Here in the U.S., it’s easy to forget that our continent extends well north of the border, with vast lands stretching to the Arctic Circle and beyond. But two Seattle pilots, Mark Schoening and Doug DeVries, have set out to explore those northern lands on a 10,000-mile circumnavigation of Canada via the famed Northwest Passage. The team launched on Aug. 2 in a pair of de Havilland Beaver floatplanes, with plans to explore wild lands, wildlife, wild weather, the Magnetic North Pole, and whatever else they may encounter. Also along on the trip is a film crew with plans to create a documentary about the adventure. So far, Schoening, DeVries and crew have gone fishing, spotted some humpback whales, experienced a brief engine scare, camped under the stars, paid $8 a gallon for avgas, encountered at least one famous bush pilot, kept a count of grizzly bear and musk ox and caribou sightings, and seem to be having a great time despite temperatures in the 30s.
Click here for the trip blog, and click here for an interactive map of their route.
