Where & When?

(map from http://www.2008thompsonbrigade.com/mapofroute.htm)

This trip starts on May 10 in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, and winds its way all the way to Old Fort William near Thunder Bay, ON.

I will join it west of North Battleford, Saskatchewan, on May 20, 2008.

What a variety of country we will paddle through! I'm familiar with the area around RMH--I used to live near there, and paddled there often. It starts in boreal forest, and flows into parkland, and moves back into the boreal forest. As the North Saskatchewan River flows east, the hills get smaller, but they certainly never disappear. This is not flat like southern Saskatchewan, although that flatness is only relative. The rolling hills continue for some while. I've never been to Cumberland House, SK or northern Manitoba.

I've read about the beautiful rocky valley of the Winnipeg River--which we will paddle upstream on--not around so many rapids as used to be though, gratis of the several power reservoirs. And I've heard of how so many voyageurs got lost on Lake of the Woods. We'll have GPS and real maps.

Years ago I paddled east from Fort Frances through Rainy Lake and east along the U.S. border to Quetico Provincial Park. Now we will paddle and portage our way through the fabled Quetico. And on to Old Fort William on the route the Northwest Company used after 1803. There will be plenty of portaging to do.

David Thompson, of course, would have paddled this route more than once in his work for the Northwest Company. He wouldn't have had the fancy gear and lightweight kevlar canoe--but he was likely in much better shape. Often he travelled with his wife and family.

Given that our Brigade will be comprised of at least seven canoes with about ten paddlers in each, we'll soon be a family of sorts. Even if we won't all be in the same boat.