8/1/1998: Gallatin R., Moose Creek CG to Storm Castle (House Rock)

With: Roger Corbett, Richard Wells, Bob Whiting, Bing Garthright, Brent Smith, Tina Shriver, Jim Barton, Travis Barton, David Vezzetti, Dorothy Vezzetti, John Olden, Hendrik van Oss
Corbett's group would be driving up from the Gros Ventre campground in the morning, so I had time to drive into Bozeman and do a load of laundry. I drove back to a bridge ten miles upstream of Storm Castle where I awaited the arrival of Corbett's group, who trickled in between one and two hours late.

We all ran the river down to the Swan Creek access, and six of us continued down the best two miles of the river, through House Rock Rapid, to Storm Castle. There was carnage; folks jus' hadn't oughta try to take 16' cruising canoes through Class III whitewater!

My friend from Maryland, Bobbi Spitzberg, transferred from the car she had been riding in to mine (she turned out to be a most agreeable and low-maintenance travelling companion), and while the rest of the group headed toward Missoula, we took US-191 back south to an RV park in West Yellowstone, so we could have a non-boating day touring the Park the next day.

164 miles
1. The Gallatin River, one of three that converge at Three Forks, MT to form the Missouri
2. The Gallatin River
3. Jim Barton on the Gallatin River
4. Bing Garthright on the Gallatin River
5. Bing Garthright on the Gallatin River
6. Richard Wells on the Gallatin River
7. Travis Barton on the Gallatin River
8. Bing Garthright and Richard Wells on the Gallatin River
9. Jim and Travis Barton on the Gallatin River
10. David Vezetti and Richard Wells on the Gallatin River
11. The Gallatin River
12. The Gallatin River