An "Epic" day on the lake

POLSON — A marathon is a long way to run. It’s an even longer trip by paddle.

On Saturday, Aug. 10, 16 paddlers in watercraft varying from stand-up paddleboards to a solo canoe departed from Polson’s Salish Point headed for Somers to paddle the length of Montana’s largest lake.

The 26-mile endeavor was part of the second annual Epic Shore to Shore Race.

The extravaganza, which also featured 5-mile and 10-mile loop races and a four-by-two paddling relay all based out of the North Flathead Yacht Club in Somers, was a fundraiser for First Descents, a non-profit organization aiming to provide outdoor recreation opportunities to young cancer patients free of cost.

“It’s more for the psychological aspect of dealing with cancer,” said Race Director R.G. Dickey.

Dickey, who lives in Kalispell, was at Salish Point early this morning to help organize the racers and blow the starting horn.

He said that First Descents started as a paddling program but has expanded to provide rock climbing and other activities. The Denver-based organization relies entirely on donations and fundraisers like the Epic Shore to Shore race.

It was founded by Brad Ludden, a former Kalispell resident, who noticed that cancer patients, especially young ones, often seem to feel alienated by their peers, many of whom don’t know how to treat their friends whose lifestyles have changed so drastically.

First Descents attempts to rebuild those support systems by providing the afflicted with an outlet where they can both take their minds off cancer and be successful at something that isn’t exactly easy.

They host more than 50 programs each year for young adult cancer patients throughout North and South America.

While many paddlers were motivated to race for a cause, some had more personal goals.

Helena resident Doug Compton was in the area for a family reunion and heard about the race.

“I grew up in Kalispell, so it’s always been kind of interesting to me,” he said.

Compton finished the paddle in 7 hours, 19 minutes.

This is the first year that paddlers have actually traveled the length of Flathead Lake, as they started from Big Arm in last year’s inaugural race. Dickey said he hopes to keep the race starting in Polson for years to come. He also hopes the race will grow more popular with the lake community.

“We really want to do this thing every year,” he said.