August My stint on the Jefferson River was annoying, aggravating,
9-13: and thankfully brief. The water level was so low that I could
barely paddle most of it, the rocks so slippery that pulling
my kayak was difficult, and on top of that the river reeks of
manure. I came around one bend and was almost
overpowered by the stench of several rotting pelican
carcasses on one bank, and a steer carcass on the other.
Could these be the remains of some epic avian-bovine
conflict over water rights?
Richard's new friends...
I comfortably weathered a hail storm on the 10th - the first
rain I've had since my first four days in Montana, more
than a month ago. No wonder the forest fires are
proliferating. The air quality ever since Helena has been
poor. The sky is always hazy with smoke, and at times the
visibility is less than 5 miles, making photography (at least
scenic vistas) impossible.
Despite the increasing presence of livestock feeding and
watering along the banks, I continue to see countless deer,
often in groups as large as six. Beaver are prevalent, and
on the 11th a group of four otters playfully poked their
heads up near my kayak. Pelicans abound, and I see at
least one bald eagle each day. On the 12th I saw a snake
swimming across the river just ahead of me. It was either
a bull snake or a rattler, and I was disinclined to make a
closer inspection. I have yet to see a rattlesnake, and I'm
happy to keep it that way.
A word of caution to anyone floating the Jefferson River:
beware of the guidebook Paddling Montana. It is filled with
inaccurate maps, grossly miscalculated distances,
unreported diversion dams and fences - in short, it is a font
of misinformation, not worth the paper it's printed on.
August On the Beaverhead River.
14 - 16: I had a wonderful stay at the Old Hotel in Twin Bridges,
and a thoroughly enjoyable dinner with Dolly and Allen
Carroll, who are helping me arrange a portage for my kayak
across Lemhi Pass while I hike that section of the route.
After a restful night I set out on the Beaverhead, the last
part of my upstream journey. The distance from Twin
Bridges to Clark Canyon Dam, the Beaverhead's headwater,
is about 40 miles, but the river is so serpentine that for me
the distance is closer to 90 miles. Unlike the Jefferson, the
The Beaverhead has a steady flow of water (thanks to the
dam and fewer people using the river for irrigation), and
the river bottom is gravel and small stones, offering much
better footing than the Jefferson. There are a few deep
pools, but generally the river is no more than knee deep.
I spent the first half of the 14th paddling, but most of the
time after that I was pulling my kayak behind me, Lewis
and Clark style. On a hot summer day, wading in the cool
water is refreshing, but I wouldn't want to do it in the spring
or fall. If I had to start my journey trudging up the
Beaverhead, I probably would have quit after 2 days, but
because this is my last stretch until the divide, my spirits
are up.
The forest fires continue to blaze, filling the sky with smoke
and haze. At times the smoke makes my eyes burn, and
one morning I awoke to find my tent covered with bits of
ash. I've seen several new species of wildlife: a couple of
coyotes stared at me from the banks (I've heard them
before, but never seen them), I see mink scurrying about,
and the river seems to be a favorite for sandhill cranes.
I've also encountered swarms of mosquitoes for the first
time, but 100% DEET seems to hold them at bay.
On the 15th I camped on rangeland with a herd of cattle -
noisy, smelly, stupid beasts who annoyed me so much I
had to throw things at them to drive them away. I now
have a new slogan: "Eat beef. Deplete the world's supply
of cattle."
Another word of caution to Beaverhead River travelers:
there are a dozen diversion dams and as many fences
across the river (one of them barbed wire, another
electric). Use Paddling Montana for kindling.
Click here for days 132 - 135 of Richard's journal
