14
Fifty-five year old Ernest Lamarque, a well known Dominion Land Surveyor from Vancouver, was engaged to locate and layout a route through the mountains, and he left. William Blackman of Valemount had proven his packing and bush skills with Lamarque in the past and was accompanied by his brother Henry who become the camp cook. Bocock had recommended Albertans Earl Cushing, who had a mineral engineering background and Art Paul, a 35 year old University of Alberta Agricultural Engineering graduate with a ranch background, and abilities as an axe-man, horseman and veterinarian. Fort St John's, Bill Pickell and Edgar Dopp from Bear Flat on the Peace River accompanied the Lamarque party north to the Prophet River where Dopp had a trapline. There was a fortuitous meeting on the Prophet River with trappers Bert Sheffield, Elmer Gray and Willy Artemenko which gave Lamarque a firsthand perspective of the mountainous country to the west, and helped to focus his trail layout efforts. Dopp and Bill Pickell returned south with the trapper, and Lamarque searched for a suitable route through the mountains. He explored the upper Prophet River, but eventually decided on a route via the Muskwa River, and blazed a trail through the big timber, slides and burnt over country of the upper Muskwa. The Lundquist boys and Cecil Pickell of the Wilde trail cutting crew followed along, widening the trail where they could. The two crews eventually joined forces at the headwaters of the Muskwa river at the end of July.15
Ernest Lamarque with Horse20th Century, circa 1934
On the Trail
16
Art Paul20th Century, Circa 1934
Northen British Columbia, Canada
17
Bob Godberson and Bob White1934
Halfway River
Credits:Bob White
18
Art MacLean1934
On the Trail, Between Fort St. John and Halfway River
19
Ernie Peterson on Horseback1934
On the Trail, Between Fort St. John and Halfway River
20
Willard Freer and Bob Godberson1934
On the Peace River, British Columbia
21
Willard Freer1934
On the Trail, Between Fort St. John and Halfway River
22
Meanwhile, the advance freight outfit consisting of 51 packhorses had left Fort St John on July 4. The six man crew was headed by E.R.M. (Nick) Geake, an ex Royal Navy Commander, who owned land near Pouce Coupe, BC and had a homestead-trapline to the north on the upper Halfway River. Hudson's Hope, B.C. based trapping partners Bob Godberson and Bob White, along with Willard Freer had built a raft and floated down the Peace River to join the outfit. Veteran packer Ernie Peterson and his 18 year old partner Art MacLean from the North Pine district north of Fort St John rounded out the crew. As well as food and supplies for the expedition, they were packing 200 gallons of gasoline, in specially designed tank-panniers, which allowed a load of 20 gallons per horse.23
Nick Geake1934
Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
24
Bob White and Smoky20th Century, Circa 1934
On the Trail
25
With much fanfare, and a send off party that included the city fathers and Lieutenant-Governor Walsh, the main Bedaux party left Edmonton heading west on July 6-1934 in 5 Citroën half track vehicles. Occupants of car number 1, were expedition leader Charles Bedaux and his wife Fern, along with Tommy Wilde, who had returned from trail cutting to take on the role of cook, bronc rider and camp jester! Car number two contained John Chisholm- a former Scottish deer stalker, currently employed as the game keeper on the Bedaux estate in France, Madame Bilonha Chiesa, a Swiss big game hunter said to be Bedaux's mistress, and Floyd Crosby, an Academy Award winning Hollywood director who was in charge of documenting the expedition on film. Jack Bocock, shared car number two with Frank Swannell, a surveyor from Victoria, and Josephine Daly, Mrs Bedaux's Spanish maid. Jack's brother E.B "Bruce" Bocock, who had hosted Bedaux on a 1933 duck hunting trip near the Edmonton area was in charge of the expedition supplies and was joined in car number four by Evan Withrow from Ontario, delegated as assistant cameraman, and Bill Murray from Vancouver, the radio operator. French Citroën mechanic C. Baldouret and Al Phipps, assistant surveyor from Victoria, manned Car number five , and were joined in Fort St John, by Joe Weiss, a Swiss skier and guide, who had catered to the Bedaux part on their late June training exercise in Jasper.26
Citreons and crowds in Edmonton1934
Edmonton, Alberta. Canada
Credits:Unknown
27
Fern Bedaux, Tommy Wilde, Charles Bedaux, Bilonha Chiesa on Horseback20th Century, Circa 1934
On the Trail
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