Latest Update:

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". . . in the great range of human inquiry we desire not merely to know the sorts of things that are revealed in scientific papers, but to know what is beautiful, and edifying in a far away place. . . . The land retains an identity of its own, still deeper and more subtle than we can know, our obligation to it then is simple, to approach with an uncalculating mind, with an attitude of regard to try and sense the range and variety of its expressions, its weather and colors and animals.  To intend from the beginning to preserve some of the mystery within it as a kind of wisdom to be experienced, not questioned.  And to be alert to its openings for that moment when something sacred reveals itself in the mundane and you know the land knows you are there."

                                                                                                                                                        -- Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams

 

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9/21/23 (Final Entry):

"For everyone who has followed our journey for the last 45 days we have arrived at our final destination --Chesterfield Inlet, or Chester as the Inuit people call their home, the oldest settled community in the northern province of Nunavut. Our journey, five years in the planning and 50 years in the dreaming was truly a trip of a lifetime, one that has impacted us in ways that we never could have imagined when we said goodbye to Bart and Rick over six weeks ago and set out on Wollaston Lake unsure of what lay ahead. Breathtaking, landscapes bountiful wildlife, bull-moosed portages like we have never experienced, endless rapid sets and lake crossings that went on forever, our trip had it all. 

 

Perhaps, the last 48 hours best described the challenges we face throughout our journey as well as the highs and lows of our emotions. With 72 miles to go (or so we thought) we broke camp early Monday morning and with the tidal currents from the ocean in our favor paddled over half of the mileage by midafternoon. Encouraged by our progress and excited to reach the end we decided to make the final push after dark once we had reached high tide. Off we went into the darkness with only a compass as our guide and the bioluminescence, tracking and lighting up our boats. Three hours later, we bumped into the shore, nerve wracked, freezing and exhausted. In the pitch dark, we sought high ground and huddled together under our tarp for warmth, waiting for the first sign of daybreak so we could paddle our last miles, but when we got back on the water, the final 15 miles turned out to be 20, then 25 and, in the end, nearly 30. Battling headwinds like we hadn't seen for most of the trip and a current that no longer was working in our favor, the arctic was not going to let us out easy.

 

In the end, the sleepy hamlet of Chesterfield Inlet welcomed us with open arms and after a glorious paddle early Wednesday morning with the sun glistening off the Bay, we floated to shore, 45 days and 1100 miles from our starting point. Thank you to everyone who believed in us and helped to make this dream of a lifetime come true, a moment time that we will cherish forever. Seek the joy. "

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9/20/23: "We have arrived in Chesterfield.  We are staying at the Catholic Church sleeping between the pews. Today we will paddle the canoes around the inlet into Chesterfield town.  We’ve been treated amazingly by the people here.  They picked us up on the beach informed us we could not camp on the beach because of polar bear threat. That was a nice thing!  So we are at the Catholic church getting sorted. Unfortunately, none of our phones function here and the Catholic church has no internet so none of us are able to communication.  If we find a way, we will certainly call or we may have to wait until we reach Winnipeg. That being said, the flights out of Chesterfield have not left for two or three days because of weather conditions. However, the weather does look good for tomorrow, so we’re hoping we are okay!" 

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9/19/23: "WE MADE IT" 

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9/18/23: "Evening update everyone: We kicked in the second gear today and this evening, and have crushed 40 miles. We've stopped to let the tides change. In five hours we plan to head back out and make it to Chesterfield for sunrise. We should have civilization tomorrow. Bittersweet."

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9/17/23: "We are checking in, everything is okay. Thinking of you all!" 

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9/16/23 Cont'd: Good morning! After what was described as the most beautiful day of paddling in six people’s lives, we are now experiencing the alter ego of the Arctic. Friday morning, we woke up to 26° and heavy frost on our tents but a clear sky. We woke up at three and paddled out in the darkness, and slowly watched, the sky illuminates, and the sun begin to rise. Thick fog came and went giving us limited, Visibility and then it would clear and give us bright sunshine. We heard, and saw our first power boat in 20 days, another person, other than the five faces we each know, and are so familiar with. The boat did not stop and that actually made us feel better not quite ready. Suddenly a seal popped his head out right in front of our boats. Curious to what he saw. That’s when we knew we were in the Arctic Ocean! The water has turned salty now. We are now searching for our campsites based on finding lakes and streams rather than pitching our tents in the prettiest spots. But the pretty spots are absolutely everywhere!

 

As that day went on the water was glass calm, and with the out-going 12’ tides and current we were averaging 5 mph+ as we paddle. We turned the corner and there was 150-foot cargo ship anchored in a bay. This is apparently the ship that loads a tug that takes food to Baker Lake, because the inlet is too shallow for it to get any further. We saw no other people until suddenly a small boat with two guides and a man from Utah, turned the corner and came over to see us. He was a hunter and they had bagged the Caribou that morning. Very nice fellows who immediately offered us a large 10lb Caribou fillet. The man from Utah could not believe we’ve been out since the beginning of August and wanted to update us on current events, but we politely refused. He did mention something about Aaron Rodgers before we could stop him.

 

By the end of the day, we were paddling in T-shirts on the 65th parallel in September! We paddled 37 miles and pulled into camp at 6 PM. Hugh and Steve made an amazing dinner.

 

We all watch the sunset together. Really just a fantastic day and the scenery and landscape of Chesterfield Inlet is absolutely spectacular. Sometimes you think you’re in the Colorado river sometimes it looks like you’re on the moon. The geology changes constantly, the colors the lichen although we are completely devoid of any trees. The plant life is spectacular with yellows and reds and greens.

 

Of course, mother nature never rests, and we woke up Saturday to High winds. We were able to get about 12 miles in waking up at 3 AM and paddling until 11 then being windbound in Rocky out crop. We have to be very vigilant about the canoes as the tide rises 12 feet, so you pull the canoes on shore and find yourself moving them three or four times further and further up, six hours later wondering why your canoe is sitting in a boulder field yards in yards from the water!

 

So, the rest of the day was spent hiding in our tents with the whipping wind in the rain. We’ve been reading and we will have a euchre tournament. Hugh and Steve L made an amazing Caribou pasta dish. Last night the wind lashed at our tents all night long, but sleep came easy to everyone. This morning the wind and rain continues but I was just delivered coffee into my tent. Let me reiterate, delivered coffee by Peter Tester! He’s, my favorite!

 

We are all hoping with fingers crossed that the wind will rest later this afternoon as forecasted and we can get on the road this evening and maybe paddle through the night. We are still 70 miles from town and have a flight scheduled on Thursday!

 

Cheers from 65 degrees north. Kazan crew.

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9/16/23: Very disappointing to report our beautiful day yesterday turned in to an arctic blast today. We made 11 miles and then forced to shore in 30 mph headwind. Forecast looks ugly for tomorrow as well. We are only 65 miles from Chesterfield. But no choice but to sit tight. 

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9/15/23: "Great day! Salt water,seal sighting, fresh caribou for dinner and 37 more miles! We’re camped out in Chesterfield Inlet at Primrose Island. Today we did over 37 miles and we’re back on track to make it to Chesterfield on Tuesday, with luck Monday night. Today was an amazing day as we sailed into the arctic ocean, our first indication was being greeted by a seal!! The water is now brackish, and we’re camping near streams and lakes. The topography and landscapes in the Chesterfield Inlet are undescribable. I just hope the pictures I take do it the justice it deserves. We also made contact with her first humans since we left Scott at Kasba lake. Two hunting guides with a client pulled up alongside in a power boat and we’re nice enough to give us fresh Caribou tenderloin that had just been shot. We were shocked and excited and have already had some for dinner! Today we woke up to 26° and heavy frost on our tents but by 2 o’clock the temperature has soard into the upper 60s and we had sunshine all day. So many stories to share each day but happy to send this message and let you know that everything is great. More details when we arrive in Chesterfield Inlet." 

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9/14/23: "Lots of hard work battling head hinds. We took our lumps struggling for the last 50 miles but paddled out of Baker Lake tonight! Heavy freeze last night! 26 tonight but hoping for Chesterfield Inlet early next week. Everyday is an absolute adventure! Looking forward to seeing you all!" 

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9/13/23: "We are checking in, everything is okay. Thinking of you all."

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9/12/23: "Wind bound today at Baker Lake. Wind not favorable. All safe. Making tough decisions. Will update as soon as we have them."

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9/11/23: "Baker Lake today. 37 miles. Tomorrow we hope to get a lot of Baker in the rear view. Huge day done!" 

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9/10/23: The men of the Kazan have started on their final push of the trip through Baker Lake. "Made it to the falls today. Kind of a field trip day, stopped at a dozen different archaeological sites. The Falls are amazing and we had a beautiful day."

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9/9/23: "27 more miles today. Tomorrow we are having a lite day, to Kazan falls which is supposed to be the best. Monday we should be in Baker lake and start the last push!" 

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9/8/23: "26 miles today. Beautiful afternoon sunshine! We are making our way north! All is good!"

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9/7/23: "Great  29 miles today! Rained a bunch this morning but we got out and made good headway across Force lake. Beautiful sunset and warmer temps! Good fishing too!" 

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9/6/23: "This morning, we woke up for a 3 AM and paddled 35 miles to get across the last of Yathkyed Lake. Last night was stayed on an island 17 miles from the end of the lake. Today when we got back in the river, we had both the wind and the current pushing us and we made 35 miles. Tomorrow we will get to Force Lake and plan on crossing that leaving just one more big lake in our path. Had a great experience in the rapids today with huge haystacks and caught a gigantic lake trout for dinner! So yes, it was a great day."

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9/5/23: "Absolutely beautiful up here. We are all happy and healthy."

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9/4/23: "Made 30 miles Today.  although cold it was an amazing day (again)! hope you all enjoyed the holidays!"

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9/3/23: A relaxing windy day for the men of the Kazan: "Wind bound today with 25 to 35kts. temps have dropped and the dry suits are on. Forecast is looking better for next week. Rebuilding camp stoves, playing uno, reading and trying to shelter from this wind."  

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9/2/23: "Made it another 30+ miles, through the 3 cascades then wind bound in the late afternoon. Exciting day. All good."  

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9/1/23: "Checking in all is good. Windy rainy weather, but we are in good spirits with eyes north!"

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8/31/23: "We are checking in, everything is okay. Thinking of you all."

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8/30/23: "Another memorable day! Wake up at midnight left camp at 1:20 AM with northern lights and full star canopy. Paddled 33 miles across the entire lake today. Camping at the headwaters of kazan where she continues north. Three fish for dinner." 

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8/29/23 Cont'd: "Today we started our truck towards Angikuni lake. We stopped early with plans of doing a night paddle tonight. Good news as the wind picked up to 25 kn as we approach our intended campsite, so we were destined to be at the site all day either way. More good news is that we have all had time to do a round of laundry. Hugh made us a miso of soup for lunch and Bisquick pancakes with wild cranberries that Steve Shook foraged. So, our plan is to leave at 1 AM this morning and paddle the 30 miles across the lake in what is forecasted to be dead calm. With luck will have another night of northern lights. We are camped at the base of an island that has an elevation rise 300 feet and we climb to the top to find a lone Caribou with a single antler who is very curious and watched us for 15 minutes before running off. We see telltale signs of muskox scat nearby and have great hopes of seeing one close and personal. But for now, we all sit in the sun, read our books, write in the journals, or take a nice nap. We are just over halfway through the trip, and it just seems like a dream. Despite the frosty morning the other day, it has not been too cold, and the lack of bugs makes it 100% worth going at the later date we chose. It is to be determined if we hold that same opinion after the next two weeks, but the extended forecast still appears to be in our favor.

 

The food that Hugh and Steve, prepared ahead of time has been phenomenal. We have eaten like kings. and attention to spice and detail has been astounding.

 

We are now seeing caribou almost continuously we haven’t seen more than 12 to 15 together, but they appear everywhere, and they are very curious. But nothing will take our memory away from the two-wolf pack that visited us yesterday morning at our campsite first thing in the morning Timberwolves Peter Tester identified them as, one gray and one brilliant white they were in no more than 30 feet away from us and again curious animals Give us a so long stare, and then slowly trotted away from us. It was a very special and surprising event that we will not forget. That’s all for now!"

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8/29/23: The trip is currently "wind bound and down" on the western edge lake Angikuni Lake. "Planning on a night paddle tonight with Northern lights!"

 

8/28/23: "Longest day yet 33.5 miles but we're cooking with wind and current today! Visited by a wolf pack at camp this am. Very cool!"

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8/27/23: "Long day 29 miles of head wind paddling.  But Hugh made an impressive bannock for dinner. Last night, Dave woke up at 1 AM for his Northern lights check, and what do you know it was fantastic. Today was a chilly morning with a solid frost coating our tents. It was a long day of headwind paddling in Dima lake. We made it to the northern side and tomorrow continue up the Kazan. Tonight marks day, 20!"

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8/26/23: "We made it to the start of Dema lake. Briefly went down this afternoon. Has cold front rolled through. But cleared all the smoke. Beautiful sunset. Tomorrow's wake up it's 34° but sunny skies and light winds. Enjoy your Sunday morning!, We will!"

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8/25/23: "Feet are finally dry! Happy Friday! We finally made it out of Ennadai Lake. It was a 60-mile journey, and we felt every last mile of it. We had some great tail wins for sailing and some grueling head wins to push against. We turned back into the Kazan again today and headed north. The landscape went from a beautiful huge lake with sand beaches, Rolling hills, and sand eskers, to a fast-moving wide river and low land. And today we had a major smoke because of southwest winds that are blowing 15 to 25 kn. We have started to see many more Caribou. In fact, tonight as we sit and have dinner, we can spot dozens of them roaming about checking us out. Everyone here is in good health. Every day is a big day with lots of challenges and physical exertion. We find no problems hitting the sleeping bag just before the sun goes down. Have a great weekend."

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8/24/23: The trip is nearly finished with Ennadai Lake. "What [Ennadai] a beauty! Great day and we saw our first frost this morning! All good!"

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8/23/23: Short update from the guys: "21 mile headwind today, but these old guys are cranking it out! Now at amazing beach campsite. Half way through Ennadai Lake.

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8/22/23: After their first day on the Kazan River, the trip could not be going stronger! Reporting back they said: "Today's been an epic day of paddling. We left the island and made it to the start of the Kazan River today! We paddled over 30 miles into the river. It's a beautiful river. It's big and fast but also low on water. Likely no portaging required thus far. And the team is happy and healthy! White beam, herrisa, broccoli, chorizo, and fresh trout for dinner. Sun is setting and we're all exhausted. Tomorrow we hit lake Ennadai. Cheers!

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8/21/23 Cont'd: "We've departed Kasba Lake Lodge in with favorable winds. We've made it within 7 miles of the Kazan River. We are currently camped on a small island (about 200 yards long) in the middle of Kasba lake. Suddenly all the land has become barren of trees and brush."

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8/21/23: After battling heavy winds, the trip spent some time at the Kasba Lake Lodge. Update from the trip: "So far so good! Weather’s been great bugs have been next to nonexistent. The next 2/3 of our trip is about to begin. This afternoon will paddle to the start of the Kazan. Camp there, then start heading North again. Spirits are high. The team is definitely coming together and working at a high-level."

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8/19/23: The trip has officially made it to Kasba Lake. A few long days in a row but all worth it to reach this landmark in their journey! 

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8/18/23: An update from the men of the Kazan as the make their approach on Kasba Lake: "We passed the 60th parallel North. Got an early start today and paddled till noon and then decided to take a break and actually dry out after eight days of pushing it. We’ve had fantastic weather. Great tail wins lots of sailing good fishing but our biggest challenge has been low water, so in between all that fun, we have been dragging boats and portaging to find water. The last 24 hours have gotten better as we cross the height of land. Now we’re heading “downstream “. Today we saw the first humans since we waved goodbye to Bart and rick from the bridge last Tuesday. A young fishing guide with a client who said I thought we were a moose until I saw the colors. They came over to talk with us. He said for three years he’s been guiding, and he’s never seen people come through this area. unfortunately, we were a few miles from the lodge, so we cannot take up his offer of stopping by for lunch. Currently, Hugh is making Bannock pancakes are as Lubes makes a fine lunchtime soup. We’re all hoping for a bath from the beach later today and possibly a nap. Tomorrow calls for headwinds so we’re up super early to try to make Kasba Lake and stay on schedule. That’s all for now. Hope all is well."

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8/17/23: Better day. Still could use more water in these rivers. Big thunderstorms now. Early to bed early to rise! 

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8/15/23: Short and sweet update from the guys today: "Tuesday. Good day. 6 portages and Fish for dinner."

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8/14/23: All good things from the trip! They are making great progress and in high spirits! Camped tonight on Phelps Lake. a note from the trip; " Lots of good sailing up north. Made about 18km today under sail today. We are the multi color multi hull! Witnessing lots of scared ground from the fires and seeing active smoke but no threat. Portages, wadding, and lining boats was the activity of choice when not sailing!" 

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8/13/23: "Good day today. Another BIG one. Lots of sailing. Making our way north. We hope to be back on track tomorrow. It's a 4 am wake up to beat the wind!" 

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8/12/23: It appears that low water has been making for quite a bit of walking for the Kazan men. But not enough to hold them down! Trip reports back; "Exhausted! 9-hour portage. Rough going but such an adventure! We are figuring it out. All good!"

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8/11/23: The trip is finally starting to get into a rhythm! "Maybe harder, maybe we are just getting used to this new way of life. Zero injuries and spirits high (water low). Tomorrow to be a true challenge!  Early camp today with fresh fish.  Perfect weather holds! All good."  

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8/10/23: Dealing with lower water than expected and having to deal with tough portages but spirits high and weather is incredible! Big day tomorrow! 

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8/9/23: All good! Camped at Hatchet Lake.

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8/8/23 Cont'd:

Boats are in the water! The Trip put in at Wollaston Lake around 1:00pm MST. Beautiful weather so far! They paddled around eight miles of lake and stream before making camp for the night on Collins Island. Tonight's menu was chili and cornbread over the fire, both of which were delicious. They have a long day on Wednesday, but spirits are high, and they are already starting to settle into a groove as a team! 

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8/8/23:

The trip made their last stop for gas in Missinipe, Saskatchewan. The guys stopped at Churchill Outfitters to meet up. 

with Rick Driediger and his son Dan. Rick is the man who inspired this trip and Dan is the one who created and designed our maps and route. 

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8/7/23:

The trip is officially on its way! The Six men departed from the Camping & Education Foundation property in International Falls, MN at around 10:00AM. 

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