Hi Everyone!

This weekend we were able to have our first meeting at basecamp! While not everyone was able to make it, it was awesome to see (most of) the crew get together and get to start working!

The crew was able to lay out our map set — big enough to take up the whole meeting room! — and to start thinking about routes! We talked about the river travel options and got to see just how far we will travel over the course of the month. This activity is a great way for participants to get familiar with the maps and other crew members!

From there, we wrote down a couple of goals for the summer. These included expectations for the entire crew, expectations for me, and goals for us as a group. As we continue with our preparations, these will continue to evolve and change. I can’t wait to see where it goes!

Finally, we were able to practice flipping up the canoes. It can be an intimidating task, but everyone was up to the challenge and did a great job. This is a hugely important skill for us and our trip, and will probably require some practice to “make perfect”. Fortunately, we have an incredibly supportive and excited group which will make this way more fun!

Now for the “important stuff”…

  • Blog posts will be updated shortly after meetings! This is a great way for family or friends to keep up with what we are doing on a weekly basis! I am hoping to engage the crew on these posts and keep it engaging and fun (lots of photos!)

  • The crew calendar is live on our crew page! I have tentatively scheduled dates for most of our meetings and as they get closer, I will update the description for each day. Please check what you need to bring (I will note in the description) to each meeting — I want everyone to have enough spare clothes to stay dry!

We are also looking for locations to host our:

  • Dehydrator

    • This is BY FAR our most important location. Over the course of a few weeks, the crew will be dehydrating the majority of our food. Garage space or any room easily accessible from outside works great for this, as we can set up the dehydrator(s) and work without interrupting your families! Please let me know if anyone is able to host!

  • Baking Day

    • Our crew will usually spend one full day preparing much of our food for trail, including our bannock mix, bay bread, and a TON of ground beef. Industrial kitchens work really well, such as church or school kitchens. If you have a huge kitchen and would like to host, that will definitely work! Please ask around (pssst… Celebration Lutheran Church has been really welcoming in the past) and let me know if you have a location in mind!

  • Sewing Day

    • Sharing a personal pack can get a little bit messy, so we try to keep our personal items separate using ditty bags, which we sew ourselves. This is a great team-building day, as the crew is able to “hang out” pretty casually while we sew ditty bags and paddle cases. If you are or know someone with sewing expertise, that is always greatly appreciated! Please let me know if you are interested in hosting sewing day!

As always, if you have any questions, please ask! I am almost always available by phone (text or call), and try to respond to emails in a timely manner. My contact information is available on the website!
Thank you so much for following along, and I can’t wait to spend the summer with you all!
Jaden <3