A kayaking friend showed me her massive calf bruise last week, and then explained that, despite warmer days, our currently cold nights stave off rapid snow pack melt and thus keep river water levels fairly stable, and pretty much ideal for undaunted water fiends. (Yes, this is my simplified interpretation of what she really said.)
So, these leftover fall leaves will have to continue their waiting for high water to send them on a rapids adventure.
But devoted kayakers are zipping into dry suits and heading out to Alberton Gorge to get back in the water while the gettin' is good.
Sultry summer evenings bring an interesting medley of floatation devices to Missoula’s Clark Fork River - tubes, rafts, stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, surfboards, you name it. While calm stretches of water coddle most floaters, we watched the brave ones continue through Brennan’s Wave, created in 2006 in memory of Brennan Guth, a world-class kayaker from Missoula. Situated next to Caras Park, the Wave has been the host site for championship kayaking competitions, including the annual Best in the West event. Over the years, high and extended spring flows damaged the foundational structure of the Wave. A kayaking colleague explained to me that the structure now creates a green wave, which is better for surfers, instead of the original white wave coveted by kayakers. Long-range repairs are scheduled to continue this fall, and I‘m sure the Wave will again be busy the minute work is completed.
