Thank you Birdie and Doc for a great holiday and enthusiasm for sharing this adventure! 
     Journey home was easy, but long, punctuated by a catch up in the Missoula Airport with Kelly and a longer visit at San Francisco Airport with my brother, who I had not seen since his return from volunteering disaster relief in Nepal immediately following the earthquake there. Hours in between filled with doing my favorite in-flight activity . . . photographing!
     Lasting impressions . . . wonderful trip, fabulous food and wine, best-ever group of traveling companions — you definitely know how well you'll get along after 24+ hours of rain and huddling by the campsite toilet — gorgeous landscape! Sure there were things I would change up . . . like making sure everyone got to hear all of what Kevin had to share while we were paddling, but all-in-all a great adventure!
     Thank you, all! ! !

This morning we — Birdie, Doc and I — left Fort Benton and the Historic Union Hotel after breakfast to begin our drive back to Missoula. An executive decision was made to stop in Great Falls so I could visit the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center. Great call, Doc! 
     Built into a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, the Center's exhibits and videos bring alive President Thomas Jefferson's vision for expanding our country and the indomitable spirit of exploration. There are wonderful displays including a two-story diorama of the portage of the Missouri river's five great falls. It is absolutely humbling to glimpse the type of canoes and gear they hauled after traveling the past 4-days as we did. One could spend a day here watching each of the videos and hiking nearby trails to other historic landmark sites along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Perhaps another time . . .

Before leaving Great Falls, we headed to the Celtic Cowboy Pub and Restaurant for a yummy Reuben sandwich that was so incredibly big that half of it became dinner. Named after Robert Vaughn, a wealthy rancher, philanthropist and first European (Welsh) settler in the county, who was dubbed "The Celtic Cowboy" by the press.
     Our next stop was in Lincoln, Montana — Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild International Sculpture Park. This is a gem of a place that Birdie knew about in a most unlikely and perfect place. Lincoln is situated just west of the Continental Divide about 80 miles east of Missoula and 60 miles north of Helena (Montana's capital) and bordered by the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness areas to the north and the Blackfoot River to the south. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,013 — down almost 8% from 2000. Quite possibly Lincoln's most well-known resident was the "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski. But, I digress . . . 
     Sculpture in the Wild "celebrates the rich environmental, industrial and cultural heritage of the Blackfoot Valley." International sculptors are invited to create significant site-specific works of art using materials — natural and industrial — that are associated with Lincoln's rich economic and cultural traditions that often times had conflicting social, cultural and environmental values. Mining, logging and ranching have been the key economic factors that sustained Lincoln throughout its history. "As logging and mining industries have subsided over the past 25 years, the community finds itself at a crossroads in both economic and cultural development. Reflecting on it's history and looking towards the future, the community has chosen contemporary art practice to act as both a creative and economic catalyst."
     Five artists were brought together in 2014 to create six works, which we viewed while walking through a pine forest. Below are some of the photos I took and, clicking on the artists' names listed below will magically take you to more information and photos. Additionally, Blackfoot Pathways offers artists-in-residence programs and much more. The six artists presently are:

I love this sculpture park and its motto — Where Art, Education & History Walk the Same Path — and the community of Lincoln for recognizing and trusting that art and culture can be a key economic generator for a small rural community. Bravo! ! ! . . .

But, in the meantime, just downstream from our campsite Arrow Creek enters the river from the south. Originally named Slaughter Creek, by the Lewis & Clark expedition, because when they passed by there was a pile of buffalo carcasses. Thankfully, there are no dead animals lying around as we paddle past. Almost thirty years later it was the site of an almost accidental sinking of a keelboat when too many Indians tried to board while artist Karl Bodmer was ashore sketching for his painting, "Camp of Gros Ventres of the Prairies."
     About 4 miles down river we briefly stop at The Wall Primitive Boat Camp to seek up on a prairie dog town a short walk beyond a mature stand of cottonwoods.

As the river landscape begins to change, I contemplate the journey this river takes — 2,500+ miles — from its start at Three Forks (Montana) where the Gallatin, Jefferson and Madison rivers converge to where it meets the Mississippi at St. Louis, Missouri. It is our country's longest river. The 47 miles we have covered has awed me with its dramatic White Cliffs, sandstone slot canyons, scores of twisting oxbows, and now rolling, broken hills that reveal the "Breaks" topography for which this region is named. 

My mind skips, too, over the journey of my own life with metaphorical equivalences — I, too, have been sculpted by the forces of nature since first coming to Montana in 1975.  Having fulfilled a long-held dream, my heart is full of gratitude to finally experience the magic and beauty of the Missouri River, and glimpse a bit of what Lewis and Clark saw more than 200 years ago. Though I didn't see the herds of buffalo, elk and antelope that Captain Lewis described, I did observe a few deer, rabbits, cattle and prairie dogs. Bald and Golden Eagles still fly overhead, as do hawks, geese, ducks and white pelicans. 
     After ten miles we reach the Judith River, which was named by Captain William Clark after his sweetheart. One mile further on the opposite (north) bank is Judith Landing — our take-out and lunch. I am ravenous!
    

After a group photo is taken, we shuttle back to Fort Benton by van, say our good-byes, and indulge in a thick Huckleberry milkshake. Nothing seems to have changed in Fort Benton — I even have the same room on the 3rd floor of the Union Hotel!
     Seated on the hotel's outdoor dining terrace, Birdie, Doc and I share recent best memories from our trip and savor our drinks and dinner — all agreeing that the amazing meals we had on our Upper Missouri River adventure was far superior. Cheers again to Ray, Abe, Caitlyn and crew!

Being our "last supper" together, Birdie and I decided to "dress up" for the occasion, which simply meant donning sarongs. Thankfully, the weather is hot and the bugs are there continue to be no bugs! Many of the others independently decided to "dress up" as well!

First Course — Mezetakia 
Black-Eye Pea Salad with Tomato and Fresh Basil • Braised Squid • 
Stuffed Vine Leaves • Roasted Peppers with Peaches • Spanakopita • 
Sheep's Ricotta Salata Cheese 
Soup Course
Chilled Yoghurt Soup with Mint, Cucumbers & Walnuts
Main Course
Lamb Leg with Feta, Herbs & Sweet Red Wine • Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Cilantro & Garlic • Briam (Dutch-Oven Baked Vegetable Medley with Tamarind)
Dessert
Almond Roasted Fennel Cake with Sesame Seeds • 
Apricot Stuffed with Almond Cream
Wines
Macon Villages Henri Perrusset (Burgundy, France) 
"Perlydia" Cantine Valpane, Barbera del Monferrato (Piedmonte, Italia) 

Fully dark, Kevin leads Alex, Daniel and me through the sagebrush to the hills beyond our camp to experience the "Toilet Bowl" sandstone formation — a somewhat trippy experience that you had to be there to fully appreciate (and maybe not then) . . .

In a nutshell that describes today. It started off great. Sunny morning (finally) with bright blue skies! A fabulous breakfast of grilled trout stuffed with chermoula — from last nights culinary demo — potatoes and fresh cantaloupe. Yummy!
    

  An hour or so later, barely able to stand, I ungracefully stuff myself back into the canoe. As we continue downstream through what is described as "one of the most scenic stretches within the National Monument," I alternated between pushing up with my arms on the gunwales to relieve pressure on my hip and photographing the gorgeous scenery — thank you, Doc! This section of extraordinary-shaped rock formations and towering pillars — with names such as Steamboat Rock, Dark Butte, Seven Sister, and the Archangel — deserved to be more fully appreciated by me, and I became thoroughly envious when Kevin mentioned that he has explored some of the canyons in an area known as the "Valley of the Walls!" 

Our lunch stop at Dark Butte Primitive Boat Camp is tucked in a grove of cottonwood trees. High on the bluff behind us is a sandstone formation that is described as resembling a twin-stacked steamboat — to Doc, Birdie and me, it looks more like a snail working its way up the hill. Polishing off the remainder of Melville wine from last night along with chips and some slices of turkey breast, I feel no pain . . . as long as I remain standing! One by one after lunch we take to the river to cool off and wash our hair with biodegradable soap. It is a kick to see our "kid-natures" emerge as we splash each other in the water! 

Refreshed, I am ready to take up my paddle. Just beyond our lunch stop is Dark Butte with the "Archangel" formation in the foreground. About 2-1/2 miles later, we pull up to a narrow flat bench covered by sagebrush where, on May 30, 1805, the Lewis & Clark expedition camped after covering only 5-1/2 miles on a rainy and cold day. Nancy proves to be the pre-eminent sleuth of our group as we search for the brass site marker that commemorates the expedition's bi-centennial stay here. 
     A couple of miles down river and around a bend we encounter the shallow waters of Pablo Rapids — a riffle, really — that caused steamboats to become grounded. Just passed the rapids is Wolf Island, named Captain Abe Wolf whose steamboat the Marion was grounded in 1866. After the crew mutinied and put Captain Wolf adrift in a small boat, they drank all the whiskey before being brought to justice. It is only another 3.5 miles to our last camp at Slaughter River. This is one of the few campsites the Lewis and Clark expedition used twice — first on May 29, 1805 on their upriver trip, and  then Captain Lewis' party on their return on July 29, 1806.

Stay tuned to hear about our tonight's culinary demonstration and fabulous Greek inspired dinner . . .

For me, great food is must-have ingredient to a "perfect day." Due to yesterday's more than inclement weather that forced Ray to cancel his cooking demonstration, this evening we have two!

* Sicilian Spice Blend is one of the spice blends produced by The Silk Road and can be found on Amazon or in better grocery stores in Missoula.

**  Use Balsamic Vinegar that has no caramel flavor; just grape must.

The other method uses the boning knife along the dorsal fin to tail along the vertebrate. Cut the vertebrate out at each end with scissors. Wash the cavity well before stuffing. Once the cavity has been stuffed, it can be tied up. Place a slip knot at the tail end and wrap using half-hitches.
     For belly-stuffed fish, you can also either pin the cavity closed using thin skewers or long toothpicks.

First Course — Antipasti 
Grilled Eggplant Salad • Cucumbers with Balsamic Glaze • 
Roasted Petite Peppers with Garlic & Herbs • Marinated Fresh Mozzarella • Pane
Soup Course
Chilled Watermelon Soup with Mint, Saffron & Mascarpone Cream
Main Course
Bitterroot Valley Beef Tenderloin Encrusted with Herbal/Spice Blend & Marsala Wine • Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Anchovies, Raisins & Walnuts • 
Grilled Zucchini with Garlic-Anchovy Sauce
Dessert
Hazelnut-Poppy Seed Cake with Roasted Anise, Mascarpone Cream & Fresh Melon
Wines
i Basalti Soave, Cantina di Gambellara (Italia) 
Verso Rosso, Casa Contini (Salento, Italia) 

Satiated, we drew our chairs up around the fire to enjoy the rain-less evening and memories of a day well-lived!

Have you ever considered what gives you the feeling of a perfect day? For me it must include that sense of timelessness when multiple experiences seamlessly connect. The day must be spent — at least part of it — outdoors and involve some new adventure or challenge. And, my sense of reality must be expanded.

After a stand-up yummy breakfast of pancakes, bacon and yogurt, it was decided we would "break camp" after everything was dry. So while Mother Nature did her best, we headed off on a morning adventure. Our destination was Neat Coulee, the downstream drainage from our Eagle Creek camp site.  Hiking up this small canyon leads to an ever-tightening slot canyon that illustrates the power of wind and water erosion and tested our ability to climb, scramble and further bond as a group as we helped each other up what to me first seemed impossible challenges! For those of us who persevered, we were rewarded by outstanding views and clearing skies.

Going down was no less tricky, though quicker. Often using my butt to slide down the rock faces from one toe/heel hold to the next!
     On the trail back to our campsite, I stopped to talk with a group of guys we first saw yesterday who are part of The American Mountain Men, a national organization dedicated to the preservation of the traditions and ways of our nation's greatest and most daring explorers and pioneers. Though they did have some "modern gear," they told me that their shared experiences on the trail, river and mountains is to "keep alive the skills of mountain men as historically accurately as possible." I like their outfits and sense of camaraderie!

Shortly past Eagle's Rock the river becomes very shallow — Kipp's Rapids — as we make our way downstream. Named for James Kipp, a trader for the American Fur Company, this section of river was hazardous to steamboats because there is no clear channel.
     Further downstream and looming on the opposite bank from Eagle's Rock is the National Historic Landmark known as Citadel Rock, one of the most prominent natural features on the Upper Missouri. This dark igneous rock rises from the river's edge has been the subject of some of the most famous historical paintings of the Upper Missouri including Swiss artist Karl Bodmer, who joined a group of Europeans led by Prince Maximilian Alexander Philipp of Wied-Neuwied to explore this area just under three decades after Lewis and Clark's expedition.

Only one mile beyond Citadel Rock is Hole-in-the-Wall campsite, which is named for an eight-foot hole near the top of the rock cliff downriver.

Hole-in-the-Wall boat camp is exquisitely situated — with views across the river to towering white cliffs, upstream to Citadel Rock, and its namesake cliffs behind us.

After settling into our tents, it is time for antipasti. As an accompaniment, I've brought along a bottle of Pinot Noir by my friend vintner Deborah Hall under her philanthropic label "Ground Boots." Proceeds from 2015 wine sales benefit Soi Dog, an international organization working in Thailand to keep street (soi) dogs healthy — vaccinated, spayed and neutered, and safe from the meat trade. Kelly has also brought along a bottle of her favorite Saugivnon Blanc by Russian River Valley winery Trecini.

Next up . . . cooking demonstration and fabulous Italian-inspired dinner . . . stay tuned!

It rained all night . . .  and is still raining when the alarm sounds at 6 AM. Since shipping gear for this adventure to Montana the weather forecast has changed from hot and sunny in the 90s to a day or so of rain with clearing to the low 80s. Being Montana, I've shipped clothing for most every possible forecast . . . with secret hopes that it will be sunny in the low 80s!  

The expedition's intel from the Mandan Indians the previous winter did not mention this fork and a wrong decision could strand them unprepared for a potentially deadly winter. Lewis led a small party up the "right fork" (Marias) and Clark did the same along the "left fork" (Missouri) to just short of the falls. Whereas the Marias was swollen and muddy from spring runoff, the Missouri was clear with a rocky bottom characteristic of newly emerging mountain rivers. Confidently the expedition chose correctly and proceeded up the Missouri River. They named the "right fork" after Lewis' cousin Maria Wood. We also learn about the town of Ophir, which was to be located here and rival Fort Benton, but this plan was abandoned after the construction crew was attacked and killed by warriors seeking revenge for the murder of several tribal members in and around Fort Benton.
     Next, we drive to Coal Banks Landing, where we begin our paddling adventure through the White Cliffs section of the Upper Missouri River region. This is an area much described by Captain Merriweather Lewis in his journals and the most popular section to float. It's name comes from the dark layer of lignite coal found in the hillsides, and it was the landing used by steamboats during the Indian Wars (1876-77) and the construction of Fort Assiniboine on the northwest side of the Bears Paw Mountains. 
     Though the stretch of river we will be paddling can be done in two-nights and three-days, we will explore it with an extra day. And, since there is no potable water available, our supply pontoon boat carries plenty along with massive coolers that hold food/wine/ beer, tents, tables and kitchen equipment. Each of our canoes carry our personal gear and folding camp chairs. I am teamed up with Kevin O'Briant, who is our river guide/naturalist/historian — a perfect pairing for an inquisitive mind like mine!
     While the paddling is easy due to a nice current and gentle tailwind, I am nonetheless delighted to discover that my water aerobic classes have helped develop my upper body strength! Several miles downstream, it begins raining again in earnest and I am thankful for having started out in full rain gear — jacket and pants — especially when the temperature starts dipping.

    About 5-1/2 miles downstream we stop for lunch at Little Sandy boat camp, a developed site accessible only by water that is part of a 385-acre recreation easement held by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). After a delicious lunch of quinoa chicken salad, we hike up to the bluff above that offers views of the river corridor and surrounding prairie landscape. 

 Back in our canoes, the rain continues as we pass by unusual rock formations that I am so disappointed not to be able to photograph. Kevin tells me that the Upper Missouri contains a diversity of rock types. The erosion of these rocks account for the high sediment load carried by "The Big Muddy." Dark igneous "tower" formations caused by erosion over the ages rise unexpectedly in the landscape. After about 5 miles, the "wild" classification of the Upper Missouri River begins and the dramatic character of the White Cliffs, which has inspired explorers and artists since Lewis and Clark, reveals itself. We pass by several islands in the river. Prior to the construction of major dams on the Missouri River, spring floods would reform river channels and create new islands and gravel bars as well create cottonwood seedbeds. Presently, the lack of spring flooding has caused concern for the condition of riparian vegetation that provides habitat for wildlife and regulates ecological functions including the regeneration of cottonwood stands, which are now relatively rare. 
     Unfortunately, the rain is now teeming, so Kevin makes an "executive decision" to keep paddling to our camping site rather than stopping at Burnt Butte to explore on foot. Arriving at Eagle Creek Boat Camp several hours early, our camp is not yet set-up nor are our tents. A pop-up dining tent is quickly put up so we can huddle under it to get out of the rain. Cold, wet, we await hot water for tea as priority shifts to putting up our tents and changing out of rain gear and wet clothes. One of the advantages I quickly realize in traveling solo is a tent all to myself. Whereas mine is roomy for one — allowing room to hang up wet clothing and unpack my dry bag in search of warm, dry clothes — others have two cots that take up most of the floorspace.

One advantage of weather adversity is that it quickly binds people together — helping each other carry gear, reconfigure tent overhangs, sharing dry vestibule space at the vault toilet building, etc. Between downpours, we check out each other's tents and invite others to share wine and cheese and salami in our tents. Situated at the other end of our tent community, Birdie and Doc come over to my spacious digs with chairs in tow.

 Warm and refreshed by sustenance, as the rain tapers, Kevin suggests a hike to see some native American pictographs nearby before dinner as our cooking demonstration has been cancelled for today. It feels good to stretch my legs and get to know everyone better . . . even if I can't still remember everyone else's name! 

  Ray Risho's first dinner exceeds my expectations — rain notwithstanding . . . Tonight's feast takes its inspiration from North Africa as we gather our chairs around a community table: 

First Course — Meze 
Chick Pea Tagine • Roasted Olive & Orange Salad • 
Okra in Spicy Tomato Sauce • Aged Sheep's Cheese • Pita bread
Soup Course
Moroccan Chilled Almond Soup with Roasted Garlic & Green Melon
Main Course
Chermoula of Mahi Loin • Couscous with Pine Nuts & Currants • 
Orange Blossom Glazed Petite Carrots
Dessert
Pistachio-Filed Phyllo Roles 'Briates' • Caramelized Peaches
Wines
Chateau La Roque, Coteaux du Languedoc Blanc (Roussilion, France) 
Domaine de Fontsainte, Reserve la Demoiselle (Corbiéres, France) 

So why the Missouri River and this trip in particular? There are three equally key reasons for this adventure . . . 

By way of the Missouri River Lewis and Clark entered what is now Montana on April 27, 1805, having been sent by President Thomas Jefferson (1804) to scout and map the new U.S. territory known as the Louisiana Purchase and to explore the western half of the continent in search of the fabled northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean. 

After spending most of yesterday judiciously packing gear and running last minute errands, we head to The Keep restaurant at the Highlands Golf Course. For a light and delicious meal, I ordered Poke — sashimi-grade ahi tuna marinated in soy and ginger and avocado — which was served in a tall parfait glass. Our first stop today is a hearty breakfast of poached eggs, sausage and rye toast at 
     The drive to Fort Benton — our meeting place for this expedition — takes several hours. By early afternoon, I had my first sighting of the Missouri River just north of Fort Benton. Then on to the Grand Union Hotel and brief exploration of the town including one of its historical museums. Fabulous dinner at the hotel ending just as raindrops began falling . . . oh, boy!