Category: Missouri River

Big Muddy Adventures: an alternative way of teaching, from the river.

by loveyourbigmuddy expedition, posted in Education, Missouri River

Mike Clark
Big Muddy Adventures, Proprietor
Big Muddy Mike“Big Muddy” Mike Clark is one of the most accomplished canoeists and guides in America.  He has over 10,000 miles of big river experience and has led thousands of people in large and small groups on guided river trips since 2001.  He has completed entire navigations of the Mississippi River (2001), Missouri River (2002, 2005-2006), Yellowstone River (2006), and Sunflower River (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008).  He is the founder of Big Muddy Adventures.  Michael is also a veteran elementary and middle school teacher and currently teaches computers, science and history part time at St. Ann Catholic School in Normandy, MO.

Annually, Mike leads a live learning adventure expedition for school children across North America — connecting our youth with our rivers. Mike Clark is a youth leader and truly a Steward and Champion of America’s Rivers. He has won a number of awards, including the Pekatanoui Award for non-motorized River Cleanups and in March 2012 was recognized as a “Hero of the New South” by Southern Living Magazine for his work as a river steward and river guide.

I love what Big Muddy Adventures is all about.  You can learn more here.

Students Getting Out There! I love it!

by loveyourbigmuddy expedition, posted in Missouri River, Missouri River Relief

Our local Douglas High School students braving the cold weather to learn first hand about river stewardship and environmental responsibility.  You guys ROCK!  From Missouri River Relief’s FB page:

“A big thanks to Douglass High school students for braving the river with us today and their teacher John Reid for making it happen! We also enjoyed the company of some local “rotarians”, one of our new sponsors, a photo-journalism student, our faithful dog Sombra, and a couple sailing the Mighty Mo. in a canoe complete with a homemade sail! What a day! More photos to come soon hopefully.”

AND…Sioux City, Iowa, middle-school students contribute to, and learn about, environmental responsibility in their local watershed…

Three cheers to these outstanding and inspirational learners!  You guys ROCK!  That is soooo cool!

Check them out HERE!

Dreaming of days, and nights, on the river

by loveyourbigmuddy expedition, posted in Expedition, Missouri River

I lay here watching the lightning and listening to the thunder outside.  I have just put down Dave Miller’s “The Complete Paddler.”  I am trying to imagine laying in my bed on the banks of the river, in the midst of wilderness, perhaps a storm outside my tent, and wondering if I’ll be imagining this very night in which I’m dreaming of my 3-month trek down the Missouri River.  I am safe and warm and dry right now.  Will this be something I long for then, just as I am longing for the isolation and adventure now?  (photo by Norm Miller)

Three Cheers to our Inconspicuous Victors this last Week-end!!!

by loveyourbigmuddy expedition, posted in Expedition, Missouri River

Victory in St. Joseph!

So many victories on the rivers this last week end!  Hats off and kudos to these awe-inspiring challenges and extraordinary achievements.  But the humblest of all heroes are in St. Joseph and they deserve our attention, too.  First, though, a recap of events:

Mark Kalch is first man to paddle the Missouri River from source to Gulf, completing two out of seven of the longest rivers on seven continents.  http://www.7rivers7continents.com/worlds-end/

Dave Corthwaite swims 1000 miles of the Missouri River and pulls into the St. Louis Arch having completed his trek with his team.  https://www.facebook.com/expedition1000

Tyler Ranes and Tom Walker finish their (aluminum) canoe trip from Great Falls, Montana, to New Orleans.  https://www.facebook.com/tyler.ranes.5?ref=ts&fref=ts

Brent Mills and Hunter from Greenville, South Carolina had reached the Gulf the very morning Mark Kalch did, having paddled the length of the Mississippi River from Lake Ithasca.  https://www.facebook.com/brent.mill?ref=ts&fref=ts

 Dom Liboiron Canoeing to New Orleans in Memory of my Uncle Mitch, Rod Wellington https://www.facebook.com/rod.wellington.9?ref=ts&fref=ts , and Matthew Batton https://www.facebook.com/matthew.batten.73?ref=ts&fref=ts are still paddling on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.

But let me tell you about the unsung heroes on the Missouri River.  The citizens of St. Joseph, Missouri, under the leadership of Missouri River Relief, spent a cold day on the river cleaning up trash from its river banks on Saturday.  Different strokes for different folks (no pun intended), these adults, children, men, and women reaped unforgettable rewards and earned quiet respect because of their selfless service to help make our Big Muddy one of the cleanest and finest rivers in all the land.

Three cheers to River Relief and the folks in St. Joseph!!!  You should stand tall among the victories that graced our mighty waterways this last week-end, October 6, 2012.

(Clean up photos by Rachel Beck  www.rachelbeckphotos.com )

Lots of Activity on the River(s) Lately

by loveyourbigmuddy expedition, posted in Expedition, Missouri River

Dear interested readers:

Today, October 6, 2012, we congratulate two phenomenal adventure accomplishments.

One, Mark Kalch reaches the Gulf of Mexico yesterday after paddling from the Missouri River source at Brower’s Spring in Montana beginning in June.  He has been paddling every day for over four months and has become the first man to paddle solo the entire Missouri River and watershed, which is approximately 3780 miles, and the longest river in North America.  Congratulations Mark!

Here is an earlier email sent to Norm Miller regarding his finish:  From Mark: “Done! Stoked! That South Pass below mile 0 is beautiful. Can you believe got down there about midday and guess what? 2 young fellas who had paddled down from Ithasca!!! Ha! Crazy! Cool. Brent and Hunter. They have a facebook page. Big muddy mississippi adventure or something. Crazy huh? This was at Port Eads about a mile from end. They had teed up a lift back so I sprinted my ass down to open ocean. Big waves. Did some video and photos then pulled onto sand and did some more. Paddled back up a mile and we hung out at the top of the lighthouse there. There loaded kayaks onto boat and back in Venice in 20 mins! Stoked! They have left now. Had no room in car back to New Orleans. But dont matter got to sort gear and clean boat. Hope to get a lift back Sat or Sun.M

Secondly, Dave Cornthwaite and his team: Ness, Em, and Ben, approach St. Louis this morning, October 6, 2012, after Dave swam 1,000 miles down the Missouri River.  We had the pleasure of meeting the team at Cooper’s Landing last Sunday and enjoyed their company immensely.  They are a charming bunch with an immense enthusiasm for challenge and adventure while raising money and awareness for breast cancer through the CoppaFeel organization.

Dave has a bag of 25 adventure trips he is in the midst of accomplishing, and Em is starting to step out of her “normal” box into a life of “challenge and adventure.”  You GO Girl!  Was not able to visit with Vanessa because she was healing from a bout with food poisoning.  Ben was busy enjoying bonfire and beers while at Cooper’s.  He adapted immediately to the Cooper’s Culture.
Word from Dave’s twitter feed one minute ago: they reached the STL Arch at 10:20 AM, about an hour ago.  Three cheers for the team!!!

Here is a clip from their first days:

The Early Days (includes a visit from Mark Kalch)

Here is a link to his blog post which, when I read it, I instantly became interested in their endeavor:  dave-corn

Hot off the press from Dave:  We made it! Journey No. 7 of Expedition1000 finished at 10:20am this morning, as my team and I reached St Louis Arch to finish an epic 1000-mile swim. Hard to believe its over, what a challenge! See www.Facebook.com/expedition1000 for further updates and photos throughout the day. Yeah!

As for me, I am fully immersed in student teaching 8th grade Social Studies.  I am loving every minute, but not a day goes by that I don’t contemplate some aspect of the challenge ahead of me beginning in May.  Which will be more of a challenge, teaching middle school or paddling 2300 miles of the Missouri River in 3 months?  No clear answer yet!  All good!

Regarding planning, Eddyline and I are in communication.  They have asked me to send them a “wish list.”  Sweet! Thank you, Lisa!  I have corresponded with Kokatat and have sent them a wish list for paddling gear.  They will not be considering any expedition sponsorships until after January 1.  Dave Cornthwaite strongly suggests I consider taking a MacPro laptop and a Go Pro camera for uploading, downloading, writing, posting, tweeting, photographing, and authoring.   I am planning to apply to be a SPOT Ambassador.  I will have a spot locator no matter what, an absolute necessity according to Bob Bellingham.  The device will track my progress/location, send updates to designated family/friends, and serve as an emergency 911 communication device.  A tent, stove, and sleeping bag will be my most important sponsorship requests, which I will work on very soon.  With all of these items in my quiver, I will be nearly fully equipped.  Oh, and a solar charger.

Veteran Missouri River paddlers are planning a float gathering that would land them in the river with me at, or near, the beginning of my expedition. VERY excited about that possibility!  Among these paddlers are my coach,  Norm Miller, who, during the 2004 Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, paddled up the Missouri River from St. Louis to Montana, hiked over the Rockies, and paddled down to the Pacific following the route of The Corp of Discovery.  He is also host extraordinaire for all paddlers heading down the Big Muddy from Montana.  And, Dave Miller who authored the Missouri River paddler’s bible, The Complete Paddler, and visitor to Cooper’s Landing in 2003, when he laid over and hung out with us Riverbillies for around 10 days (we know how to have a good time!), has indicated he will be coming out from New York.  I am in the process of convincing my brother to come and float a week with me, too.  He has always been close at hand during my life’s adventures.

Oh, and University of Missouri’s photographer, Shane Epping, will meet with me on Sunday to take photos which will accompany a story on MizzouWire, the University’s Alumni Association electronic newsletter.  They are interested in my expedition and would like to post the story in December.

Okay, off I go to write up lesson plans, reflections, and a capstone paper.  Life is good.  Busy, but good.

Warm regards, Janet

Let’s see, where do I begin?

by loveyourbigmuddy expedition, posted in Missouri River, The Route
Below Three Forks (photo by Norm Miller)

Okay, where do I begin?

Do I start at the Missouri River’s source, Brower’s Spring, or do I start at the Missouri River’s mouth, Three Forks, where the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers merge to become the mighty Missouri?  Approximately 300 miles separates the ultimate source and the river’s official mouth, and about 10-12 days of paddling.  At one time, with all due ignorance, I pictured that 300 miles to be pristine Montana wilderness, kayaking through isolated Rocky Mountain Wilderness on a sweeping clear water creek, just me, the mountains, and the wildlife.  Not so, I have learned.  Here is Mark Kalch’s account of paddling from the source at Brower’s Spring to Three Forks:

The Red Rock River issues forth from the lake and winds endlessly and listlessly out of the valley. Snaking back on itself time after time with negligible flow meant forward movement out of the area was slow. A coyote wandered to the river’s edge to investigate my kayak and I. His boldness surprised me. Cattle followed me along the river’s meander. Slowly, slowly I carried on.

On to Lima Reservoir the wind picked up and forced an early camp. Overnight my tent was buffeted by its strength. Across the still body of water and a short portage later I once more hit river. Now things hit up a gear. The river, narrow, shallow but running super fast was an interesting encounter. Trees fallen in the water loomed as sweepers and strainers. Turning a 17 foot kayak on a fast corner in an 18 foot wide river takes some doing. Soon man made his presence felt. Fences, of barbed wire and electric lurked in possibility around every corner. Out of my boat, dragging under the lower wire, submerging myself in the icy water, back on board and away again. Repeat for days at a time.

The river finally spewed onto Clark Canyon Reservoir, much to my relief. Another crossing and dam portage on to the Beaverhead River. Now wider, flowing fast, this river looked the part. Appropriately, fisherman now lined it’s banks in drift boats and suited in waders. A quick heads up alerted them to my presence. Non-plussed about my appearance the immediately returned to their labour. Just one guide questioned me – “You headed to New Orleans?”. My reply had him genuinely stoked!

The Beaverhead wound it’s way to Dillon and on to the small town of Twin Bridges. At times beautiful and peaceful, at others endless ranches, cattle and excrement runoff. But it was all about to change. 20 minutes paddling beyond Twin Bridges, the Big Hole River enters from river left. Behold, the formation of the Jefferson! Truly, one of the most beautiful paddling experiences I have ever had. If only the past week could have been so. The river, lined with forest, the water running deep and swift. Now this is a river journey. Alas, it was over all to quickly. In no time with a final hard push I approached the town of Three Forks. A few miles beyond the Madison joins the Jefferson from river right. A few minutes later, the Gallatin as well. A hundred feet beyond, a boat ramp and now this river which issued forth from a snow choked spring had finally become the mighty Missouri! The first, difficult, demanding and ultimately tiny stage of my river descent was complete. With a root beer in one hand and pizza in the other I was tired but happy. Time for a resupply and washing of muddy clothes. In a couple of days it is back on the water and to the sea I go. I am ready.

This is Mark Kalch just below Three Forks (photo by Norm Miller).  I think this looks like a fine place to start.  Yep.

Mark is paddling seven rivers on sever continents.  You can follow his adventure here:

http://www.7rivers7continents.com/lake-it-or-not/

Rod Wellington is also paddling seven rivers on seven continents.  You can follow him on his Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/rod.wellington.9

And, Bob Bellingham is paddling from Three Forks to St. Louis and will be passing through Cooper’s Landing in about a week.  You bet I’m going to pick his brain.  He knows.  You can follow his blog here:

http://www.steadypaddling.com/

Then again, Norm Miller got me thinking about a bike/hike to the town of Dillon, then put in.  I understand the Jefferson River below Twin Bridges is gorgeous.  sigh…

MR340-race from KC to STL is all about the River

by loveyourbigmuddy expedition, posted in Missouri River, MR340

This is a good interview with race sponsor Missouri American Water’s Kim Hudson this morning in St. Charles:

This event, with over 500 racers this year, is about “thinking about the River and focusing on how important it is to us.”

http://fox2now.com/2012/08/02/mr340-canoe-race-ends-in-st-charles-mo/

Another newsclip from KCTV5 KC

River racers battle water, sweltering heat – KCTV 5#.UBqKh_uRN-U.facebook.

Here is a local article from the Columbia Daily Tribune.  Again, it’s all about the river.  We love our Big Muddy!

Good stuff on this DNR webpage

by loveyourbigmuddy expedition, posted in Missouri River, The Route

http://www.dnr.mo.gov/water-trail/riverhistory.htm

Hello world!

by loveyourbigmuddy expedition, posted in Missouri River

Welcome to my new blog.  I will be sharing with you my journey as I prepare to kayak down the Missouri River from its headwaters in Montana all the way down to St. Louis, Missouri.  I know, right?!  This will happen in May of 2013, if all goes well, which I expect it will.

Why do I feel like the trek is happening in just a few weeks?  Because there is SOOOOOOO much to do!  Happily, I have taken a huge step by creating my own blog!

I hope you will, with great patience, join me as the planning of this incomparable expedition unfolds, and as the dream turns to reality.

Paddle fast ~ live slow

Janet