Missouri Bill Completes Life-Long Dream
Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to do what it takes to make those dreams come true.
That phrase is what Bill Cottrell, local long-distance canoe enthusiast, reflected on when he began his canoe trip down the Missouri River last summer.
Cottrell, known as “Missouri Bill,” when on the river, started a life-long dream of following in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, leaving Three Forks Montana on May 17 (the day he turned 70) and paddled to Williston N. D. At that time a back injury, sustained in December of 2021, was creating some problems for the distance paddler and knowing that the lakes on the Missouri River that span north and south Dakota had no current, Cottrell took the opportunity to drive around the five lakes in the Dakotas and get back on the river below the Yankton Dam west of Sioux City, Iowa.
From there Missouri Bill would spend the next 30 days paddling to the St. Louis Arch, arriving on July 18. With another year of “healing” Cottrell felt ready to go back to Williston N.D. and complete his boy-hood dream.
Missouri Bill put his canoe in the Missouri River on June 1, hoping to complete the 800 mile trek in 30 days. Cottrell fully expected to encounter some “zero” days (days that a canoer could not travel due to wind). On day two he would come to realize that the wind was going to be a major challenge as a storm developed that would send him two miles off course, completely to the opposite side of Lake Sakakawea. On still water, Cottrell, with a loaded canoe, would generally travel at 3 to 3.5 miles/hour. After the storm subsided, he made the return trip back across the lake to get on the south side (river right).
Early that evening Cottrell pulled into the Tobacco Garden Marina and campground. Miss Peggy, camp owner, greeted Missouri Bill and told him how glad she was that he had made it to the marina because a major windstorm was due to blow in that evening. As the duo studied the weather it became apparent that Cottrell was in for four zero days. Over the next four days the winds would blow at 40 to 50 mph (day and night) with gusts up to 70-75 mph. To keep Cottrell from going stair crazy Miss Peggy put him to work mowing the campgrounds. As he mowed next to the lake and looked at the giant waves that the wind was creating, he was glad to be where he was at and not camped on some point.
By Thursday of that week the winds had blew themselves out and he was able to get back on the lake and continue on. Lake Sakakawea is a huge lake with over 1320 miles of shore line, 14 miles wide at its widest point, 178 miles long and 180 feet deep near the Garrison dam. Cottrell was able to paddle the next three days, but was once again wind bound on the fourth day. On trip day 11 Cottrell made his way around Independence Point and would start to head south, southeast.
Progress would be impeded by the wind and for the next two days Cottrell was forced to shore by mid-morning. As he studied the weather and looking at his dismal progress Cottrell decided to not set up camp and opted to sleep inside of his sleeping bag setting in his camp chair ( that would save time not having to break camp). Cottrell’s desire to be on the water at first light meant he would have to endure the coldest night of his life! His sleeping bag is a three-season bag, equipped with a “head pocket”. That night Missouri Bill would take a breath and exhale inside the sleeping bag to gain some warmth! By 5:00 the next morning Cottrell’s shoulders were shaking so hard he packed up and got on the water before day light, the paddling action took his mind off how cold he was and generated body warmth!
By mid-morning Cottrell came to the confluence of the Little Missouri River. He was now faced with a 2-mile-wide crossing and the wind had already started to pick up. As Cottrell was studying his map to determine how far he would have to travel up the river to make the crossing manageable a fisherman happened by. Cottrell paddled out to the fisherman and asked if he would consider pulling him across the confluence area, which he was glad to do. By mid-afternoon the wind would force Missouri Bill to camp.
The next day started out decent but by early afternoon, after rounding a rocky point Cottrell encountered three foot waves, one of the waves picked the canoe up and set it on top of a huge rock that Cottrell had not seen. The next wave nearly tipped the canoe over! By the time the next wave hit Cottrell was ready and was able to shove off the rock, get to shore and make camp. On day 15 Cottrell would see the Garrison dam. As he approached the marina area he had a different set of issues to deal with, waves, not wind driven waves, but rather wake waves.
It was a Saturday, a nice day, and that brought out the power boats and jet boats! As Cottrell was watching the boat activity and how intense the wakes were a pontoon boat with a family of four came near. Missouri Bill flagged them down. Cottrell learned last year and reinforced this year to accept help and not be afraid to ask for help. The boat owner lived in Bismark N. D. and asked how he could help. Cottrell explained his concern about the wakes and asked about attaching the canoe to his pontoon. They decided to tie it along side the pontoon so it would shield the canoe from the wakes. The canoe took a lot of “beating” but was able to safely get to the dock.
With the help of a river angel Missouri Bill would spend the night at a lodge, eat a wonderful meal and enjoy a shower for the first time in two weeks! The following day would put him back on the river and headed to Lake Oahe. This lake is the 4th largest artificial lake in the U.S. and is 231 miles long and has 2250 miles of shoreline.
By day 18 Cottrell had arrived at Bismark, 70 miles past Garrison Dam, and was heading south. Two nights later, while camped on a large sand bank a storm blew in during the night that would test the tent’s storm lines! It rained and the wind blew, but the canoe stayed put and the tent held.
As Missouri Bill paddled his way through the maze of braided channels, where the river becomes a lake, he was paddling along a huge expanse of cattails that forced him from river left towards river right. After rounding the curve where he could start to get back to river left Cottrell was met with a fierce headwind that produced 2.5 foot waves. There was nothing to do but to buck the waves, eat water, get wet and endure the soreness of paddling non-stop for two hours. (If you stopped paddling, you would be going backwards). Cottrell made shore, completely exhausted, and waited a couple of hours for the wind to subside before pressing on-ward.
By day 21 Cottrell had reached Beaver Creek campground on Lake Oahe. It was a rainy day and the wind was moderate. As he studied his maps and looked at the days Cottrell knew that choices had to be made. As much as he wanted to paddle the entire distance, he knew that was not possible with the time lost to the never ending wind! That evening Cottrell called his youngest brother, who lives in Sioux City, to come get him and take him around the remaining miles of lake Oahe and put him back in the water at Pierre S.D.
This put Cottrell on Lake Sharpe, where he would paddle for 2.5 days, having to endure head winds most of the time. It was amazing the temperature difference between Beaver Creek and Pierre, it felt like going from the north pole to the topics! On trip day 25 as Cottrell was starting to make his way around Big Bend on Lake Sharpe, a 25 miles long bend, he met four fishermen who offered to assist in any way they could. Missouri Bill shared he needed a way around the Big Bend Dam.
The boat owner stated that his truck was in the opposite direction, but that they would load the canoe in the fishing boat and take it and Cottrell down to Chamberlain S.D. This put Cottrell on Lake Francis Case. During the night of day 27 the north wind blew so hard that Cottrell had to put his back against his tent to keep it from collapsing! Rain pounded the tent, Cottrell prayed that no hail would come with the storm.
As Missouri Bill rolled his wet tent and stuffed his sleeping bag into its sleeve he knew this would have to be his last day. The night’s storm didn’t do much damage and the canoe had stayed put, thanks to a three-foot rebar stake that Cottrell had brought. There was a west by northwest wind blowing that got stronger as the morning progressed. When Cottrell was 4 miles from the dock 44 marina the waves had gotten so intense that paddling on would be unsafe. He had pulled into a small cove and was wondering what to do when around the rocky bend came a fishing boat with two couples in it.
Missouri Bill paddled out to them, bucking some intense waves and asked it they would help get him to the marina.
With wondering thoughts and a glean in his eye the boat owner said the best option would be to tow the empty canoe and for him to ride in their boat. Dock 44 would be where Cottrell would call an end to his journey. He had already paddled the remaining lake (Lewis and Clark) during the summer of 2022 when he took part in the Fort to Field 50 canoe race. The kindness and assistance that Missouri Bill encountered during the past two years on the Missouri River can never be repaid in full but he is determined to find a way.
A life-long dream has become reality for Cottrell. When asked if he would do it again, his reply is “let me think on that!”
