Five Months on the Missouri River: Paddling a Dugout Canoe

Have you ever dreamed of adventure? Thomas J. Elpel had the opportunity to carve a dugout canoe with Churchill Clark, the great-great-great-great grandson of Captain Clark. Together they whittled a 10,000 lb. Douglas fir log down to a 500+ lb. canoe. Enlisting friends with additional canoes to join the adventure, Tom led a five-month "Missouri River Corps of Rediscovery Expedition," paddling the 2,341-mile Missouri River segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail from Montana to St. Louis. A stray puppy joined the five-man expedition en route, growing up on the canoes as the adventurers proceeded downriver. Instead of racing to the finish line, Tom and friends paddled the Missouri River much like Meriwether Lewis and William Clark did, as a conduit for exploring the land and meeting its inhabitants. Every campsite offered a new opportunity to hike and explore the geographical landscape and geology, identify plants, and forage for wild foods. They enjoyed a leisurely pace paddling through the heart of America while diving into natural history, the fur trade, Lewis and Clark, and the history of Native American tribes along the route. They were assisted by many gracious River Angels who reached out to help portage the expedition around the dams. Throughout the journey, Tom wrote a weekly column that was published in newspapers in Montana and across the Midwest. He fleshed out the story for the book, filling in additional details and whole new essays, accompanied by seven hundred stunning color photos from the adventure. The finished book is both an uplifting adventure story and a coffee table book, making an easy read and an inspiring page-turner. Five Months on the Missouri River is tantalizing in its imagery, and anyone who picks up the book to look at the pictures will quickly be captivated by the story, following the expedition from the beginning until its conclusion. Read more