I LOVE THIS AREA

   I did that TITLE IN CAPITALS because today was one of those days. I discovered Conrad Kains Cairn (say that 5 times after a few wobbly pops) in the small town of Wilmer. I then drove out a couple of miles Northerle of Wilmer for the 2 km walk down and back in an area called Richies Point, also known as Wilmer Bird Sanctuary. The views are stupendous. As if this wasn`t good enough for exercise, after lunch, I decided to walk to the top of Dutch Creek Hoodoos.wow wow wow. There were of course, 4 geocaches on top of those ridges and they certainly made the walk worth more. I would recommend this trail system to one and all if the terrain is not to much. As I was not needed by the Brigade today I had a chance to start sorting the 5 tons of gear I have spread all over the place in Fred and Joans condo. I think I should just give it up. I cannot believe I am actually going to have to leave stuff behind because I have no wheels while on this brigade.  Do you know how scary that is. ? I need at least 18 rechargable batteries and a Charging system.

 I have 2 cameras, 5 GPS units, (I will have to leave 3 of these behind, including the SPOT) I HAVE  TO HAVE a laptop, so I also need the chargers, mice , keyboards, and USB plugins etc. On top of that I will also need water bottles, clothes, a tent, sleeping bags, pillows,2-3 pairs of shoes, socks, wet gear, hot weather gear,etc etc etc....  Its just gotta be done. I am only allowed to bring it all in just 2 Hockey bags.Insane.!

Change of Topic
We had the first geocaching event in Fort Steele yesterday and it was a howling success.Over 40 people showed up and signed the official logbook.
 We sold 20 of the NALS geocoins that we had brought across the border and most of the Brigade coins. These are to help finance the brigade costs for the teams.On another note I am told that the brigade had 3 parties yesterday. Breakfast,lunch and a supper from the local communities, and then a final play was put on for the brigade at Fort Steele by the Fort performers about 6 PM. It was a play about/of David Thompson. I missed it because our old Slave Lake BM is now in Canmore. He ( Darrin Connatty ) showed up at about 6 PM and together we went to Cranbrook for one of the best meals I have had in a very long time. His schnitzels took up a platter and he couldn`t finish it all.I ate all my prime rib. Thanks Darrin.!
  Franks Steak and Schnitzel House should win awards. If you are ever in Cranbrook it is on the main drag just after you get in from Invermere or Fernie on the right hand side.

Tomorrow is June 7th. This is the big party at the border crossing. Somebody important and someone with a bunch of letters after their names are going to dedicate a plaque to David Thompson near the Koocanusa Lake on the 49th.This is beautiful country down here for sure.
    Local geocachers reported that the monuments on the Canada / USA Border are no longer at 49 degrees since we are all using WGS 84. I wonder if they will take that into account.? Has anyone thought about that?
   Which country`s soil will the plaque actually be placed on? This just  reminds me of that old childhood joke. If a plane crash landed on the Canada/USA border, where would you bury the survivors?
 I am sure that they will survey it in after the ceremony.Won`t they?
In regards to the ceremonies. I haven`t heard Rick Mercers name in months, so I guess he declined the offer for a boat ride at this event. Thats all folks.I should of been in bed hours ago.

 Here are some photos of the Brigade yesterday and the hoodoos today...man I love this area

Did I say that yet?

                                           The Geocachers Official Photo DTCB 2011 at Fort Steele

Libby Montana

I drove down to Libby yesterday June 4th for the opening of the Libby Heritage Museum.I  have never been to Libby and what a great loss that is. What a beautiful little town nestled into the valley with mountains on all sides and the Kootenai River and Koocanusa Lake with the Libby Dam. I saw at least 15 eagles with one golden nearly becoming a hood ornament. The entire town has eagles all over the place real and sculpted. They have one at the end of one street that is massive. I will get a photo next time as I was late getting into town.
   The drive down and through Roosville is very scenic. I left at 5:30 AM as I wanted to walk into two historic sites that David Thompson had been to. One was a campsite entitled Tiger Encampment where they killed and ate a cougar (They thought it was a tiger hence the name in his notes.)
and the other is the famous river crossing at the big bend.The museum is very well done and I will have to come down here and stay for a visit. The people are all very friendly. Carl W Haywood did an hour lecture on the life of David Thompson for a small gathering of about 30-40 people and then we went to lunch. Mr and Mrs John McBride from Libby and Mr and Mrs Carl Haywood and myself went to a fabulous Mexican restaurant and ate and discussed DT until we were all quite full. Mr McBride has the distinction of recently selling a civil war rifle for ".......$800,000.00 US". He is a retired soldier as was his father.The trip back to Cranbrook was uneventful and warm at 24 celsius at one point. Great day with lots of memorys.

The Ceremonies Kinsmen Park Invermere June 3 2011

Late June 3 the Brigade came back to Invermere from Canal Flats. The Columbia River drains Northward out of Columbia Lake at Canal Flats and the river is running very low.  To make it easier on everyone the run was reversed for this leg only.Here is some video I have shot of the festivities when they arrived in the town.I will upload one and see how it plays out on this blog. Someone let me know what you think.This is 36 megs and on high speed in my hotel it is taking about 1/2 hour to upload.

That was the Metis Dancing

 

Here is the Grand Entrance in two vids.

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.

The Brigade Starts Today June 1

Made it to Windermere and enjoyed myself immensely getting about 150 lbs of gear through the front door. Why is it that I always pack way too much or not enough. I figure that by the time I finally get it right,  I will be in an old age home and it will not matter because I will be locked in anyway. Went out for supper and saw why this area is so popular. I camped in a tent in the rain about 30 plus years ago around here somewhere and was never too excited about coming back. I am not sure why that is because it is really beautiful. The mountains all have whitecaps on them and the area seems to be full of Albertans (personal observation). There are all the usual brand new Vancouver Canucks Fans freshly jumped onto that band wagon so I have not removed my Oilers hat since Vancouver made the final. That makes it pretty hard to sleep . Oh the insane banter !! Anyways on to the brigade. I met up with the executive yesterday and we all did many tasks. Thankfully they found something that was up to my speed for me to do.Ironing. Yup, You read that right. Ironing flags. After that task was out of the way we made Easel Signs. I Had Home Hardware cut up 3/8 plywood  and hinged it to create easels. These will have turn signs on them which will be used along the roads, for access points for the ground crews and will be setup by the Advance crew. That took me until supper time when I was introduced to the superb dinner created by the woman of the brigade. It was very good indeed. Roast Beef on the BBQ. Mandarin slices,yogurt and cranberries with greens, great potato salad and corn on the cob. Belly up boys because I hear that you only eat like this once in a while. Bannock Bread seems to get mentioned an awful lot.I overheard a few remarks like " Remember that greased bannock we had at such and such in 08 "or " in 2008 we had great bannock at ? "
     Maybe I will learn how to make pemmican? How hard can it be? greasy lard, dried jerky type beef pounded to a powder on a rock and then mixed together and folded into cakes. Sounds delicious.
    I am off to paint easels for signs and see the rest of the Brigade. The No Way Corvee team was already in the lake yesterday practicing dumps. See If you can figure out why their name is what it is ?
   I hear they are a rowdy group who all worked at Fort William in Thunder Bay as interpreters and actors. This should be a panic. There are many folks already walking around in period costumes. I will try to get some photos of some of these folks.The AGM is tonight. Everyone should be here by then.

By the way..keeping a blog is fun but I just realized that this little entry took me over an hour with editing etc. When I have no power on the trail I will probably not be updating that often.