Our Motivation 

For many years, the group has wanted to take a long, remote canoe trip to the Arctic region of Canada with friends from Camp Kooch-i-ching, a wilderness tripping camp we attended in our teens in the 1970s and 1980s and have stayed connected to as staff, counselors, board members and supporters throughout the past 40+ years. As campers, we heard stories of the Kooch-i-ching men who had taken canoe trips to the Arctic following their time at camp, on iconic rivers in the far off reaches of northern Canada such as the Coppermine, the Hood and the Back. We heard about how they fished, hunted game, shot rapids, followed paths of the Inuit, Dene and other indigenous people of the land, struggled with ice, wind and bugs, paddled with seals and beluga whales, watched musk oxen and herds of caribou traverse the tundra, and crossed paths with an occasional polar bear.  Whenever we asked these “old timers” about their trips, they lit up with stories and anecdotes that showed how much these trips meant to them at the time and how deeply they still were years later. Every one of them encouraged us to take our own Arctic trip. 

Forty years later, the dream of canoeing in the Arctic with Kooch-i-ching friends remains strong and alluring. The pull of the north, of the “canoe country,” is deeply felt by us, and brings a sense of joy, wonder, memories and fun. We long to feel the rhythmic “dip, dip and swing” of our paddles thrusting us forward across lakes and through miles of tricky rapids and  to feel the strain of carrying Duluth packs and wanigans across long portages.

As we are nearing or just passing age 60, due to the lives we’ve led and the people we’ve met, there are other things we hope to see, find and do on this canoe trip. According to many who have traveled the Arctic, the Kazan is one of the most fascinating rivers and trips because of human history and wildlife. The Kazan, called Inuit Ku, the River of Men, by the inland Inuits, is steeped in history. The Inuit and Dene people have lived on and around the river for centuries, and their presence is found in the tent rings, meat caches and Inukshuks (“stone men”) along the lower part of the river. The Kazan lies in the middle of the migration path of two large Caribou herds that cross its banks in the lands south of Baker Lake, which come through the area in August and was one of the main sources of food and clothing for the native populations.  

Another pull of the Kazan is to explore and map a potential canoe route for the young men and women of the Foundation’s two camps, Camp Kooch-i-ching for boys and Ogichi Daa Kwe for girls. The camps are always looking for long, interesting trips to new parts of Canada, and this route would be the first in Nunavut and first time canoeing in the lands of the Inuit and Dene. The trip begins in the familiar landscape of the boreal forest during the first part of the trip, and then switches to the unique, treeless scenery of the barren lands that stretch all the way from just north of Kasba Lake to the Arctic Ocean. 

We have chosen to include 360 in the name of our expedition for two reasons.  First, “360” is what our ages add up to.  We hope we may help inspire and motivate Kooch-i-ching and Ogichi campers to continue to live their passions and enjoy canoeing and camaraderie of friends in the wilderness at any age. The skills and values that Kooch-i-ching taught us have proved to serve us better and longer in our lives and with our families and careers that we could ever have imagined when we came to camp as kids.  Second, and most importantly, 360 denotes a circle. This trip continues a circle of support and inspiration from one generation to the next.  And even though we are the older generation, the guidance from the younger community members who have gone before us is invaluable and appreciated.

In sum, the Kooch-i-ching experience instilled in us a deep, profound respect for the wilderness and desire to return to the north.