Day 13- Arrival at Fort Peck

Well I heard from Joe twice this afternoon on cell phone, in great spirits, after a day of paddling that began at 3 am. He started paddling early, real early, to beat the wind to the lake. He fared well until the last 7 mile stretch, where he hit a long headwind. Joe said his whole upper body was on fire finishing his day out, but was well worth it. He is taking a rest day tomorrow at Fort Peck and will be on his way down the Missouri afterward.

A view of Fort Peck Lake in the background with part of the dam in the foreground

Once in Fort Peck, Joe met up with a fellow paddler, Zane, along with his dog, Pickles. It turns out that Zane and Pickles are on the same journey as Joe, this actually being their second time. Zane started his journey in Fort Benton and is planned to finish in his hometown of New Orleans as well. Unfortunately Zane’s planned end date is in December so they won’t be able to see each other at the end, but that didn’t stop them from a little celebrating in Fort Peck. They went and got some midday celebration brews and went to the Interpretive Center in town, which features both local flora and fauna as well as a fossilized T. rex. After the “tame” tour of Fort Peck, they decided on shooting some of Zane’s firearms. Joe was able to try out his Derringer, a gun famous for its diminutive size.

After a great day in Fort Peck, Joe is now camping in an RV camp, which is providing both good food and showers. Tomorrow, Joe and Zane have planned a tour of Fort Peck Dam as well as supply up for the next leg of the Missouri. I will talk with Joe tomorrow afternoon, so I will be able to make an update on his goals and predictions for the upcoming leg on the Missouri.


Paddle on,
Jared