It's Springtime in Montucky! Finally...

Winter has finally decided to ease it's clutches on Western Montana, and with the warm temps, we finally got out boating. This spring has been one of the craziest in my life, but unfortunately not due to paddling. Between school, an EMT course and teaching swiftwater rescue classes for the Whitewater Rescue Institute, it has been all I can do to keep my head above water, no pun intended. Luckily, during the first week of April I was able to get out a bit during spring break, and the flows cooperated for some Bitterroot creeking. With the flows up a bit, we headed down to Kootenai and Bear Creeks, and made a dash over to the Lochsa, only to be greeted with a blizzard.

Kootenai Creek is a fun, short blast of creeking joy, located about an hour south of town. The run is a continuous set of mank, with one nice boof and a little slide to finish up with. After paddling Kootenai creek, we decided to head a bit farther south to Bear creek the next day. From the trail head, flows looked low, but adequate, so we geared up and started hoofing up the path. Once we got to Brave Bear Falls, the largest, and last rapid of the run, we were disappointed by what turned out to be a mere trickle of water. I guess we mis-judged flows from the trailhead. Oops. Undaunted by the dismal lack of water, we decided to tromp a bit higher up the trail and run some of the fun slides that Bear creek has to offer. Too bad the camera was forgotten in the shuttle rig...

Even with the low flows, it was great to be out on the river again with good friends. It's amazing how much fun you can have bouncing a little plastic shell down rocks. And yes, sometimes that plastic is in the form of a helmet. But seriously, who really pays attention to those minor details?

And now, for some photos.

 The view looking up Kootenai Creek. Jesse Dagle Photo.

Jason Shredder running the Kootenai boof. Jesse Dagle Photo.

Martin running some nice Montana mank. On the first lap, one of our buddies and I both ran the right side and flipped over on a hidden nub rock. The rest of the rapid was a mix of head ruddering and body bashing into the eddy. Good Times. Jesse Dagle Photo.

Rosalynn dropping into the Grim Reaper, Lochsa River.

The Pipeline wave was in prime form this day. Too bad no one had playboats.

Martin going for a blunt in the gloaming. Downtown Missoula, MT.

Drew Hossle surfing Brennan's Wave on a warm Missoula evening.