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talk about planning and getting the most out of this website.
talk about planning and getting the most out of this website.
This is NOT the Mississippi River!
What does it take to paddle down the Muddy Missouri River from Montana to St. Louis?
I personally don't think there is a formula. Looking at the experiences of others who have taken the challenge-- all are different.
It's a particular personality type that can leave home for weeks or months...especially alone.
Many paddlers are comfortable being alone, which is not the same as being lonely. Some people are more secure with themselves than in a group. I've had friends tell me that they could never paddle and camp by themselves. When I hear this I get the sense that they don't know themselves well enough. For me, it's always been a way of life. I've been very independent since I was a child. Don't get me wrong, I spent plenty of time with friends, roaming the neighborhood as a child, building forts, playing army, hiking, fishing, and just plain escaping from our parents.
I feel more at ease when life is simple. I was born 200 years too late. I love to camp and enjoy the peace that I find along rivers or traveling abroad solo. I'm comfortable traveling to foreign countries even if I don't know the language. I get by easily with sign language and drawing pictures to communicate with people. Some of my best "conversations" were with people who spoke a language I could not understand.
If you can paddle all day, set up camp, cook your food, clean up your mess, go to bed, get up in the morning, and repeat the next day, then paddling two to three months is not that big of a deal. It becomes far more of an emotional, spiritual, and psychological journey than a physical one. One's mind is always at war, wondering about "things". I wonder about my well-being, the what-ifs, do's, and don'ts. In 2004, while paddling up the Missouri, I was in a constant battle with myself. The main issue was my slow pace. I could have easily walked faster than I was paddling. In the strong currents of the lower river, 2 mph was my maximum speed. So, living in the 20th century, with all the high-speed, fast-paced lives we lead, slowing down to a snail's pace was very difficult. I had to concentrate on the small picture, never the final destination. My mantra was "one stroke at a time will get you to the ocean". I had to stay focused on the bend ahead, the distant tree or bridge, and never the Pacific! I would have gone insane had I not slowed my mind. "River Time" is what many paddlers talk about. So, slow down and adjust to the natural pace of the world you are now surrounded by, and do not be consumed by the 21st century and what the "outside" world is doing.
Adaptability to changing conditions is another helpful factor. On my first big paddle trip (2000 miles to the Arctic Ocean in 1998), I set out with very firm beliefs about how the day should go. I didn't accept change very easily. Well, that only lasted about a week, and I knew that nature dictated much more than I ever imagined. The weather was the most significant factor (And is, and will be, ALL the time while paddling). Wind and storms will tell you when you can and cannot paddle. So get used to watching the sky, feeling the wind, and observing the weather. It truly tells a lot. After a week or two, you will get better than the weatherman at determining the forecast. This is a lost trait that everyone knew centuries ago. Our ancestors spent more time outdoors observing the weather and were not consumed by the mind-zapping things that we have today, such as TV, radio, Music, the Internet, and Facebook. There will be times when you have to wait it out. I've spent days windbound in a tent, waiting for a break to proceed onward. Don't be in a hurry. Enjoy the storms, the hail, the tornadoes, the flooding, the snow, the lightning, and the intense sun. Explore the surrounding shore, the distant hillsides. I've spent hours along a river on my hands & knees looking at stones and animal tracks in the mud. I've found some fantastic things while wandering around waiting for the wind to abate, from Native burial grounds, old buildings, rare animal sightings, hot springs, and even a family outing with plenty of cold beer.
Being stranded in the wind is also a good time to rest and catch up on needed sleep. I've come to love the wind! It has become my friend. I no longer curse it but enjoy its gifts and wonder. There is something magical about hearing the wind making the tent flap throughout the night... it tells me the earth is alive and well!
I recently followed a group of young guys paddling down the Mississippi via their web blog. I don't think they made it a week before the whole adventure fell apart. I'm not sure why, as I don't know the whole story, but I got the sense that there were many factors, from personality conflicts, mental battles in the mind, and lack of "outdoor" experience. For the most part, we have lost touch with our hunter-gatherer traits. In today's society, we view modern adventure as a novelty. In fact, just 150 years ago, it was common. We hunted, worked the land, lived a more nomadic lifestyle; our entire day was about survival or just getting by. The pioneers on the wagon trains, the early explorers and missionaries, etc, everything they did in the course of their day was what many now think of as hardships. We now spend so little time in the outdoors. If it rains or snows, we seek the comforts of our houses, never really experiencing nature and missing out on a lot of great things.
Planning your Journey:
The internet has changed everything! There is so much information that it shortens the planning by weeks and months, and probably years. When I began planning my 2004-Lewis & Clark redux, the internet was pretty new. I spent about 5 years preparing. Now, with the help of paddling websites, Facebook, this site, books, blogs, and the speed of finding information, one can get all they need quickly. In the early days, I had to handwrite letters to people for information, so responses could take weeks at times. Today, the replies can take a few minutes.
For starters, buy David Miller's book, The Complete Paddler! It is the "bible" for the MoRP. A mile-by-mile guide for paddling from Montana to St. Louis. The book is divided into 3 parts. The upper, middle, and lower river sections are basically three different trips. The book contains a wealth of logistical information, including valuable phone numbers, resupply points, drinking water locations, and map info. However, in 2011, the river experienced a major flood that destroyed many locations mentioned in the book. The Missouri River Paddlers Facebook page helps "update" some of that information by posting descents over the past 10 years. Paddlers blogged about those changes, such as Bob Bellingham and Dom Liborian, among others. So, when reading those paddlers' blogs, take notes of the changes mentioned on the same page that corresponds to Dave Miller's Book, etc.
Use the book as a journal and write directly in it. It will provide a wealth of stored information to all who follow in your wake. (Update 2023- Amazon is price gouging this book; there are dozens of MoRP members willing to loan, give, or sell an extra copy of the book. Contact the founder for more information. Contact Norm Miller for more information on obtaining a book: Contact here
Use the book as a journal and write directly in it. It will provide a wealth of stored information to all who follow in your wake. (Update 2023- Amazon is price gouging this book; there are dozens of MoRP members willing to loan, give, or sell an extra copy of the book. Contact the founder for more information. Contact Norm Miller for more information on obtaining a book: Contact here
Buying Maps:
Buying maps/charts should be a top priority. However, in hindsight, I would feel confident paddling the entire route without a map or with only a Rand McNally road atlas. I know paddlers who only used such maps, and they had successful journeys.
In 2004, I may have gone overboard with maps. I used the Corps nautical charts for the lower river... they show all 5000+ wing dams and every mile in DETAIL, which is helpful when paddling upstream, but not as critical when paddling downstream. Going upstream, I had to stay very close to shore... so this is where the real hazards are. So, knowing the location of EVERY wing dam helped me. The Corp maps of the big lakes are good too. The lakes are huge! You can get disoriented. Some of the bays open to a 30-mile-wide expanse of water, and on a flat horizon, it is almost impossible to tell where you are. The Montana section is great...I made copies of a map program. The maps helped me find camping areas AWAY from people and private property. I always preferred to stealth camp. During my 2004 trip, I camped in downtown St. Charles, Washington, Kansas City, and Ft Yates, and no one knew I was ever there! Stealth camping is an art form for sure. After 12-17 hours of paddling, I was not in the mood to be social most of the time. So being away from people allowed me to do what I needed to do and get the rest I needed.
As for travel speed, it depends on the weather and how hard you want to paddle. It's not a race, but some paddlers prefer long hours and long distances. Others prefer slow travel. It's all a personal choice. However, ON AVERAGE...from Three Forks to St. Louis, those who have paddled down the last 10 years have done it in about 90-120 days! That's a good average. I had a friend in 1981 who went from Three Forks to St. Louis in about 30 days! The state of Montana is huge, with big bodies of water... in particular, Ft Peck Reservoir. I would allow about a month to get through Montana. The slower you go, the better. Why? Montana is beautiful, with many interesting places to check out....why rush? We have the only mountains you will encounter on the entire trip! Montana is very scenic, lots of wildlife, historic, unchanged river sections, and interesting towns such as Ft Benton.
The Dakotas can be a mental test. You will have Lake Sakakawea and Oahe; they can drain you mentally. Expect WIND and ...more WIND....then a couple minutes of calm and then more WIND! It blows from every direction...not just from west to east. The winds can change direction every hour. What I noticed in 2004 was that the wind would start to kick up about 8 am, die down a bit between 11 am and 2 pm, then pick up hard from 2 pm until sunset. Once the sun sets, it is rather calm until morning...sometimes like glass. During the daytime hours, you will have to keep moving whenever there is a break in the wind. Sometimes you may sit on shore 1/2 hour, 4 hours, or all day....just be ready when it abates so you can jump in your boat and start paddling. I was windbound on Oahe for 4 days without moving an inch. The winds were 40-60 mph, and the seas were well over 10 feet high in 2004.
During those windbound moments, I usually read a book, slept, ate, fixed and cleaned gear, or explored around camp. Sometimes I would walk the shore for an hour or so to see what I could find. Near Ft. Yates, I found a human skull in the sand. Most likely, it was that of a Native American from centuries ago. A fabulous find, which I reported to the local tribes.
The Lower River from Yankton to St. Louis is fast-moving if you are going downstream. One can paddle 40-80 miles a day through there, depending on your energy level and river flows. Watch out for the barges, especially from behind... they can sneak up when the wind is blowing, and you may never hear them. It's good to tuck in behind a wing dike and let them pass before proceeding on.
Buying maps/charts should be a top priority. However, in hindsight, I would feel confident paddling the entire route without a map or with only a Rand McNally road atlas. I know paddlers who only used such maps, and they had successful journeys.
In 2004, I may have gone overboard with maps. I used the Corps nautical charts for the lower river... they show all 5000+ wing dams and every mile in DETAIL, which is helpful when paddling upstream, but not as critical when paddling downstream. Going upstream, I had to stay very close to shore... so this is where the real hazards are. So, knowing the location of EVERY wing dam helped me. The Corp maps of the big lakes are good too. The lakes are huge! You can get disoriented. Some of the bays open to a 30-mile-wide expanse of water, and on a flat horizon, it is almost impossible to tell where you are. The Montana section is great...I made copies of a map program. The maps helped me find camping areas AWAY from people and private property. I always preferred to stealth camp. During my 2004 trip, I camped in downtown St. Charles, Washington, Kansas City, and Ft Yates, and no one knew I was ever there! Stealth camping is an art form for sure. After 12-17 hours of paddling, I was not in the mood to be social most of the time. So being away from people allowed me to do what I needed to do and get the rest I needed.
As for travel speed, it depends on the weather and how hard you want to paddle. It's not a race, but some paddlers prefer long hours and long distances. Others prefer slow travel. It's all a personal choice. However, ON AVERAGE...from Three Forks to St. Louis, those who have paddled down the last 10 years have done it in about 90-120 days! That's a good average. I had a friend in 1981 who went from Three Forks to St. Louis in about 30 days! The state of Montana is huge, with big bodies of water... in particular, Ft Peck Reservoir. I would allow about a month to get through Montana. The slower you go, the better. Why? Montana is beautiful, with many interesting places to check out....why rush? We have the only mountains you will encounter on the entire trip! Montana is very scenic, lots of wildlife, historic, unchanged river sections, and interesting towns such as Ft Benton.
The Dakotas can be a mental test. You will have Lake Sakakawea and Oahe; they can drain you mentally. Expect WIND and ...more WIND....then a couple minutes of calm and then more WIND! It blows from every direction...not just from west to east. The winds can change direction every hour. What I noticed in 2004 was that the wind would start to kick up about 8 am, die down a bit between 11 am and 2 pm, then pick up hard from 2 pm until sunset. Once the sun sets, it is rather calm until morning...sometimes like glass. During the daytime hours, you will have to keep moving whenever there is a break in the wind. Sometimes you may sit on shore 1/2 hour, 4 hours, or all day....just be ready when it abates so you can jump in your boat and start paddling. I was windbound on Oahe for 4 days without moving an inch. The winds were 40-60 mph, and the seas were well over 10 feet high in 2004.
During those windbound moments, I usually read a book, slept, ate, fixed and cleaned gear, or explored around camp. Sometimes I would walk the shore for an hour or so to see what I could find. Near Ft. Yates, I found a human skull in the sand. Most likely, it was that of a Native American from centuries ago. A fabulous find, which I reported to the local tribes.
The Lower River from Yankton to St. Louis is fast-moving if you are going downstream. One can paddle 40-80 miles a day through there, depending on your energy level and river flows. Watch out for the barges, especially from behind... they can sneak up when the wind is blowing, and you may never hear them. It's good to tuck in behind a wing dike and let them pass before proceeding on.
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FOOD AND WATER:
Don't expect to filter water! There is so much agricultural runoff that you don't want to drink it for fear of getting sick. Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and toxic pollutants are dumped or flushed into the river daily.... My words of wisdom are.....DON'T BOTHER. Why do a trip of a lifetime and get sick the first week? Every town, house, marina, store, and campground has drinking water. (David Miller's book mentions every possible place to get drinking water.) It's not a remote trip like Lewis & Clark's. You will encounter plenty of places to obtain water. I carried 4, one-gallon jugs, which I filled every couple of days... or whenever I saw a pump, I would top them off. I filled water in bars, people's houses, and even the government office buildings attached to the State Capitol of Missouri. One thing to consider in early season, such as March-May, is that most campgrounds DO NOT HAVE their pumps working yet, so you will have to rely on towns and houses to fill up.
In 2004, I mailed food drops to post offices. I researched which Post Offices were close to the river and had a box of food mailed there..."General Delivery" to myself. I spent the previous winter dehydrating food and preparing meals, so I did not have to rely on a store all the time. This saved me a lot of money. One thing to consider with the post office drop is each office's hours of operation. You will have to plan to pick up your box when they are open, and make sure you consider that they are closed on weekends and holidays. I ran into this issue in Yankton: my package hadn't arrived when I got there on Friday...I had to wait until Monday before it opened up. Many people purchase food along the way. There are plenty of places to do so. However, the variety may not be what you want or need. I tell everyone they should carry about 2 weeks at a time, especially the section when leaving Ft. Benton, where there is a big gap of NO stores until you get to Wolf Point or Culbertson, MT. The town of Ft. Peck is LIMITED... basically, they have a party store. That's fine for some, not for me. A list of Post Offices and addresses can be found here.
You will have plenty of opportunities to get food at restaurants or from generous river angels. Read Bob Bellingham's blog and you will see that he ate well and drank plenty from the generous people he met along the way. I, too, had people buy me dinner or make me breakfast along the way.
Click here to read the comments of the paddlers regarding obtaining drinking water. (Read the Q&A too on this topic.)
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CANOE OR KAYAK?
We can debate this with paddlers for hours. I will mention a few comments and let you do your own research.
The route has been done in Aluminum Grumman Canoes, Homemade dugout canoes, high-tech Kevlar canoes and kayaks, and everything in between, including a complete descent on a SUP board by Scott Mestrezat in 2013.
I highly recommend something comfortable! After all, why be miserable sitting 10-17 hours a day for three months? I used a Sea Wind decked canoe built by canoe legend Verlen Kruger, who holds many paddling records in distance paddling, including the longest paddle trip ever ...a 3-year, 28,000-mile trip through North America.
His boats are the best solo expedition canoes on the market, as mentioned above... these boats hold THE records for distance traveled. They are strong, comfortable to sit for long hours, and hold a lot of gear without cramming it into small hatches like you would in a sea kayak. I am never cramped in my boat. I oftentimes sit in it for 17 hours without ever getting out. I'm biased on my choice, but just make sure you know your boat. COMFORT should be your #1 feature. If you have questions about boats...send me a message and I will go into more detail.
We can debate this with paddlers for hours. I will mention a few comments and let you do your own research.
The route has been done in Aluminum Grumman Canoes, Homemade dugout canoes, high-tech Kevlar canoes and kayaks, and everything in between, including a complete descent on a SUP board by Scott Mestrezat in 2013.
I highly recommend something comfortable! After all, why be miserable sitting 10-17 hours a day for three months? I used a Sea Wind decked canoe built by canoe legend Verlen Kruger, who holds many paddling records in distance paddling, including the longest paddle trip ever ...a 3-year, 28,000-mile trip through North America.
His boats are the best solo expedition canoes on the market, as mentioned above... these boats hold THE records for distance traveled. They are strong, comfortable to sit for long hours, and hold a lot of gear without cramming it into small hatches like you would in a sea kayak. I am never cramped in my boat. I oftentimes sit in it for 17 hours without ever getting out. I'm biased on my choice, but just make sure you know your boat. COMFORT should be your #1 feature. If you have questions about boats...send me a message and I will go into more detail.
Brian Duncan organizes food and gear before his descent of the Missouri.
GEAR:
Purchase a good tent. It will likely not be good when you finish. I recommend a NEW one when you start —not one you have had for the last 5 years. Think about this: if you are out for 90 days, that is equal to 45 weekends of camping —or nearly 4 summers of camping—every weekend! I went through 2 tents.... both were NOT good when finished. A tornado in the Dakotas destroyed one; my second one just plain wore out! One TIP with any tent is to purchase a large plastic tarp. I used the tarp almost every day. I would put the tarp over the top of my entire tent many times during a hard rain... not only to keep water from leaking in, but also to keep the entire tent dry, so I never had to pack it away wet. This is very important because if you pack it away wet each day, it never dries out and begins to mold and decay! A tarp will cover everything you have from getting wet....so you will always have a dry-packed boat every day!!
Good rain gear is important, too. I recommend bringing a large golf umbrella. They make excellent sails for minor winds. They are great for the quick storms, as you don't have to get out of the boat to put rain gear on for a 10-minute rainstorm. Just pull out the umbrella.... pop it open, stay dry, and put it away after the rain. They also make great shade when there are no trees around. In the Dakota's there are very few trees along the river. If you happen to be sitting around waiting out the wind, you can use your umbrella to keep the heat of the sun off of you. Believe me, there are no trees to block the 100-degree heat in the Dakotas!
One of the best things I bought was a pair of knee-high boots. Waterproof is a must. You will encounter a LOT of mud on the lower Missouri, and I hate wet feet. These boots kept me dry and from getting trench foot, which can be common if your feet never dry out.
Purchase a good tent. It will likely not be good when you finish. I recommend a NEW one when you start —not one you have had for the last 5 years. Think about this: if you are out for 90 days, that is equal to 45 weekends of camping —or nearly 4 summers of camping—every weekend! I went through 2 tents.... both were NOT good when finished. A tornado in the Dakotas destroyed one; my second one just plain wore out! One TIP with any tent is to purchase a large plastic tarp. I used the tarp almost every day. I would put the tarp over the top of my entire tent many times during a hard rain... not only to keep water from leaking in, but also to keep the entire tent dry, so I never had to pack it away wet. This is very important because if you pack it away wet each day, it never dries out and begins to mold and decay! A tarp will cover everything you have from getting wet....so you will always have a dry-packed boat every day!!
Good rain gear is important, too. I recommend bringing a large golf umbrella. They make excellent sails for minor winds. They are great for the quick storms, as you don't have to get out of the boat to put rain gear on for a 10-minute rainstorm. Just pull out the umbrella.... pop it open, stay dry, and put it away after the rain. They also make great shade when there are no trees around. In the Dakota's there are very few trees along the river. If you happen to be sitting around waiting out the wind, you can use your umbrella to keep the heat of the sun off of you. Believe me, there are no trees to block the 100-degree heat in the Dakotas!
One of the best things I bought was a pair of knee-high boots. Waterproof is a must. You will encounter a LOT of mud on the lower Missouri, and I hate wet feet. These boots kept me dry and from getting trench foot, which can be common if your feet never dry out.
Clothing:
I personally hate getting sunburned. The sun is very damaging —look at what it does to your tent after a season... now imagine what it does to your skin. If you plan to paddle or be out in the sun for 3 months, then cover up! You will get plenty of sun even if you cover up. I hope we as humans have moved beyond the "tan look" vanity thing. The benefits of sun protection include being less dehydrated and needing to drink less water. Don't forget: even though you are on a river, clean drinking water isn't readily available. So, by covering your body, you won't need as much water and will be less fatigued. I am amazed at how many people paddle without hats, short-sleeve shirts, or shorts! A 100-day trip with 10 hours of sun exposure each day adds up to 1000 hours! If you were to take two apples—one whole, the other peeled—the peeled one would dry 10 times faster than the unpeeled one. So think of your clothing as an apple peeling. One of the first rules in desert survival is to put clothes ON! You never see Middle Eastern or African cultures wearing shorts and t-shirts, do you? They are sometimes covered head to toe, in long shirts, pants, etc. I wear long sleeves and long pants, a brimmed hat, a bandana around my neck, and gloves to protect the tops of my hands from the sun. I also use SPF-75 to 100 sunscreen at all times. It will make your paddling more comfortable when you are not fried!
I personally hate getting sunburned. The sun is very damaging —look at what it does to your tent after a season... now imagine what it does to your skin. If you plan to paddle or be out in the sun for 3 months, then cover up! You will get plenty of sun even if you cover up. I hope we as humans have moved beyond the "tan look" vanity thing. The benefits of sun protection include being less dehydrated and needing to drink less water. Don't forget: even though you are on a river, clean drinking water isn't readily available. So, by covering your body, you won't need as much water and will be less fatigued. I am amazed at how many people paddle without hats, short-sleeve shirts, or shorts! A 100-day trip with 10 hours of sun exposure each day adds up to 1000 hours! If you were to take two apples—one whole, the other peeled—the peeled one would dry 10 times faster than the unpeeled one. So think of your clothing as an apple peeling. One of the first rules in desert survival is to put clothes ON! You never see Middle Eastern or African cultures wearing shorts and t-shirts, do you? They are sometimes covered head to toe, in long shirts, pants, etc. I wear long sleeves and long pants, a brimmed hat, a bandana around my neck, and gloves to protect the tops of my hands from the sun. I also use SPF-75 to 100 sunscreen at all times. It will make your paddling more comfortable when you are not fried!
A TYPICAL DAY:
Not sure there is a typical day, but at times, they can be very repetitive. You may wake up before the sun and start paddling before the wind begins... say 6-8 am each day, so you will at least get a couple hours of paddling in before the wind starts. I was so comfortable in my boat that I would often stay in it for as long as 17 hours without ever getting out... even to go to the bathroom... which I did in a pee bottle. When I wanted to eat/snack, I would stop paddling and dig into my lunch/food bag that I kept close by. If I were windbound, I would try to find shade. Sometimes I set up my tent to get shade or use an umbrella. Other times, I would walk around and explore the countryside or go into a town, grab a burger, or even do laundry. Wind-bound moments were also when I would use my solar rechargers. I carried solar panels for my satellite phone, camera, and laptop.
Plan on your hot showers being weeks apart, same with your laundry. I wore the same clothes almost every day! You can periodically rinse them out in the river, which will also help cool you down. A daily dip in the river is excellent for you.
Not sure there is a typical day, but at times, they can be very repetitive. You may wake up before the sun and start paddling before the wind begins... say 6-8 am each day, so you will at least get a couple hours of paddling in before the wind starts. I was so comfortable in my boat that I would often stay in it for as long as 17 hours without ever getting out... even to go to the bathroom... which I did in a pee bottle. When I wanted to eat/snack, I would stop paddling and dig into my lunch/food bag that I kept close by. If I were windbound, I would try to find shade. Sometimes I set up my tent to get shade or use an umbrella. Other times, I would walk around and explore the countryside or go into a town, grab a burger, or even do laundry. Wind-bound moments were also when I would use my solar rechargers. I carried solar panels for my satellite phone, camera, and laptop.
Plan on your hot showers being weeks apart, same with your laundry. I wore the same clothes almost every day! You can periodically rinse them out in the river, which will also help cool you down. A daily dip in the river is excellent for you.
Expect temperatures near 100°F often through eastern Montana and the Dakotas. It's very uncomfortable paddling. Keep plugging along. I would stop for the evening ONLY when the sun dropped below the horizon. I would then pull over right where I was... sometimes it was a stealth camp. Once the sun dropped below the horizon, I knew there would be about 1 hour before it was too dark to see. This twilight hour allowed me to set up camp, cook, clean up, and update a blog... all without a headlamp. This method allowed me to go without using a headlamp for all but 2 hours in 6 months! I was plenty tired each day and would fall asleep immediately, and I usually didn't wake up all night. The following day was then repeated. Get used to being uncomfortable, hot, wet, smelly, sore, irritated, hungry, windburned, and parched- yet happy as a clam!
I would typically look over my maps each night and try to imagine the next day's route. I would plan a "route" that accounted for the anticipated wind directions. Since I did not carry a weather radio, I would often ask fishermen along the way if they had heard a weather report. When doing so, realize you will get 20 different answers from 20 other people. I would compile all the info and use deductive reasoning to develop my own forecast. The same goes for "river conditions"! Most people you meet will NOT BE PADDLERS, so they have NO clue as to what you require or your ability. TAKE ALL OF THEIR INFO with a grain of salt! Paddler Bob Bellingham told me he talked to some fishermen in Montana who, upon learning he was paddling to St. Louis, said, "You better check your maps, because this river doesn't go to St. Louis!" I, too, had a similar situation, where someone told me that Lewis & Clark didn't pass through "here". Writer Edward Abby is quoted as saying that "the reservoir fisherman is the lowest form of life on earth." I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, but it's certainly a different culture.
I would typically look over my maps each night and try to imagine the next day's route. I would plan a "route" that accounted for the anticipated wind directions. Since I did not carry a weather radio, I would often ask fishermen along the way if they had heard a weather report. When doing so, realize you will get 20 different answers from 20 other people. I would compile all the info and use deductive reasoning to develop my own forecast. The same goes for "river conditions"! Most people you meet will NOT BE PADDLERS, so they have NO clue as to what you require or your ability. TAKE ALL OF THEIR INFO with a grain of salt! Paddler Bob Bellingham told me he talked to some fishermen in Montana who, upon learning he was paddling to St. Louis, said, "You better check your maps, because this river doesn't go to St. Louis!" I, too, had a similar situation, where someone told me that Lewis & Clark didn't pass through "here". Writer Edward Abby is quoted as saying that "the reservoir fisherman is the lowest form of life on earth." I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, but it's certainly a different culture.
SAFETY: Be river smart and level-headed. You are not in a race. It only takes one hair-raising moment to put you in your place. Typically, EVERY first-time Thru-Paddler gets cocky and takes too big a risk, especially at open-water crossings... and usually the first reservoir of Peck. You will get halfway across when the wind begins to blow, creating huge waves. Be smart, not stupid! A personal locator beacon is an innovative tool not only for your safety but also to put your family and friends at ease, as they can see your progress and know you are safe. Many of the new versions can send text messages, which is helpful if you are injured or need a vital emergency weather update, such as a possible tornado. The most popular are Garmin InReach, SPOT, and Zollio.
Your biggest concern, besides the weather, is humans. The most dangerous thing you may encounter will be man. I prefer to camp away from people, away from campgrounds, and anywhere with road access and potential for a lot of beer drinking. Dead-end roads at the river's edge are a mecca for high-school kids on Friday night to have huge parties. Find those little hideaways tucked along the shores of the reservoirs or in the trees along the river. You will have plenty of social opportunities if you need. I'm more of an introvert and prefer stealth and remote camps. It's good to check in each night if you have a cell phone or SPOT beacon. This saves a lot of worrying on the home front. It also provides a reference point if you get hurt the following day, showing where your last checkpoint was. Your friends and family back home will be concerned, so be considerate of them and let them know. There are some big gaps in cell coverage, especially in Montana. You can go a week or more without coverage. I don't recommend Cellular One as a service. Mark Kalch had a Cellular One phone and could not use it for almost 6 weeks! In 2004, I used a Satellite phone, which has coverage anywhere. Do your research on the technology you are bringing.
As far as your personal safety, there is more of a worry if you are solo than if paddling with someone. I recommend a can of Bear-Spray over a gun, but that is another topic I don't care to get into. Just be smart and listen to your gut feelings. Be aware and observant.
I'm sure I forgot a lot, but this will give you an idea of what is involved in paddling from Montana to St. Louis. Everyone is different. It's best to create your own experience using the skills and knowledge others have passed along; they have a lot of good information. I highly recommend contacting the Through-Paddlers here on this site and asking them as many questions as you can think of. I'm just 1-mans experience. The things that worked for me may not work for you, and vice versa. One very important thing is to be adaptable and able to adjust to changing conditions... either daily or hourly.
Keep the round side down!
Cheers
Norm Miller
Founder- Missouri River Paddlers Org.
[email protected]