Alone Against the North

by Adam Shoalts

ADDENDUM

  IN 2015, WITH Chuck Brill, Adam Shoalts returned to the Hudson Bay Lowlands to explore the western fork in the Brant River, one of the two rivers he was originally interested in exploring in 2011 for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  THIS BOOK would not have been possible without the help, expertise, and encouragement of many people who shared an interest in seeing the story of my adventures published. Most important of all was my literary agent, Rick Broadhead, who first approached me in the summer of 2013 about the idea of writing a book, and then deftly guided me through what to me was the uncharted territory of the publishing industry. Rick was everything a writer could want in a literary agent, and never once led me astray over any unexpected waterfalls or into any hidden rocks.

  I was also fortunate to benefit from the expertise and professionalism of a great team at Penguin Canada. My editor, Nick Garrison, brought a keen eye and insightful mind to the narrative, and a sympathetic appreciation for what it is that I do. Nick also made sure to keep me on the right track when I was getting lost in the literary woods. Nicole Winstanley, Penguin Canada’s president and publisher, was supportive throughout this process and made me feel at home with Penguin. I am indebted to Scott Richardson, the book’s graphic designer, for the book’s layout and cover. Scott also created the book’s maps based off my originals. Mary Ann Blair, the managing editor for the project, kept everything on schedule and running smoothly, despite having to deal with my absence for weeks in the wilderness without contact. The copyeditor, Claudia Forgas, carefully scrutinized the manuscript and helped correct errors. I also want to thank Tricia van der Grient, who handled the publicity for the book, and Justin Stoller for his work on a number of fronts. I must also thank the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, especially for their support of my expeditions in 2011 and 2013.

  I was fortunate in finding a number of friends and family kind enough to read earlier stages of the manuscript and offer comments and suggestions. In particular I want to thank Diane Moore, Sandra and Charles Durant, Frank Hummell, Alice Yi, and Elizabeth Hudson. My friends Brent Kozuh and Wesley Crowe were also supportive of this book, and I wish to thank both of them for sharing in some of the adventures retold here and for remaining my good friends throughout it all. Finally, I must thank my parents, both of whom not only encouraged and nurtured my love of literature and the outdoors, but put up with the stress of my many solo expeditions.

  INDEX

  A

  aboriginal people

  in Canadian subarctic, 16

  disease and, 19

  exploration by, 12–13

  in Hudson Bay Lowlands, 18–19

  Again River. See also waterfalls; weather

  author’s desire to explore, 47–49, 51, 187, 188–89

  author’s discovery on map, 23

  author’s goals in finding, 27–28

  author’s research on, 24–27

  beauty of, 224

  character of, 214–15, 232

  claims about, 279–80

  as destination, 31

  discovery of headwaters, 209

  elusiveness of, 43–44, 50

  first attempts to reach, 29–38

  funding for 2013 expedition, 252, 258, 259

  hold on author, 249

  location of, 27

  origins of name, 253, 254

  planning for 2013 expedition, 250–51

  portaging on 2012 expedition, 199–202, 207–8, 225–26, 229–31

  portaging on 2013 expedition, 268

  preparations for 2012 expedition, 189–90

  Sinclair’s comments on, 246

  water levels in 2012 expedition, 193–94, 197

  water levels in 2013 expedition, 270

  Albany River, 27

  Algonquin Park, 58

  Allouez, Claude-Jean, 177

  Amazon rainforest, 51, 56–57

  Amazon River, 156

  Antarctic, 15, 68, 114, 125–26, 168

  Aquatuk River, 134, 142–43, 146, 154

  Arctic, 282–83

  Arctic Circle, 282

  Attawapiskat River, 73

  Avalon (canoe), 159, 193, 257–58, 270, 278

  B

  bald eagle, significance of dead, 149

  bald eagle nest, 83

  Ballantyne, R.M., 74

  Bateman, Robert, 13

  Bayly, Charles, 103–4

  bear deterrents, 35–36, 193

  bears. See black bears; grizzly bears; Kermode bear; polar bears; spirit bear

  beavers, 41, 157–58, 198, 210, 215

  Bella Coola, 181–82

  Berger, Jonathan, 23

  Bigfoot. See sasquatch

  Bird, Louis, 151, 154

  black bears, 30, 36, 93, 106, 136, 137, 139–40, 170–71, 181, 193, 195, 245

  Bostock, H.H., 142

  Brant River, 65, 66, 94

  Brill, Chuck, 287

  Burton, Sir Richard, 47, 157, 266

  C

  Cabot, John, 10

  Camsell, Charles, 52, 212

  Canada

  early population of, 14–16

  exploration of, 10, 13, 16–17

  population density of north, 9

  surveying of north, 10–11

  Canada AM (TV show), 262

  Canadian Geographic (magazine), 51, 52, 54, 56, 177, 188, 282

  Canadian Hunter’s Handbook (Knap), 116

  Canoe Atlas of the Little North (Berger and Thomas), 24

  Canoeing North into the Unknown (Hodgins and Hoyle), 23, 233

  canoe(s)

  accidents with, 216–17, 270–71, 272

  Avalon, 159, 193, 257–58, 270, 278

  birchbark, 55, 270

  canvas, 270

  cedar strip, 33, 38–39

  damaged, 39, 219–20, 221

  fibreglass, 35, 38, 39, 44–45

  repairs and alterations to, 257–58

  seaworthiness of, 235–36

  sturdiness of, 159

  for 2012 expedition, 76–77

  for 2013 expedition, 193

  unsuitability for Arctic use, 282–83

  caribou encounter, 100–101

  Champlain, Samuel de, 10

  Chookomolin family, 76

  Clark, William, 182

  Columbus, Christopher, 47, 67, 206

  Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur, 48

  Conrad, Joseph, 6

  Corner River, 246

  Corrigal, William, 234

  Cree, northern, 76

  Cree, Swampy, 97–98

  Crowe, Wesley, 87, 89

  author’s preference for in expedition, 123, 256

  considers new expedition, 188

  family camping trip with author, 278

  help with 2012 expedition, 69

  high school antics, 115

  inability to undertake new expedition, 48–50, 57–58, 66, 189

  short expeditions with author, 51–52, 260

  and supernatural tales, 147, 148–49, 150–51

  and 2012 expedition, 55

  unknown river expedition, 34–42, 44–45, 199, 207

  Cruikshank, Derek, 30

  Cruikshank, Zanna Marie, 30

  D

  Darrell, Hubert, 266

  De Beers, 73

  Discovery (ship), 102

  Discovery Channel, 8

  Dowling, D.B., 76, 80, 97, 122, 142

  E

  El Dorado (ship), 238

  Elson, George, 13, 98–99

  Endurance (ship), 125

  Eskimo curlew, 27–28

  exploration

  by aboriginal people, 12–13

  of Canada, 10, 16–17

  and failure, 47

  financial challenges of, 67–69

  of Hudson Bay Lowlands, 18–19

  lifestyle, 265

  process of, 12

  F

  Fawcett, Percy, 68, 69, 266

  Florida Everglades, 51–52

  foodr />
  in emergency, 111

  fishing, 92, 107–8

  storage of on expeditions, 106–7

  for 2011 expedition, 69

  wild berries, 136

  forest fires, 67, 192, 195–96

  Forgey, William “Doc,” 211–12

  Foxe, Luke, 122

  Franklin, Sir John, 114, 129

  G

  Geographical Names Board of Canada, 164, 259

  Geographical Names Data Base, 24

  Geological Notes on Aquatuk River Map-Area (Bostock), 142

  Geological Survey of Canada, 10–11, 25

  Glass, Hugh, 131–33

  Globalstar Communications, 258

  goshawk, 163–64

  Great Bear Rainforest, 180–81

  Grey Owl, 147, 203–4

  grizzly bears, 132, 178, 179, 181, 186–87

  Guardian, The (newspaper), 260

  Guinard, Joseph, 152

  H

  Hallowell, Alfred Irving, 151

  Harricanaw River, 25, 232, 233, 234, 274, 276

  Hawley, James Edwin, 72, 73, 142

  Hawley Lake, 72, 74, 75, 76, 77, 83, 85

  Hearne, Samuel, 129

  Heart of a Continent, The (Younghusband), 54

  Hedin, Sven, 165

  Hennepin, Louis, 251

  Heyerdahl, Thor, 182

  Hobbes, Thomas, 104

  Hodgins, Bruce, 23

  Hopper Creek, 30–31, 33, 35

  Hoyle, Gwyneth, 23

  Hubbard, Leonidas, 98–99

  Hubbard, Mina, 99

  Hudson, Henry, 102–3

  Hudson Bay

  challenges of crossing, 1–2, 121, 122

  dangers of, 116, 120

  early explorers in, 102–3

  expedition arrival at, 120

  fur trade and, 19

  geography of coast, 122

  as part of 2012 expedition route, 94

  rivers in watershed, 22, 97

  Hudson Bay Lowlands

  and Again River, 27

  Again River in, 27

  arrival of Europeans, 18–19

  and early explorers, 102–4

  exploration of, 18–19, 73

  fauna of, 19, 51, 72, 99, 113, 167–69

  flora of, 19, 20, 72, 99, 156, 195, 201–2

  geography of, 18

  insects in, 19, 75–76, 81, 82, 83–84, 101, 104, 137, 145, 272

  landscape of, 72, 74–75, 145, 202

  tundra in, 113, 115

  Hudson’s Bay Company, 233–34, 247

  Hunt, William (the Great Farini), 212–13

  hypothermia, 1, 4, 93, 102, 109, 110, 135, 165

  I

  Inuit, 282–83

  Isham, James, 84

  J

  Jacobson, Cliff, 117–18, 140

  jaeger, 167

  James Bay, 237–45

  Jeff (friend of Mark and Tyler), 243, 244

  Jenness, Diamond, 15, 97–98

  Johnston, David, 281

  K

  Kane, Paul, 180

  Kattawagami River, 29–31, 33, 35, 37, 197, 198, 267

  Keltie, Sir John, 68–69

  Kermode bear, 181

  King, Shirley, 253–56

  Knap, Jerome, 116

  Kobalenko, Jerry, 118–19

  Kozuh, Brent

  agrees to alternative plan (2012), 94

  athletic abilities, 60, 61–62

  author’s hopes for change of mind, 97

  background, 60–61

  character and personality, 61–62, 64, 78, 81–82, 105, 115

  clothing for 2012 expedition, 69

  concerns about portaging, 87–88

  conditions set by, 66

  desire to quit expedition, 1–5, 88–89, 91, 123

  firelighting skills, 81

  forgetfulness, 64

  friendship with author, 114–15, 176–77

  high school antics, 115

  illness, 101

  interest in exploring, 61

  leaves expedition, 127–28

  morale, 87

  optimism of, 116

  paddling skills, 79, 101

  photography skills, 102

  trail blazing skills, 86–87

  wilderness skills, 104–5, 107–8, 120

  work ethic, 61, 66, 114, 115

  L

  Labrador, 98–99, 117

  Lalemant, Father Jérôme, 151–52

  Lewis, Meriwether, 165, 182, 265–66, 272–73

  Little Ice Age, 104

  Little Owl River (unnamed river), 164

  Livingstone, David, 68, 233

  London, Jack, 98

  M

  Mackenzie, Sir Alexander, 16, 47, 160, 181–82

  Mark (Moose Cree First Nation), 236–37, 240–44

  Mason, Bill, 130

  Matonabbee, 13

  Matt (camp counsellor), 275–76

  Mears, Ray, 13

  mining

  for diamonds, 73–74

  for gold, 43

  in Hudson Bay Lowlands, 43, 285

  Missinaibi River, 270

  Mociño, José Mariano, 177–78

  moose, 41

  Moose Factory, 234, 236, 239, 243, 245, 246–47, 255, 277

  Mount Everest, 54

  Muir, John, 233

  Munk, Jens, 103, 111–12

  N

  National Geographic (magazine), 251

  Neskantaga, 147–48

  Nils (Nuxalk guide), 182–85

  O

  Odysseus, 165

  Omushkego, 76, 97–98

  O’Neil, Terry, 28, 29–33, 40, 41, 146, 191–93, 262–63, 267

  Otoskwin River, 147

  Outdoors Oriented, 258

  owls, 164

  P

  Peawanuck, 76, 115

  permafrost, 113

  petroglyphs, 28, 177, 180, 181, 182, 183–84, 185

  Polar Bear Express, 235, 277

  Polar Bear Provincial Park, 65

  polar bears, 51, 62–63, 116–19, 135, 136, 169–72, 174

  Preston, Richard, 152–53

  R

  Rawls, Wilson, 166

  Remick, Jerome, 280

  Richardson, Dr. John, 114

  Riley (dog), 21, 58–59, 166

  Riley, John, 156

  Roosevelt, Theodore, 92, 105

  Roy, J.M., 253

  Royal Canadian Geographical Society, 7, 54–55, 65, 66, 67, 83, 100, 118–19, 131, 175, 177, 188, 212, 252, 258, 261

  Royal Geographical Society, 52, 53, 54, 68, 213, 266

  S

  sandhill cranes, 196–97

  sasquatch, 177–80, 184

  Shackleton, Sir Ernest, 47, 68, 114, 125–26, 259

  Shoalts, Adam, 188–89. See also Again River

  B.C. expedition, 177

  Bella Coola expedition, 181–87

  budget for 2012 expedition, 69

  conflict with Kozuh, 88–89

  desire to explore, 6–7, 8

  development of survival skills, 7

  discovers headwaters of Again River, 209

  discovery of unnamed river, 154–56

  elected as Fellow of RCGS, 280

  fascination with Again River, 249–50

  feeling of accomplishment, 232–33

  financial challenges facing, 67

  finds headwaters of unnamed river, 160

  firelighting/building skills, 81, 110, 112

  friendship with Kozuh, 114–15

  goals in finding Again River, 27–28

  illness, 101, 124, 169

  injuries sustained, 57, 79–80, 82, 123, 136, 230

  love of exploring and adventure, 59, 213

  media coverage of, 260–62, 278

  names river, 164

  planning for second Again River trip, 250–51

  prepares to continue 2012 expedition alone, 126

  previous solo wilderness trips, 133

  safety measures, 220–21

  searches for replacement
for Wes, 59–60

  supplies for 2012 expedition, 69–70, 76–77

  views on hunting, 113–14

  Shoalts, Ben, 7, 260

  Sinclair (retired trapper), 245–46

  Society of Canadian Ornithologists, 83

  Speke, John Hanning, 160, 266

  spirit bear, 181

  spruce tea, 111

  Stancomb-Wills, Janet, 259

  Stanley, Sir Henry Morton, 67–68, 129

  strip-mining, 43

  Sutton Gorge, 80

  Sutton Lake, 76, 83, 85

  Sutton Ridges, 74, 80

  Sutton River, 76, 94, 97, 99–100, 115, 134

  Swampy Cree, 97–98

  T

  Tamarack Creek (unnamed river), 197–98

  Terry, Thomas, 23

  Thomas (friend of Mark and Tyler), 243, 244

  Thompson, David, 178–79

  Tibet, 54

  Trudeau, Pierre, 25, 235

  tundra, 113, 115

  Tyler (Moose Cree First Nation), 236–37, 239, 240–44

  U

  Umfreville, Edward, 147

  Ungava Peninsula (Quebec), 13

  W

  Wallace, Dillon, 98–99

  Washow Lodge, 234, 235, 241

  waterfalls. See also Again River

  on Again River, 216–18, 220, 222–23, 228, 229, 232, 249–50, 251–52, 255, 257, 273–74

  classification of, 273

  deaths in, 269–70

  measuring, 272, 273

  weapons, 62–63, 78

  weather

  on Aquatuk expedition, 154

  on James Bay, 236, 237, 239–40

  on Otoskwin River expedition, 147

  on 2012 expedition, 79, 80, 108–9, 120–21, 122, 123–24, 127, 135, 140–41, 173, 192, 207, 210, 215

  on 2013 expedition, 267, 270

  on unnamed river venture (2011), 155–56, 160, 166

  wendigo (Witiko), 147, 151–54, 161

  Where the Red Fern Grows (Rawls), 166

  whimbrel, 167

  wildlife

  on Aquatuk River, 146

  of Hudson Bay Lowlands, 19, 51, 72, 99, 113, 167–69

  on Kattawagami River, 197

  on unnamed river (2011), 157–58

  wolverine, 93, 134, 160

  wolves, 93, 133, 148–49, 269

  Wright, J.V., 18

  Y

  Younghusband, Sir Francis, 53–54, 283

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