NORTH AMERICAN LAND SURVEYORS CANOE TEAM

PARTICIPATING IN THE

2011 DAVID THOMPSON COLUMBIA RIVER CANOE BRIGADE

PADDLING IN OUR CANOES ‘KOO KOO SINT’ and ‘PADDLE SONG’

Invermere, British Columbia to Astoria, Oregon and the Mouth of the Columbia River 03 June 2011 to 15 July 2011.

Koo Koo Sint, the North American Land Surveyors Canoe,

on its maiden voyage 05 October 2010.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

In the Summer of 1811, Surveyor, Fur Trader, and Map Maker, David Thompson, for the Northwest Company, reached the Pacific Ocean, adding the Columbia River as the final leg of the Fur Trade Highway from Montreal to the Pacific Ocean and becoming the first person to survey and map the Columbia River from its source near Invermere, British Columbia, to its mouth at Astoria, Oregon.

In the Summer of 2011, Land Surveyors and their families and friends from various parts of North America will be taking part in the re-creation of some of David Thompson’s historic travels in the Pacific Northwest. Day 0ne, 03 June, and starting in Invermere, British Columbia, the Brigade of about 10 canoes will paddle south along Windermere Lake and then upstream on the Columbia River to, and then south along, Columbia Lake to Canal Flats. On the second day, after a short portage to the Kootenay River over Canal Flats, the Brigade will continue heading south on the Kootenay River with the next stops planned at Wasa, Fort Steele, and Kikomun Creek Provincial Park before crossing the Canada/USA border on 07 June. The Libby Dam will be reached on 08 June followed on the next day by a 168 km/105 mi portage to Thompson Falls, Montana. 10 June will be a day off for repairs, cleaning, re-grouping, purchase of more supplies, etc. The next part of the journey will see the Brigade paddle down the Clark Fork and Pend Oreille Rivers through parts of Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Tiger, Washington, will be reached on 16 June followed by a 72 km/45 mi portage over to the Columbia River at Kettle Falls. 17 and 18 June will see the next days off and 19 June will see the Brigade heading south again on the Columbia River reaching its final destination of Astoria, Oregon, on 15 July 2011, exactly 200 years to the day after David Thompson first reached there. Along the way, the Brigade also hopes to stop at the old fur trading settlements, namely, Fort Okanogan, Fort Nez Perces, Fort Vancouver, and Fort Astoria/Fort George.

The outline of the route and schedule can be found here but please note that this route and schedule is subject to change if circumstances warrant it.

Both Koo Koo Sint and Paddle Song are non-smoking canoes.

Thus far, most of the work has been done by a few people, all of us volunteers. We aren’t being paid anything other than the satisfaction of knowing that we are the best organized team in the Brigade. The work load is increasing and we would now like a few others to give us a hand. We don’t expect everyone to jump forward and volunteer although that would be nice. However, if we ask you to do something to help out, we would hope that you would say: “Yes, I will gladly take that on”. Also, correspondence between team members must be on a timely basis. If you get an email today, we really would like a response by no later than tomorrow as there is lots of planning that must be done and all of our ducks must be in a row for the next things to happen. The same goes for registration. Your forms and booking fees must be in to us in a timely fashion or else you may face being dropped from the Team altogether. Again, we are all volunteers, doing this on our own time, when we should be trying to earn a living.

SELECTED WRITTEN ARTICLES:

Over the past couple of years a number of articles have been written about the North American Land Surveyors Team in various publications. In no particular order, some of them are:

1. The Link Magazine 2010-08

2. The Link Magazine 2010-12

3. The Scrivener 2010

4. Geomatica

5. The Scrivener 2011

6. Denny and Delores took Koo Koo Sint to Spokane in mid-October to give a presentation to the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club. While there, a number of their members had an opportunity to take it our for a paddle. You can read about their experience in this abbreviated version of their November newsletter, Eddy Line

7. The Link Magazine 2010-12-2

8. The Link Magazine 2010-12-3

SPOT

Follow us on our epic journey as we send out signals on our SPOT that was donated to the Team by Neil Bennett.

Click on: NALS Koo Koo Sint and Paddle Song Travels

WHO’S IN THE NEXT TENT?

Mark McGladrey had this great idea that we should start a column in our Newsletter called Who’s in the Next Tent? This sounded so good, so we ran with it. Afterwards, I decided to add another webpage with those who supply us with a short biographical sketch. Check out this PAGE to see who is in the next tent. If you get asked to provide us with some info, don’t be shy. They should be submitted to Mary McDowell at: mhmcdowell@gmail.com and please send a photograph as well.

APPLICATION FORMS

There are six forms that should be printed. The first one and the last one do not need to be submitted. The first one contains a checklist and the last one is a team entry form that has already been submitted. There is good information on the last one and you may wish to read it.

1^st Form: Registration checklist.

2^nd Form: Individual membership form.

3^rd Form: Individual legal release form.

4^th Form: Model release form

5^th Form: Emergency contact information

6^th Form: Team entry form.

SUGGESTED PERSONAL GEAR:

Each team member will be responsible for bringing their own personal gear and a suggested list can be found at here. There are links to other pertinent information on that same page so please visit those pages as well. We will be preparing our own suggested list very soon and it will be sent to each Team member. It will be a list of most items but some might be missing so please check it closely to make sure you bring everything you might need even if it not on the list.

LINKS:

1. We are going to try to send out Newsletters to our Team members and Team sponsors on a regular basis.

Click on these links to find them: Newsletter #1; Newsletter #2; Newsletter #3; Newsletter #4; Newsletter #5; Newsletter #6; Newsletter #7; Newsletter #8

2. I have put together a blog for this trip as well and it can be found here.

3. The 2011 David Thompson Columbia Brigade Society has its own webpage. Please visit it here as there are many more details on their page.

4. The route and schedule which is available through the webpage noted immediately above can also be seen by going directly to it from here.

5. The David Thompson 200 Society has a wealth of information on their website and it can be found here.

6. One of the best researched books I have read is called Sometimes Only Horses to Eat and this book is about David Thompson and the Saleesh House

era of his life. Saleesh House was located near Thompson Falls, Montana, and author Carl W. Haywood has gone to all lengths to prove its approximate

location, one that is substantially different from the previously accepted locations. It would be hard to dispute Haywood’s theories and prove otherwise.

I give him full marks for his tenacity in his research and equal marks for the courage to dispute many others. If you are interested in receiving a copy

of the book, please contact Carl through his website. He has generously offered his book at a discounted price of $25.00, including shipping, to any member

of the David Thompson Columbia Brigade Society

7. Webcams: These are links to webcams on Windermere Lake sent compliments of John Brigden. Invermere is on the north end of the Lake. Thanks, John, for finding them and sharing them with us.

This is one at the north end at the Lakeside Pub at approximately N 50* 30.7`; W 116*01.3` http://www.invermere.com/webcams/lakeside/

There is another one about 5 km south and down the Lake at approximately N 50*28.7`; W 115*59.6` facing west http://www.terravistabc.com/webcam

8. Richard Wagers, the webmaster for the Brigade Society, has put together this great electronic magazine or e-zine. Check it out by going here.

Near the location of HBC Fort Okanogan

at the mouth of the Okanogan River

where it flows into the Columbia River

05 March 2010.

FUNDING:

We have been soliciting funds from various Surveying firms and Surveying Associations to help cover our basic expenses such as canoe registration, insurance, promotion of David Thompson and Charlotte Small, etc. All sponsors, regardless of donation size, will be listed on a sponsors’ banner to be placed in our camping area each day. All sponsors will also be listed on this website and any ‘significant’ sponsors of $1,000.00 or more will have a sponsor’s logo put on both canoes, the canoe trailer, on some educational boards we are having prepared, and on a separate sponsors’ banner. Any funds collected in this manner will not be used for personal expenses such as travel, food, or lodging as we will all be responsible for all of our own costs, including the individual membership to belong to the Brigade Society itself. This latter membership is a requirement in order to join the Brigade and it is $50.00 and is payable to them. Our Team’s per diem cost has now been established at $45.00 if payment is received after April 15 and $35.00 if payment is received before April 15. If any reader of this wishes to sponsor us, please send your funds in the name of Robert Allen to Box 607, Sechelt, BC, Canada, V0N 3A0. A receipt will be sent as soon as the funds are received. We have accounts set up such that we can accept moneys in Canadian or American dollars.

SIGNIFICANT SPONSORS ($1000 Level):

This is the third preliminary version of the banner for our sponsors

We are getting closer with it now. It will be 3 feet by 10 feet.

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Names and logos of all Significant Sponsors to date

Northwest Surveying & GPS Inc.

Lynden, WA.

Robert Allen and Company

Sechelt, BC.

Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon

Lower Columbia Chapter of the

Land Surveyors of Washington

Idaho Society of Professional

Land Surveyors

Webster Surveys Ltd.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Western Federation of Professional Surveyors

Snohomish County Chapter of the

Land Surveyors of Washington

Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association

Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors

McGladrey Surveys Ltd.

Yellowpoint, BC.

Surveyors Historical Society

Association of Canada Lands Surveyors

Montana Association of Registered Land Surveyors

Chapman Land Surveying Ltd.

West Vancouver, BC.

Browne Johnson Land Surveyors

Salmon Arm, BC.

Can-Am Geomatics

British Columbia and Alberta

Focus Geomatics

British Columbia and Alberta

McElhanney

British Columbia and Alberta

Underhill & Underhill

British Columbia and Yukon

Midwest Surveys

Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan

Land Surveyors of Washington State

Historical Society

Land Title and Survey Authority

of British Columbia

GOLD DONORS ($500 Level):

· North Central Chapter, Land Surveyors of Washington State

· Gord and Floss Thomson

· Lower Mainland British Columbia Land Surveyors Group

· Bill Erickson and Sharon Colht

· Runnalls Denby Land Surveyors, Kelowna, BC.

· Ken Wong and Associates

SILVER DONORS ($250 Level):

· Grey Owl Paddles Limited

BRONZE DONORS (Up to $250):

· Duane Biggar, PLS Ret. Waterville, Washington.

· Dick and Betty Sterling

· Bennett Land Surveying Ltd.

SUPPORT AND VOLUNTEERS:

As well as paddlers, we will also need support personnel to help with cooking, setting up, and dismantling camp, etc. These support people and the paddlers need not stay the entire trip but we would like a commitment of a week or more.

The following, in no particular order, have volunteered to help organize our team:

Denny and Delores DeMeyer Lynden, Washington

Robert Allen Sechelt, British Columbia

Gord and Floss Thomson Langley, British Columbia

Monroe and Ellen Kinloch Sherwood Park, Alberta

John Haggerty Grande Prairie, Alberta

Mark McGladrey and Diane Gregory Ladysmith, British Columbia

Bill Erickson and Sharon Colht Wisconsin

Bernie and Nancy Kilonsky Hawaii

Dwaine Ronnie Slave Lake, Alberta

Our ‘chuck wagon’ very generously lent to us

for the trip by John and Elke Haggerty

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS:

· The spelling of the name of the Kootenay River in the USA is Kootenai River.

· I often wondered how to pronounce: Pend Oreille, as in the river. I probably still have it wrong but I think it is: “Pond-de-ray” and I am open for correction on that one.

· When we Canadians cross the border into the USA, we will have to check in with Customs. Where and when is being looked into, so watch here for updates. You will undoubtedly need a passport and anything you bring with you may be opened for inspection. Remember we are entering another country and we must abide by their rules.

· We in Canada think of most rivers as free flowing with little but rapids as interruptions. The Columbia River is the opposite. It is mostly a series of lakes behind numerous dams. There won’t be much current to help us along and we will have to put in some strenuous days to make the average of 45 km/28 mi per day but it will be a fun trip with lots of interesting scenery.

PERSONAL GEAR:

Each participant will be expected to provide their own personal gear such as: tent, sleeping bag, approved personal flotation device (PFD), water proof bag for small personal gear in the canoe, etc. As well, each participant will also be responsible for their own in and out travel costs. As noted above, each team member will be responsible for bringing their own personal gear and a suggested list can be found at here. Sharon Colht has also put together a list for us and it can be found at: Sharon’s List.

One of the staples of all the old time explorers was bannock. Be prepared to eat some on the trip. This is a recipe for it:

2 1/2 cups of flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter

1 egg

3/4 cup of milk

Combine the first three ingredients and then cut in the butter until it is in small pieces. Stir egg and milk together and pour into flour mixture and then mix into a soft dough. Press into a ball and roll into 1/2” thickness on a lightly floured board. Cut into shapes with a ‘cookie cutter’. Cook in lightly greased frying pan until brown. Turn and cook until second side is brown. Serve warm.

Anyone requiring additional information should contact: Robert Allen at: robert_allen@dccnet.com or at 604-885-9581.