Notes kept by Stanley to document his journey down the river.
Kootenay River from 10 ft rowboat, near Wardner, August 12, 1970.
7:15 am warming up truck for trip to Wardner family and all aboard - Louise will drive the truck back to camp.
Trip downstream uneventful but interesting - most of the area already cleared but managed to get a few pictures of uncleared areas. Nothing extraordinary.
August 12, 1970 - Trip down Kootenay River, young boys (10, 14 and 15 years old) haying on Rosicki ranch above CPR bridge near Wardner,BC.
Country very beautiful in spite of the destruction.
Saw many birds - forgot to take the binoculars so could not identify, but saw ducks of many types, Canada geese, bald eagles 2, ospreys, red tailed hawks - plus other smaller types of hawks - blue herons, and of course the ever present raven, also many shore birds, sandpipers, snipes.
Saw one doe mule deer, lots of sign on bank of beaver.
River is fairly slow - no rapids, and winding. Hot windy day.
Total time from above Wardner to Waldo bridge was 8:00 am to 6:30 pm.
The last five miles the river was very slow and the wind blowing strongly up stream so was obliged to row. The boat was built for a ten year old boy, so rowing it requires bending over to a degree which tires the back in a short time.
I found it worked better, when no wind, to sit in the bow and paddle stern foremost. - stopped at Antoine Rosicki's field and photographed 3 boys haying - a ten year old driving the tractor and two others between 14 and 16 loading bales (small bales).
Tied up below the bridge and tied the boat in the bushes and walked back to camp. Got a ride part way.
After supper family went down and picked up the boat, visited Ben Palmer to get water, He gave us potatoes and swiss chard. We then took the row-boat back to Cameron's store at Wardner.