In The Shadow of Longs Peak
Thursday, 26 June 2014
Our last camp is at Lower Woodhawk: Finding a landing spot definitely took some time. First, there was no post as had been the case at nearly all the other established camps, primitive or developed. We first stopped just passed the halfway point of the cottonwood grove. Big surprise as we sunk in up to our knees. Gary went down on all fours and made some headway. I followed suite and found this to be quite effective. Once across, I scurried up to camp, located the picnic tables and vault toilet, then looked for a beaten path to the shore. Once found, I followed it and there was Jud, debarking in a more solid area. Meanwhile, Marsha paddled back upstream to where Jud was. Gary and I re-crossing the quicksand, but once done paddled upstream and de-barked.
Besides the mud wallows, the vault toilet was full! Check with the BLM before planning on this one .
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Our original plan called for 2 nights here at Eagle Creek with a full day of hiking. So after breakfast we start in to hike.
We look across the river at a huge dark bird down at the shore which we expect is a golden eagle. As we hike, we see an Eastern Kingbird with its obvious tail stripe scurrying from bush to bush
Our first destination is a Lewis & Clark campsite which turns out to be on the other side of Eagle Creek with no easy way to cross, at least not without taking our shoes off. We decide to come back later with river shoes so for now we hike up the creek. We follow it until we reach a spot where it’s not passable without getting our feet wet so we backtrack a bit, remove our shoes and socks, and cross and continue up the other side until again we cannot continue without getting our feet wet.
In all, this hike is much like our Utah wanderings of cliff bands which have been worn into monuments and pillars of various shapes, but here the rock is mostly white and there much more vegetation than in Utah. I look along but don’t see any rock art (and wonder why).
We turn and head back with the intention of finding that Lewis & Clark campsite (since we are now on that side of the river. We find many places that look ideal for a camp but do not find the plaque. We give up after awhile and cross the stream to our camp.
Jud and Marsha stay in camp while Gary and I head over to investigate ‘Neat Coulee’, the next coulee heading downriver. This is a different kind of hike as compared to Eagle Creek, a narrower canyon to start with, becoming more narrow as we progress. We pass a window high up in the wall of the canyon and stop to take picture. Again, this is reminiscent of Utah, except the color of the rock is different.
This canyon necks down into a slot-like canyon. There are puddles to pass over and in a couple of spots we stem and chimney. There are also a couple of chockstones we pass up and over. Then, we approach one very large chockstone. We may be able to shimmey underneath and then thru but I am starting to get tired and this seems like the standard turn-around point so we head back. In retrospect, I should have tried; it may not have been hard, but on my mind was snakes….
Here’s the snake story: I was a bit behind Gary and looked down at something flat and striped, almost like a child’s beaded bracelet. Then is moved! I realized it was a flattened-out snake that may have inadvertently been stepped on. But, but the time we got back to that place, it was gone.
We head back to camp, make supper, sit up for awhile then turn in.
Missouri Breaks Post Trip Notes
There were not very many people along the way.
When we first got to Eagle Creek campsite, there were already 2 canoes. We chose a site down at the futherest end to allow them as much privacy as possible. They left the next morning and were replaced by a floatilla of 2 rafts, 2 canoes and a standup paddleboard.
Also at Eagle Creek, we were visited by two men from Missoula, MT who recommended hiking the Neat Coulee. They hiked the Coulee but planned on paddling to Hole-in-the-wall campground.
At lunch on Monday at Hole-in-the-wall 2 men paddled up in canoes with outriggers. And at Pablo Springs was a green canoe, perhaps the 2 Missoula guys.
And, of course, the young man who stayed at Slaughter River on Monday night.
7 gallons of water in the sea kayak turned out to be not that big of a deal (though I had supplies strapped on top of both the front and back hatches). Definitely do a practice pack. Those long narrow liters I bought worked well but those playpus’s might done as well.
Jud’s bug house/group shelter would be an essential for this trip. I think overall our bug encounters were small (compared to the Flattops and the South San Juan Wilderness) but I would have cooked and eaten and pretty much stayed in the tent. It was nice to be in the bug house and socialize after a day of paddling.
It doesn’t get dark till about 10 PM and sunrise is about 4:30 AM. So, not much time was spent star-gazing if you are like me and like to be in bed at 8:00 and up at 7:00 – one pleasure of vacation.
When we started at Coal Banks, the river was flowing at 10,800. By the time we were at Kipp it was a moving lake, so either the flow decreased OR the river widened.
We had tail winds the first 2 days. Then mild head winds the remaining days.
We definitely could have put in at Ft Benton and taken out at Kipp. If we did this again, that would be my plan. With the sea kayaks, we should have planned on 20 – 30 miles a day instead of 15 – 20. Also, we could have done ½ day hikes and done a few river miles instead of doing 2 nights in one place.
The memory of me just sitting and floating and/or paddling: Bliss beyond measure
I would ask the BLM folks what their favorite campsites and hikes are
My personal perception of the what the Missouri River is like is based on readings and learning about Lewis and Clark’s adventure into “the wilderness”. For an east coast child, this means thick forests and fast rivers. And, the Missouri thru the Missouri Breaks, is neither
Anne Fiore
18 September 2014
Lyons CO
Did I mention I would do this again? Absolutely!
Monday, 23 June 2014
We were up at a reasonable hour and on the river by 10:30 or so. We decide we like the developed camps simply because of the convenience of a toilet, so our goal today is Slaughterhouse River camp which is also the site of a Lewis & Clark camp, about 20 miles or so. It was a very pleasant paddle downriver, thru white walled canyons, with a gentle tail wind.
Along the way, we see another bald eagle at the top of a dead snag guarding its nest...and a couple of smaller bird harassing it. We had lunch at Hole-In-the-Wall camp, so named due to a window in the rock outcropping downstream from camp. This is another developed camp with an outhouse but very little in the way of trees, . Evidently folks will hike on the outcropping above hole-in-the-wall but I imagine it’s a bit more exposure than I prefer plus its access point is another half-mile downstream. Before leaving, we haul a bucket or two of water from the river and water the cottonwood saplings the BLM has planted.
Back in the boats we again turn downstream. Another point of interest along the way is the Black Butte Campground, another developed campsite. The book notes that this is a place for hiking and indeed it looks like there are cool canyons and hills to explore behind camp., a good place to keep in mind for another time.
We continue on. Another camp we pass is Pueblo Springs, this one ‘primitive’ with no bathroom but it is in a small grove of cottonwood trees.
Around 4 or so we arrive as the Slaughter River campsite., The takeout is pretty muddy but we manage to get our boats hauled out. There is a nice stair-step approach to the camp which is fenced in as a means to keep the cattle out. I am tired and take a quick rest before finishing helping to set camp up. I look around and see yellowish birds with dark colors – species not determined.
It was here we met a young man who also stayed the night at Slaughter River. He had been on the river since June 3rd, putting in at Twin Bridges, MT (actually on a tributary of the Missouri, the Beaverhead, and intends to paddle home to Dallas, TX with the last leg would being the Red River in Texas. Here is his website: http://www.canoevoyage.com.
I turn in by 8 or so and sleep very soundly. I wake up when Gary comes in, take some naproxen, and fall back asleep almost immediately.
Friday, 27 June 2014
Today, our last day, Gary was being attacked by knats nearly the whole way out and was quite envious of Marsha’s ‘bug hat’. So a word of advice: bring a bug hat and bring another hat like a ball cap with a brim to keep the net away from your face.
Today, as yesterday, I lost count of the number of beaver holes in the bank. Always I saw them in the bank with steep sides and with a curtain of branches
Another great day on the river and it seemed like in no time we were at Kipp landing, arriving around 2 PM.
We quickly unloaded boats, loaded up the car and ended up driving straight thru back to Lyons arriving about 5 AM.
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
Gary and I decided to hike today from Greasewood Bottom: so we took off from camp in a northwesterly direction at the sunny hour of 11:30. First we stepped up to the bench above the tent area (our tents are on a landing above the river at the same level as the cottonwoods. On the bench above is sagebrush and another plant similar-looking to sagebrush but with much greener and shorter leaves. Gary wonders if this is Greasewood.
Here is what Wikipedia says: Greasewood is a common name shared by several plants: Sarcobatus vermiculatus is a green-leaved shrub found from southeastern British Columbia and southwest Alberta, Canada south through the drier regions of the United States (east to North Dakota and west Texas, west to central Washington and eastern California) to northern Mexico (Coahuila). It is a halophyte, usually found in sunny, flat areas around the margins of playas. The Sarcobatus plants are deciduous[1] shrubs growing to 0.5–3 m tall with spiny branches and succulent leaves, 10–40 mm long and 1–2 mm broad. The leaves are green, in contrast to the grey-green color of most of the other shrubs within its range. The flowers are unisexual, with the male and female flowers on the same plant[1] and appear from June to August. The species reproduces from seeds and sprouts. S. vermiculatus was discovered in 1806 by the Lewis and Clark expedition's westward exploration of North America.[3]
We have our sights set on a canyon that snakes its way between two ridges made of huge mounds of what looks like mud and could flow away in the first big rainstorm, Yes, they are slowly wearing away but not anytime soon!
We hike up into the gully which is a bit of a canyon of the worn down leftovers of the mounds littered with various types and colors of pebbles. I pick one up, brick red in color. Later, Gary spies a bit of quartz, which is interesting as there are not many pieces of quartz to be seen. There are bits of agate plus that cement-like composite we’ve seen elsewhere in the west. We continue up, winding along the gully bottom which is wet enough to sink our feet in every now and then.
After about an hour or so, the gully narrows with higher walls. So we hop out and climb up unto the bench and continue upward. It’s obvious we are nowhere near the top so we take a lunch break and look out over the canyon, though we cannot quite see the river.
After a bite to eat, we retrace our steps, arriving back in camp around 2:30 and rest a bit then head down to the river to wash clothes. Then we swim, a nice respite from sun and sweat, going in only chest high so the current is manageable but it feels strong to push you around some. I would point out that where we enter the water is in a big eddy so we are protected from the main force of the current.
We return to camp, I write. Everyone is resting and relaxing, a nice R & R.
After a bit, Gary called us over to the next tree where a bull snake was slithering up, being chastised by a small yellow bird (this one had a yellow head, white underbelly and long pointed dark beak ) which Marsha thought was a warbler.
Oh, on today’s hike, there was no sigh of early habitation though this would appear to be a likely area for human dwelling (though perhaps not as inviting as the Eagle Creek Area. I wonder where did they lived in this area? And how does look for to find a site?
Flowers: The Prickly Pear were blossomed out at yellow with a very orange center as compared to those at Eagle Creek which had yellow centers. There was also a purple aster-like flower. And morning glories near the shore with white flowers similar in size to those that grow in my yard, much larger than the bind weed along the front range. I think again of pursuing yet another avocation, that of a naturalist.
Wildlife: Beside the bird in the tree, another common bird we saw was swallows, dark on top, orange underneath. Looking them up, barn swallows seemed to be the only swallows that fit the description. Besides barns, they also live in cliffs and there are plenty of cliffs in the ‘breaks.
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
This morning, as every day, we hear the sounds of birds in the pre-dawn hours. We wake up fairly early, by 7:30 or so, make breakfast, break camp, pack up and paddle away by 10:30 or so. We have about 12 miles to paddle, our goal being Judith Landing.
We alternately paddle and float, taking in the surrounding landscape. We do have a moderate headwind, not ferocious, and not a struggle to paddle into.
The river, in general, is wide and flat, moving along but by no means rushing and I have been able to paddle upstream. The surrounding landscape has been a variety of flat benches, grassland, sagebrush, the white cliffs of the ‘breaks’ and other land forms of barrier hills of layered rock of different hue and colors. In all, much like Ruby Horsethief but differently colored.
Along the way, we see a golden eagle on a mid-river island sitting on a rock and a deer at the shoreline and 4 different families of mother geese and their goslings floating across the river.
As we approach Judith Landing, I expect to see a strong-flowing Judith River coming in from the south but we pass without even noticing it. What is notable is a group of horses at rivers’ edge, taking in the shade of a cottonwood and a drink of water.
We arrive at Judith Landing at about 12:30 or so. Turns out, there is no country store (and hasn’t been for at least 4 years), so no cold beer nor ice nor twinkies nor whiskey. Lucky for us, we did not count on these supplies. We take out, eat lunch, dispose of trash, and walk up to a marked Lewis & Clark site. Then climb back into our boats and start paddling.
We have not reached a consensus about where to spend the night. In 8 miles (at mi 96) there is a grove of cottonwoods called out both in the guidebook and in “The Complete Paddler”. We decide to paddle there and access. Once there, we decide to keep going (the lack of a toilet impacts this decision).
Originally, we had planned to camp at McGarry Bar but that is closed (per the sign at Judith) due to nesting eagles. That posting mentions camping at the Stafford Ferry but once we get there, there is no appealing camping areas and no sign of a bathroom (though there is a ferry) so we continue paddling. The sky is beginning to look threatening and we wonder if we should pull off at a nice cottonwood grove but decide to continue on.
At this point, we have paddled 27 miles and need to think about finding a place to camp. We check out spots down river from the camp at McGarry Bar but none seem like home.
The book mentions Greasewood Bottom. We rally up and discuss and decide to head there since we are using time and energy checking out places that are not panning out.
At one point, I look back and Gary and Marsha seemed to be distracted by something. As it turns out, they spied a snake swimming across the river. The Missouri was not that wide but I’m sure its an ocean to a snake. Gary stayed with him until he was safely across.
As we paddle in earnest toward Greasewood Bottoms, I take a closer look at the maps, trying to line them up with landmarks. Having the topos is now paying off as I can count the creeks and landforms between where we are and Greasewood Bottom. Though of course, the cottonwoods are really the telling landmark and before long there are visible. We paddle, pull up, unload, and set up camp. Everyone is tired. We’ve gone 33 miles, making this the longest I have ever paddled. I am tired, but not bonked, and my arms and shoulders do not ache, a very good sign.
Once unloaded and have setup camp, we decided to spend 2 nights here at Greasewood Bottom. Seems like a rest day would be wise and this is a recommended hiking area.
Saturday, 21 June 2014
The shuttle arrives at the take-out at Kipp Recreation Area promptly for our 9:30 meeting time. Boats and gear were packed up quickly and we were on the road by 10:00 AM. Our driver’s route took us north and then west thru Ft. Belknap, Harve, and quite a few other towns. Harve is big enough for all the modern conveniences – McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, etc. It is pretty country, flat and rolling, with many little draws named ‘coulees’ or drainages. In a poem by Lawerence Ferlingehetti, I remember a line ‘ towns held to the tracks as if by magnets…’, only in this case, the towns are held to water as if by magnets.
We arrive at Coal Banks around 1:30 PM and signed in with the ranger, giving only my and Jud’s name. We unload, pack our boats amd are on our way by 2:30 PM. Marsha mentioned the ranger said the flow was around 11,800 cfs / 5 mph. This was a nice flow, yet we could ferry easily.
The sun is out, the sky is blue and we have a nice tailwind. The landscape surrounding the today’s section is mostly the soft rolling hills similar to those I remember from the Ft Randall Dam area on the Missouri River in South Dakota. There is lots of pastureland and cows.
The camp at Coal Banks is downriver about a mile or so on river left, in a nice grove of cottonwoods. Once we pass the campground, the river braids into three though I see only two. Gary mentions he is going right and suddenly he is nowhere to be seen. The remaining three of us eddy out at the end of the most left branch and wait…and wait…but he does not come. Then finally Marsha and Jud see him downstream, beyond the end of the right-most island. We paddle down and meet up and then continue down being more aware of where everyone is and their possible routes.
We simply paddle. At one point we go down the left channel. There are cows on the left but also one on the island and I wonder if he swam there. Actually, we are all wondering the same thing when he steps out into the water and walks across! He’s in, hardly up to his haunches which gives us an idea of how deep the river is (or isn’t).
Our original itinerary had us paddling 5 or so miles the first day to the Little Sandy Boat Camp so we pull out there. It is a nice setting with an outhouse and 2 fire pits but it’s pretty early yet. Marsha suggests continuing on down to the Eagle Creek Camp Site, another 10 miles, so perhaps 2 more hours of paddling which would get us there at 6:30. The weather is great and we have lots of energy and daylight, so we decide to go for it. On this leg, we put more effort into paddling and move right along. Marsha mentions we are traveling at 7mph, give or take; based on that, we’ll be at our destination in less than 2 hours.
After Little Sandy, we enter a point where the White Cliffs begin. I expected that both sides of the river would be public land but it seems like it is mostly private.
I keep looking at the guidebook then at the map to figure out where we are. There is one feature called ‘Burned Butte’. Many of the rounds points we pass have a dark layer toward the top so I expect any of them could be ‘Burned Butte’. But then I read closer and see it made of igneous rock and realize I am looking for a pillar of black rock, not just a rock topped in black.
Before long, I look ahead and see a butte shaped rock that is dark from top to bottom. Finally, Burned Butte! So our camp is not far beyond!
I am the last in our procession, so by the time I arrive, Gary is already pulled up on a sandy/pebbly shore. Ahead, I see a camping sign that I head toward. Jud is already out and gives a thumbs up but I notice there are 2 canoes pulled ashore and decide to move down a bit further where there is a nice wide beach and pull out there. There are no parked boats, so that is a good sign. I convince Jud to move on down. Gary arrives and is ok with this site. We are home for the night, unload, setup camp, and settle down to beer and cooking. A great river day and a great place to be!
Wildlife today, besides the cows, are swallows which appeared to have an orange under-belly, hawks and ducks. Gary is his right river branch foray, saw 2 sets of geese with goslings.
Missouri Breaks
20 June 2014 thru 27 June 2014
Missouri River thru the Missouri Breaks in Montana, Coal Banks to Kipp Recreation Area
Friday, 20 June 2014
We are up at 5:50 and on the road by 6:30 to Jud’s house in Ft. Collins which takes nearly an hour. Marsha and Sue are already there. Marsha’s boat is on Jud’s car. Sue seems to have come down with a really bad cold. We stop at Walgree for cold medicine and hope that she will improve. Once finished at Walgreen, we head out Harmony Road to I-25 north, toward Cheyenne. It’s not very windy, a huge treat!!
We stop for the boat inspection in Cheyenne then continue north to Glendo. Sue is not sounding better. We continue north and stop at Kaycee which is between Casper and Buffalo. Sue is having 2nd thoughts about continuing on. We pick an exit in Sheridan and meet there. By the time we arrive, Sue has already found a room for the evening and Marsha’s gear has been transferred to Jud’s car. We bid Sue goodbye. She did a great deal of the coordinating so this is not a happy ending for her or our trip..
The remaining 4 of us – Jud, Marsha, Gary and me – continue to Billings, then north to Roundup, our next meeting point. We arrive around 7 PM and grab a bit to eat at a local kitchen (soup was good, steaks were marginal) then we are on our way again, with about 100 miles to go. On the trip north, Wyoming was green, but Montana is downright lush with lots of fields of good grass, rolling hills, and rock outcropping,
It’s still light when we arrive at the Kipp Recreation Area, so we hurriedly set up the tent, prepare pads and sleeping bag, then have a beer. Where we are camped is in a huge grove of old cottonwoods and our tent is on grass, a treat from the dry gravely areas of Colorado and Wyoming. Gary gets me to walk down to the entrance area where the pay booth is and we see an owl perched on the electric wire.