Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 05/99) - The idea was hatched on a leisurely 800 km paddle from Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert: 'Wouldn't it be amazing to canoe the entire length of the untamed Back River?'

Paul VanPeenen had read a book about the 1833 George Back expedition that went from Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean. He relayed the story to canoeist friends John Dunn, Dave Read and Ian King on the Prince Rupert trip.

That was two years ago. Right now, VanPeenen and Dunn are waiting at the headwaters of Muskox Lake for Read and King to join them. The four Prince George, B.C. residents will then paddle 1,100 km up the Back River to the Arctic Ocean.

"In addition to just tackling the river, we decided we would recreate the 1833 Back River Expedition," Read said Tuesday from Yellowknife, just hours before flying to Muskox Lake.

"We've got a copy of George Back's journal, complete with pen sketches he did and I'll read it everyday. His writing is incredibly descriptive so I'm excited to read it then paddle the section of river he is describing the next day."

George Back was sent from England in search of the Ross Expedition, which was lost trying to push through the Northwest Passage. Back wintered in Fort Reliance and, while waiting for break-up, he got word that the members from the Ross Expedition had returned to England.

Instead of going home, Back built a boat with local trees and, with a crew of 10, headed off to explore what was then called the Great Fish River.

The landscape and waterways along the route the men are taking will look almost exactly the same today as it did to the intrepid explorers of the 1800s.

"It's totally remote. There's absolutely no human settlements or temporary camps along the entire route so there's no resupply -- there's nothing to fall back on," Read said.

"It's something that feels intimidating. That little bit of fear is something I've been dealing with over the past two months, but I keep telling myself I've done rapids before, I've paddled open water before and I've portaged before.

"It's a matter of breaking things down to bite-size chunks," Read added confidently.

King is the other member of the team who, like Read, is joining Vanpeenen and Dunn at the headwaters of Muskox Lake. Read's description of the trip as "intimidating" brings a smile to King's face.

Over the 1,100 km, they are going to face 83 sets of rapids and four lakes -- each more than 75 km in length.

"There has always been two things I've wanted to do. The first has been to do a lengthy wilderness expedition and the second was to see more of Canada's North. I definitely jumped at this opportunity," King said.

"This will be by far the longest I've ever gone on an unsupported trip. I just don't know how I'll react, which is where the fear comes into it for me," King said.

The four men have 1,000 kg pounds of food to sustain them over the estimated 50 days it will take them to reach the Arctic Ocean. It's stored in 10 packs, each pack holding five days worth of food.

Perhaps a contrast that best illustrates the differences between the Back expedition and this one involves communication.

Magellan Communications has supplied the men with a Magellan GSC 100. The brick-sized unit transmits to a satellite, allowing the user to link to the Internet.

"This contraption links us to the Internet and we can send and receive e-mail from anywhere in the world. We've been in touch with Dunn and VanPeenen every day," King said.

He said the messages are short. They know where to meet the others at Muskox Lake and they know that Dunn needs a new pair of neoprene gloves.

They found Dunn his gloves, so all they had left to do was catch their flight to Muskox Lake. When asked why he's doing it, Read casually shrugs.

"I think it's just about being out there -- and there's no better way to see the country than by canoe," Read said.

King is more practical in his summary statement.

"Once that plane leaves, we're on our own. So wish us luck."