We woke up and checked on Aron, who had slept under the stars. He was still out cold, but somehow he had wiggled his sleeping bag so it was 90º from his ground mat and tarp.
Aron helped Jim and Whitney make blueberry pancakes for breakfast, which we ate smothered with maple syrup and with fully 1/3 pound of bacon each.
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on the Missouri, MT:
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on the Missouri, MT:
Dear Journal,
Today we woke up and I helped Whitney and Jim make blueberry pancakes for a tastebud-tantalizing feast. Then we cast off and resumed paddling. But when we got off for a break, we got stuck in gumbo! So we got back in, and paddled to Judith's Landing, where we took out our mini-fleet (see page 42) and had lunch. Then we got into the van (see page 40) and drove back to Jim's house, where we got t-shirts that read “On River Time” and drove to a nearby Farmer's Market where we got doughnut holes, Frybread, and cucumbers. After that, we drove to our motel, ate some doughnut holes for dinner, and went to sleep.
Aron
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on the Missouri, MT: camp
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on the Missouri, MT: the group
Packed up our gear and moved on. Aron went on the port side this time, so he could avoid the guy on the right. The scenery was still gorgeous, but we were getting out of the limestone bluffs area. Saw some herons, few trees, and lots of cows. We pulled up for lunch at our take-out place, Judith's Landing. Aron and I helped the crew move the gear off the pirogue and 2 motor boats (the motor boats had taken our tents, cook stuff, and overnight gear ahead each day), and our exhausted group were driven back in the van to Jim's house in Fort Benton. On the way Jim pointed out some wild antelopes. At Jim's house we received Lewis and Clark Canoe Expeditions T-shirts, took our stuff out of the dry bags, and took our leave from the crew.
On Jim's advice, Aron and Arthur and I stopped at the Fort Benton, Montana, farmer's market. We bought fry bread, doughnut holes, cucumbers, and bread. Yum! Then we drove to Great Falls, Montana, to our motel, showered, did a much-needed laundry, and ate doughnut holes for dinner. To sleep as soon as possible!
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on the Missouri, MT:
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on the Missouri, MT: taking our pirogue out at Judith's Landing
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on the Missouri, MT: an exhausted Aron Cowen in the van after our river trip