They've started!

Darn! I can't be there at the start, once again. It's happening without me.

Having paddled Columbia and Windemere Lakes last summer, I can visualize what's happening. They drove down the lake (south) to a put in, then paddled back to the campground at the north end, in the town of Inveremere. There's a beautiful marshy creek between the two big lakes--lots of big lake and small river practice for these new teams.

Tomorrow they will embark on the Kootenay River, headed south. When I last saw the Kootenay, it was just barely deep enough to float a voyageur boat. If the heavy snow load has started to melt, the problem will be too much water, not too little!

From the Spot program, I see they paddled yesterday too. I can see they were on the water at 7am, just as they said they wanted to be. Do you realize how early you have to get up to be down the road and on the water by 7? Try 5 am, maybe earlier!

We will join them down the river... we're not ready yet, but we will be.