Yellowstone River to the Mississippi River 2016

This trip lasted 86 days and plus or minus 3000 miles...

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Yellowstone Journal 1

Yellowstone River from Gardner, MT., to the Missouri River, Williston, ND., to the Mississippi, River St. Louis, MO. down to Baton Rouge, LA.APRIL 6- WENS – Left Bend, Oregon at 8 PM and drove as far as Stinking Water Pass East of Burns.DAY 2 APRIL 7- THURS – Up early on the road and drove to Big Sky, MT, arriving at approximately 5PM. I spent the night there in Big Sky in a Mt. Roads Dept Gravel Pit. DAY 3 APRIL 8 FRI – Left as the sun was coming up and headed to [...]

Yellowstone Journal 2

  APR 13 WENS – (DAY 4 ON THE WATER) I went to the ranch house where I had tied up my kayak, after I got back from town and the folks let me stay there on their property. I appreciated it, because it was late and I was very tired from going into town and coming back, plus the 3rd day in a row of nothing but 75 degree weather plus and all the sun right off the get go.00I am not speculating at all, but I have paddled a lot of miles for 4 days. If the current stays as it is or [...]

Yellowstone Journal 3

 FRI APRIL 15-6TH DAY ON THE RIVER – Beautiful morning once again to start out on the river. Slept great last night, up once again just a little bit later, not cloud in the sky to begin with. It takes just what it takes for me to break camp down and get it ready to pack in and on top of the kayak. There are no short cuts, none so far as I can see.As the day progressed the wind came up to my back, down river and then it got cold and I stopped and put my rain gear on which really [...]

Yellowstone Journal 4

Yellowstone Journal 4APRIL 17 SUN DAY 8 ON THE RIVER –What another great day on the Yellowstone. It was very cold last night, but I didn’t notice it with this sleeping bag and blanket insert I have in it. Everything froze, including the towel I have wet in the ice chest covering everything. I had water bottles that froze solid. Once the sun came up, which was a little later because of a cloud bank on the eastern horizon and got packed up, quick bowl of hot oatmeal, cup of tea [...]

Yellowstone Journal 5APRIL 22 FRI DAY 13 ON THE RIVER – Because of the way the website software works, it is difficult to put more than 2MB on at a time, that is the reason for Journal #2-1 … #2-2…#2-3, It is just the way I am going to have to do it. It is the pictures and then I have to resize them. But I am getting on to it.It has been a very long day for me today. I was up before the sun was up on the water, in anticipation of getting into Miles City and accomplishing [...]

Yellowstone Journal 6 APRIL 27 WENS DAY 18 ON THE WATER – I just can’t catch a break on the weather. Rained all night and this morning when I woke up about 6. The decision to stay in the tent just doesn’t work for me, no matter what. I packed up and hit the water. In an hour a blizzard hit, white out and I couldn’t see either bank let alone down river. This added a tremendous amount of stress.0-63500It became apparent that I had made two huge mistakes on my [...]

Yellowstone Journal 7APRIL 28 THURS DAY 19 ON THE WATER - I stayed up a little later than normal last night to make sure I had my waders, the insides of them dry. It paid off because I was up at about 6 and it was cold and everything was dry. What a blessing it was for someone to leave all of that wood there for a fire for hours and I am glad I had some fire starter/wet striking matches in some baggies.0-317500On the water about 7:15, little breeze but no wind and what a joy to not have any [...]

Missouri River Journal 8 MAY 3 TUESDAY DAY 21 ON THE WATER – I got up early and did my thing on the computer, got the Journal’s all caught up except for the pictures off of the camera. I forgot the cable in the kayak, so will have to re-post the last Journal once I can get the pictures in to it.0444500Walked to the grocery store where the guy I met in the Laundromat last Sat AM is going to pick me up and take me out to the kayak. He picked me up at 10. I had gone in the [...]

#Missouri River Journal 9  lefttop0These are Paddle Fish that they catch this time of year at the Confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. North Star Caviar Company keeps this building here, hires guys to clean the fish for free for the eggs, for Caviar, a very expensive kind I guess.100 guys on the bank with another 50 across the river, I went right down the middle of them as they were casting their 10/15 sinker with treble hooks on them, they snag them. They get as big [...]

Missouri River Journal 10MAY 10 TUESDAY DAY 26 ON THE WATER – Nobody said this was going to be easy, least of all me. In fact the only thing I have heard is I must be crazy and for sure have lost my mind. I woke up to rain this morning and the wind was still blowing out of the E/SE. Not good. I laid there for an hour or so and just had to attempt to make some headway. I paddled around the corner and went nowhere for 30 minutes. I let the wind blow me back around the point and went [...]

Missouri River Journal 11 MAY 11 WENDSDAY/MAY 12 THURSDAY DAY 27/28 ON THE WATER – I am going to combine these two days, both these days have been challenging to say the list. Thursday woke up once again to the wind blowing N. N/W which is basically the direction I needed to go, blowing 25/35 MPH. 0000The night was the most stress full so far. Once I got camp set up and got things squared away, the song birds moved in to the trees branches right above me and for a good hour I was [...]

Missouri River Journal 12MAY 14 SATURDAY DAY 24 ON THE WATER – Jim Wahl picked me up at 8AM and I was down at the boat dock in 10 minutes. What luck I am having getting the help when I need it. 1905190500This picture is in front of the motel where I stayed after completely the lake it is Sat morning and I am waiting for Jim Wahl to pick me up. I had 4 good meals here. Steak, baked potatoes and salad Thursday night. Chicken fried steak, eggs and hash browns for breakfast Friday. Open [...]

Missouri River Journal 131905000May 17 Tuesday - For the 2nd night I had not put up the tent. The mice drove me nuts. I put the tent down, then the pad and then my bag. They ran up and down the side of the bag on the tent. Then they would run over the bag. Couple of times I woke up one was pulling on my hair. Quite an experience. MAY 17 TUESDAY DAY 27 ON THE WATER – I woke up to a beautiful morning. No wind at all. Lake was smooth as I have seen it. Once packed up, I shaved and had [...]

  Missouri River Journal 14left283845007 MAY 23 MONDAY DAY 29 ON THE WATER – I woke up early and walked down to the water and the water was like glass. Finally, it looked like I was going to be able to make some headway. Once loaded up I headed out and spent well over 8 hours in the kayak. There is no wind tonight and since it has warmed up the mosquitos are out in force which is something I knew was going to be the case. The ticks are also very prevalent. The coyotes are [...]

 Missouri River Journal 15MAY 28 SATURDAY DAY 34 ON THE WATER – I was in a good spot last night. Not many mosquitos and off far enough and tucked back in behind a bluff. No wind all night long. I had a two white tail come right by my tent I don’t think they saw it until they were right next to it, it was almost dark. There are two things now I have started doing consistently before calling it a day. One is to make sure the tent is in a spot that no matter where the storm [...]

Missouri River Journal 16left28384500MAY 31 TUESDAY DAY 37 ON THE WATER – Last night was another un-enjoyable night. Thunderstorms again and the tent wasn’t in the best spot. I did manage to get to sleep with the wind howling, lightning and thunder and lots of rain. It is starting to wear on me. Once up as the sun was coming up it didn’t take long to get moving. The wind was to my back blowing down river so that helped.-162560578104000The bald eagles are numerous along [...]

Missouri River Journal 17JUNE 3 FRIDAY DAY 39 ON THE WATER – Not a bad night’s sleep considering that I was literally busy YESTERDAY from 7 until 9:30. But I got everything done. I was up, shaved, had yogurt and granola once again and shoved off by 8. What a joy to have current once again. In had some thunder and lightning and rain with wind both directions throughout the day. I got hung up once on some shallow area but overall I think I went a good 45 miles plus. I will be in [...]

 Missouri River Journal 18This picture was taken by some young guys on a bluff as I was heading to the Lewis and Clark Marina in Yankton.They texted it to me.JUNE 6 MONDAY DAY 42 ON THE WATER AND DAY 57 SINCE LEAVING BEND ON APRIL 9 – I am not sure if I am 100% correct on the days both on the water and since leaving but it is close enough. The difference between the days on the water is traveling, the days in Jamestown, ND when the van broke down. Days on the bank when the wind [...]

Missouri River Journal 19JUNE 8 WEDNESDAY DAY 44 ON THE WATER – I am in Nebraska City, Nebraska at another good State boat dock and camp ground. What is nice about these is they all have good bathrooms with showers, power, grass and normally I can stay close to my kayak.I enjoyed the break yesterday afternoon. I slept very soundly, it cooled down nicely. I was packed up and on the water at 6:45. I am going to try to make it even earlier in the morning.-287213-280089700They were [...]

 Missouri River Journal 20JUNE 13 MONDAY DAY 49 ON THE WATER – What a terrible night I had last night the 1st one, considering all of the river miles, wind, storms, mud and challenges I have been faced with. If one remembers in the last journal, the last day Sunday, yesterday I mentioned the cop that said I couldn’t stay in the park, there was no camping and it was closed from 12 to 5AM.Well I was tired and I wasn’t going any further. So I weathered the quick storm [...]