24April2010 - I carry no watch yet by the sun's shadow I know it is well before noon and I am at the Devil's Creek Recreation Area, having paddled 13 miles already. I am at a picnic table in a pavilion and I feel luxurious. This morning a SW tail wind - the speed was just below that required for dime sized whitecaps - moved me along with little effort on my part. Right now the wind is from the west still with no whitecaps to be seen. I will take advantage of this tail wind and embark after a good meal of noodles- the water is about to boil.
Today so far I have seen Beaver, Geese, Ducks, Coyote and Antelope. I've seen no people now for about 45 hours - not even a light last night. It is amazing solitude. I surprised the coyote, rounding a point and there he was, walking away along the shore. My canoe glided up alongside and run, run, run he did!
Now after the noodles I am enjoying a cheese toasttight. Umm, umm good! This particular loaf of bread is not the best toasttight bread, but this one came out perfect. Outstanding!
Wow, now it is actually getting crowded. A Montana DFW&P warden, a hunter scoping out the area for fall action and Dick O'Conner, wife and child are suddenly all here at once. Dick et al stay for fishing and enjoying the scenery. The scenery is not really a badlands scenery. Sure, Ft Peck Lake is surrounded by badlands, but from the river side the badlands take on a magnificent monument, statue and staircase appearance that is spectacular, dynamic, memorable, eternal and - for me at least - indescribable. "It must be seen to be understood".
After the lunch I paddled on for 11 more miles, making it a 24 mile day. It then started to blow and threaten rain, so I barely rounded a point to get into the six-mile-long N-S corridor, setting up camp on the left bank near the southern "turning point". This camp is slightly sheltered, but mostly expedient since rain looks to be here any minute. Well ... there it is. I am finishing this under the cover of the inverted canoe. I'm dry ... no moonlit travel tonight. During the night at least three times the rain was heavy. It is now 64 miles to the dam.