Day 5

After a relaxing stopover at the Circle H Ranch, the crew flew on to Pierre, capital of SD. The crew were met there by the members of the Lewis & Clark committee, and members of the Chamber of Commerce. They asked that the Flight of Discovery members give a talk about the expedition, and the crew also learned much from them, as they detailed the historical events which had taken place around Pierre. The crew was then treated to a boat ride on the Missouri and out to the spot where Lewis & Clark had the historic first meeting with the Sioux Nation, where the Bad River meets the Missouri, pictured above. Flight Operations Sciences View Slideshow Flight Operations Expedition Leader's Notes After some morning delay due to low ceilings at Gillespie (unusual), Mark showed up with his son Darrin and we took off from Gillespie about 8:30am. I flew only intermittently, giving Mark a break now and then... first to Kingman, AZ, then over the Grand Canyon to Grand Junction, CO. From Grand Junction, we were in a circling climb for almost an hour (high density altitude) before we got enough altitude to head over the Rockies at Steamboat Springs. From there it was a glide to Cheyenne, WY then downhill to Pierre, SD… 11 hours straight. My enduring gratitude to Mark for doing it in one day with me. We landed just at sunset on the taxiway - the runway being closed for repairs. The crew was out on a boat ride on the Missouri to some Lewis & Clark sites so we caught the shuttle into the hotel where we rallied in the restaurant at the Best Western, had a few drinks in Carol's honor and their was much rejoicing. Sciences Zoology Geology

It was a short flight and only a few new species were seen. But some observation was made. The river is wide in this area, and shallow. Currents are generated not only by water but also by the wind. Wind blown currents along the edges of the river cause large amounts of sediment to be lifted. The water along the edges create swirls and dirty water.

Animals observered: White tail, red tail hawk, meadow lark, American white pelican, mule deer, American goldfinch, mountain blue bird, yellow headed blackbird, tri-color blackbird, morning dove, white wing Dove, ring neck pheasant.

It was a short flying day from the ranch to Pierre, and there were very few outcrops off the river, because the underlying rock is the Pierre Shale which is easily weathered. On the river we flew over the Grand Detour, which is a meander that was accurately documented on the map prepared by Clark during the expedition. It is a meander in the river, but unlike those previously noted that erode and deposit sediment on the flood plain, this one is restricted in its movement because it is cut into the Pierre Shale. It is almost a complete circle cut into the bedrock. Someday the thin neck of rock will give way and an oxbow will be formed.