August 2: Lots of rapids today, and consequently lots of wading and towing, especially between Pelican Point and the I-15 bridge. This stretch of the river reminds me of the Wild and Scenic stretch. The river flows through a narrow canyon, with craggy mountains plunging straight down to the water. I find the landscape here more spectacular than the Wild and Scenic, but there is less wildlife and more houses. The entire canyon is lined with fishing camps and summer homes, and there are anglers everywhere - most of them too engrossed in their fishing to acknowledge an upstream paddler. August 3: The river flattened out today, and I had an easy paddle to Holter Dam. I encountered lots more anglers today, many of whom had a serious attitude problem. They seemed to feel that a lone upstream paddler was going to ruin their day’s fishing. As I was pulling my kayak through some rapids, struggling with my footing on slippery rocks in ankle-to-knee deep water, I came around a bend and met one fly-fisherman who had the gall to ask me to walk more quietly! I wanted to tell him to shove his fishing rod where the moon doesn’t shine, but I curbed my tongue and instead suggested to him that when one is pulling 200 lbs. Over rocks through rapids it is generally difficult to tiptoe. Some of these anglers take their recreation a bit too seriously. Anyways, I had an easy portage over Holter Dam, and I’m camped on the lake tonight. Holter Lake...first view of real peaks. August 4: I zipped along today, and made it to Hauser Dam (more than 20 miles) in 5 hours. Along the way I passed through the most spectacular section of the river, the Gates of the Mountains, where sheer cliffs plummet several hundred feet straight down to the river. The last few days, I’ve become aware that I’m near the Rockies now. I can see mountain ranges in the distance, and I’m traveling through country characterized by craggy ridges and ponderosa pines. I have only about 250 miles until the Continental Divide, and the closer I get, the faster I want to get there. August 5: After a pleasant overnight stay in Helena, I left from Black Sandy State Park and made it to Canyon Ferry Dam in 3 hours - a rate of almost 5 mph! There I faced an insurmountable obstacle. There is no easy access to the lake from below the dam, only a circuitous road which eventually leads to the top of the dam. I was in the midst of trying to figure out how to get above the dam when I met 3 French Canadians - who had a huge semi! They offered to portage me, and I gladly accepted. Once we got to the top of the dam, I faced another problem. The north end of the lake was closed to boaters because of the forest fires in the area. The Canyon Ferry fires were under control, but helicopters were still bucketing water from the lake to other fires. That’s all I needed - to be scooped up by a helicopter and dumped on a forest fire! By promising to stay close to shore, I managed to convince the BLM ranger to let me put in, and I was on my way again. Gates of the Mountains August 6: I got an early start, and traversed the remaining 20 miles of the lake by late morning, thankful to be off the last of the lakes before the wind picked up. At the headwaters of the lake, I encountered another problem: a maze of channels, islands, and sandbars. It took me an hour to find the river, and once I did find it, the channel was so shallow that I had to walk my kayak most of the two miles to Townsend. I ended up setting up camp at a site about 6 miles above Townsend. August 7: My longest paddling day yet. Anxious to get to Three Forks by Tuesday, I was on the river from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm, and paddled/pulled for 11 of those 13 hours. I call days like these Lewis and Clark days: long, arduous, with lots of towing. Still, I am assured of getting to the headwaters of the Missouri River and Three Forks tomorrow. August 8:I reached the headwaters of the Missouri River before noon and pushed on up the Jefferson River 9 miles before pulling in and walking into Three Forks. At the Sacajawea Hotel, where I’m staying, a couple asked me how it felt to conquer the Missouri River. I had to say that I don’t feel like I’ve conquered anything. First of all, I still have 150 miles of upstream paddling (and wading) on the Jefferson and Beaverhead rivers until I get to Clark Canyon Dam and Camp Fortunate, the jumping off point for Lewis and Clark on the overland part of their expedition. Secondly, even when I get to that point, I won’t feel like I’ve conquered the rivers. I will have completed the rivers, I will have survived the rivers. I will have an understanding of the rivers, but I surely will not have conquered them. They will remain the same whether I’ve been here or not. I do have a great sense of accomplishment, having gotten this far. I’m now only two weeks away from the Continental Divide and downstream paddling! Click here for days 124 - 130 of Richard's journal