18APRIL2013 near Reed Point, MT -

I encountered three serious rapid "spots" just upstream from Columbus.  The first two were as I approached town literally within sight of the buildings; the final one was within sight of the highway bridge.  I say spots because the first one was not actually a rapid, rather was a constricted flow area where five cottonwoods had created a sort of dam.  I paddled in expecting to skirt the far right ... a difficult maneuver, but figuring I am capable, in I paddled.  Bad Idea.  Water flows through such dams and I was drawn into the mass of limbs and trunks.  No time to kick myself, I pulled hard left against the river bank ... which is vertical about six feet.  Going hand over hand from there I slowly eased the canoe down along a trunk.  At a place where the limbs were diminished enough, I stood on the trunk and allowed the canoe to drift around/through the limb mass ahead, then drew it back alongside the downstream edge of the trunk.  Stepping gingerly in I thought (wrong) that I would glide into Columbus.  Almost before I knew it I was into the most serious rapid I had seen on the whole river.  It was so long and it turned left and my view was blocked by a downed cottonwood, that I was not able to accurately assess it's seriousness upon entering it.  Neverthemore I went in along the right avoiding all the extreme stuff.  After clearing my view around the cottonwood I saw how difficult things were and - yes, could have gotten out on the right with wet clothes up to my waist - yet opted to continue.  I hit only two rocks, but "IT ONLY TAKES ONE".  That one caught me midship on the left as I was banking trying to get past it ... and it slid the back length of the canoe,  It scraped, flexed and made one crack sound before I was clear.  no time for that, the next rock caught me where I sit, a strong left bump but not a concern.  For the remainder of that rapid I was in the big water with lots of deep waves and some slap water.  I never do the tall wave part of a rapid, but after what had just happened, getting some slap water seemed far better than another rock.   Then I see the bridge ... and soon the final rapid.  I made it through this one without a scrape but as I passed several sharp and hidden rocks I realized that I was lucky.  Ok, I'm good too, but luck was a meaningful part of my safe passage through that final white water.  It was good to pull in below the bridge (at 1500), shag my gear to the Big Sky motel and settle in for a night out of the cold.  At 1700 I woke up, got supper and went back to bed. 
During the day I saw a young mule deer.  As I floated by it chewed some buds, looked at me, chewed some buds, looked at me ... etc.  Fifty yards downstream I looked back and it was still doing the same back and forth.  Just a young guy learning how to dine at a sports bar I presume.  Other wildlife seen were geese, ducks, bald eagles, osprey and great blue herons.  I passed three heron rookeries. 

More Later ...