Publisher's Synopsis
Follow along as two unsuspecting adventurers face deadly rapids, unbearable bugs, polar bears, drunken Indians, inedible food, Arctic tundra, inaccurate route maps, and much more, on their summer vacation in the Canadian Wilderness.
It all begins just north of The Pas in Manitoba, Canada. The plan was to canoe 800 miles over 8 weeks, eventually heading down the Caribou River to Hudson Bay where they were scheduled to be picked up by a boat.
But things didn't go quite as planned.
After learning from Indians living in the area that they would very likely be killed by rapids going down the Caribou River, route changes were made to exit the area via the Seal River where they would only maybe get killed (one big problem... the canoe they rented was made for cruising big lakes with a motor, not negotiating intense rapids!!!).
Upon reaching Hudson Bay, after nearly being killed-by-rapids on the Seal River, the two canoers realized that their pre-scheduled boat pick up wasn't going to show up.
Instead, they found themselves surrounded by polar bears and faced with canoeing across the freezing-cold Arctic ocean, which is prone to sudden storms and has a tide that goes out as far as 12 miles twice a day.
You'll wonder how they lived to tell the story, but they did, and in this book, they bring you vivid descriptions of nearly canoeing over waterfalls, being covered with clouds of black flies and mosquitoes, getting caught on huge lakes during violent thunder storms, canoeing past dead whales, and coming within inches of being vaporized by rapids.
You'll find out how inaccurate government information led to under-preparation, a near drowning, and the loss of equipment and supplies literally in the "middle of nowhere."
You'll learn how a guitar peg saved their lives, the food that turned out to be indigestible, why they developed the "brute force" paddling technique, the problem with beavers and much more including some things that are probably better kept private, but were left in the story anyway!
It's all told with a good sense humor and a "like you were there" writing style. It's an entertaining read for just about everyone, and a "must read" for anyone considering a canoe trip in northern Canada.
Illustrated with 133 photos and illustrations, this book also includes interesting tidbits about the land, plants, animals, and the people who live and canoe in Canada's Land of Little Sticks. It's not only a fun read, its educational... enjoy!
