During stage 1 we will kayak 1,400 miles from Seattle, Washington to Skagway, Alaska. The Pacific Northwest is home to a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial animals. We will be studying whales and other marine mammals, kelp forests, salmon, and many other species.
The Pacific Northwest is home to a variety of large land mammals including Grizzly Bears, and Black Bears. Above and below the surface we are sure to find plenty of things to learn about. Many of these large mammals need large undeveloped spaces to thrive and the roadless sections of British Columbia and Alaska provide the perfect habitat.
From Skagway, Alaska we will hike over the Chilkoot Pass in the footsteps of thousands of gold seekers who struggled across the pass to reach the Klondike. Many of artifacts remain from those early days, and we will follow their path all the way to Dawson City along the mighty Yukon River.
From Bennet Lake on the eastern side of the Chilkoot Pass we will canoe through a chain of lakes that form the headwaters of the Yukon River past White Horse and down the swift flowing Yukon River to Dawson City. 
From Dawson we will hike 100 miles through the mountains to the headwaters of the Blackstone River. The Blackstone flows into the Peel River, which flows in the McKenzie River, which will lead us to the Arctic Ocean. The rivers flowing through these rugged mountains as some of the most pristine wild rivers in North America, with hundreds of miles of flowing waterways between towns or roads.
After over 2,600 miles of paddling and hiking we hope to reach the Arctic Ocean before freeze up. We will spend the month of October,2010 training our dogs, and learning about native life in the Arctic. In November we will head south along the McKenzie River by dog team, crossing 1,800 miles of frozen wilderness. There are many remote native communities along our way and we are sure to learn a lot from the people we encounter.
When the ice melts in the Spring of 2011 we will transition from dogsled to canoe and paddle 2,300 miles along the historic travel and trade route pioneered by Alexander McKenzie, Samuel Hearne, and other Canadian Explorers in the 1700's. We will finish this stage of our journey in the fall of 2011 by completing the 8 1/2 mile Grand Portage which will lead us to the rock shore of Lake Superior.
After spending the winter giving presentations and making final preparations we will begin 4,800 mile kayak journey from Grand Portage, Minnesota to Key West, Florida. The first 2,200 miles will take us through the Great Lakes and out the Saint Lawrence Seaway. 
During the final stage of our journey we will kayak the length of the Atlantic Coast from the Saint Lawrence Seaway to Key West, Florida. We will be following the seasonal whale migration from the Bay of Fundy in Maine to the warm clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way we will visit cities large and small, and study a variety of ecosystems and environmental topics. We also plan to take side trips into the cyprus swamps and Everglades National Park looking for Alligators, birds, and other critters.
Sponsors
Sponsors
The North American Odyssey would not be possible without the generous support that many individuals, corporate sponsors, and like-minded organizations provide. We hope that you will support our sponsors by buying their great products.
Platinum Sponsors
Wenonah Canoe Company has been supporting the Wilderness Classroom since 2002. Their canoes have allowed us to travel safely down the length of the Mississippi River, 3,000 miles across the Amazon, and on countless shorter adventures throughout the US and Canada. In 2006 when we were looking for kayaks up to the challenge of a late season circumnavigation of the largest lake in the world. The Current Designs Solstice was the clear choice. During the North American Odyssey, we will spend over 9,800 miles in our boats traveling up and down foaming wilderness rivers, across placid lakes, and wind-whipped seas, eventually dipping our paddles into the three oceans that surround our continent. During a long arduous journey your boat is your home. You can't risk settling for anything but the best. Wenonah canoes and Current Designs kayaks have proven to be ruggedly build and thoughtfully designed, making them our clear choice for short paddles in our backyard, and our home away from home.
Gold Sponsors
Go Macro is donating 1,800 bars for the North American Odyssey! MacroBars are macrobiotic, vegan, energy and protein bars that are made fresh daily on a rural farm in S.W. Wisconsin. Minimally processed and certified organic, the bars utilize simple healthy ingredients to boost your immune system and help provide your body with essential nutrients. With tasty flavors like Banana Almond and Tahini Date, we love this delicious and nutritious food source.
North Water is keeping us safe on the water. Their donation of canoe spray covers, kayak deck bags, plus canoe and kayak rescue equipment definitely brings us peace of mind, whether we're in the tidal current of the Inside Passage or the rapids of the Yukon. North Water designs and builds paddle sport products to promote safety, comfort and organization. We take the selection of our rescue equipment very seriously, which is why North Water is the only company we would ever trust with our on-the-water safety.
Silver Sponsors
Granite Gear is our official drybag and backpack sponsor. They have outfitted us with Air Vent HD Reduction Dryblocs for kayaking, backpacks for hiking (Stratus Latitude 4800 for Amy and Stratus Access 5500 for Dave), and Immersion packs for canoeing. Granite Gear makes innovative, functional, and durable gear. They are all about building gear that will last. When you consider how much energy and resources it takes to replace a product, this seriously lightens our footprint. We also love their company because all of their products are PVC free, packaging is minimized, their catalog is printed on recycled paper, and their headquarters is powered by reusable energy.
MTI Adventurewear is our official PFD sponsor. They make a variety of personal floatation devices that are great for kayaking and canoeing. During the Trans-Amazon Expedition, we wore their Riptides-- and Amy wore the PFDiva. We also used their inflatable PFDs for those swelteringly hot, tropical days. All we had to do was strap on the Zyphr or the Helios. We also have the Big Buoy, Velocity, and Maya.
We wore ExOfficio's Insect Shield Halo Shirts and Insect Shield Convertible Pants everyday on our 3,000 mile paddle across South America. There clothing does an amazing job of protecting us from insects and the sun, plus we sure look stylish in it. We are looking forward to using Exofficio clothing in a variety of climates and conditions from the tundra to the Florida Keys wherever we encounter bugs and sun Exofficio clothing will help keep us comfortable.
Mitchell is our official paddle sponsor-- and has been for years. We used their bent-shaft Leader canoe paddles in the Amazon. They are also our paddles of choice for the flatwater sections of the North American Odyssey. We have their Premier for the whitewater canoeing legs of the journey. They make great kayak paddles too! When paddling kayaks for 6,300 miles, lightness, efficiency, and ergonomics are key!
Bronze Sponsors
Katadyn has been producing high quality portable water systems since 1928. Their history has been one of innovation and durability. Katadyn products are used by the military, health organizations and outdoor adventurers world-wide. No other water system provides higher quality or longer lasting performance. Katadyn provided us with a Base Camp filter and an ample supply of Micropur tablets, which we use to purify all of our drinking water.
Petzl has been our headlamp sponsor since their initial donation of six MYO XPs and e+LITEs Trans-Amazon Expedition. Whether we're cozy in our tent--typing away on our laptop to produce the latest website update, or lengthening our day of dogsledding--traveling into the long Arctic evenings in subzero temperatures, Petzl has the right headlamps to get the job done.
Mmmm . . . peanut butter. We are proud to have Justin's Nut Butters as our official nut butter sponsor. This isn't your ordinary peanut butter. They also make almond butter, hazelnut butter, chocolate peanut butter, honey peanut butter, and even maple almond butter! Their nut butters are made in small batches to preserve premium quality standards and fresh taste. They use the highest quality natural and organic ingredients that are sustainably harvested and found as locally as possible.
Midwest Mountaineering is our favorite outdoor gear store. Locally owned and operated since it's beginning in 1970, this place is what all outdoor stores should strive to be. They provide all top-notch products and incredible customer service. We've spoken at many of their Outdoor Expos over the years, relating stories about kayaking around Lake Superior and canoeing the Amazon.