Why this class III Montana River is so Deadly

Montana whitewater has some of the steepest, most daunting, and potentially deadly stretches of river west of the Mississippi. Even with creaking gems like Big Timber Creek and manky boulder gardens including the aptly named Rock Creek, one of the state's least intimidating runs has proven one of the deadliest. Just south of Columbia, Montana, lies the Stillwater River, a meandering and pebble-strewn tributary patchworked with both calm and whitewater. 

The river begins up in the cold snowpack of the Beartooth Mountains and rushes 70 miles to its eventual confluence with the Yellowstone River. The Stillwater is also commercially rafted with multiple outfits guiding guests down the river daily during the summer. While the river is far from intimidating, it is quite capable of handing out a beating and, on multiple occasions, even taking people's lives. 

Accidents on the Stillwater have to do with multiple factors, foremost amongst them being comfortability. The large amount of commercial traffic on the river and its proximity to both Billings and Red Lodge, Montana make the perceived level of risk low, and can create a false sense of familiarity with the river. In the scope of river safety, complacency is a major risk factor, particularly considering the dynamic nature of the river; it will see much of the snow and rain runoff from both spring melt and summer storms. The highly variable water levels make it so even the most experienced Stillwater paddlers are never getting on the same river twice. It is this factor that has led to a majority of the deaths reported to American Whitewater on the river, often due to boaters not wearing a PFD or helmet and entering a fast-moving river environment. 

Most importantly, due to the number of boaters on the Stillwater at any time, along with low perceived risk, drinking is very common on the waterway. There are multiple occasions where drunk boaters have taken long and cold swims nearly costing them their life.  Ultimately, the Stillwater is a river that, while not dangerous in isolation, its dynamic nature and boaters' high level of familiarity have created exponential levels of risk. The idea that the river is a risk-free place creates an environment ripe for disaster, knowing the river level and the experience and gear needed to navigate at that level are key to safety on rivers like the Stillwater.