July On the Wild and Scenic Missouri. This 150 mile stretch of the 18-25: Missouri is divided into two sections: the lower half flows through badlands, has richer wildlife encounters, and fewer floaters, while the upper half flows through the dramatic white cliffs area (actually they’re gray), has less varied wildlife (no mountain sheep or antelope), and swarms of floaters (some with no appreciation for the country they’re passing through). I much preferred the lower section. I took a brief rest at the James Kipp recreation area - the end of the Wild and Scenic section, but the beginning for me - where I met several groups of wonderfully supportive and generous people. Everyone was unloading whatever treats they had. I had birthday cake, homemade turkey jerky, fresh fruit, and fresh cold cuts provided by Russell Young, one of the river outfitters. I think I could have lived all summer at that campsite, just off people’s good will and leftovers. James Kipp is where the serious canoeists and kayakers go, and the encouragement I got from all those I met meant a great deal to me. I set out from James Kipp thinking I could get to Ft. Benton in 6 or 7 days. Big mistake. The current on the lower part is strong, and there are numerous rapids, which meant that I was frequently wading upstream, pulling my boat behind me, a la Lewis and Clark. I managed to log more than 45 miles my first two days, but that was only after putting in 10 hours per day of paddling. On my second day I pulled into a campsite completely exhausted, and who should be there but Russell Young with another group he was taking downstream. His group had just finished dinner, and he offered me leftovers: grilled salmon, fettuccini with pesto, fresh bread, ice cold juice, and cookies. It was manna from heaven. Lewis and Clark sure never had it this good! That night I decided to forget about pushing so hard to get to Ft. Benton. There’s lots to see on this part of the river, so why not enjoy it a little? For the next 4 days I cut back on my paddling, averaging only 6 ½ hours a day, and found the going much more relaxing. Along the way I saw numerous deer, antelopes, and mountain sheep, and an occasional eagle, as well as some spectacular scenery. And for the first time in a month I saw people on the river. Stephen Ambrose’s and Ken Burns’ works have done a lot to increase public interest in this part of the river, and I was constantly meeting groups coming downstream. It made me aware of how isolated I had become on the lakes section. I expect to see more folks on my route from here until at least the Snake River. Traffic on the Wild and Scenic River is a mixed blessing, however. Most people have some feel for the river experience, but there are some who clearly don’t. Once in a while I saw groups who were only interested in having a floating keg party, and at one of my campsites some people had the gall to set off fireworks - this in a region that is being consumed by forest fires. I reported them to the authorities, and realized at that moment that despite all my cursing I have come to love this river. I care about its well-being, and I want to protect it from those who don’t care about it. Traffic is only going to increase as we get nearer the bicentennial, and the river and its campsites will surely become degraded unless the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) decides to restrict access by requiring permits for floaters. Click here for days 110 - 116 of Richard's journal