The 2nd Annual IR Vacation to Hell- The Baffin to Ellesmere Challenge

Why should we be the ones to go?

I found this tidbit while digging through my saved emails....  It's from our initial thought "Bubble-Up" while planning & submitting our video application.  Just a bit more team insight....

It's titled:  Why should we be the one's to go?

I believe that we're actually demographically representative of the mean age for sea kayakers.  (just my opinion)  I believe that we show that age has no boundaries when it comes to adventure and you can but down the remote control & light beer and get outside and find adventure in long, pointy boats.  With the growth that has occurred in the touring segment of the kayak market,  I feel we illustrate the excitement & possibilities within the sport.  Especially when combined with our past experience, technical paddling skills and diverse backgrounds.  I mean, what a motley crew of paddlers from all walks life exist within our foursome?  It's the boats that pull us together!

 

I also believe that we represent a group of "Average Joe's" that are out there doing this on our own just for the love a paddling.  What I mean by this is that we've invested the technical training in ourselves, dream & execute paddle trips & adventure, and encourage others to do the same, all on our own dime and internal energy.  We paddle for the spirit of the sport, travel to the all corners of the earth, spend time communing with nature & wilderness all in the interest of exploration & curiosity just to satisfy our internal ambition.

 

Tim

Personalities & Planning

KEENO here....

As we venture forward in our Vacation to Hell endeavor, it becomes obvious we're all chocked full of different stuff & wired uniquely.  I believe this is the strength of Team Sweetwater!  Our individual characteristics were trial-ed in Northern Labrador in 2005 and found to add to the overall success of our team under trying conditions.  Team Sweetwater is very diverse & unique in personality, each of us bring something special to the expedition table & hail from different vocations consisting of musicians, Information Tech & Engineering backgrounds.  We have Visionary, Technical, Planning & common sense sprinkled amongst us.  Sure, we each have our personality quirks....  But, they are of a known and predictable nature. 

Note:  You should join us one of our weekly Conference Calls to be immersed in the complete personality spectrum!

I always focus on performance (& fun) in the field when it come us as individuals......  Maybe, the true test of compatibility is in the Planning Stages of an expedition verses executing &/or living one!  The same strengths that are exhibited in the field are also a vital part of the everyday expedition planning!

I now believe the Planning is the true test....  The rest is just sleeping in a tent and paddling!

Getting the real skinny....

Photo:Russell surfing in Baja,Mexico.

I think,in life you run into a lot of people and some of them inspire you ...some leave no imprint on you and some you want to, but can't forget.
The people you choose to do things with tell a lot about who you are...for better or worse. I feel like there may be a person or two that will follow this blog so maybe I should introduce my friends to you...the three guys I have chosen to go on this great adventure with.

Crossing Devon.

PHOTO; Bears Gut , Northern Labrador  coastline  about 1000 kilometers  south of  Devon Island.                                                                           In a way trying to figure out how to cross 45 or 50 miles of unknown island is very freeing....we don't have to do it the way other people have , because no one in known memory has crossed this island with kayaks and the portable base camp they hold. On the other hand should we drag our kayaks and gear over every crevasse , crawl around each sofa sized boulder , and shimmy our kayaks , gear ,and selves up chimneys in ice and rock?
    Is there an easier way to transport all of this weight from one to the other side? Maybe a way that someone reading this will impart to us, or maybe a way that the Inuit did such things 400 years ago. Are some sort of wheeled carts the way? Or a sledge to drag kayaks and gear across the glacier that covers the east end of the island? A travois like the plains Indians used to transport their villages from summer to winter hunting grounds?
    It will take some time to come up with a plan and it may not come from within the team . Maybe we'll get lucky with the terrain, maybe not. Anyway, while I'm not losing sleep over this yet it does weigh heavy on my mind.      Russell.                                                                      

Devon Island: a small obstacle?

I always believed that sea kayaking in the arctic would be heaven so why is this thing called Vacation To Hell? "Devon Island" that's why! Parts of the island seem very beautiful and I can't wait to experience that. The problem is getting our kayaks across somehow! How do you get 4 fully loaded sea kayaks across 50 miles of barren land where some sections are covered with ice, water, or rocks that can make even walking difficult? Answering that question is what keeps me awake at night. We are looking at multiple scenarios:

- cross the island with our gear and come back for the empty kayaks

- cross the island with special carts to haul the gear and kayaks

- drag the kayaks over the ice cap

- paddle around the east end of the island

All of these options have serious problems that have to be resolved. Crossing our gear first and going back for the kayaks means that we have to do 50 miles 3 times and a lot of the gear (tent, bag, pad, food, safety gear, etc) has to carried on each leg anyway. And without carts even empty kayaks are very difficult to carry for such a distance. If we find a route that's passable with carts how do we get them on the island in the first place? The wheel diameter needed for this kind of terrain means that they wouldn't fit in the kayaks and tying them on the deck is not the safest way to do a 60 mile open water crossing. Dragging the kayaks on the ice cap is an idea but in August, with all the melting, it has it's problems. And how do we get from the sea to the top of the plateau? Crampons, ice axes? Paddling around the east side of the island seems like an easier option but most of the coast is ice and there seems to be very few places to land. We also heard that the bear population could be high in that area.

Having said all that we are confident that we will find a way. We are looking at every possible option so in the end the solution might not even be one of the four scenarios mentioned. Can't wait to get up there! - Alain