In search of a flow state.

(with apologies to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)

I can’t remember exactly when my Missouri River excursion daydreams all started, it was many years ago. But, I can tell you where the thoughts most often had their genesis – at my desk at work. At times of high stress, when it seemed that everybody needed something, and they each needed it RIGHT NOW, I’d take a deep breath, minimize all of the windows on my massive computer monitor and say to myself, “Someday this will be my view, this will be the only task on my task list – to breathe, to be in the moment and to go with the flow.”🌲🛶 🏕

Well, my new, single item task list is on the calendar for June 6, 2023 – canoe the Missouri River from source to terminus (undecided currently whether that’ll be the Mississippi confluence or the St. Louis Arch). This task has no hard completion deadline. In fact, the whole point of this task is to make the journey the destination, to take my time and bask in the glorious wonders of nature – an extended Shinrin-Yoku session of sorts. For those that are wondering, the Missouri River is 2,341 miles from it’s source at Three Forks, Montana to it’s confluence with the Mississippi in St. Louis.

I won’t bore you with all of the mundane details of the preparations involved in this undertaking (or, “boondoggle,” if you will – the appellation my wife Kathy has preferred to utilize in referring to this adventure). Suffice it to say, I concluded that my usual strategy (wingin’ it, improvising & relying upon my native intelligence) probably wouldn’t cut it in this case. I’ve never undertaken an expedition like this. So, I made sure to absorb as much pertinent information as I could relevant to a successful journey. I think (hope?) that I have adequately addressed most of the known challenges and contingencies. But, as is always the case, I am certain that unforseen obstacles will arise. I hope to get by with the assistance of the wonderful network of river angels and the collective wisdom of prior paddlers that have gone before me – whom I have followed on the Missouri River Paddlers Facebook page for the last several years. I realize that I am an introvert and never have been much of a “joiner,” but I have resolved to, along with swimming in the serenity of savory sylvan solitude, avail myself to an occasional dip in the pool of civil discourse with my fellow human beings, especially with like-minded river folk. I will confess, however, that I may do so with the ulterior motive of the potentiality of possibly procuring a cold beer, hot shower or comfortable bed (or all of the foregoing). 😉

A little bit of background about the name of this blog – Spirit II St. Louis. The canoe that I will be paddling is a Wenonah Spirit II. The canoe’s destination is St. Louis – so, the goal is to get the Spirit II to St. Louis. I’ve abbreviated this upon the side of my canoe by affixing a St. Louis Cardinals’ STL emblem next to Wenonah’s canoe name emblem. (Any resemblance to the name of Charles Lindbergh’s craft is strictly coincidental.)

I’ve vicariously made adventurous river trips down the Missouri and other rivers numerous times – sometimes in real time via the internet at my desk, sometimes while relaxing with a book in my recliner – now, however, the river calls and I must go.

I would invite you to follow my journey if you would like to do so. (Positive vibes only, please. ✌️🤙 ) I hope to document the trip on this blog and on my Instagram account (@smo_dog). Who knows, I may even follow up my first ever Facebook post (made in order share this blog with my Facebook friends) with some posts and pics of my river adventures and exploits. Finally, once I am underway, you should be able to track my progress on my Garmin InReach page (https://share.garmin.com/smodog ) Currently the InReach map will probably display my test run trip on the Current River last summer. Hopefully, I will figure out how to hide that trip and only display my Missouri River trip by the time that I put in at Three Forks.

Peace out ✌️👍& paddle on 🛶 .