17APRIL2013 @ Big Timber, MT -

Again dawn arrives clear, sunny and cold.  A new inch fell last night but should be gone fairly soon as today the cold spell is to break - well, at least some.  Today is predicted to reach 38 with NW winds ... I will head downriver.  I'm getting tired of staying so long in one place.
I left the lazy J at 1100.  While that is a late river start for me, I wanted to paddle during the warmer part of the (cold) day.  I bought some gloves at the Ace Hardware and by noon I was passing under the US191 bridge.  Immediately I was carried along by a pleasant current and warmed by bright sun on top of almost no wind.  The canoe is covered with snow; regular mopping is needed as it slowly mealts.  This melt and mop cycle continued all afternoon, ceasing only when I approached the Bratten campground.
Various tributaries flowed in during the day, the Boulder River being the largest.  The Yellowstone is low and rocks are often seen, but as streams flow in it gets bigger and in getting bigger, rocks are less and less of a problem ... all in all it is quite enjoyable.   

More Later ... I wrote this longhand in the tent ... later