Wild and Scenic Missouri Canoe trip

kerry

Expedition Leader
Four of us paddled the Wild and Scenic Missouri River from Coal Bank Landing to James Kipp Recreation area (105 miles) in Montana between Sept 27 and Oct 2 2015. We had originally intended a 6 night 7 day trip but inclement weather arrived on night 5 so it turned into a 5 night 6 day trip. The takeout is about 727 miles from Denver (closer than the put in). We drove there, arriving 9/25 and were picked up on 9/26 by our shuttle drivers and taken via Fort Benton to Coal Bank Landing where we camped for the night before launching 9/27. (Shuttle cost $480. It was a van and a trailer which could carry 8 canoes. Company was Adventure Bound Canoes) The weather was extreme. First day it was 95 degrees but frost on our tents in the morning. We were bundling up the minute the sun dropped over the canyon rim. Saw lots of wildlife including a few herds of bighorn sheep. Many bald eagles and one golden which swooped down to catch a fish beside our canoe. I can't imagine a better place to watch an eclipse of the moon than on that river. No light pollution at all. We averaged around 17 miles per day with our shortest being 11 and our longest 26. We carried 120 lbs of water (15 gallons) in each boat, and about 150lbs of miscellaneous camping equipment, food and clothing. You also have to carry an approved toilet since all human waste not deposited in the outhouses at the campsites so equipped must be carried out. Pauline and I relied mainly on Hormel Compleat meals for our breakfast and dinner diet. Just drop the plastic bowl in water and boil it. The water can then be used for coffee or tea. Their breakfast scrambles are not as good as their dinner meals but when put in a burrito with salsa they make a totally acceptable camping breakfast. We also carried Better Oats instant steel cut oatmeal which is a quantum leap above the Quaker Oats instant oatmeal. Of course, any camping breakfast must now rely on pre-cooked bacon which is a miracle as far as I am concerned.
We did have one bizarre evening. We were camped at Judith Landing and I was walking to the outhouse after dark when I looked up in the northern sky and saw a whole group of flashing lights in the sky. Just as I called over the rest of the crew to have a look-see, huge explosions started occurring in the sky with smaller tracers and explosions emanating from the sparks of the original. This continued on for about 15 minutes with dots of light careening across the sky and multi-colored explosions lighting up the sky. Finally a high speed helicopter passed over use and a large multi-engined prop plane thundered overhead.
There is no water available at James Kipp or Judith Landing. There is usually water at Coal Bank Landing but a pipe was broken when we were there. I'd recommend a full 10 days for this section with a couple of days devoted to hiking at Eagles Nest Campground and Hole in the Wall. Summer paddling there would be quite hot. I'd say best time is second or third week of September or perhaps late April early May. Take out for the campground at Judith Landing is atrocious--a scramble up 10 feet of rip-rap. No idea why they didn't put a take-out at the campground. A take out at the boat ramp requires carrying gear a long ways back upstream to the campground. When it rains, the mud banks become very very slick. Many of the river campgrounds are fenced to keep out the cattle. We found cattle inside the fence at a number of campgrounds which required us to herd them out. We averaged about 4.5mph while paddling. We were paddling a Mohawk Jensen Whitewater III, our friends a Blue Holes 17A. Guides say river current is 3.5mph. That's not true at lower water levels. We only saw two other boats on the river, both outboard powered jetboats which are permitted to travel upstream and above no-wake speeds after Sept 15th. One had come downstream from Fort Benton to camp for one night at Eagles' Nest and the other had come upstream from James Kipp for a few days of fishing. There was one person camped at Judith Landing when we were there and we saw the ferryman and a car use the old diesel powered ferry downstream from Judith Landing. I imagine there are a lot more canoes on the river in the summertime.
 

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kerry

Expedition Leader
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kerry

Expedition Leader
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kerry

Expedition Leader
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kerry

Expedition Leader
No. There are named rapids but they were all dynamited and cleared out in the 19th century. The only 'hazard' is the car ferry. :)
 

Explorer 1

Explorer 1
Timeless and wonderful!

Hasn't changed all that much from when Lewis and Clark traveled through.

This same trip was my introduction to canoeing, great memories.

Thanks for sharing.

Fred
Explorer 1
 

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