By Scott Shephard
Was she still there? That was my biggest concern when I stepped out of my camper in the early dawn light at my campsite at the Little Bend Recreation Area on Lake Oahe. A storm had swept through around 1:30 a.m. bringing 1/2” of rain and strong winds.
I walked over to look at the shore where I had left her the evening before and I saw nothing. I changed positions thinking she was hidden by the steep bank but the spot was vacant. Omega, my 10’ inflatable boat had been swept away. I noticed that a life jacket that I had up by the camper had blown about 50 feet to the SE before hanging up on tall grass so I theorized that Omega had blown the same direction. I got my binoculars and scanned the shoreline about 3/4 of a mile away and there she was - the good ship Omega, resting serenely on shore.
I drove my pickup up the Little Bend access road and parked above the spot where I thought the boat was. The bluffs along the Missouri may seem grassy but they are really more dirt than grass. And after a 1/2” rain they are pure mud. I believe it’s called “gumbo” and it sticks to the bottom of your shoes like you can’t imagine. Pardon the pun, but at times on the walk down to my boat, my sole was heavy. (Actually both soles were.)
I got to the undamaged boat, pushed her out into the water, started the engine and drove her “home.” To finish the task, I walked exactly 1.78 miles (mostly uphill) to retrieve my truck. About a mile into my trek, I wondered if I had left my keys in my vehicle. I had - I’m not that stupid - and I drove it “home,” too. By 7:30 a.m. I had my boat back and I already had my 10,000 steps for the day, some with heavily weighted water sandals.
“Intelligence” is, I think, a result of genetics, learning and hours of concerted practice. Being wise, however, it a result of thoughtful experience. Unlike the man in Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” I was not “sadder” because of all of this. But I was wiser. The lessons learned? TIE THE DAMN BOAT UP! You’d think that after a sloppy anchoring job a few years ago resulted in another boat on shore after a storm, I’d know that. The other lesson? Don’t go for a stroll on the Missouri River bluffs after a rain storm.
If confronting the experience of retrieving a little lost boat is that worst thing that happens to me on any given day, then life is good. And it most certainly is.
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