Kayaking the Northwest Passage

About the Book

This journal reports the details of the 82 Day Journey of Discovery that Philip Babiak and Bob Witt took from Williston, North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean along the route of Lewis and Clark.

Dr. Keith Jones sees Phil’s quest as a journey to find himself and to discover how he fits into the modern world. “Most young men try to modify themselves in order to find a niche, but Phil is looking for the niche for himself, the way he is.”

Phil and Bob began their retracing near the location of the Lewis & Clark Expedition’s winter encampment at the Mandan villages in the Dakotas. (They arrived in Williston, North Dakota by rail from Louisville Kentucky.)

They began going upstream on the Missouri River headed for Fort Benton, Montana and then on to Great Falls. They got around the five falls with the help of local ranchers, the Looneys, and continued upstream to the mouth of the Dearborn River.

After ascending the Dearborn River westward into the foothills of the Rockies, they had Doug Abeline, a kayak builder they met at Fort Benton, haul them over the Continental Divide in his flatbead truck over Roger’s Pass to Lincoln, Montana, where downstreaming began on the western slope of the Rockies at the headwaters of the Blackfoot River.

They left the Blackfoot at Missoula, Montana and with the help of an Olympic-caliber whitewater kayaker from the University of Montana, Dave Koeppen and his pickup, portaged west up into the Bitterroot Mountains to Lolo Pass and on to the Lochsa River. They skirted the Lochsa’s class 4 & 5 rapids.

At Lowell, Idaho, they resumed travel westward, paddling down the Clearwater River. At the Idaho border, they reached the Snake River and followed that famous stream into the Columbia River, reaching the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, Oregon on their 82nd Day.

Phil’s exultant “Crossing the Bar” (at the mouth of the Columbia) is described in unforgettable detail.

In addition to describing his daily experiences, Phil records his thoughts and what he is discovering about the people he meets and his own needs in life. He is planning his future and developing a philosophy of life.

He finds that:

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this trip, it’s the realization of my need for good people. . .Happiness depends on the people you are with. You, by yourself, are very empty. You must have people, but they must be good people.”

About the Author

(insert color photo of Phil) Philip Babiak grew up in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1960's and the 1970's and began exploring and teaching: from Camp Shenandoah in Indiana to Scott's Creek Field Center in Australia. He introduced young Americans to other cultures by organizing expeitions to Mayan Indian villages in Belize, Central America, to Piro Indian settlements on the Amazon River, to the various Virgin Islands of the Caribbean. In 1979 and again in 1983 he took kids, adults and orphans on board a 38 foot log raft that he and friends built on the Ohio and floated them down the Mississippi River, learning river navigation and life skills of 200 years ago. His main theme was respect for the wonders of this planet and the good people who help each other on this brief passage we are allotted. Dr. Keith Jones sees Phil's quest in these journals as a journey to find himself, to discover how he fits into the modern world. (Inseret color photo of Mona Eagle) The cover design is by artist Mona Eagle of Austin, Texas. She receives her inspiration from Native American folklore and the splendor of western landscapes. Her work is exhibited in galleries, art shows and private collections throughtout the USA and can be seen at her website: http://www.angelfire.com/biz/eagleart