Ready for a wilderness adventure? Take the quiz!
After paddling solo 1,300 kilometres and reaching the Arctic Circle, I finished my wilderness trek retracing the Klondike gold rush. What a trip!
It began at the Pacific Ocean near the foot of the Chilkoot and White Passes, and ended at Fort Yukon, Alaska, a major Arctic resupply point for 19th century Klondike miners. In total I travelled 1,500 kilometres by canoe, historic train and hiking boots.
During almost five weeks of paddling the Yukon River mostly in flood conditions, I took roughly 133,100 paddle strokes, moved 1,663.75 tons of water (more than 10 kilograms per paddle stroke), was bitten 515 times by mosquitoes and three deer flies, got lost twice (in Yukon Flats) and suffered six callouses, three burns and two blisters. Most days it rained or threatened rain.
Sometimes I climbed exhausted into my tent only to find it already occupied by many winged, blood-thirsty inhabitants. Twice I crawled into my sleeping bag at night after having paddled 90 kilometres, too bushed to make supper. Several times I had trouble finding a campsite, and thought I’d have to sleep in my canoe under a tarpaulin all night in the pouring rain. One evening I zipped the tent door closed and prepared for bed as the sound of pattering rain started once again. But no… it wasn’t rain. Thousands of swarming insects outside were bumping up against the tent fly. Everyone one of them wanted to taste my warm blood. I felt like an item on the dinner-buffet table. It gave me the creeps.
Still, this was a fantastic adventure!
If you think you’re ready to tackle a similar life goal, consider these questions:
• Does the idea of having six mosquito bites on the back of your neck make you itch for urban luxuries?
• Does having a large, wet, cold spot at the bottom of your sleeping bag make you dream longingly of a five-star spa?
• Do you mind not taking a shower for 8-10 days at a time, even when your body is layered in sweat, sun block and insect repellent?
• Do you mind being the worst-smelling animal in the wilderness?
• Does it bother you that even bears won’t poke around your campsite because they think you’ve gone bad?
• Does it dampen your optimism if it rains for seven days in a row?
• Does finding bear claw marks (long and deep) on the tree beside your tent make you want to sleep in a high security bank vault for a week?
• Does it disgust you having dirt and mosquito body parts under your fingernails all day?
Before you set out on an adventure like this one, carefully and thoughtfully assess your skills and experience. Be completely honest. Over-confidence has killed many a wilderness guide — world experts. Perhaps that’s what Roald Amundsen (the great Norwegian explorer who first navigated the Northwest Passage and led the first successful expedition to the South Pole) meant when he said, “Adventure is just bad planning.”
“Adventure” in itself isn’t bad, in my opinion; but sloppy planning leads to unnecessary risk.
I planned and trained for seven years. But during much of my adventure I was wet, cold and sometimes lost in extreme wilderness near the Arctic Circle. It wasn’t easy. Boiling currents, floating trees, snags and log jams posed unexpected dangers. That is the nature of wilderness travel. Extensive planning is vital, but luck can run against you.
Most of us have a romantic Victorian view of nature. Bunny rabbits might appear cute, but they have twitchy noses and nervous dispositions for one reason — they’re at the very bottom of the food chain. Extreme alertness helps them survive another day.
Solo wilderness trekkers need to be on guard constantly, acutely aware of approaching dangers. In the land of grizzly bears and icy rivers, wishful thinking (or outright arrogance) can kill you. When you’re dancing without a safety net, skills are necessary, but experience is critical. Skills can be learned in a weekend; experience takes years to accumulate.
So start planning your great adventure. Build up skills and experience until you have well-founded confidence in your abilities. Then go for it. Explore your dream.
Visit the Royal Canadian Geographical Society website to read more about Allen Macartney's expedition on the Yukon River.
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royal canadian geographical society,
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Comments (7)
Allen I have thought of you often this summer as you made your adventure. I praise God for your experiences as I am sure that you were very aware of His ever presence with you, even though you were probably wondering what Noah had to be thinking. Glad that you are preparing for the journey home. What a wonderful experience.
Richard
Submitted by Richard Lemmon on Saturday, August 25, 2012
Allen: I'm very proud of your achievement in realizing your goal. I hesitate to ask you- what are you plannig next? don
Submitted by don macartney on Monday, August 27, 2012
Allen, old son, you made the grade and lived your dream. Thought of you often with my feet up on the deck railing and sipping an ale. Stress for some of us is deciding what to have on the pizza that will arrive with a simple phone call. When you're back in town, come and hear the band. But, please shower twice! Well done, amigo. - Ringo
Submitted by Brant on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Congratulations Allen - we all shared in your great adventure. Well done!
Submitted by Lloyd P. on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Hi Allen I am very proud ou you and happy that you came back safe and in one piece. See you soon
g
Submitted by Ghislaine auger on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Glad to have you back safely. Our next adventure will involve lunch at the Art Is In bakery.
Submitted by geoffm on Friday, August 31, 2012
Good job, Allen! Glad you accomplished that adventure and let us in on it. Yes, what's next?
Submitted by Tim S on Wednesday, September 05, 2012
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