May, also from Calgary wrote of her 3 day tour, "A 5-Star trip! Many Thanks".

"..brace yourself against the perpetual wind, and gaze past the riot of tiny alpine wildflowers to the haze-veiled peaks that stretch beyond the horizon." was part of International Travel writer Laurie Carter's article written in eVent magazine on July 11, followed by an email to our office, "I had a great time on our day out. I think you have a terrific product. You are exactly the kind of person we need to introduce visitors and locals to the wonders of the back country."

And locals who have never ventured too far from the valley floor have said "What a great way to explore the country! We went places that I wouldn't have ever seen". "I enjoyed Steve's substantial knowledge of mining. As well I got to see a lot of fishing lakes I would never have known of otherwise. - Great day!!". "Wow...I never imagined we had such wild and beautiful countryside so close to home. (Steve) has an amazing knowledge of the land and has a great sense of humor!"

GeoQwest clients continue to send our office emails weeks after their trips thanking us for such a wonderful time. The past month has seen our tours include a 3 day custom trip through the Monashee and Thompson Mountains where our clients enjoyed the backroads landscapes of the Okanagan Highlands, Mabel Lake, Salmon River and a drive through Douglas Lake Ranch. Our overnight stays in an outstanding wilderness B&B capped the trip with personalized hospitality by our German hosts. Visits to local rural artisans and wilderness art and sculpture galleries added a dimension to the tour not normally appreciated by travelers into the backcountry. A stop was included at a marble quarry that has supplied material to the International Sculptors Symposium. Our clients enjoyed their independence in tailoring the details of their trip on the fly and the freedom from logistics and worry in traveling these remote roads. So impressed with our service, they have asked us to organize a backroads route through the Kootenays in the Fall and a tour to the Queen Charlotte Islands for next year.

A tour was built for a group of locals who, as a gift to their retiring colleague and avid fisherman, had us organize an orientation trip through the lakes of the Pennask Plateau. We toured over 15 lakes noting roads, campsites and chatting with local fisherman. They came away with an extensive inventory of where to find some of the best high country fishing in the region and the confidence to return on their own. This trip will be posted shortly to our website as a regular tour offering.

Interest continues to build for our new company with many inquiries for custom trips into the mountains surrounding the Okanagan. The next few weeks are shaping up to be some of the busiest yet. A trip will be leaving to the platinum creeks of the Tulameen on July 29 to drive deep into Treasure Mountain, well known to geologists for it's spectacular complex mineralogy. A very special trip is planned for a young lady handicapped by M.S. and her family that will take her into the wilderness she so enjoyed only a few short years ago.

We encourage local event organizers to spend some time on our website to discover our services others have enjoyed in offering the same to your conference delegates. Some of our clients have been attendees to conferences and were surprised that GeoQwest was not offered as an attractive alternative to routine urban activities.

"Update" - GeoQwest Excursions is now a member of the Thompson Okanagans Tourism Association.

Happy travels!

Steve Noakes
President
GeoQwest Excursions Ltd.