ONE-UPMANSHIP IS ALIVE AND IMPRESSIVE
A Canada Four Corner Adventure

After publishing our "U.S. 4-Corner" post, it came to our attention that the Butler brothers, Brian and Greg, went to "extremes" in '01 to bag Canada's Four Corner junction of Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Saskatchewan. This was no small feat. It required careful planning and travel by an SUV, a float-plane freight flight, an aluminum fishing boat, and on foot. All did not go smoothly, but the mission was accomplished with the help of the bush pilot, his assistant, and a Hasbala Lake guide. Get story and pics here: http://www.bjbsoftware.com/corners/pointdetail.php3?point=139

Brian notes: By the way, on the entire trip my brother and I did in 2001, the most challenging (and frightening) was the Michigan, Minnesota, Ontario tripoint, which is about a kilometer offshore in Lake Superior using an inflatable kayak. That is truly an impressive body of water. A hundred meters off shore the depth is about 800 feet, water always about 55 degrees F. We lucked out with winds from the east. I was concerned that a strong westerly wind would blow us out into the lake.

My brother tells me the most physically challenging US tri-point is ID-MT-WY because it involves about three miles of steep climbing through high elevations in the part of Yellowstone that burned in 1988, leaving a jumble of large fallen trees. Oh yeah, and grizzlies too.

I am trying to talk somebody into trying to visit the British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon tripoint. It would involve plenty of gravel travel and a 160 mile canoe trip (at least it is downstream and no major whitewater). bjbutler@bjbsoftware.com

(Any takers? TTT )