1. The Missouri River Adventure
July 18th, 2009
The Hydes, Greens, and Gillaspies thought, “Gee, wouldn’t it be great fun to go to the Amelia Earhart
Days in Atchison, KS by boating up the Missouri River from Leavenworth on Saturday?” (Folks, this was
mistake #1).
A short chronology of the day’s events (times are approximate):
1400 (2:00pm): Launch Hyde’s pontoon with Tom, Peggy, Greg, Marie, Amber (4 yrs old), and Reily (1 yr
old). Launch Green’s pontoon with Tracy, Jennifer, Josh (18), Ashley (15), and Hannah (15) (cousin). By
the way, a birthday that Ashley will not soon forget (she can tell her grandchildren about it).
1430 (2:30pm): Pontoons, side-by-side head up the river. Here we go, two-by-two up the lazy Big Mo.
1530 (3:30pm): Hyde pontoon shoots craps. Load Peggy, Marie, Amber, and Reily into the Green boat,
while Tom and Greg free fall back to Leavenworth, I head north with the women and children.
1630 (4:30pm): Tom and Greg get Hyde pontoon out of river with help from 3-4 Good Samaritans at
Leavenworth. Decide they’ll get Tom’s fishing boat, and follow us up the river. At this point Tracy
requests that they bring more fuel, as he’s used nearly 12 of the 17 gallons he brought.
1730 (5:30pm): Tom and Greg report they’re on the river and heading north with an extra ten gallons of
fuel. This is not too long before the Green pontoon runs out of gas, and over a rock jetty on the way to
the nearest shore, wedged between the shore and some rocks.
1745 (5:45pm): Tom and Greg report that the fishing boat has died and they’re stranded just south of
Iatan. They’ve called Tom’s neighbor, who’s getting his boat and heading to the river.
1750 (5:50pm): Although I’ve been avoiding it, and did not come armed, I decide to go across a small
cove (we’re on the Missouri side of the river, and I’m wearing a KU championship t-shirt) to ask some
“campers” for some help. Much to my surprise and delight, they take me to get gas, and help pull us off
the rocks.
1815 (6:15pm): We’re three miles south of Atchison, and it’s decision time: Continue north, or turn tail
and run. After a short conversation with my father-in-law:
Tom: “Just go to Atchison, you’re that close, and that was our goal. I’ll see you back at Leavenworth
tonight.”
Tracy: “If you think, after all we’ve been through that I’m going to float back down this river in the
middle of the night, by myself, with stressed out women and children, YOU’RE NUTS!”

2. Tom: “OK, I’ll get your truck and trailer and meet you in Atchison later tonight. Greg will bring his
vehicle to pick up his family.”
1945 (7:45pm): Safe arrival at Atchison dock. Informed by the water patrol that we’d have to stay there
until after the fireworks (safety reasons). I wasn’t going anywhere buddy. Teenagers have already left,
then Jennifer, Amber, and I take a stroll along the vendors and porta-potties.
2030 (8:30pm): Arrive back at the dock to find a policeman telling Peggy and Marie we’ve got to move
the boat. After informing the fine officer that the Water Patrol said we couldn’t move it, he made us
leave the boat and get off of the dock. This is when I discovered the bent ignition key, which
immediately broke when I attempted to straighten it.
2330 (11:30pm): Tom arrives with my truck, and two pieces of information: 1) He had to get gas, and
the gas cap key got stuck in the cap, and 2) the running lights on the trailer have gone out.
0001 (12:01am): Get the boat started with the broken key (Wal-Mart in Atchison has no one to make
keys late at night, nor a key small enough). Load boat without event, and take it off the ramp to off load
all the crap women can pack.
0045 (12:45am): Depart Atchison with in-laws in trail since the trailer lights are not functioning.
0105 (1:05am): Not quite sure how the deputy sheriff got his car between my boat (and trailer with no
lights) and the in-laws, but he did it. Guess it’s a good thing I only had one beer. He informed me that
although I’d registered my truck in May, when he called it in, it showed as expired. He recommended I
go to the courthouse and to be careful. You’ve got to be kidding me – NO TICKET!!!!!! 
0150 (1:50am): Safe arrival at Benny’s, where I’ve decided to store the boat for the night, rather than
try the Leavenworth and Lansing police departments ability to find my 24 ft pontoon with no lights
cruising their city streets at 0200 (2:00am).
FOOTNOTE: The response was less than overwhelming when I mentioned we’d learned plenty of
lessons for next year’s run!