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.
Expedition Blog Paddling in the Pine Barrens
Paddling in the Pine Barrens
Sunday, 21 October 2012 13:30
The New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve covers over one million acres of forests, wetlands, and farms in Southern New Jersey. Gabe Umar (a 16 year old Boy Scout) and his father, Erich, took us kayaking on one of their favorite rivers in the largest protected area in New Jersey. Kayaks are a great way to explore the Pine Barrens because there are many rivers that meander through the large stands of pine trees and wetlands. When we put our kayaks in the water the river was only one foot deep and 20 feet across. As the current carried us downstream, the river slowly grew wider and deeper. 
The Pine Barrens in New Jersey is the largest expanse of open space on the Mid-Atlantic Seaboard between Richmond, Virginia and Boston, Massachusetts and it covers aquifers containing 17 trillion gallons of clean freshwater. Can you find Richmond, Virginia, Boston Massachusetts, and the Pinelands National Reserve on a map?
The region received its name, "barrens" from early settlers who learned that the soil was not good for raising crops. As a result, the region has remained largely undeveloped. Actually, "pine barrens" are a common feature of the coastal plain from Florida to Maine. They develop in areas where there is well-drained, sandy soil. Maybe we will encounter more pine barrens as we paddle south towards Florida.
After spending most of the last 10 days in and around New York City it felt great to be out in nature again. The smell of the freshly fallen leaves, the sound of water moving along the riverbank and the warmth of the sun hitting our faces made us feel happy. The forest was alive with animals. Deer and raccoon tracks dotted the muddy bank and squirrels darted from tree to tree. Blue Jays and other birds flew overhead. Gabe told us that he has even seen Bald Eagles and Osprey while paddling in the Pine Barrens.
It felt wonderful to be outside in nature and exploring the woods with our new friends. Away from the sounds of the city, we could listen to the sounds of nature. We have been trying to follow all of your suggestions for staying active while we are in the New York City area. We have been running and walking almost every day. We also played tennis and even went swimming, but it felt especially good to be paddling a kayak again. When was the last time you visited a wild place? What did it feel like to be there? I hope you can all visit a place like the Pine Barrens soon.
Keep Exploring!
Dave
Further Exploration
http://www.nj.gov/pinelands/reserve/
http://www.nps.gov/pine/index.htm
http://www.georgian.edu/pinebarrens/index.htm
blog comments powered by Disqus