Rough Start
My dad, Clinton, is an experienced paddler. He paddled the Mississippi in the same canoe that I am using for this Missouri River Adventure. He has paddled a SUP on the Colorado River, the Missouri River, the Atlantic Ocean, and many other bodies of water. His goal has always been to paddle a SUP down the Missouri River, to the Mississippi, to the Gulf of Mexico. I am not as experienced as my dad, but I wanted to share that trip with him after I graduated high school. So we started planning the trip and, on June 17th, we pushed off from Twin Bridges, Montana for the adventure of a lifetime.
As most people know, flooding has caused serious issues in the area. Yellowstone National Park was devastated by severe flooding and shut down for the first time in its history. Though the Missouri River System did not experience the same flooding as the Yellowstone River, it has been affected. The rivers are all running high and fast. Couple that with gale-force winds and, for someone with no experience in these conditions, this created a challenging situation.
Our first day was difficult and exhausting. We encountered numerous rapids and eddies. I did my best to follow my dad’s line, but with the river running so fast, it was tough at times. My grandparents were waiting for us at the first bridge that sits above the Beaverhead and Jefferson River confluence. My dad had been in contact with them during our voyage toward that bridge. My grandmother is also experienced on the water, having lived on a sailboat in Florida and the Bahamas for many years. She explained the eddies and flow line to my dad and warned him of a line along the bank that, if we hit it, would pull us directly into the pilings. She advised him to take the center-right opening and follow the flow line dead center under the bridge. That line would take us just right of the rapids on the other side. Before maneuvering the bridge, we stopped on an island at the confluence. My dad would traverse the bridge first, and I would follow his line.
The wind pushed my dad toward the island, but he was able to stay on track with the line and went smoothly under the bridge. I followed, but the current took me toward the bank, where the dangerous eddies and line into the pilings threatened. I was able to paddle to the center flow line and also made it under the bridge dead center. Through the sound of the heavy water splashing on my canoe, I could hear my grandma yell “Like a Pro!”.
My grandparents then went on to the next bridge, at Silver Star. We made it to that bridge without encountering any rapids or issues, but the previous mileage we traveled had taken a toll on me, and I used this opportunity to rest my arms and calm my nerves. Unfortunately, this caused me to fall behind my dad and I did not see the line he took under the second bridge. Our objective was to stop so my dad could replace his fin, which broke off in the rapids. But I overshot the landing spot and the fast-moving river took me away before I could find a place suitable to beach the canoe. Paddling back upriver was not an option, so we had to pull the canoe and all of my gear out of the water and traverse it up a cliff.
We met up with my grandparents and, at that point, I decided I needed to do some soul searching. I spoke with my dad and both grandparents, trying to determine weather or not I should continue this trip.
I have to admit that with the river so high and fast, fear set in several times. I hadn’t encountered these situations like my dad has, and I worried that my anxiety could put us both in danger. As my dad repaired his fin, I reviewed my options. I confronted my grandma one more time, and she told me that whatever decision I make, it would not be the wrong decision as long as I felt strongly about it. I walked down to my dad as he leaned over his board, and told him I decided to stop here. We shed a tear, as we were both very much looking forward to sharing this together. But we both agreed it was the right thing to do.
So, as my dad continues his adventure, I am staying with my grandparents and documenting his trip through this blog and social media. Video editing is a passion of mine, so I will be sharing a lot of his trip through photos and videos. I admire him so much, and plan to continue working on my paddling skills so that one day we can share a river trip together.
Love you dad! Be safe!
The following video was taken by my grandpa as we went under the bridge at the confluence and the bridge at Silver Star. I pulled out after the second bridge...
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