Man Tracker
Okay, you won't really see us, but we're there! In the summer of 2006
Wild Blue Yonder Team Leaders, Johannes Zwart and Fletcher Bosson, along
with staffer Freeman Wasdal, were the safety crew for a crazy river crossing!
The crew filmed two shows on location in Grande Cache. One daring escape
saw the prey cross the Smoky River!! Well, no, actually we told them was
too crazy risky so they really just crossed an eddy at the bottom of the
Sulphur Gates. Lurking in the shallows, ready to swim and save the day,
was Johannes in a drysuit. Freeman was poised also in his kayak. Fletcher
was in the safety raft, which also held the camera crew for those close-ups,
as pictured above. But the looks of anxiety on the faces of the prey were
very real! The Smoky is COLD - 5 degrees Celsius, so even a 5 minute eddy
swim is nasty. The real excitement came when local aboriginal guide, Curtis
Hallock (the official ManHunter sidekick), really DID swim a horse across
the river. Everyone held their breath as the whole horse disappeared under
the river! The boys thought the moment to rescue had come, but the horse,
with Curtis clinging on for dear life, re-surfaced. Mountain man or not,
Curtis said that dunking almost did him in!
Canadian
Geographic for Kids Co-owner Gina Goldie's daughter, Kate Wasdal, was featured on
national television. 15 at the time, Kate had spent a few summers in the
office greeting guests and helping them get ready for their trip. But
it was her time out of the office that netted media attention. Canadian
Geographic for Kids, a national program, was looking for a teenage raft
guide. Federal standards require guides to be 18, so Kate was the next
best thing. Kate has spent many, many hours on rafts and has swiftwater
rescue training too. She was quite capable of guiding on class 1/2 rivers.
Add in a charming personality and amazing level of maturity, and a star
was born. Producers on the show were thrilled with Kate, and spent a day
in July of 2003 filming her and co-owner Johannes Zwart (pictured above).
Today, Kate is pursuing a career as a film producer! Let's hope she remembers
us little people!!
Excursions All our great rafting movies are courtesy of a show called "Excursions"
on Outdoor Life Network. Featuring a day of rafting with us, this great
show also highlights the Grande Cache area for heli-hiking, kayaking,
and the Canadian
Death Race. The footage shows the Sulphur River and Sheep Creek at
medium-high water levels, and a crazy group of rafters from the Keg Restaurant
in Grande Prairie. This show was filmed in 2002.
AND IN
THE PRESS! Well, there's been a few times and we might have lost track by
now, but here's some early highlights:
The Edmonton Journal:
Wild Blue Yonder, along with the Grande Cache Hotel, was featured in a
full page Travel Section write-up in the Edmonton Journal, 2003.
Outpost
Travel Magazine: A writer in town for the Death Race came along with
us and we 'got the write-up'. Too cool! Issue November / December 2003.
Travel Alberta Summer Magazine:
Wild Blue Yonder was featured in the Travel Alberta Summer Magazine
2001 for the Kakwa Overnight Trip.
The Edmonton Journal: July,
2000 - Wild Blue Yonder guides rescue two stranded teenagers on the Smoky
River. The teens had tried to ride horses across the river and been swept
off. They managed to make it to an island mid-stream. Several hours later
RCMP contacted Wild Blue Yonder and asked for assistance. Guides were
able to perform the night rescue efficiently - ferrying across the Smoky
to pick up the teens, and bringing them quickly to shore.
GOT QUESTIONS? Please call us toll free 1-877-945-3786 or email
us. We are experiencing problems with our email. If your email bounces
or you do not get a reply please call us.
