Support the Big Muddy
 
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The conditions were near perfect on our first long training day of the year.  We paddled the 46 miles between Glascow and Katfish Katies.  We were accompanied by Colin Dogget and Jodi Pfefferkorn.  Just upstream from mile marker 219 and the infamous Lisbon bottoms, we had a discussion on the potential for shooting the chute.  After the great flood in 1993, the powerful Mighty Missouri swept through the rock structure holding the form of a major bend, creating a chute across the bend.  The chute still exists, allowing a narrow stretch of river to escape the bend.  We agreed to scout it out before attempting to go through the chute.  The varying water elevations will determine the drop at the entrance of the chute, with large rocks scattered along the entrance.  The sound of the rapids increased as we approached and we began to see large whitecaps forming from the water reversing off the rocks. 

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  Sarah and I navigated to the downstream side of the chute where Collin was already checking out the entrance.  We knew we would not be able to take our fragile boats over, but we wanted to see if there was a chance that Jodi could take her (recently determiened)indestructible solo through.  As we were rounding the chute, we see Jodi cruising from the upstream side.  Surely she was not going to go for an attempt without scouting it first, but before anyone could say anything, she surged over the edge……and disappeared. 

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The entrance to the chute was at least a three foot drop scattered with rocks larger than our boats.  We raced to the edge, still not entirely sure where or what happened to her.  We portaged around the chute and saw a bobbing head floating thirty feet downstream from the rapids, sunken boat in tow.  Jodi shot the chute, and although she didn’t have a chance at staying upright……survived to tell the story!


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We continued through the chute, back to the Missouri, and finished the trip in about 8 hours, averaging around 6.5 mph for our moving speed.  We also took a passenger around Boonville, when a little garder snake was desperately trying to climb into our boat from the middle of the river.  Not sure what it was doing crossing the river, but it didn’t look like it had the strength to continue.  Sarah picked it up, and as we hauled it to shore it regained its strength and gave her a little bite on the arm.  It was enough to scratch the surface, but not enough for Sarah to let go of it.  As we released it on the bank, we thought about how it having its own little survival story of forging the mighty MO.   

Shooting the Chute and snake bit........just another day on the river! 



10/23/2012 06:08:33 pm

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Joseph Aidan
www.arielmed.com

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1/9/2013 09:04:47 am

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wizard88
www.askdiana.net

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