The Green Traveller: Rolling Down the River

Well gang. We're back!!! After two days floating down the Skeena River, and one afternoon dedicated to cycling into Prince Rupert, the very first hurdle has been overcome. It is hard to believe that the project is finally underway, but is and there is just no stopping it. Not even a flat tire.

Heading into our weekend, things looked bleak. We were still waiting on some equipment to arrive... the forecast was TERRIBLE... and we were down to the wire getting supplies. But like the weather, we caught a break. Not only did we manage to avoid being rained on, we were also able to enjoy some sunshine and even a rainbow. The only thing we missed was of course the chance to see more wildlife, but that was quickly forgotten as we admired the craggy bright mountains along the way. The view from the Skeena River is amazing. I always thought the drive between Terrace and Rupert was nice, but the view from the river is even better.

Kicking off the Green Traveller was at times nerve wracking. When I arrived in Terrace to depart. We recorded an intro on the banks of the Skeena launch near Kalum. All at once, the gravity of the project hit me. I didn't know what to say. It was kind of like this huge surprise party where someone asks you to make a speech or say something... anything. I almost couldn't. Anyway, I quickly got past that, and we were able to not only capture some amazing footage... we were also able to capture some great interactions between myself, Captain Dan Warner and Cameraman Marc Buzzell.

A couple funny moments along the way. My buddy Marc (above) got a true taste of outdoor living. The first night we camped on an island in the middle of the Skeena. The mosquitoes were TERRIBLE. Anyway, I went to bed early. Marc came in a bit later, but left the tent door open about half a foot. I was buried in my sleeping bag, but could hear countless mosquitoes' buzzing about in the tent. I could hear Marc moving about and slapping away. Anyway, we learned the tent was swarming with the little buggers. Needless to say, we spent the next half hour holding my flashlight and killing them one by one. Poor Marc. I have never seen anyone bitten as bad as he was.

The neat thing about this experience is that by choosing "greener" forms of transportation, we are inadvertently forced to stop and smell the roses so to speak . We had planned to driftboat over three days, but our speed down the mighty Skeena put us ahead by more than a day. Captain Dan decided that because we had all this extra time, he took us into a small inlet off the Skeena to a place called "Katata" Falls. (This may be misspelled). The location was postcard perfect. It was like its own ecosystem. The water came from an above lake, and the trees and shrubbery were very distinct. Marc and I took some shots and walked around along the mossy bed floor, and just sat by the falls and enjoyed the thundery silence.

The journey was both mentally and physically taxing. Just as I was about to start my cycling journey, I ran into some bike problems. A piece on the tire nozzle broke, and so my front tire was flat. As with any big project, if you don't plan for it, its bound to happen. Luckily we had an extra bike, so the bike I used to get into town was in fact a different bike. The path that lay ahead was grueling. I'm not really a biker. I have not biked since I was a kid and I had 60 kilometers ahead of me. On top of that, I had two steep inclines to over come, one of which was Rainbow Summit. I took my time, and made it the whole way. For an added boost of energy, I jumped into a lake, just outside of Prince Rupert.

Despite all that. We made it. The first leg under our belts, and an even bigger one ahead.
I have to say, we received the best help along the way. Without Dan Warner (our Driftboat operator), and my friend Mike Homeniuk, we would not have been able to capture some of our most amazing footage. Thanks to you both!!!!