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.
Get Involved!
Monetary Support
Charitable contributions from individuals play a pivotal role in our organization's ability to fulfill its mission. The Wilderness Classroom Organization is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is built on a solid foundation of resources, and relationships. We are counting on continued support from individuals like you as we reach out to more students and teachers through the North American Odyssey. For every $500 donated we are able to conduct school assemblies and teacher training at a school that can not afford to pay for a visit. All contributions are tax deductible, so please show your support today!
Or, mail contributions to:
The Wilderness Classroom Organization
4605 Grand Ave
Western Springs, IL 60558
Please feel free to contact us with questions about partnering with us through a contribution.
Logistical Support
We are looking for folks that live along or near our route who are interested in helping us when we pass through the area. If you or someone you know would be willing to provide us with a place to stay, a ride to the store, a warm meal, information about camping places, routing options, or other help when we pass through please drop us an email.
Join us on the trail!
If you are interested in meeting up with us for a day, a week, or a month drop us a email and explain your situation. We also need folks who are interested in help us shuttle ourselves as well as boats, food, and gear to and from a variety of locations including: Seattle, Dawson City, White Horse, Inuvik, Fort McMurray, and Key West! If you have some time to kill, like to drive, and are looking of a bit of an adventure this could be right up your alley!
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