Joe was in rather good spirits today, after a 51 mile paddle down the Missouri from Fort Peck. He said that he thoroughly enjoyed his rest day in Fort Peck. Following up a great arrival the previous day, Joe and Zane ended up touring the Fort Peck Dam as well as the hydraulic plant. He also wanted to point out his delicious dinner, pork chops with green peppers and onions, and the much appreciated companionship of Zane and Pickles. They had a great campfire session last night before Joe head out this morning, where Zane left Joe a hatchet, which makes for a great hammer for tent stakes on the journey.
Zane and his hawk, Maia
The paddle down was scenic as usual. Joe spotted a large raccoon, “scoping him out, chilling on the banks.” He also saw a mother dear with her two fawns close by.
After the wildlife, he found a great place to camp: in the high grass, on an island, 12 miles upstream from Wolf Point.
The city of Wolf Point has an interesting history, as Joe mentioned that it was considered the stabbing capital of the country. More than you’d ever want to know about Wolf Point history can be found here. Wolf Point is an Indian Reservation, and violence towards kayakers is not unheard of; therefore, Joe made the wise decision to pull off early and pass by the town in the wee hours tomorrow before anyone is awake.
The popular story for how the city got its name was that William Bent, nephew of Kit Carson, spent the winter of 1868-1869 hunting wolves in the area. Although, Wolf Creek is close by, most likely, that is where the name derived. Wolf Point is not Joe’s final destination tomorrow; he is hoping to camp up at Brockton, MT . I will be talking with Joe on the satellite phone tomorrow afternoon, probably after he sets up camp, so I will be able to update the blog then.
An early photograph of Wolf Point at "Old Town." The Presbyterian Mission schools, on the left, were operated from 1895 to 1927.
Jared
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