I took a brief trip down the Missouri River one Thanksgiving Day in my Folbot double kayak. I was pretty much swept along in the swift current and wasn’t really sure where I was going. I don’t know what my plan was or if I even had one at the time. This was also back in the days before everyone had cell phones, so I don’t know how I expected to get home after I finished my wild adventure.

That outing was probably not one of my better ideas but I did eventually manage to find my way to an undeveloped county park that I recognized and fortunately I knew some people who lived a short hike away so I was able to call home and get picked up.

I know you have a lot more experience than I did then or now but don’t take the river for granted, it’s powerful. 

I think I would invest in one of those deck mounted strobe lights to make myself a little harder to miss on the water. A radio is not a bad idea either. I’m curious to know how to deal with the locks. Do you portage around them or go through?

I have canoed many sections of the Missouri River, but have yet to tackle the MR 340.  I have found the river to be very enjoyable and moderately easy to canoe. It’s like a big lake with a current. You need to take the river serious but it is basically common sense – stay away from barges, dykes, etc. and dont fall in.

The hardest part of the MR340 will be canoeing at night and keeping up your stamina.  I would recommend you try out the river before the race to get an idea.  There are a few other races on the Missouri, but I think the only one before July 27 is Jeff City’s Race to the Dome.

Good luck next year.

2010 will be the first annual Race to the Dome.  A group of river enthusiasts are planning the charity canoe/kayak race.  Tentative date now is Saturday, July 3rd.  The race will begin in Hartsburg and end in Jefferson City. 15.8 miles.  should take around two hours depending on how hard one paddles.  they have a website -not live yet- http://www.racetothedome.com and a twitter account – @racetothedome.

another great race on the Missouri is Race for the Rivers http://www.racefortherivers.org and @racefortheriver.  it’s a lot of fun.  they have a one day 20 miler and a two day 65 miler.  it’s September 4 and 5 next year.

and of course there is the premier Missouri River Race the MR 340.  http://www.rivermiles.com July 27-30, 2010  Kansas City to St. Charles in 88 hours or less.

I will keep you posted when Race to the Dome becomes finalized.

Yeah I didn’t know about all the other ones. I’m kinda new to the racing thing, but love long river trips. 340 miles is right up my alley, although 16 miles could be a lot of fun too.

I canoed from Eagle Creek to Judith landing last summer and I would definitely recommend it.  I was on the river in the first week of July and the river was not flowing very quickly so it was very easy to paddle.  There were no rapids or dangerous obstacles that we encountered so novice paddlers should have no problems there.

The scenery was pretty amazing and really makes the trip worthwhile.  There are slot canyons to explore, natural features like Hole-In-the-Wall and the white cliffs along the way.  You also get to camp at or near many of the sites that Lewis and Clark stayed at so there are some great opportunities to immerse yourself in the history.  There are also homesteads and the remnants of native american camps including teepee rings that are fun to explore.

You will want to bring lots of water since the river water is not drinkeable, and there really isn’t anywhere to fill up along the way.  Also make sure you have a tent that can stand up to the strong winds that seem to blow through every afternoon.