So, we headed out the first day, a bit anxious.  There were two other families and three guides.  As the sissies from LA (we told them we had no experience rather than admit our Tom Sawyer experience), I was with a guide, Keith and Kelsey were with a guide and Kyle was with the last guide.  The paddling was fine.  After the first day, the kids stayed with guides (rather than ride with Keith and I) and Keith and I had our own boat.  That had it's interesting moments, but we made it the entire 48 miles and loved it.  If I can paddle 48 miles (I am consistent and steady, Keith's style is stronger but with many breaks, imagine the discussion that generated between us), anyone can paddle this trip.

The first day we stopped at lunch and walked up to tipi rings.  At our overnight spot we hiked and scrambled over boulders to climb up a slot canyon.  The second day we paddled to our next campsite and then hiked to "hole in the wall" and then walked up the river with life vests, jumped in the river and floated down to our campsite on our backs.  The third day was a longer paddling day.  We stopped for lunch and relaxed, then headed to a beautiful campsite and floated and splashed in the river.  We visited a "prairie dog town", the guides couldn't believe that we have a prairie dog exhibit at the LA Zoo, they shoot them in MT as vermin.  The fourth day we paddled to our pull out and had a wonderful lunch.

We saw a lot of wildlife:  fox and prong horn on the way to the put in, on the river pelicans, blue herons, eagles, hawks, deer, owl, prairie dogs, beautiful birds, snakes (no rattlers though).  The scenery is stunning.  Cliffs of limestone, hoo doos, huge rock formations.  It is one of two largely untouched portions of the Lewis and Clark Trail.  There is a lot of history that your guides will tell you (although many of us had already studied the area and the Lewis and Clark expedition so we were able to have several interesting conversations).

The food is incredible.  I mean it.  We had steaks, pork chops, scallop potatoes, chicken salad (that I am going to beg them for a recipe for), brownies, carrot cake, pancakes, tacos, french toast, shrimp cocktail, brie and crackers, guacamole.  We all loved the food.

The tents were terrific and the cots were so good that I'm going to go buy some for our own camping.  Bathroom facilities were basic.  No running water.  Three campsites had vault toilets and one was primitive camping.  Will give further details on request, but if I can do it, anyone can.

The guides were wonderful.  Two were in college in Missoula and one was just entering his senior year of high school.  That may sound young to you, but these people were so capable and knowledgeable.  I wouldn't turn to them for life decisions, but I would go down any river with any of them and know that I would be safe.  I'd go on the trip again just for my kids to see the example of the guides. We talked to Kyle about being like Eric when he was 17, he said no way, another guide heard him and told him that the only obstacles he had in life were the ones he set for himself. 

We made the reservations last March.  It was early enough that the outfitters planned the trip we wanted around our schedule.  They then went through their list of past clients, found a family that had canceled the previous year, called them, said they were planning a family trip for August and asked if they wanted to come, and they did.  They then advertised the trip as a family trip with young kids and another family joined in.  It was wonderful.  The kids ran as a group and had a blast. 

Within half of a day on the river we felt like we had been away for a week.  The serenity is wonderful.  The outfitters we went with are Missouri River Outfitters at mroutfitters.com.  It is run by the same people who run Adventure Bound and that web site is adventureboundcanoe.com.  Both web sites are good and give a little bit different information.  I would be happy to talk you about the trip or about the other places we went (hiking the Lolo Trail in Idaho with outfitters and then into Glacier National Park for a week).  Hope you are enjoying the end of your summer.  

Kim