Howdy Partners! The summer is coming to a close and most of the rivers are dry. It is now time to fill you all in on what's going on out here in Montucky. Pat and I started up our summer with a somewhat successful roadtrip through CO for some boating. With poor weather conditions and Pat's need of a truck our trip was cut short. Upon my arrival back in Bozeman on a more than regular Gallatin run I slipped and fell on a rock, breaking my hand, and putting myself out of the game for 8 long a grueling weeks. The creek boat season drifted by as I fell more and more into depression. But don't fear! Pat kept the flame lit by hucking his meat continually on the greater Bozeman's creek scene.
The first ever Big Timber race went down in June, with Pat placing 5th and #1 from the Americans, proving that the young guns and rip it up with the good ol' boys.
With my hand starting to heal we decided to check out the Kootenai at a high flow of 17 grand. Needless to say, it was a wild wild time, with massive surf sessions, big waterfalls, and epic river running through a scenic gorge in Northwest Montana. The Kootenai river offers (in my opinion) the best playboating in the state, with blunts, backstabs, and airscrews being the norm on the big bouncy surf.
The wonderful thing about the Kootenai is that it is always GOOD. While some rivers are prime at only certain flows, the Kootenai is prime no matter what level you hit it at. So, it really doesn't matter when you're there... it's gonna be sick. At low flows it turns into big holes with good looping spots and endless surf sessions. At higher flows it turns into massive wave trains and rowdy waterfall hucks culminating with surf sessions that get ended when you swallow too much water and puke in the eddy. If you get the chance, go to Libby Montana and marvel at the "Montana's Zambezi".Oh yeah, one more thing. Pat and I decided that school would have to wait till spring sememster because Africa is calling... and we're going to answer.
