11May2010 @ Williston, ND - I got going late at 8AM. Leaving the highway 58 bridge I expected to paddle up to and alongside Williston ... never even saw a building. Maps show the lake being adjacent to Williston. That is at full reservoir, so forget that; Williston is a river town, not a lake town.
I went 22 river miles today, the last seven in the moderately slow current of the lake. I noted current all day as the part (7 miles) of the lake I traversed today is mostly confined in the original river channel. Later in the day I observed the bottoms of streambank willows being a bit inundated. This slight inundation caused me some difficulty getting to shore and setting up camp. I finally found a place where I paddled through only 40 feet of willows, stepped out onto a car body, secured the canoe and stepped ashore. My camp is 100 yards away in the breaks ... level, wind protected and beautiful.
Today I saw a wild Turkey (first Turkey seen) as well as the standard of Geese, Ducks, Pelicans and Whitetail Deer. Weather was calm with an occasional head breeze ... maybe about 18 raindrops came down at one point. As I bed down a huge dark cloud covers the the entire northwest sky yet the red/orange sun is visible below. Beautiful to behold.
From my poor anchorage to this beautiful campsite I passed about 80 petrified tree stumps, all from one to two feet in diameter. The tallest are about five feet tall - chest high. The shortest have been severed at ground height. Many of the shorter (stumps) are upside down - possibly rolled down the eroded bank - and look like enormous strange, twisted, yellow/brown flowers. It is an awesome sight - and site.