Montana's Clearwater Canoe Trail is not only a good place to paddle, it is a good place to begin to paddle. There are no strong currents, no whitewater, just a 3 1/2-mile ribbon of river that empties into Seeley Lake, near the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, in a pretty part of the state.
Earlier this summer, 14-year-old Adrienne Shaw and her 10-year-old brother, Ashton, of Salt Lake City, made their first canoe trip there, along with their mother and some friends. The Shaw children approached the canoe trail cautiously.
"This was the first time in my whole life," said Adrienne about canoeing. "I had gone river rafting for a family reunion and it hailed." But on the Clearwater that day, there was sunshine. Canoeing was a lot easier than she thought it would be, she says. Her mother's friend was in the back of the craft, steering.
"She did all the work," Adrienne says. The person in the front "only has to get the right stroke and there are only, like, two of them."
As for Ashton, he was a bit nervous when he started out and the canoe was "going back and forth" across the channel. But he soon decided the roundabout route made canoeing more fun.
Ashton would definitely recommend this sport to any 10-year-old. If you can come up with a canoe and a paddle and a life jacket, he says, "there's not really anything else you need."
Adrienne and Ashton's mom, Jeanne Shaw, says she was apprehensive watching her children head off down the river. She consoled herself with the knowledge that they can swim. She had wanted Ashton in her canoe until she learned that his assigned paddling partner (Patrick Evans, 16, from Rhode Island) was a Boy Scout who had taught canoeing to younger boys. Once she was on the water, feeling the calm current, she relaxed even more.
Forest Service brochures rate the Clearwater Canoe Trail as "easy to moderate" and recommend it from late spring throughout the fall. The distance can be canoed in two hours, easily. The trail empties into Seeley Lake, a 1,025-acre lake and one of several lakes in the Clearwater Valley through which the Clearwater River flows.
Once a canoeist arrives at Seeley Lake, a short paddle across the end of the lake (if it's windy, stick close to shore) brings you to the take-out. From there, a 1 1/2-mile hike takes you back to your car. No shuttles are necessary on this trip.
In addition to being easy, the Clearwater Canoe Trail is a good spot for families to view wildlife. Birds are thick on the banks. (A list of local birds is available at the ranger station.) The Shaws spotted kingfishers and loons along the way and saw frogs, deer and prairie dogs at the take-out.
If you don't have time to drive to Montana, there are safe places to start your kids canoeing in Utah, of course. Dave Fulghum, a local paddler and father, says he likes the lakes in the Uintas. He names Washington, Trial and Mirror lakes.
"All excellent choices. Easy access and an hour away from Salt Lake. They're not that big that they're going to be intimidating but big enough to hold your interest." He also mentions Electric Lake in Carbon County and Causey Reservoir in Ogden Canyon.
Besides your PFD (personal flotation device), Fulghum says the most important thing to bring along on a family canoe trip is a good sense of humor. You'll also want an extra paddle, rain gear, warm clothes in a waterproof bag, a first-aid kit and drinking water.
Gail Gutsche, the owner of Wild Rockies Tours in Missoula, Mont., and the leader of the Shaws' trip, gave them an equipment list that included "wide-brimmed hat and long-sleeved shirt for sun and bug protection," as well as footwear advice. "Tevas or booties or even old tennies. No thongs."
Just before they left for Montana, the Shaw kids spotted some $5 watersocks at Target. Ashton got black. Adrienne got blue, a pale lavender-blue to match the color of her raingear. They were perfect, she reports, for standing in the Clearwater. Perfect for launching an adventure.
E-MAIL: susan@desnews.com