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- Jan 24, 2011
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As a paddler, the upper Missouri river in Montana has been on my bucket list for a good while. And at only 1,750 miles from Barlow it’s practically in our backyard, so why not? 
We did a three day 50 mile paddle from Coal Banks to Judith landing that was without a doubt worth every mile of the driving.
Our meeting place with the outfitter was in Fort Benton, MT. A beautiful little river town with a rich history of gold rush days, Indian wars and whiskey boats. We stayed at the restored Grand Union Hotel (built in 1882) and the accommodations and food were magnificent. If you ever get the chance, this is the place to stay.
After a supper of elk steaks at the hotel we walked around town a bit and had a beer at a small saloon called the “Five Horse”. It was aptly named because the original owner had let some Canadian Mounties bring their horses inside to get out of a blizzard. There was a picture of the event on the wall. One of the horses had a taste for Jack Daniels. Sad, but true.
The following morning we packed up our gear in dry bags and drove to Coal Banks to pick up our boats and hit the water. It was an hour and a half drive on a gravel road but at least there was a 70mph speed limit. It is Montana after all.
We were the only paddlers on the river. Complete solitude and we were immediately blown away by the scenery and a sense of being in a very special and historic place. Not a manmade sight or a sound other than the wind and the occasional eagle or crow. This was the route of the Corps of Discovery. It was truly an amazing feeling being here.
Within an hour we passed “Decision Point” where Lewis wrote of an encounter with an enormous grizzly:
“The bear was very nearly catching Drewyer; it also pursued Charbono who fired his gun in the air as he ran but fortunately eluded the vigilance of the bear by secreting himself very securely in the bushes until Drewyer finally killed it by a shot in the head….” Meriwether Lewis, June 2, 1805
As we paddled along other passages from Lewis’ journal became more understandable to us.
“For here it is too that nature presents to the view of the traveler vast ranges of walls of tolerable workmanship, so perfect indeed are those walls that I should have thought that nature had attempted here to rival the human art of masonry….As we passed on it seemed as if those seens (sic) of visionary inchantment (sic) would never have an end. ” Meriwether Lewis, May 31, 1805
Some of the sights Captain Lewis spoke of.
After roughly fifteen miles of breathtaking scenery we arrived at Eagle Creek. On May 31, 1805, Lewis and Clark stayed at one of the most beautiful campsites of their journey west. Vivid descriptions of the White Cliffs of the Missouri are found in their journals much like the passage quoted earlier. Although the spot was originally named “Stonewall Creek” by the explorers, it is commonly called Eagle Creek today, renamed by the homesteaders because it emerges from Eagle Butte to the north. It was an odd but reverent feeling camping in the exact same spot.
This tasted better than it looked...
Tools for the trip that came in damn handy were my ever present BK14, a folding bucksaw, a Wetterlings axe (not pictured), the TWS and Mrs. T had her BK14 and BK15.
Kay was awakened by a free range cow looking in the tent door at about 5:30AM. The cow was rather startled and after a brief exchange between her and Kay, wandered off up the path. After a breakfast of coffee and oatmeal, we quickly broke camp, as we were anxious to be on the river again. We were treated with the sights Lewis was describing.
Lunch stop.
This day was a mixture of enchanted vistas and brutal winds. The winds reached 50mph gusts whistling down the canyons right in our faces and made this one of the toughest 20 miles I’ve ever done. We found out later (from the outfitter) that it was the strongest sustained winds in forty years. Rudders on the boats were the only thing that saved us from being blown all over the river. We were damn glad to see our second campsite.
Campsite number two was also a Corps of Discovery camp. The Corps did not often use the same campsite but this was an exception. On May 29, 1805, during its upriver trip, the expedition encountered a mass of mangled buffalo carcasses and assumed it was a “pishkun”, a Blackfeet term meaning “deep kettle of blood” or a buffalo jump. The presence of these carcasses, nearly opposite a small river, inspired the captains to name the landmark “Slaughter River” (present day Arrow Creek). On the expedition’s return trip, Captain Lewis’ party camped here again on July 29, 1806.
Our camp at Slaughter River.
Repairing a blown out croc.
This place was the only sighting of people the entire time we spent on the river. After hearing voices upriver from us, we hiked up to find the “Montana Angels”, four Montana ranch gals that had been paddling the river every year since 1976. This was to be their last trip as they were getting “too old” for it. Before we left their camp they were planning next year’s trip. We really enjoyed talking to them and later that evening they brought us down some mint juleps and wine. These ladies were something else. They were nothing but class, but would beat your ass in a New York minute if you crossed them. You could just tell. We exchanged email addresses and promised to keep in touch.
Next morning as we packed up we caught a glimpse of them headed out in their canoes.
A side note: We found out that we had pitched our tent in a pronghorn antelope bed when Kay got pawed through the tent in the middle of the night. Of course I slept through it and found antelope droppings all over the campsite the next morning.
Day three was passing more sights and with the winds laid a bit, much more pleasurable.
The Citadel
A spot called "Hole in the Wall"
Square Butte
An uneventful fifteen mile float down to Judith Landing where the outfitter was waiting to take us on a two hour gravel road trip back to the car. It just wasn’t enough. We were already planning the next trip back on the ride to the car. Next time we’re doing the 150 mile/five day trip and hopefully run into the Montana Angels again.
If you can’t tell, this was really special to me. We thought about our paddling buddies Biscuit and Moose and how much they would have enjoyed it. Maybe we can do it one of these days.
Thanks for looking,
trade
We did a three day 50 mile paddle from Coal Banks to Judith landing that was without a doubt worth every mile of the driving.Our meeting place with the outfitter was in Fort Benton, MT. A beautiful little river town with a rich history of gold rush days, Indian wars and whiskey boats. We stayed at the restored Grand Union Hotel (built in 1882) and the accommodations and food were magnificent. If you ever get the chance, this is the place to stay.
After a supper of elk steaks at the hotel we walked around town a bit and had a beer at a small saloon called the “Five Horse”. It was aptly named because the original owner had let some Canadian Mounties bring their horses inside to get out of a blizzard. There was a picture of the event on the wall. One of the horses had a taste for Jack Daniels. Sad, but true.
The following morning we packed up our gear in dry bags and drove to Coal Banks to pick up our boats and hit the water. It was an hour and a half drive on a gravel road but at least there was a 70mph speed limit. It is Montana after all.
We were the only paddlers on the river. Complete solitude and we were immediately blown away by the scenery and a sense of being in a very special and historic place. Not a manmade sight or a sound other than the wind and the occasional eagle or crow. This was the route of the Corps of Discovery. It was truly an amazing feeling being here.
Within an hour we passed “Decision Point” where Lewis wrote of an encounter with an enormous grizzly:
“The bear was very nearly catching Drewyer; it also pursued Charbono who fired his gun in the air as he ran but fortunately eluded the vigilance of the bear by secreting himself very securely in the bushes until Drewyer finally killed it by a shot in the head….” Meriwether Lewis, June 2, 1805
As we paddled along other passages from Lewis’ journal became more understandable to us.
“For here it is too that nature presents to the view of the traveler vast ranges of walls of tolerable workmanship, so perfect indeed are those walls that I should have thought that nature had attempted here to rival the human art of masonry….As we passed on it seemed as if those seens (sic) of visionary inchantment (sic) would never have an end. ” Meriwether Lewis, May 31, 1805
Some of the sights Captain Lewis spoke of.
After roughly fifteen miles of breathtaking scenery we arrived at Eagle Creek. On May 31, 1805, Lewis and Clark stayed at one of the most beautiful campsites of their journey west. Vivid descriptions of the White Cliffs of the Missouri are found in their journals much like the passage quoted earlier. Although the spot was originally named “Stonewall Creek” by the explorers, it is commonly called Eagle Creek today, renamed by the homesteaders because it emerges from Eagle Butte to the north. It was an odd but reverent feeling camping in the exact same spot.
This tasted better than it looked...
Tools for the trip that came in damn handy were my ever present BK14, a folding bucksaw, a Wetterlings axe (not pictured), the TWS and Mrs. T had her BK14 and BK15.
Kay was awakened by a free range cow looking in the tent door at about 5:30AM. The cow was rather startled and after a brief exchange between her and Kay, wandered off up the path. After a breakfast of coffee and oatmeal, we quickly broke camp, as we were anxious to be on the river again. We were treated with the sights Lewis was describing.
Lunch stop.
This day was a mixture of enchanted vistas and brutal winds. The winds reached 50mph gusts whistling down the canyons right in our faces and made this one of the toughest 20 miles I’ve ever done. We found out later (from the outfitter) that it was the strongest sustained winds in forty years. Rudders on the boats were the only thing that saved us from being blown all over the river. We were damn glad to see our second campsite.
Campsite number two was also a Corps of Discovery camp. The Corps did not often use the same campsite but this was an exception. On May 29, 1805, during its upriver trip, the expedition encountered a mass of mangled buffalo carcasses and assumed it was a “pishkun”, a Blackfeet term meaning “deep kettle of blood” or a buffalo jump. The presence of these carcasses, nearly opposite a small river, inspired the captains to name the landmark “Slaughter River” (present day Arrow Creek). On the expedition’s return trip, Captain Lewis’ party camped here again on July 29, 1806.
Our camp at Slaughter River.
Repairing a blown out croc.
This place was the only sighting of people the entire time we spent on the river. After hearing voices upriver from us, we hiked up to find the “Montana Angels”, four Montana ranch gals that had been paddling the river every year since 1976. This was to be their last trip as they were getting “too old” for it. Before we left their camp they were planning next year’s trip. We really enjoyed talking to them and later that evening they brought us down some mint juleps and wine. These ladies were something else. They were nothing but class, but would beat your ass in a New York minute if you crossed them. You could just tell. We exchanged email addresses and promised to keep in touch.
Next morning as we packed up we caught a glimpse of them headed out in their canoes.
A side note: We found out that we had pitched our tent in a pronghorn antelope bed when Kay got pawed through the tent in the middle of the night. Of course I slept through it and found antelope droppings all over the campsite the next morning.
Day three was passing more sights and with the winds laid a bit, much more pleasurable.
The Citadel
A spot called "Hole in the Wall"
Square Butte
An uneventful fifteen mile float down to Judith Landing where the outfitter was waiting to take us on a two hour gravel road trip back to the car. It just wasn’t enough. We were already planning the next trip back on the ride to the car. Next time we’re doing the 150 mile/five day trip and hopefully run into the Montana Angels again.
If you can’t tell, this was really special to me. We thought about our paddling buddies Biscuit and Moose and how much they would have enjoyed it. Maybe we can do it one of these days.
Thanks for looking,
trade
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