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 Exploring Fennel’s Puppyhood Homestead
Exploring Fennel’s Puppyhood Homestead
Monday, 16 January 2012 18:45
Student Response Worksheet (Upper)
Student Response Worksheet (Lower)
Nine years ago my friend Eric Frost and I were preparing for a two month dogsledding adventure through Northern Canada. The only problem was that we did not have any sled dogs! Luckily Eric’s friend, Jessa, knew a family that lived deep in the woods outside of Ely, Minnesota. Their log cabin was 6 miles from the nearest snowplowed road and they used their sled dogs to haul food and supplies to their wilderness home. 
Eric called them up and explained that we needed sled dogs for our big adventure. A few weeks later we skied out to meet Bert, Johnnie, and Kahsha Hyde, as well as their sled dogs. Kahsha was in 5th grade and could already drive her own dog team. She introduced us to all the dogs. She also asked us lots of questions. She wanted to make sure we took good care of her dogs. For the next few winters I borrowed Fennel and his brothers, sisters, uncles, and other relatives from the Hydes. Eventually the Hydes gave the dogs to me. We have explored thousands of miles of frozen waterways together. 
Fennel is 12 years old now, and the only dog that Amy and I still have. Each year we try to return to Fennel's birth place to visit the Hydes and see Fennel’s relatives. A few days ago we trekked deep into the woods to help the Hydes fill their ice house with ice. They do not have electricity in their cabin, or running water. To keep their groceries cold they put a new block of ice into their cooler each week. Every winter they cut big blocks of ice out of the frozen lake and pile them into a small building called an ice house. 
One hundred years ago ice houses were very common. Most families in the northern part of the United States had an ice chest that they filled with ice each week. The ice was cut from frozen lakes and rivers each winter and stored for the spring, summer, and fall. Now most people have a refrigerator that runs on electricity. Refrigerators have replaced ice houses in all but a few houses.
It was really fun to help the Hydes cut blocks of ice from the lake near their house and stack them in the ice house. It was hard work, but it was a beautiful day and a great chance to visit with old friends and make new friends. Fennel spent the day playing with his niece Ginger and his nephew Thistle. Thistle and Fennel have gone on many dogsled adventures together. They love to run and play together.
Food for thought:
Which is better for the environment, using an electric refridgerator or ice blocks from the lake? Explain your answer.
What is something that you could do with your own strength that you usually do with a machine?
Would you like to live out in the woods like the Hydes do?
What do you think it would be like growing up in a remote log cabin? Compare your life to Kasha Hyde's life.
Fennel’s Field Notes
I visited my nephew and niece last weekend. They live way out in the woods. It is the place where I grew up. I was happy to play with Thistle and Ginger. I got to see my old owners too. They gave me pets and let me come in the house – just like old times.
Dave just told me about your responses from last week's Dave's Dilemma. I am happy with the results. I will keep pulling sleds with the other dogs when I want to. If I get tired, I will take a break. I sure do like to run and pull sleds. The people are so friendly and there are so many interesting things to smell and see along the trail.
I spent this past week pulling a couple of elementary school teachers from Baltimore, Jen and Ellen. They were very nice. After the first day of the trip, I was hooked up to the stake out line with all the other dogs. Jen and Ellen convinced Dave to let me run loose. I waited outside the cabin until Dave was ready to go home. Then Dave took me home and I got to sleep inside.
After a few days of dogsledding, the trip was over. The teachers wanted my paw print. Dave didn't have any ink or paint so he tried to use blueberry juice. This didn't work too well, but it sure tasted good.
{skype=wildernessdave}
blog comments powered by Disqus