Route...Coleville Lake - Beaufort Sea - Inuvik

Check out the above link to a map of the Anderson River and surroundings in the Northwest Territories! We will paddle over 1000 miles from Coleville Lake to the Beaufort Sea along the Anderson River. The final two weeks of the trip will be on the Arctic Ocean back through the Husky Lakes to the town of Inuvik!

As we start to look more closely at maps for our trip, we'll be able to post more detailed information about route specifics!

Food...We gotta eat, eh?

Mmmmm...anybody have any great meal ideas?
If so, email us at hastingsskolnik@arcticmail.com

We will carry all of our food with us for the entirety of the 45 days on the Anderson River. At one food pack per week-on-trail...this means 5 or 6 70+ pound packs dedicated to just food! Ideally we'll plan our meals in 15 day loops, allowing us to create 15 specialty meals...and then do it again, in triplicate!

Trail Lunch, typical
GORP (Good ol' raisins and peanuts)
Energy Bar (aka Voyageur Bars...)
Peanut Butter
Cheese (how long until it goes bad?)
Crackers...of the hearty, whole grain variety
Dried Fruit
Chocolate

Bug juice (coolaid...for sugar replenishments)
For Maipo, the husky: Dogfood
** We will eat the same TL each day, for 45 days.
And then never again for the rest of our lives.**

Dinner Ideas
Fish (fried, breaded, with rice, with pasta, salty, sweet...will we ever get sick of it?)
Pizza
Gado Gado (a spicy peanut Thai dish)
Alpine Spaghetti (pasta, parm, spinach)
Mac n' Cheese
Stir Fry w/ rice (that's right...dehydrated veggies)
For Maipo, the husky: Dogfood (or left over fish...)
** More to come **

Breakfast Ideas
*Note: We intend to break camp in record speed. :) This is a group goal.*
Oatmeal
Farina
Cinnamon Rolls
Granola
Grapenuts & pudding
For Maipo, the husky: Dogfood (or left over oatmeal...)
** More to come **

Thank you for your support!!!

To those of you who have already so graciously offered your support for our arctic expedition. Thank you...from the bottom of our hearts. We could not do this without you!

Sponsors:

Granite Gear: for giving us dealer prices and two waterproof portage Immersion packs, which we will put to test on trail and provide feedback to the company.
Mariani Packing Company: for providing delicious dried fruit and yogurt covered treats.
Mitchell Paddles: For your gift of whitewater & flatwater paddles.
Pelican: for your generous gift of a variety of watertight protective cases for our cameras, GPS, & binoculars.
Smith Optics: for donating the best in protective eyewear to our expedition!
Wigwam: for donating multiple pairs of warm socks to maintain warmth and dry feet in the Arctic Circle.

We also wish to thank:

Cascade Designs: for offering us discounted prices on Thermarest, MSR, Platypus and SealLine products.Chota: for providing prodeals on the best in paddling gloves and boots.
Icebreaker: for offering discounted merino wool clothing.
PakBoat: for a generous discount on two innovative folding 17-foot canoes with spray skirts for ocean travel and reinforced keels and knee pads for whitewater action.
The Original Bug Shirt: for offering special prices on premier bug protection.
Friends and family:
Ann Bancroft: (Arctic/Antarctic Explorer), for your gift of written sponsorship and inspiration to explore remote places.

The Herman family: for unending support and a wonderful monetary contribution to our journey.

The Wellington family: or your willingness to share a few equipment items that have already proven themselves artic worthy…

The Bixby/Kane household for the constant home and allowing us to convert the basement into a Trail Building full of gear. Also thank you for the vehicle that will transport us on our 7,000 mile roundtrip journey.

Shayna Skolnik & Ramón Ramirez Liñan for their technical expertise in creating this website.
The Skolnik clan for all the love, logistical support, not to mention the sleeping bag and waterproof camera.

Greg and Carol Skolnik for the gift of music on trail, a backpacker guitar!

Mae Bixby and Mike Grace for packing us out Widji TB style, especially the Shezuan GORP and roadtrip tunes.

Penny and Ricky Jolson for the delicious granola.

Jenelle Charbonneau and Shaun Hastings for getting the ball rolling. We missed you out there.

Thank you.

Arctic Wish List

In late June, early July, Katie, Erin, Libby & Benjamin (and Maipo, the husky) will begin the trek from Minneapolis, MN to Inuvik, NWT. Once there, four of us will travel 1000 by canoe for 45 days along the length of the Anderson River and return to the town of Inuvik, 200 miles to the west, via the Beaufort Sea and the Great Husky Lakes.


As you might imagine, an expedition of this nature requires not only months of logitistical planning, committment, and excitement... but also the funds to transport our team from Minneapolis to Inuvik and from Inuvik to the headwaters of the Anderson River.

Wish List

Transportation: This is the biggy...we've considered driving, so if you know anybody with an RV for rent, let us know!

• Travel from Minneapolis to Inuvik: $2000 per person
• Travel from Inuvik to Coleville Lake: $5000 total bush-flight costs
• Travel from Coleville Lake all the way back to Inuvik: $600/canoe rental...we need two
  

Food: Mmmm...just add water...we love dehydrated everythings!

• Food will probably run us about $20/day total and while we intend to fish the great Arctic Char, the foods that will keep our energy up are high-protein bars like PowerBars and lots and lots of chocolate :)

Gear: We've requested gear sponsorships from a number of well-known and lesser-known gear companies, but...you never know!

• Key items
• Canoes: Seeking two 17" whitewater worthy canoes to carry us safely through the Arctic Wilderness on a river to the Beaufort Sea.
• Tents: Seeking two two-three-person four-season super-hearty tents...preferably The North Face's VE25 :)
  
• Sleeping Bags: Both Benjamin and Katie are in dire need of 15 degree down bags

Ok...If you would be interested in helping to make this journey a reality, please check out our Sponsorships & Donations blog post for additional information.

Thanks for your consideration!

Sponsorships & Donations

What a paradox it is...when you have time but no money, money but no time. For the four of us, this trip to the Arctic represents much more than just a regular old camping trip. We will paddle for arctic awareness, for solitude and grace, for perspective and introspection. We are teachers at heart, determined to change the world one paddle stroke at a time.

If you would like to help make this journey a reality, please take a look at our wish list and consider a small donation.

Located in the northwestern corner of the Northwest Territories, the Anderson traverses taiga and tundra, and ultimately drains into the Arctic Ocean. The remote and vast setting of the Anderson River offers serenity and abundant wildlife, but also considerable challenge and risk to the wilderness traveler. Our team has a diverse background of backcountry experience with over 1,000 combined days on trail and individual Wilderness First Responder certifications.

Our technical skill and enthusiasm will take us only so far. We seek sponsorship in order to better equip our expedition and help us achieve our trip goals. A main objective of our trip is to raise public awareness about the Arctic. By writing articles for local newspapers and outdoor magazines as well as addressing the public through workshops at stores and local schools, our expedition will encourage people to value remote wilderness areas.

Checks can be mailed to:
No Falling Expeditions
c/o Benjamin and Libby Skolnik
56J Ridge Road
Greenbelt, MD 20770

Any questions can be emailed to hastingsskolnik@arcticmail.com.

Thank you.

Booyah!

Our Honeymoon... to the Arctic it is!

This summer, in a canoe built for two, Benjamin and Libby will paddle north to the Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean. In 45 days, in the company of good friends Erin Walsh and Katie Fritz, we will travel over 1000 miles on the Anderson River, one of the most remote rivers in the world.

We hope our entries here will provide a brief peak into the details (adventures & challenges) of our journey to the land of the midnight sun.

2/22/06: Colorado

Let the adventures begin...

2/22/06: Colorado

Always go farther...