July 21, 2010 - Missouri Breaks: Fort Peck to Winifred

Fort Peck Lake was huge so I hugged the northern shoreline. 
 
This leg of my trip would be over some remote country so I double-checked to make sure my SPOT2 was working. 
 
The lake gradually narrowed. 
 
 
 
The lake has turned back into the Missouri River.  After awhile the river made a big "U" turn.  The area within the "U" was a flat plateau, with short grass, and completely pristine. 
 
Someone once tried living here but these two buildings have long been empty. 
 
Back over the river.
 
I was now entering the area known as the "Missouri Breaks".  I had expected the Breaks to be the highlight of the entire trip and it was. 
 
 
 
 

PIlots Getaways magazine ran a story on eight strips owned by the Bureau of Land Management.  They are not maintained, and have no facilities, but you can land at your own risk, camp, hike to the river, whatever. 

I checked out one strip, Knot Ridge, a short ways south of the river.  If I didn't have the GPS coordinates, it would be hard to know it was an airstrip.  I wanted to land, but being by myself, it wasn't a good idea.  It would be fun to fly in with a group of planes. 

 
Back to the river.
 
Which just seemed to be getting better and better...
 
Things started getting very scenic.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A little tributary off the Missouri.  Arnell's Creek perhaps? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This ferry crossing was the first sign of civilization I had seen in quite awhile.
 
I left the Breaks again to check out a dirt strip airport called Winifred about 10 miles or so to the south.  
 
 
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