Hudson Bay Bound : Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic

The remarkable eighty-five-day journey of the first two women to canoe the 2,000-mile route from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay. Unrelenting winds, carnivorous polar bears, snake nests, sweltering heat, and constant hunger. Paddling from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay, following the 2,000-mile route made famous by Eric Sevareid in his 1935 classic Canoeing with the Cree, Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho faced unexpected trials, some harrowing, some simply odd. But for the two friends--the first women to make this expedition--there was one timeless challenge: the occasional pitfalls that test character and friendship. Warren's spellbinding account retraces the women's journey from inspiration to Arctic waters, giving readers an insider view from the practicalities of planning a three-month canoe expedition to the successful accomplishment of the adventure of a lifetime. Along the route we meet the people who live and work on the waterways, including denizens of a resort who supply much-needed sustenance; a solitary resident in the wilderness who helps plug a leak; and the people of the Cree First Nation at Norway House, where the canoeists acquire a furry companion. Describing the tensions that erupt between the women (who at one point communicate with each other only by note) and the natural and human-made phenomena they encounter--from islands of trash to waterfalls and a wolf pack--Warren brings us into her experience, and we join these modern women (and their dog) as they recreate this historic trip, including the pleasures and perils, the sexism, the social and environmental implications, and the enduring wonder of the wilderness

The remarkable eighty-five-day journey of the first twowomen to canoe the 2,000-mile route from Minneapolis to HudsonBay

Unrelenting winds, carnivorous polar bears, snake nests,sweltering heat, and constant hunger. Paddling from Minneapolis toHudson Bay, following the 2,000-mile route made famous by EricSevareid in his 1935 classic Canoeing with the Cree,Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho faced unexpected trials, someharrowing, some simply odd. But for the two friends-the first womento make this expedition-there was one timeless challenge: theoccasional pitfalls that test character and friendship. Warren'sspellbinding account retraces the women's journey from inspirationto Arctic waters, giving readers an insider view from thepracticalities of planning a three-month canoe expedition to thesuccessful accomplishment of the adventure of a lifetime. Along theroute we meet the people who live and work on the waterways,including denizens of a resort who supply much-needed sustenance; asolitary resident in the wilderness who helps plug a leak; and thepeople of the Cree First Nation at Norway House, where thecanoeists acquire a furry companion. Describing the tensions thaterupt between the women (who at one point communicate with eachother only by note) and the natural and human-made phenomena theyencounter-from islands of trash to waterfalls and a wolfpack-Warren brings us into her experience, and we join these modernwomen (and their dog) as they recreate this historic trip,including the pleasures and perils, the sexism, the social andenvironmental implications, and the enduring wonder of thewilderness.

Cover Page 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Foreword 10 Prologue 14 From Palms to Pines 20 Packing Out 28 Flooded Upstream 36 Against the Wind 43 Meet Me at the Popcorn Stand 56 River Races and Role Models 66 Living the Dream, Downstream 76 Danger before the Border 85 At Home on the Big Lake 98 Don’t Wake the Beast 109 Waiting for the Wind 118 Escape from Gull Harbour 127 A Tale of Tiny Boats 138 Windbound to Norway House 152 York Boats and Dog Days 164 Into the Wild 174 Pancakes and Portages 190 Spring Break at Hell’s Gate 202 Knife Rapids 213 Polar Bear Paradise 224 Afterword 236 About the Author 246 Plates 247