Travelling the upper Columbia basin

At the Yasodhara Ashram in late August, I presented with Sinixt descendant Stevey Seymour. Have a listen to this amazing woman from an earlier interview. Next stop: beauty! Looking north from the ferry that crosses Kootenay Lake. In the distance is the mouth of the Duncan River, and, sadly, a treaty dam. Duncan Dam has flooded fertile wetlands, blocked healthy silt-nutrients from circulating, and interrupted migratory fish since 1967.

In early September, I began a circle tour of the main stem of the Columbia River. My most meaningful stop was at Nakusp Elementary, where I spoke and listened to over 125 children. I crossed the water again to reach Revelstoke on a bluebird day. In the alpine distance, a rare glacier! These year-round water sources, once common in the upper system, are shrinking as summers lengthen. I asked my next audience: What are you doing to give back to the river, right now? Or, are you waiting for the government to do something? We can no longer count on the Columbia Basin Trust to listen to us, or to act with our values.

From there, I cut off the Big Bend of the river (it’s now under Mica dam’s immense reservoir) and entered the headwaters valley. With the Purcell Range on one side, and the Rockies on another, this long stretch of the river’s birthplace has fluid meanders, fertile flood plain and yes….mosquitos! Thank you to the conservation org Wildsight, for supporting my stop in free-running Golden.