoe", paddled by Woody Guillot,39, and Walter Karas, 56, from Butte, Montana. They set out from Wisdom, Montana, on the Big Hole River, intending to paddle to New Orleans. At Great Falls, Karas decided canoeing was no way to travel, so Guillot started out alone. They started in October, and winter set in early, halting the journey. Guillot ended up stopping in Montana to work for the Lewiston Daily News for the winter, hoping to pick up again in the spring. As of this writing, the author has not found any information if the trip continued on in the spring.
Article below from launch day.
The Montana Standard: Click here:
1963
Norwegians, Kaare Anderson and Bjorn Braaten, both from Oslo, kayaked from the mouth of the Columbia River to New Orleans. They named their kayak, "Askeladden", after a Norwegian folk tale about "a small man who succeeds where all others fail." They started at Astoria, Oregon, on May 6th and arrived in New Orleans on December 2nd. Karre Anderson became an artist and created a sculpture as a gift to the city of New Orleans, which supposedly resides within the city hall. MoRP founder, Norm Miller, tracked down these two paddlers in 2018, and they are in their late 70s. Anderson sent Miller a book he had written, which is in Norwegian. Titled "Blues and PowWow", Miller hopes to transcribe it in English and put it on this website sometime in the future.
Click the Links below to read more about their story:
Norwegians, Kaare Anderson and Bjorn Braaten, both from Oslo, kayaked from the mouth of the Columbia River to New Orleans. They named their kayak, "Askeladden", after a Norwegian folk tale about "a small man who succeeds where all others fail." They started at Astoria, Oregon, on May 6th and arrived in New Orleans on December 2nd. Karre Anderson became an artist and created a sculpture as a gift to the city of New Orleans, which supposedly resides within the city hall. MoRP founder, Norm Miller, tracked down these two paddlers in 2018, and they are in their late 70s. Anderson sent Miller a book he had written, which is in Norwegian. Titled "Blues and PowWow", Miller hopes to transcribe it in English and put it on this website sometime in the future.
Click the Links below to read more about their story:
- Alton Evening Telegraph:
- Monroe Morning World article:
- The Bridgeport Telegram article:
- The Daily Herald article:
- The Jackson Sun + photo:
- CLICK images below to enlarge and read captions
1963: Martin Holt: Montana to New York. Starting on the Gallatin River, artist Martin Holt decided to paddle to the Brooklyn Museum Art School in New York, where he received a scholarship. According to his son Brynn, the inception of the trip occurred at the home of artist Bob DeWeese, who had encouraged students to explore abstract expressionism. DeWeese's place was a popular destination of Robert Pirsig, author of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."
Shortly before the trip, at an art party at Bob's house, Neal Parsons, an art student with Native American lineage, painted a seabird (See photo above) on the side of the canoe in NW native style. It's supposedly a symbol of safe return. Well, he did return the next day, almost dead, and with no gear or canoe. He was swept under a log jam and had nearly drowned. His son also stated that his father, "might be the only one who studied and memorized and put to song, every nursery rhyme he could find, so that he would be better able to entertain the children of the people he might end up seeking accommodations from during the trip." Martin later attended the University of Arizona, where he focused on art and filmmaking. He and his wife, Suzy, made two landmark films during that time. One, "Rock It," featured a concert by Jim Morrison and the Doors as well as several other rock and roll shows. They later filmed Andy Warhol making "Lonesome Cowboys".
Shortly before the trip, at an art party at Bob's house, Neal Parsons, an art student with Native American lineage, painted a seabird (See photo above) on the side of the canoe in NW native style. It's supposedly a symbol of safe return. Well, he did return the next day, almost dead, and with no gear or canoe. He was swept under a log jam and had nearly drowned. His son also stated that his father, "might be the only one who studied and memorized and put to song, every nursery rhyme he could find, so that he would be better able to entertain the children of the people he might end up seeking accommodations from during the trip." Martin later attended the University of Arizona, where he focused on art and filmmaking. He and his wife, Suzy, made two landmark films during that time. One, "Rock It," featured a concert by Jim Morrison and the Doors as well as several other rock and roll shows. They later filmed Andy Warhol making "Lonesome Cowboys".
- Winona Daily News Story, Click:
1962:
Edward Howell & Kirk Terrill, from Missouri, paddled their 18-foot fiberglass canoe from Three Forks, Montana, to the confluence with the Mississippi River. The pair started on June 17th and after 71 days reached their destination. They are one of the youngest to paddle the river. Howell was 19 and Terrill, 21. They only had one close call, Howell said. "In Great Falls, there is a 6-mile section of rapids below a series of dams. We didn't know it until we hit them. The Waves came over the sides of the boat, and we just about turned over. The ends of the canoe have styrofoam so it won't sink, but we were submerged. The boat his some rocks on the river bottom and got two holes in it. We paddled about 50 feet to shore and barely made it. There was a large boulder about 30 feet downstream."
Edward Howell & Kirk Terrill, from Missouri, paddled their 18-foot fiberglass canoe from Three Forks, Montana, to the confluence with the Mississippi River. The pair started on June 17th and after 71 days reached their destination. They are one of the youngest to paddle the river. Howell was 19 and Terrill, 21. They only had one close call, Howell said. "In Great Falls, there is a 6-mile section of rapids below a series of dams. We didn't know it until we hit them. The Waves came over the sides of the boat, and we just about turned over. The ends of the canoe have styrofoam so it won't sink, but we were submerged. The boat his some rocks on the river bottom and got two holes in it. We paddled about 50 feet to shore and barely made it. There was a large boulder about 30 feet downstream."
1962:
Jerry "The Deacon" Sanders & Richard Messer paddled their aluminum canoe from Three Forks, Montana, to New Orleans. The Missouri River Paddlers are honored to have Richard Messer as a member of our group. Messer published a book, On The Big Rivers, in 2015, recounting a journey down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The book is a must-read for any river traveler. Richard was kind enough to share some photos of their journey with us here (below). The duo met North Dakotan paddlers, Harold Umber and Bill Shirley, during their descent and paddled with them a majority of the route.
(More photos below)
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Audio Interview with Richard Messer- Shortly after the book was published in 2015, MoRP founder Norm Miller recorded an audio interview with Richard Messer about their journey. Click the YouTube link to the left to listen. Click Here to Order book: "On The Big Rivers" Photos below by Richard Messer from 1962. Thanks Rich! |
Click on the link for expeditions before 1962. It's in the early stages of development, but there are records of adventures dating back to the early 1880s, excluding the early explorations by Lewis and Clark.
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