RIVERDALE, N.D. -- “Wherever there is a channel for water, there is a road for the canoe,” wrote American Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau of his paddling excursions. The canoe is still the vehicle of choice for many adventurers navigating the sinuous Missouri River Trail, from its birth in the Rocky Mountains to its confluence with the Mississippi River.
For some, the call to adventure is irresistible, and action is the only remedy. That call is answered by a small number of “through-paddlers” each year - but for 24-year-old Kyle Parker, the Missouri River alone wasn’t enough. He set out to traverse the North American continent from Washington to the southern tip of Florida.
On Sept. 11, 2024, Parker made headlines by setting the fastest known solo canoe time on the Wisconsin River, covering 424 miles in five days and beating the previous record by eight hours.
His current journey from Washington’s Olympic Peninsula to southern Florida will span roughly 5,000 miles, including about 300 miles of portaging. This expedition’s pace is intentionally slower than his earlier speed-focused trips.
“I have three goals for this trip,” Parker said. “One is to slow down and enjoy it as much as I can, which is sometimes the hardest because I like to keep going. That’s been both a challenge and a goal.”
Parker launched from Neah Bay, Washington, navigating ocean waters with shifting winds, changing tides and unassuming waves before reaching Everett. From there, he paddled his pale teal, custom-built Swift Canoe along the Snohomish, Skykomish, Columbia and Spokane rivers, and through Grand Coulee and Franklin D. Roosevelt reservoirs.
“I’ve decided that Lake Roosevelt is my new favorite lake,” he said. “I met some new friends at Grand Coulee and one of my first followers, which was super cool.”
Parker’s growing social media following gives tens of thousands of people an intimate, water-level seat to the rivers and lakes that make up the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works mission.
After a month and a half of paddling, portaging, riding and even sailing his canoe, Parker reached the other side of Montana’s Continental Divide, where the rivers now carried him into the Omaha District.
“I think the Gates of the Mountains area was one of my favorite stretches so far,” he said. “Above the Gates, I just had a great time fishing.”
His 3,100-calorie daily diet includes granola bars, Pop-Tarts and dried provisions. Now on the Missouri River, Parker can filter water directly, saving the weight of hauling it in his hull.
Another goal is meeting people along the way. Many aren’t social media followers, but instead lovingly referred to as “river angels,” residents who provide support to paddlers.
“It’s nice to be on the Missouri River with such a strong paddling community,” he said. “There are people all over who are there to help if you need it. It’s great to have that community and camaraderie.”
As the Missouri widens into North Dakota’s Lake Sakakawea, a must-stop for paddlers sits tucked into its southern shore, Tobacco Gardens Resort and Marina, run by longtime proprietor Peggy Hellandsaas, known as the “River Mom.”
“Peggy is one of the longest-serving concessionaires on USACE–Garrison Project lands,” said Scott Sterling, a natural resource specialist with the Garrison Dam Project. “Like all our managing partners, she’s incredibly dedicated with a big heart.”
The 187-mile-long lake is managed by a dozen USACE natural resource specialists, better known as rangers, who oversee recreation, protect endangered species, control aquatic nuisance species, and maintain strong relationships with partners like Hellandsaas.
Unbeknownst to one another, several Garrison rangers had been tracking Parker’s progress across the Northwestern Division, especially as he approached the lake they protect.
“Word of us through-paddlers travels fast around here!” Parker said.
When Parker’s pale teal 17’8” canoe, marked with a “Parker.Paddles” decal, pulled up to the final marina on the lake, he was greeted by a different kind of river angel, a USACE ranger. The eastern headwind he had battled all day still clung to him as he unloaded blue food barrels, portage packs and canoe carts onto the ramp.
Sterling helped him load the gear into his truck for a short portage over Garrison Dam. In the rearview mirror, the sun set over Lake Sakakawea, the second Missouri River reservoir on Parker’s route.
At USACE’s Downstream Campground, volunteer host Laura Vetter welcomed Parker, gave him a welcome bag and guided him to his campsite. The next morning, before continuing, Parker toured Garrison Dam’s hydroelectric powerhouse with Operations Project Manager David Beck and visited the fish hatchery with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Toni Ganje.
After days on Sakakawea’s open waters, Parker pushed into the current of the channelized Missouri River, one paddle stroke closer to joining the small group who have completed a coast-to-coast canoe trip.
“If you want something bad enough, you can do it,” Parker said. “A lot of people don’t realize that. You just have to go for it.”
As Parker heads downstream into the Kansas City District, new river angels, including more U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District employees, will be ready to cheer him on.