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. Warren's spellbinding account retraces the women's journey from inspiration to Arctic waters, giving listeners an insider view 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 and the natural and human-made phenomena they encounter, 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.
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“It’s about adventure, danger, fierce storms, winds, portages, running rapids, wild animals, friendship, humor, and a window into the people and communities living along the urban and wilderness waterways."
— Northern Wilds
“Exudes female strength and resilience, and shares the obstacles women still face in the outdoors industry.”
— Rochester Post-Bulletin“Warren is spreading the gospel of outdoor adventure for teenage girls who feel like they don’t fit in.”
— Outside magazine“An inspiration for young people everywhere to chart their own course.”
— Christian Science Monitor“Warren narrates the journey with authenticity and a seriousness of purpose but also a sarcastic smirk and a knowing wink…Her voice is appealing, and her earnestness and sense of wonder are infectious.”
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Natalie Warren is a Minneapolis-based author, scholar, and public speaker on environmental issues. A lifelong paddler and river lover, she canoed the length of the Mississippi River and won first place in the Yukon River Quest in the women's voyageur division, paddling 450 miles in fifty-three hours. A contributing writer to outdoor publications, she has worked with Bancroft Arnesen Explore, St. Croix River Association, and River Management Society, and she started a nonprofit to present urban rivers as natural, dynamic classrooms for youth.