The Brigade Starts Paddling Today June 3

Yesterday was probably one of the most interesting days I have had in a very long time. We started the day with instructions on everything about big boats from getting in and out to doing the Grand Entrance. I was in both canoes and learned somewhat clumsily the fine art of "Shift". This is were they have everyone but the bow and stern change sides of the canoe so your muscles do not get strained. It is supposed to be very fast and work well once you have it down pat.[Insert leering smiley here] The principle works well. The sliding your lard ass across a bench is the hard part, on water,while the guy in front of  and behind you go the other way, and at 215 I am a featherweight compared to some of these guys.After the canoe stops rocking everyone gets into rythym again with the stern paddler and off you go. Then just as you get into the rythym
it is time for a change again.Well this was a lot of fun. The grand entrance is pretty darn cool.

All these boats get into sync and start making figure 8 `s crossing in seguence until the lead boat pulls up to shore and everyone lines up side by side bows all in a perfect line. Then the lead boat fires a black powder charge and asks for permission to come to shore. The party on land replys with a black powder shot and all the canoes race for shore as fast as they can. Then they back paddle and foam up the last few feet so the boats do not grind out on shore. After the first run everyone stopped for lunch and Barbara Belyea showed up. I had a nice long talk to her about all things David Thompson and a few other topics too long to get into here. She signed a copy of the Columbia Journals for Robert Allen and he secured it into the boat for todays first leg. It will ride with the Koo Koo Sint all the way to Astoria.Here is Robert Allen with the book.

                                          



                                                      "The Columbia Journals"

Dwaine and Ken in Regalia

Around 3:30 PM it was time for a break and everyone got dressed in their regalia wear.We then proceeded up to the David Thompson and Charlotte Small statue in the centre of the town for a photo shoot.Unfortunately I was on the wrong side of the camera and never got a group photo.There were probably 100 of us walking up main street in a parade with flags for all the communitys and every boat has their own flag as well. Here is a photo taken of Ken and Dwaine before the parade walk.
   Koodos to Marilyn for getting me an authentic togue that NO ONE else has. I got an awful lot of comments on it and it breathes so it is not as hot as you would think.
      After the photo shoot I was one of the first to head back to Kinsmen Park when we met up with Robert Allen. Some juvis had been drinking in the park and had grabbed one of our canoes when no one was looking and we were all up the hill in town.They had taken it across Windermere lake.We organized up a canoe and 8 of us took off in the Paddle Song after the Koo Koo Sint.They were way out past the point and sitting flat when we got there. We took 8 men in our canoe which delegates 2 to side by side in the two centres so no switching now because we were in a hurry.
This was very taxing as we didn`t stop or rest until we got to the boat,we just drove hard to catch these kids. As we got near them Ted Bentley and 5 other very experienced paddlers caught us.That made for a good chuckle about the boat.Nobody was too happy as we approached our boat.

The 2 young men in question had stolen a kayak paddle from  near the Clubhouse and dragged the Koo Koo Sint down to the lake shore.Dragging some of the paint job and decals off of it. That really pissed off a certain member that wanted to throw them overboard and let them swim back. Cooler heads prevaled and we assigned myself and three others to take these two back to the beach. They had broken this carbon fiber kayak paddle and were trying to get away with just the broken bits.They finally settled down and we talked to them and had the hot heads stay out of it.They were two brothers who were drunk as skunks and were talking about swimming for it. I reminded them if they drowned it was because they were in OUR boat and we would be held responsible so they had to go back to the beach and get out of our boat there.That didn`t really dissuade the talk but gave them the excuse they needed to not try to swim in frigid waters. Drunken talk aside they finally settled into the fact that they were going back to the beach.
      The reality of it finally started to kick in when we  got them to the beach and they were arrested. Not very easily as they seemed to think they could out wrestle the RCMP and their handcuffs. They didn`t. 
Here is a shot of the David Thompson and Charlotte Small Statue that we all had our picture in front of and that this little adventure is all about. I will also include one of the shots I took of the amazing scenery around here and call it a day,so I can head of to Libby Montana and meet up with Carl W Haywood who is an author and David Thompson specialist in Thompson Falls.