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 Gear Review: North Water Under Deck Bag
Gear Review: North Water Under Deck Bag
Monday, 25 June 2012 17:26
Life has been made easier for me on the water thanks to the North Water Under Deck Bag. I can keep all those little odds and ends like sunscreen, snacks, etc. close at hand. I prefer being able to keep those things under the deck, rather than in a more traditional deck bag on top. This allows me to keep my deck clear of unnecessary clutter. Things are stowed in a spot that is completely out of the way. I don't even notice the Under Deck Bag when climbing in and out of my kayak, because it is mounted so closely to the underside of my deck. I hardly notice it is there – I am craving my energy bar or in need of reapplying sunscreen. Then I just undo my spray skirt in the front and reach in.
I also like how the Under Deck Bag can be easily taken out of the boat – just unclip it from the attachment points. The bag has a little mesh spot, allowing for easy draining if the interior of the cockpit gets wet. I even use the Under Deck Bag for a handy spot to stow my pump. It fits well between the top of the Under Deck Bag and the deck. This keeps the pump close at hand while eliminating even more clutter from the deck. A big thanks North Water for coming up with such a cleverly designed product that helps me stay more organized on the water!
Happy Trails!
Amy
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