Williston ND (Mile 1552) to Garrison Dam (Mile 1390)

Sakakawea is a man made lake around 162 miles long varying between 2 and 5 miles wide. The Missouri River enters it from the west and it is dammed in the east. As the river slows it drops its sediment load and hundreds of marshy muddy islands are formed, some covered in shrubs and dead vegetation that grew in the years when the water was low and died when they became water logged in high water years. Navigating through the western end of the lake is problematic as the mud islands shift and new channels are formed, some leading nowhere. Best advice from those that know the lake is  to stay in the main channel even though it may appear to take you away from your intended destination.

Stay in the main channel I did as I made my way to an established campground called the American Legion Park where I intended to order the biggest cheeseburger on the menu and enjoy it with a couple of ice cold beers; I arrived around 7:30 in the evening to find it closed or more accurately not yet open for the season. I resorted to Plan B and had Macaroni Cheese which I hadn't had for at least 24 hours. I camped under the cover of their fully covered basketball court well sheltered from any overnight rain and enjoyed not having to put up the tent.

View across the mud islands from American Legion Park boat ramp

In the morning I weaved my way back and forth following the main channel until I came to open water.  I stayed on the north shore and battled a headwind until I came to the Lewis and Clark Park a very neat, tidy and sheltered campground and marina.

I decided to stay the night and make an early crossing in the morning if the waters were calm. I met Jerry the camp Groundsman who chauffeured me to the store and back as I seemed to be the only one there without transport. Jerry is from Michigan State and works the summer season at the park each  year and then goes back home to be near his grandchildren for the winter.

Jerry the camp Groundsman

I got talking to Leroy and Joanne from Williston who had booked into the park for the 4th July week. They were well set up with their fully equipped RV that can tow a trailer and a car - apparently a triple is legal up to 56 feet. Leroy was preparing his camp fire to cook over the coals and invited me to join them. Hotdogs, ice cold coke, fresh fruit and vegetables and salsa dip around the camp fire with good company was a great way to spend the evening.

Leroy and Joanne from Williston ND

Leroy is a retired school teacher/administrator and sports coach and Joanne Manages the Fred and Clair Eckart Foundation, a not for profit organisation that provides care, accommodation and support  for 'at risk' kids between 12 - 18 years of age.

A couple of years ago they scored a trip to Australia when Leroy was asked to coach a local team playing in the Golf DownUnder Challenge. The tournament was in Queensland so they got to visit the Barrier Reef, a highpoint they said in their travels so far. Wonderful people, I enjoyed my time with them.

Beautiful undulating shoreline of Lake Sakakawea

Seven o'clock in the evening and I'm invited onboard a pontoon boat to share a beer and roast beef and horseradish sandwich. These guys were just out relaxing, eating and drinking and enjoying the calm weather as I was paddling my way to New Town where I hoped to re-supply. The pontoon boat was like a lounge room on floats - very comfortable. Jodie (with the smiley face tee-shirt) phoned a friend at the New Town Casino Motel and secured me a room, I set off with 2 hours to get there but unfortunately I didn't arrive until after 10pm and found nowhere to safely leave the kayak so another night was spent in the tent. It was the weekend before July 4th so fireworks were being let-off throughout the night - apparently they're still legal in North Dakota.

The good ship "Jodie"

Heading to New Town ND

I met Greg Johnson when I crossed over the lake to New Town Marina, he offered me a shady spot on his lawn to set up my tent for the night as there were no shoreline campsites at the Marina. Greg and his wife Cathy own a holiday home right on the water with a deck that overlooks the bay. Greg gave me a lift to town to shop and do my laundry. I returned to find the weather was good enough to get a few more miles  in. I thanked them for their offer to stay and reluctantly said goodbye and headed off with a slight tail wind that pushed me about ten miles down the north shore. Greg gave me a hat and pocket hunting knife as a memento of my visit to New Town - much appreciated.

Doug with Cathy and Greg Johnson

Cattle cooling off in the shallows

Another late lake crossing and a surprise meeting with a couple who stopped to see if I was OK. I was, just resting in calm water about a mile off shore on my way  to round Beacon Point to find a sheltered camp site for the night. They offered, and I accepted, an ice cold beer that was a real treat after a hot 35 mile day. 

Neva and PJ - lake angels

The Barbara May enjoying a well earned rest

Early morning visitor

One of countless sheltered bays on the lake

The setting sun on beautiful Lake Sakakawea .........

Indian Hills Campground - Lake Sakakawea

It's the 4th July and I'm spending a lazy day at Indian Hills, a very picturesque friendly campground on the north shore of the lake with nice clean facilities. Hoping for an early start tomorrow to cross the lake for the last time and get a portage around Garrison Dam and back in the fast flowing Missouri River.


Here's a family that can recognise a hungry kayaker a mile away. Corine and Bob invited me to stop and share there lunch, they are ex farmers who leased there property when times got tough and now support the oil industry supplying plant and equipment.

Bob, Corine and family

Fort Peck Lake (Mile 1770) to Williston (Mile 1552)

I was introduced to Daryl at the Fort Peck Marina and he offered to give me a tour of the small town there and portage me around the dam. Daryl is a retired auto mechanic that has made a home for himself and visiting children and grandkids in a house he bought from the government when they were selling them cheap about 20 years ago.

Daryl portaged me around Fort Peck Dam

We stopped in at a bar near the river to get an early morning coffee and I thought I'd found "Thelma and Louise" (aka Brenda and Faith), two gun carrying ladies that have leased a bar for the season hoping to make some money.

'Thelma and Louise' aka Brenda and Faith

They've named the bar 'One Shot" and I wasn't game to ask if that is all they've got to make some money or if that is what it would take to put you in your place if you stepped out of line. Brenda offered to cook me breakfast as Faith proceeded to educate me on the status of America and the world and who is responsible for the mess we're all in.

Brenda is originally from Sturgis South Dakota (annual Harley rally town) and Faith is from West Yellowstone Montana and has an interest in the local newspaper there. I detected that Brenda still holds a flame for an Aussie biker that rode in and out of town (and her life) about 25 years ago, she lost contact with him when her boss at the time questioned a $30 call to Australia on his phone bill.

These ladies are real characters and I'm sure they have enough personality, humour and BS to draw in the customers. They gave me some food (Boil-in-a-Bag chilli) and some insect spray to take with me and I left them worried that I wasn't carrying a six shot 'deterrent' to protect myself from the crazies down river.

I earned every mile I made over the next four days battling a headwind that never let up night and day.

Camped up for the day due to headwinds

Sheltering from the headwinds

I caught up with TnT on the second day, they were camped on a windswept sandbar unable to make any headway. I decided to stay there overnight and and get an early start in the morning regardless of the weather. The boys were still in their tent when I left.

Last view of TnT

This is a rarely travelled remote stretch of river, about 224 miles where I saw no fishermen or boats or any body using the river at all other than three people from a religious community that farm 10,000 acres along the south bank. 

At first I thought they were Amish due to the similar type of dress code and beard but the elder, Paul, told me that they were of German decent and were members of a Hutterite Community. Unlike the Amish they don't shun technology, in fact they were on the river bank to repair an irrigation pump and fix some erosion damage using a bobcat and backhoe.

Paul, wouldn't have his photo taken but he said the boys - Jayden and Josiah - could. The boys told me all about there life on the commune, what they study (they speak English, Higher German and Lower German ???), the chores that they're given and how, when the commune gets to a certain size, more land is purchased and a new commune is started. They were very interested in me and my journey and asked lots of questions but I'm convinced that they had absolutely no idea of where Australia was.

Jayden liked the name of the kayak as his mum's name is Barbara and coincidentally his dad is called Bob.

Jayden and Josiah

Early morning Coyote - looking for fish in the shallows

Wild horses

Big bend near Poplar Montana

Hoping for a rain free night - mosquito net camping only

Good flow, solitude, scenic and a tail wind - the planets lined up for me.

Late afternoon, tired and hungry I was hailed ashore by this couple having a barbecue near the Highway 16 Bridge. A couple of beers, a burger and some 'blues' on the stereo I enjoyed an hour with Manny and Nicole, their daughter Kate and Nicole's two young sons.

Nicole teaches Spanish usually to high school kids but is about to start a new job at an elementary school in Sydney MT. Manny has done may things and the sort of guy that could turn his hand to anything that interested him. 

Manny, Nicole and baby Kate - Highway 16 Bridge

Fat beaver

They look like boats but these are floating irrigation pumps of which there are hundreds along the river.

Floating irrigation pumps

This lift bridge dates back to a time when the railroad was being built and they still believed that river boats would continue to navigate this far.

Railroad Lift Bridge (Mile 1589)

I last saw the Yellowstone River about 5 weeks and 700 miles back where it runs through Livinstone about 50 miles from where I started at Three Forks. The Yellowstone is the longest un-dammed river in the US.

Looking directly at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers

This section of river has been hard work not just because of the headwinds but also because of the shallow water creating numerous sand and gravel banks making it easy to run aground, submerged dead trees that have the potential to damage the boat and the lack of places to get fresh water to drink (river water is suspect because of chemical run-off from farming) - I was pleased to cross the border into North Dakota and reach Williston. 

Williston - Highway 85 Bridge

The town of Williston is about six miles from the river so not an easy place re-supply. An oil boom has enticed people from all over the country to come here looking for work, and as is typical of boom times prices have risen dramatically forcing many to live rough until they can find a job. Rightly or wrongly I was advised not to leave my kayak unattended so I paddled on into Lake Sakakawea.