The covers are coming off and the engines are turning over at Gates of the Mountains Marina, where boaters are getting their vessels in the water and bracing for what's shaping up to be an expensive season at the pump. The marina, which sits along the Missouri River about 20 miles north of Helena, is one of the area's most-used launch points for recreational boating on the canyon reservoir.

Boaters making their seasonal preparations this week said the excitement of getting back on the water is genuine — but so is the sticker shock at current fuel prices. The cost of marine fuel has climbed alongside broader fuel trends, and for owners of larger boats that burn significant gallons on a weekend run through the canyon, the math adds up quickly.

Gates of the Mountains is more than a marina — the corridor is a Helena institution, drawing families, fishing regulars, and visitors making the boat tour into the canyon where Lewis and Clark once traveled. The summer season here has its own rhythm, and the launch of boating season marks one of the more anticipated transitions on the local calendar.

For now, the consensus among boaters seemed to be that higher fuel costs are an irritant, not a dealbreaker. The canyon isn't going anywhere, and neither are the people who've been coming out here for years.