book – loveyourbigmuddy expeditions

It was with great pleasure and gratitude that I spent yesterday morning at the river with my daughter, Haley Moreland, Jim Karpowicz, and Tom Newcomb. Jim and Tom volunteered their time, expertise, and film equipment to shoot a promotional video for the expedition. Haley agreed to interview for the clip, and she helped by photographing the occasion. The purpose for the video is to utilize one of the online fundraising programs, such as Kickstarter or GoFundMe, with the video. Ideally, the donations generated will help pay for the trip and, ultimately, get a book started. Getting the trip accomplished will be the first step in getting a book started.

Jim and Tom are long-time colleagues creating films for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), among other things. They have recently been assigned a project with the MDC focused on Missouri mountain lions. I know, right?! Mountain lions! Good luck, guys. Be careful out there.

Tom is a cameraman for CBS in STL, Jim has done work for The Documentary Group, and you can find other projects by going to Tom’s website at www.blacktruckpictures.com. Among a host of other undertakings by them, you can find a fascinating video about Lewis and Clark from the website here.

Although the morning was quite cold and crisp, I enjoyed getting in the kayak and paddling around a bit for the shoot. And, the guys setting up the interviewing studio at the end of a wing dike was particularly intriguing, if not a little intimidating (they ran an extension cord all the way out there!). We built a nice fire in Cooper’s bonfire ring, so the warmth from the fire made the experience quite comfortable and especially pleasant. Although, that could be a result of the warm-hearted individuals present. (That includes you, J.W., thanks for building the fire!)

Interviewing on film is not one of my strengths. Jim and Tom will need to work their magic. They assured me not to worry. Really, I am just humbled by the experience, and extremely grateful for our Missouri River community and the support I am receiving for the expedition. Not to mention the support I am receiving from my friends, some old, some new, some near and some far! I may have to post a happy dance similar to Rod Wellington’s portage dances :).

I love this quote from Lewis and Clark’s journals, as highlighted in Tom’s Lewis and Clark video. Over and over again, despite the circumstances, they continued to write: “We proceeded on.” I’m going to remember that one.

Thanks again Haley, Jim and Tom! That was fun.

So very much to do, but I am loving it. Having time off this month to focus on planning and preparation is becoming more and more important. My days are full.

Progress updates include the following:

My daughter, Haley, and I are going to pick up my Shasta kayak tomorrow, December 16. The boat and all the gear that came with the deal (thanks again, Bob!) is being stored at Michael Clark’s Big Muddy Adventures headquarters in St. Louis. Merry Christmas to me (payment day is so far removed in the past that they will seem like gifts :))! Thanks again Michael for storing the boat for me.

Also, Haley confirmed with me yesterday that she will help with my shuttle. She will accompany me to Montana, and hang out with me until I get started. Then, drive my car back home.

(The bandage on my hand was from last year this time. I had carpal tunnel surgery on both my hands. They are great now.) We’ll definitely stay at Norm Miller’s Base Camp International in Livingston, MT, while I try and assess whether a source start is feasible. This road trip will be the first time we have been out of the state together, or on any type of significant trip, ever. I cannot wait!

Rod Wellington, who will be paddling through Cooper’s Landing this Monday and Tuesday, will help me get a better idea of what the 300 mile stretch from Brower’s Spring to Three Forks is like. He is encouraging me to start at the source: “Janet, I wholly encourage you to start at the source. The 298 river miles above Three Forks was my favourite part of the river. it cannot be topped. ” I have wanted to start at the source since I decided to do this trip. However, April will offer up additional challenges.

Brower’s Spring drainage heads off to the upper right of this photo (by Norm Miller). This photo was taken in June. I will have to start in mid-April. Not sure if it will be possible, despite my ski-mountaineering background. Hell Roaring Creek below heads downhill from the spring and, obviously, will not be a paddling stretch. Seven miles hiking in and seven out. Something to seriously consider.

I added a Pay Pal button on this blog (Make a Donation Page). Financial support is not the only “support” I need, but it is an important one. Haley and I met with Tina Casagrand yesterday to discuss Kickstarter, an online video fundraising program. She shared a lot of valuable information with us in this regard. I have asked Jim Karpowicz, friend, river rat, founder of Missouri River Relief, and creative documentary filmmaker, if he can help me produce a video. He is willing to help so I hope to meet with him to discuss further.

I also met with the co-founder of Missouri River Relief, Charlotte Overby, who is now River Coordinator at Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF), and beloved by our entire river rat community. CLF works with and supports groups and non-profits who advocate for wilderness lands managed by Bureau of Land Management (condensed explanation). CLF supports Friends of the Missouri Breaks Monument. We are floating ideas around.

I created a Facebook Page, LoveYourBigMuddy Expedition, so please “like” it. Part of expedition planning is sponsorship proposals. Companies like to see lots of exposure potential in their sponsorees. Social media is a big component of the total experience. Being as this is my first endeavor, it is likely sponsorship will be light, if not none. But, one never knows for sure, right? If you are reading this and have not yet “liked” my FB page, I implore you to do so.

Rod Wellington is due to arrive at Cooper’s Landing Monday and stay over a couple of nights. He started at the source in June, and is paddling to the Gulf of Mexico. He is paddling the seven longest rivers in seven continents, all self-powered.

We will take good care of Rod at Cooper’s, as we do all of the river folk paddling through. He can stay for free, take a shower, do his laundry, drink beer, play games, eat a home-cooked meal, run into town, and watch wide-screen surround sound sports/TV/movies. Monday night is game night at Cooper’s. Yes, like games: SkipBo, Monopoly, Cribbage, darts, etc. May be a bit of culture shock. Although, he’ll be hanging out with river folk family. We’ll warm him up before sending him back out on the river. Robin and Connie Kalthoff in Waverly set a high bar for taking care of paddlers. They are about 3 or 4 days upriver, and one of the stops for paddlers on the way; a hard act to follow. Here they are just yesterday, Friday.

Rod and I will be discussing the 300 miles between the source and Three Forks quite a bit.

You can visit his website at ZeroEmissionsExpedition

Zero Emissions Expeditions passionately promotes the practice of low impact, long distance, self-powered exploration.

Oh, one other thing happened last week. I spoke with my Social Studies methods professor when he was writing up a teaching letter of recommendation for me. I directed him to the MizzouWire story, which had just posted a couple days earlier. Then I brought him to my blog site, and he loved all of it, especially the book, “Our Mississippi.” He asked me to contact him after break and said he would help me with a book. We’ll see. I love it when things just fall into place.

Thanks for listening. -Janet

LoveYourBigMuddy Expedition

My name is Janet Moreland. I am a Missouri River paddler from Columbia, MO, most often found at or near Cooper's Landing, Rivermile 170.

I graduated from the University of Missouri in December 2012 with a degree in Education, and am now certified to teach middle school social studies and/or science.

In December, 2013, I completed a 3,800-mile source-to-sea solo kayak expedition from the Missouri River source at Brower's Spring, Montana, to the Gulf of Mexico. On April 24, 2013, I skied into the source at 9,000 ft. in the Centennial Mountains, and arrived via South Pass at the Gulf of Mexico on December 5, 2013. My mission included elements of empowerment, education, and environmental stewardship.

In 2016 I successfully completed a solo kayak expedition from the Mississippi River source at Lake Itasca, MN, down to the Gulf of Mexico. And, in 2017 I solo journeyed the entire Yukon River from the Llewellyn Glacier on Atlin Lake, British Columbia, to the Bering Sea at Emmonak, AK.

It is believed that I am the first person ever to successfully solo kayak, from source to sea, the three longest rivers on the North American continent.

Status Updates

The journey is not over until the mission bears fruit:
Empowerment ~ Education ~ Environment

I reached the Gulf of Mexico on December 5, 2013.

Thanks to everyone for their heartfelt support. This was OUR expedition, and for that I am grateful.

Here is a synopsis:
I completed the challenging yet successful ski into
Brower’s Spring with Norm Miller on April 24-25.

I completed three days of incredible
bike riding 100 miles from Hell Roaring Canyon
To Clark Canyon Dam.

I paddled down the Beaverhead River from Clark Canyon Dam to Twin Bridges, where the river worked me hard and I suffered two holes in my boat and a sprained wrist by the second day.

From Twin Bridges, the Beaverhead River turns into the Jefferson River, which is deeper and wider, and one of the more beautiful stretches of this journey. This leg of the journey is neatly tucked under my belt.

I arrived in Three Forks, the headwaters of the Missouri River, on Saturday, May 11, approximately 300 miles downstream from the ultimate source, Brower’s Spring.

I spent the next four months paddling down the Missouri River, stopping at my home base, Cooper’s Landing, on September 16.

My birthday on September 28 marked my arrival in St. Charles, and I paddled through the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers the next day, September 29.

Proceeding down the Mississippi River, I arrived in Memphis, TN, on October 17. Here, I took an extended break of two weeks because of a speaking engagement I flew out to in Bend, OR, at the Conservation Lands Foundation ‘Friends Rendezvous.’

November 1 found me on my way again down the Mississippi River until December 5 when I reached the Gulf of Mexico.

Oh, what a trip it was!

Then, I couldn’t leave the upper Mississippi untouched, so I paddled the whole thing in 2016, Lake Itasca to the Gulf.

Might as well make it a Triple Crown, so I paddled the Yukon River, source to sea, Llewellyn Glacier, B.C., to Emmonak, AK, at the Bering Sea in 2017!

Do what you love and love what you do.

I now want to start writing my book about paddling the Missouri-Mississppi, LoveYourBigMuddy Expedition. Stay tuned.

Every day is a new adventure! Live fast ~ Paddle slow

Tag: book

Filming the Promo Video

Moving Right Along

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