As our fundraising efforts for the Summit to Sea project continue, we’ve been very fortunate to have managed to get some good press for our plan in more traditional media. A couple of weeks ago we were interviewed by a gentleman from the Billings Gazette and were featured in an article in the Sunday edition of the paper. The Missoulian picked up the story for their Monday paper, and that lead to an interview with a reporter from KPAX, one of the Missoula television stations!

As we approach the half-way point for our Kickstarter campaign, it’s been really good to be able to expand our marketing beyond simply our own contacts and mailing lists, and have a little bit more of a public awareness of the project. We’ve already heard from several folks interested in helping out throughout the state, and have been able to meet quite a few new people along the way.

It’s also been a good opportunity to brush up on a skill that we don’t particularly use every day: “public speaking.” Some folks might talk to a journalist every day, but we don’t quite have that experience. Thankfully, neither of us was too nervous, although I could feel every “um” falling out of my mouth like a tic while we were on video! I don’t know if we’ll have more interviews ahead of us, but it’s been nice to have the practice and be talking about our goals for the project.

As our fundraising stands this evening, we’re 16% of the way towards our goal, so thanks everyone! Each new backer helps make the voyage a reality, and we really appreciate your help! We’re in the Bitterroot today, and I was on the banks of the river earlier this afternoon watching the water go by, and thinking about the coming summer. If everything goes according to plan, we’ll be underway within six months. It seems so strange that something that spent so many years as an idle thought on summer afternoons is actually starting to coalesce into reality!