Distinctly Montana Magazine

39 w w w. d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m ally amazing trail and views soon after Wise River. Kona Pass, Waukena Lake, and the surrounding area were a highlight of the trail for sure." Stepping beyond the spectacular Rocky Mountains, travelers experience several of the state's island mountain ranges. Con- tinuing east, the route leads to Livingston, Clyde Park, and the Crazy Mountains. "Leaving the town of Livingston and getting into the Crazies in- volves quite a road walk. As you near the mountains, the scenery gets great from the road, though," he says. "The Crazy Mountains are beautiful and have great mountain pass views, as well." Turning north, he explored the Castles, Little Belts, and High- wood ranges on his journey. "If I remember correctly, the water situation in the Highwoods was a little tough. [There were] some steep and hard-to-follow trail at times and coming down from Big Baldy I deviated—got lost—from the normal route and had quite an adventure for a bit. It was some work for sure but worth it." PADDLING THE RIVER Finally reaching Fort Benton, Costanza connected with Mis- souri River Outfitters, who lined him up with a kayak rental and necessary gear. The Bureau of Land Management's guides from Fort Benton to Judith Landing and one from Judith Landing to James Kipp Landing helped tremendously to know where to camp and what features lay ahead. "Fort Benton to James Kipp Landing was a pretty nice paddle. The White Cliffs area was spectacular. Established campsites are along the way and public land for camping adjacent to the river are available, as well," Costanza says. "[The BLM guide] shows you the campgrounds of Lewis and Clark." During his time on the river, he avoided a few rattlesnakes be- fore he disembarked at Kipp's Landing. "I wanted to test myself to see how the James Kipp to Fort Peck walk would be. I was a lit- tle nervous about it, but also very excited when I finished it—and pretty beat up."

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