A«H« Phipps Ji.etaoirs
of
Oharlan £, Bedaux 3ub-Artie expedition 1954

After six years of travel and exploration of the innermost reaches
of the Peace River country, one gains some

.eagure of understanding

of the beauty and magnitude of its vast mountain ranges,picturesqu®
lakes and streams, timber resources and miles of rolling wneat lands, not
forgetting the vargaries of climate in all its moods. They defy description*
The most memorable of these ventures into the north country
eceured in 1954 in the fora of the Charles 3. Bedaux sub-artic expedition
in which he proposed to drive five Citreon half tracks from Sdnonton across
the northern interior of Britiah Columbia to Telegraph Creek, thence Sown,
the StiKine River to '•range 1 Alaska,
Various articles have been published regarding this extraordinary
man of French origin but a naturalized American citizen who had already
made two hunting trips in British Columbia in 1926 and I952,
Questions arose as to the motives of some of his undertakings,
“ell known in international society he wes heat to the Duke and
Dutchess of 'Vindaor at hfca Chateau in France.
Later during the war he became involved with high Carman officials
in a pipe line venture in North Africa.
'/hen the Allied irmiee invaded that country he was arrested and
brought to Miami Fla. where rather than face indictment for treason,
commited suicide by an over doae of sleeping tablets.
In the writers opinion having served him as assistant surveyor
on hia expedition, joined his International Co. and was employed for
over two years in the gold mines of Johannesburg. South Africa, found
him aamsnngenerous to the^extreme to those he employed and one who loved
to maxe money regardless of who it came from and enjoyed spending it
lavishly on unusual jaunts.

On, July Jrd. I9;$4 1 arrived in Edmonton to find some fifteen members
of the Expedition assembled at the McDonald Hotel.
In the Bedaux entourage was Mrs. Bedaux, her companion a Madam Chiesa
from Paris, Josephine their Spanish maid, John Chisholm a Scottish hunter
from Bedaux8 1 estate in France and M. Balourdet his French mechanic*
J.B. Bocock a geoligist now living in South Africa who took a
Part
{prominent in the P.G.E. Reaeurses Survey in I929“50 was second in command.
A well known B.C. land surveyor F.C. Swanell as geographer.
A Swiss guide who carried a pair of skis some 400 miles and never
used them.
Floyd Crosby a top level photographer from Hollywood and assistant,
and a camp cook.
The five Citroen tractore
a top speed*

each approximatly $000 lbs. capacity with

of 18 kilometers per hour and a compound low gear for mountain

grados-were being loaded with an incredible amount of Safari equipment,
movie cameras, tripods and crates of film, especially designed tents for
the ladies, an arsenal of guns and ammunition, one pack horse load of
expensive boots and shoes purchased in f&ris and New York, cases of Champagne
and a generous supply of canned Devonshire cream.
On the day of departure following a Champagne breakfast at gaily
decorated tables, this oddly assorted cavalcade set out via Jasper Ave.
to Government House for a grand send off by the Lieut. Gorerner of Alberta,
then a drive of twenty miles to the predominantly French village of Merninvillo
to shelter for the night from a violent thunder storm and downpour of rain.
A cold depressing rain was falling in the morning. Clouds were
low on the hills and the world seemed shrouded in mist as we travelled
some 50 miles over slippery roads to reach the town of Athabasca at 7«50 j?*M.
The country seemed drab and colorless as road conditions became
worse. There seemed to be no friction

between ground and rubber as we

slithered from one side of the road to the other, but without mishap we

reached the town of Slave Lake where the entire population turned out
to greet us. Some youngsters led us to a reasonably good camp ground
on the shores of Lesser Slave Lake.
At Kinuso our loads were weighed and found to be over weight
so the first lot of surplus equipment was shipped back to Edmonton.
Then on
where

through rolling

a small cafe turned out

hills and grass landsto High Prairie
an excellent lunch onshort notice.

The roads improved a little as the weather turned intensly cold
for July. Grossing the Little Smoky River southwar \ to Valley View,
thence along the south shore of 3turgeon Lake and through the rich
wheat lands in the Valley of the Peace to Grand Prairie at 10 .50 P.M.
Pioneer conditions are still apparent here although many settlers
had passed through in earlier years, a few were still travelling
Westward in wagons
with even the
After a

well loaded with all their worldly^possessions

family cow tied

on behind*

speech of welcome from the Mayor of Grand Prairie we

moved on through Wembly and Hythe to enter British Columbia at Topper
Creek. The unreasonable rains had turned the roads into a nightmare of
sticky gumbo mud causing stops to clear tracks of mud and make repairs.
Bedauxs' car broke down and a two day halt was called at Gundys
ranch for a general overhaul.
The cars in shape again an early start was made and we arrived
in Pouce Coupe for a good breakfast at the Hart Hotel, and as usual the
population turned out to greet us.
The tri-color was in evidence as we set

out to cross the Pfcace

River at Taylor.
Crossing the five cars on a small ferry
of the

propelled by the force

stream gave us some anxious moments as the cars were

loaded and the river unusually high.

heavily

A drive of two hours brought us to Fort St.John, in those days a small
straggly town ©f muddy streets in which

^e were met

by a group

of youthful cowboys, waiting for us with one hundred and thirty pack
and saddle hors is*
World wide publicity came to the Peace River country through
this unique expedition, also a bonanza of cash to the many settlers
who had been through some lean years of the depression,through the
sale of horses and equipment, and to the cow-boys ,the prospect of
being on a generous payroll for the next three or four months brightened
the situation.
A large pack train loaded with supplies and fuel for the tractors
was made up and sent ahead in charge of Commander Geik* an ex naval officer
who had settled near Pouce Coupe in earlier years and often referred to
as the odd ball, as on the coldest days he wore nothing but kaki shorts
a sleeveless shirt and a black silk bandana around his head.
Some years later he was murdbfed by bandits in the Durang© Mountains
of Mexico presumably while hunting for gold.
A telegram was received from Mr. C.W. Lemarque, a veteran B.C.
land surveyor who had left in April with a crew to locate and cut out
trails beyond the Prophet River, advising that he with one man and four
horses had made a quick trip to Dease Lake and Telegraph Creek*
The party had now grown to fourty members and chaos reigned
in Fort St. John as loads were re-aranged and packs made up for the
horses. Heavy showers and violent winds had created a sea of mud to
make things more difficult.
At night a banquet was held at the old hotel with the usual
speeches from the prominent citizens.
In a wild west atmosphere the departure from Fort St. John
was a scene long to be remembered. Nearly two hours were lost putting
on a show for the cameras, a miracle no one was hurt in the melee of

*

I

.

•

excited and restive horses* Several packs were bucked off and scattered
in the mud, but finally got away followed by the five half tracks
which now faced a country that would put them to the supreme test and
prove too much for them.
With no roads to follow now progress was slow over undulating
country through Indian reserve, the leading car almost capsized in a
flooded creek bed. After hauling it clear an old ungraded wagon track
led us to the little town of Montney.
/§

Leaving Montney the last village we were te see for some time,

the route became soft swampy ground. All cars were bogged down at times
and were hauled out with block and tackle. A train of thirty horses
passed us, churning up the ground and adding to the difficulties, but
after much profanity in English and French the exhausted crew made camp
after travelling three miles in seven hours.
Two more days of continual struggle cutting off stumps, filling
in bad holes, with trees and brush, watched by an amazed group of Indians
from an open hillside.
On the second day after long hours getting the cars through bad
stretches of muskeg it was midnight before a suitable camp was found.
Tempers were stretched to the limit and moral was low until
M. Bedaux produced a bottle of what he called his special linement for
sore and tired mussles. It proved to be an excellent brand of Scotch
and taken internally eased the tension considerably.
'f-

July 28th. was declared a day of rest, all hands repairing the

tractors while the Indians did a brisk business selling mocasins at
seventy-five cents a pair. Chief Sam of the local Indian band was
invited into camp and presented with a 22. Automatic pistol by M.Bedaux.
The radio operator had been fired and sent back with his heavy
equipment, also a rider went out with despatches for New York and Paris

with a report of our progress.
#

A partially washed out bridge was patched up enough to cross the
cars over Cache Creek then a steep climb to an open grassy ridge
have lunch and enjoy a feed of wild

to

raspberries picked by Madam Chieaa

and Josephine. A magnificent view of the Halfway River valley opened
before us,of grassy hills, groves of shimmering poplars and the deeper
green of jack pine and spruce.
Along this ridge we found unexpected good going which led to the
Stan. Clark ranch, then to a higher ridge with a steep descent to the
Cameron River where deadmen were sunk in the ground with cables attached
on which the cars were lowered down a 55 degree slope 1150 ft. to the
river bank.
At II P.M. the pack train arrived to make camp in the dark

607 miles from Edmonton.
Our mechanic Monsieur

Balourdet a Frenchman otf high calibre,

in his late thirties, with a splended war record, winner of the
oross de Guerre, Chevalier de Fordre Etoile Noire and two other
decorations in the first world war.
He came to B.C. from the Citroen Co. in Paris with the five
tractors for the expedition,was devoted to the half tracks and worked
long and weary hours keeping them in shape, was very indignant when
his car got stuck and cables run out to pull him out of a bad spot, he
realizied that the cars were not suitable to the rough terain of the
north country, but never ceased to remind us of the Citroens
performance in the Central African jungles and in the

fine

Sahara Desert.

Through a park like valley of rich bottom land and luxuriant
vegetation to arrive at Weatergaards ranch, a Danish famfly who had
settled here ten years earlier and who supplied us with vegetables
and 500 lbs. of fresh meat.

Olimbing from the valley into beautiful rolling range land which
took us to the Hunter Brothers ranch, two very hospitable chaps dressed
exactly alike. It was difficult to tell them apart as they rode with us
over good trails to Iron Greek.
It is fitting here as we leave all signs of settlement to make
reference to the settlers and homesteaders with whom we came in contact
oh our trek through the country. The pioneer spirit remains strong in
these kindly, hospitable people always ready to help in every way and
their knowledge of the country they loved so well was of great help
to us.
A move of five and a half miles brought us to the junction of
the Graham and Halfway rivers where final plans were made to abandon
the five half tracks.
A large raft of dry spruce logs was built and inflated rubber
floats set between the logs. A winch and cable set to haul the raft
across the river and back again.
A road leading up to a 150 ft. bluff was built, up which No. I
and No.2 cars were driven to the edge, the drivers jvmped clear as
the cars rolled and crashed into the river. Gars No.5 and 4 were
stripped and abandoned on the river bank.
Meanwhile camp equipment, pack saddles etc. were ferried across
the stream then the horses were herded to the edge to swim the 100 yard
crossing. One unfortunate beast was caught in the swift current and
drowned before help could reach 14.
A charge of dynamite was placed behind a mass of loose rock
about 200 yds* down stream, while car No«5 was put aboard, swung into
raid stream and cut loose to drift down and hit the rim rock dead centre
but the charge failed to explode and the raft floated on to pile up on
a gravel bar undamaged.

A battery of cameras placed at strategic points on the river bank,
used some 1500ft. of film photographing this incredible job of
destruction while our French mechanic M. Balourdet looked on broken
hearted at the loss of hii "leedle tractors."
Still plagued by continual bad weather the job of re-arranging
the loads for the pack train was a difficult one as we are now entirely
dependant on the horses for the trip onward.
Finally with horses scattered along nearly half a mile of trail
kept the packers busy but gradually each horse learned to find its place
in the line as the trail led through ever changing country, through
park like valleys of jack pine, spruce and poplar, treacherous willow
swamps and muskeg where the horses floundered to their bellies in the
soft ground.
Progress was slow as the trail led us through patches of windfall
and scrubby

balsam, skirting the east shore of Marion Lake to enter a

badly fire

scarred area to reach the banks of the 3ikanni Chief River

a swiftly flowing stream of icy cold water fed from the snow fields
of Mount McCusker and the rocky mountains to the west.
High water forced us to move up stream 8 miles before finding a
suitable crossing which we forded without mishap.
The mountains are getting higher

as we move on through heavy

timber and burned country to camp at the west end of Trimble Lake
a picturesque little body of water nestling beneath 6700 ft. Trimble
Peak. Thence following the Besa River north to a trappers cabin where
we camped for a few days rest.
Our first accident occured here as Walter Tomlinson one of
the packers

was thrown from a bucking horse badly injuring his knee

and had to be sent out to hospitable,
horse back.

a long and painful ride on

Leaving Keilly Greek t© start a Ion

steep climb

scrub spruce and balsam to reach tiaberline where

of IJ milesthrough
v?efound enough

wood and water for toe nights camp.
From here

5 pack horse loads of camera equipment went ahead to

photograph the pack train make the grueling climb of 6i>50ft. altitude
to cross the sumi it of Caribou range in a bitter cold wind which ohilled
to the boue, then e ate op desont to Richards Greek where the horses began
to show signs of exhaustion.
From Pdchards Greek a poor rooky trail and another heart breaking
climb over a 4000ft. devide to camp on the banks of the Propnet River
and give the unfortunate horses a three day rest.
Air. Bedaux deserves some measure of credit
first man to traverse this fabulous north country

for wanting to be the
tractor but will

learn a herd and expensive lesson as his tractors have already failed
and. been abandonded, now his horses are beginning to feel the strain
of carrying heavy loads and insufficient food to keep the® going.
A fey days in camp after

any long days of travel gave ua a cha

ohauoo to meat one another.
Madam Bedaux a tali gracious person who took a keen interest in
all that went on and would sit by the camp fire at night among .he
cowboys, getting personal glimpses for her story of the trip. From a
large J&paned box she would hand out cigarettes, tobacco and chewing
gum to the crew.
Madam Ohiesa spoke very little English and kept, pretty much
to herself.
Josephine gained the deep respect of us all as her task »aa an
arduous one looking after her ladies who who demanded as much service
in the wood® at they would in their 5th. Avt apartments.

This was a sore point with the Jr Jr ' a as they were up at 4A.M.
wrangling horses and at times it was nearly noon before tie ladies
decided what clothes they would wear for the days travel,
John GhisLolm our Scottish hunter was always

good

or a laugh as he

doned his kilt and tamoehanter to g© forth with his riile to
moose or caribwu which were very scarce,

unt for

rightened no doubt uy the

large number of horses and people moving tnrough 1 e counurj.
Leaving the Prophet River a march of twelve miles took us bo the
Muskwa Meadows where for the first time in asBfijr days the heraes found
food in abundance in meadow country which appealed to them.
Moving on to enter the main valley of the Muskwa River, a truly
wild and beautiful country which few white men have entered before*
the river follows many channels as we crossed and recrossed beneath
500ft. cliffs on either side the stream: some 40 yards wide, deep and
gray with glacial silt.
Some 75 pack horses spread out along the open gravel bars was a
sight long to remain in ones memory.
Twenty miles of the roughest trails so far encountered brought
ua to Fern Lake (named after M.Bedaux) where in a perfect setting
of Spruce meadows camp was

established on the north shore of the lak*>

a green glacial pond below massive glaciers sloping to the alpine
valley below.
Far beyond the bounds of any known surveys and conditions created
by civilization, a combined mountain climb and hunt was organized.
Edgar Dopp- one of the cowboys volunteered

to help me carry a

transit and tripod to a prominent peak west of camp in an afford to
locate some distant survey monuments which might help us plot our
true position on the map.

On the way up Edgar shot a young gr^zzley bear, later as we set up
our transit on the peak the country appeared to be a paradise for
grizzlies as through the telescope numerous bears could be seen among
the glaciers.
After building a cairn of rocks we were reluctant to leave this
fabulous view point where in all directions iv fty peaks rose 8500ft.
above the glaciers, an awe inspiring sight in the heart of the

Rocky Mts.

On our return to camp we found that the hunting party had shot
two grizzies but found no sign of moose or caribou.
At night the stars shone clear and bright as we established a
station to take observations of the North Star.
A subsequent topographic sketch map of this country by Mr.Swanell
B.CoL.S. named many of the prominent peaks.after members of the expedition
( Bilou Pk. after Mds. Chiesa) (Mt. Josephine Mt. Crosby) Beduax Mt. etc.
Leaving Fern Lake to cross the Muskwa-Kwadacha divide
j

(now Bedaux

.C5-

Pass) heavy squalls of rain blew down from the glaciers as we decended
westward over rough rocky trails to Chesterfield Lake approximately
five miles long then on to camp in what we nemed Champagne Meadows. That
night our Hollywood photographer, Crosby schemed up a movie of a simulated
forest fire aided by magnesium flares ending in a wild stampede of horses
caused by a fusilade of rifle shots.
Madam Chiesa allowed herself to be carried to safety by a handsome
cowboy, after which the nine remaining bottles of champagne wore finished.
A cold rain was falling as we left Chesterfield Creek to pass
along a chain of three lakes and decended to the Wameford River to
some Indian cabins at Kwadacha Forks. On a steep slippery trail one
horse slipped and fell into the river with the result a barometer and
survey equipment were soaked. That night

Geike walked into camp with

his saddle horse packed as three of his pack horses had completely
played out and had to be shot.

On Sept. iAth. four inches of snow fell during the night and the
horses were cold and cranky as we loaded wet packs and struggled on
over a moraine ridge and sandy benches to ent^-r the main Findlay River
Valley and the Rooky Mountain trench to reach shelter at the Hudson Bay
Post at Fort Ware ( White Water Post).
The cook was hard pressed to prepare a meal for JO odd people
who had gathered there but a large kettle of hot strong punch came
L-

'I*.

T rf,

forth and spirits rose as the bowl of punch went down.
James Ware the Hudson Bay factor made us comfortable in a log
cabin where over the radio we listened to the first news from outside
since leaving Fort St. John.
Four days were snent discarding loads of surplus food.clothing
etc. and the last case of Sekenshire Cream, all distrubuted among the
Indians.
The horse roamed far and wide insearch of food.when finally
rounded up, two casea of dreaded hoof rot was found and the poor beasts
had to be destroyed
Light snow was falling as we travelled North up the Fox River
into the pass of that name, then on to Fox Lake through dense spruce,
open meadows and swamp land where Tomny Wild shot the first moose we
had seen for weeks. The fresh meat was welcome after a steadjs diet of
canned foods. Although the lakes and streams teamed with fish other
other game was very scarce.
The situation was becoming a bit desperate as the horses were
in bad shape after a steep trail to the summit of

Sifton Pass

anda

few were too weak to go on.
Crossing the Liard-Findly divide to the junction of Drift Pile
Creek and Kechika River where four inches of snow

fell

in the

and three more horses turned up with hoof rot and

were

destroyed

immediatly.

night

An icy wind from the noru*

m e d us that an. early winter was

approaching#
As two hundred miles of little kt.own wilderness lay between us
and Dease Lake, Mr. Bedaux decided to go no further and ordered a return
to Fort Ware after having traveiled 964 miles from Edmonton.
The return trip was not a happy one although to the packers it
was a relief as most of them were men dedicated to the land, and had
handled stock all their lives and loved their horses and hated to see
them suffer.
One such man, Bob. White who in 1928 with his partner

Bob.Godberson

left Maple Creek, Sask. and travelled some 1400 miles on horse back
leading pack animals via Edmonton crossing the Peace at Peace River

town

then following old cattle trails north if the river to Fort St. John
and Hudson Hope later to operate a trap line at the headwaters of
Cameron River. He now lives on his cattle ranch in the Cypress Hills
of Saskatchewan.
Retracing our steps to the wide plateau of Sifton Pass to take
a series of movies t h ^ b a c k to Fort Ware to swim our faithful horses
across the river and to drive what was left of them down the Findlay
to meadows near Fort Graham where they could spend the winter.
The half t r a c k s abondoned, now left without horses, an urgent
call went out for boats.
Within three days Cafl Davidson, a veteran river man with
several trappers arrived with five boats, one 40 footed had a tent
and stove rigged up to keep the ladies warm on the trip down river.
It looked like a river boat of the 1800's with smoke booming from
a chimney sticking three feet above the tent.
After the slow travel by pack train the flotilla of boats
fairly flew with the current and outboard motors roaring to pause
at Deserters Canyon on the Findlay River while cameras were placed
at points in the Canyon.

Halfway through a tragedy was narrowly averted as Bedauxs' boat
struck a rock and nearly capsized* Hp

’hill of wate; they managed

to get to shore with three wet and terrified women* A bon f re was
lighted to dry them out and make hot coffee as the weather was
miserably cold.
Pushing off again to make a quick run to the Findlay Rapids,
more pictures were taken as the boats shot through the rapids into
the Peace River as it flows through the back bone of the Rockies with
scarcely a ripple then through the Ne Phrle Pas rapids to stop at the
Beattie ranch, where we found the trutpioneer spirit in Jim. and Mrs.
Beattie who had settled here years earlier, raised a family and owned
one of the finest ranches on the Peace.
Mrs. Beattie was delighted to have the whole expedition visit
them and put on a wonderful dinner for the crowd.
A run of twenty miles took us to the Rocky Mountain Portage
where to-day the great Peace River Dam stretches across the canyon
producing power from its mighty waters.
Six wagon teams met us here and freighted the outfit over
the fourteen mile portage to Hudson Hope.
Taking to the boats again to make the final run of fifty
miles to Taylor where a large tractor with two cars in tow pulled us
through mud up to the axels to Pouce Coupe arriving at two o'clock
in the morning.
Boarding the Northern Alberta Railway the same day arrived
back in Edmonton on October 24th after four months and $250,000 dollars
spent covering some 2000 miles and failed to reach our objective.
The failure due firstly to continued bad weather which
plagued us all the way*
The half tracks proved1 totally unsuited to the terain of

the North country.
The horses were the ©nly ones to suffer great,
as they were unable to forage enough fooa
carry the heavj loads of em*ac

-stain 1

rdshipe
_a

epuipment.

And here we aay good bye to the strar^e^t urw.ortaking
the Peace River has ever seen.