FRIEND OF THE FEARLESS

There is no inherent good or consolation in the loss of life on the river. It is incumbent upon us to remember what happened, who we lost, and why we each of us choses to take the very same risk on the same rivers. In Bigfork Montana, Ben discuses a legendary event, community, and the tragic loss of Lindsay Ashton.

By Ben Stookesberry

A RIVER FOR LINDSAY ASHTON Bigfork. It was on one of those VHS tapes that I wore out when I started kayaking in the late 90s. “The Wild Mile,” they called it. It looked like some kind of crazy class V slalom race with a big audience cheering on the action. But I had not thought about that movie in a long time until the spring of 2018, when I found myself living in Missoula, Montana. My reason for moving there and new love, Cheyenne, was flabbergasted that I wasn’t in the know. “It’s been going on for more than 40 years, you know. Kayaking there is as old as you are, Stookesberry!” Which was admittedly pretty old. In case you’re like me and have no frame of reference, I’ll…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Fall 2021

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