400 Miles on a Paddleboard? Missoula Man Floats Yellowstone River

Stand-up paddleboards or SUPS have been all the rage over the past few summers. It seems every year, you witness more and more people navigating area waters on these surfboard/kayak hybrids.

According to Wikipedia

Standup paddleboarding (SUP), the act of propelling oneself on a floating platform with the help of a paddle or setting pole, traces back thousands of years and across many continents in the form of rafts and punts, but its current form and popularity originated in Hawaii in the 1900s. Records of earlier forms of SUP have been found as early as 3,000 B.C. and its iterations span over various regions such as Peru, Levant, Italy, and China.

The few times I have tried to get on one were enjoyable, but I could not imagine floating down a river on one. Let alone floating 400 miles down a river.

Mike Richarson, of Missoula, recently finished his 400-mile journey down the Yellowstone River. Floating from Gardiner, MT to Terry, MT in a matter of three weeks.

According to Melanie Willardson on montanarightnow.com, they asked Michael Richardson how he felt about the trip.

Incredible. I can't put it into words. It's too many emotions. Highs and lows and all of it is amazing. Truly a journey of a lifetime. Leaving the river feels like I'm leaving a home or a good friend. It brings tears to my eyes to think about being done.

Mike says he had to paddle up 20 miles a day in order to make it to Terry by October 1st. Mike is a true lover of nature and Montana's beauty. He is currently back home in Missoula, planning his next trip on his SUP.