June 8th: Marian Lake, Northwest Territory

June 8th, 2008; Day 1

Marian Lake, Northwest Territory

Writer: Meg Casey

Exactly three years and ten days ago, I sat among the shrubs and spruce on the bank of Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan. I was completely dumbfounded by the ice. Quiet ice. The kind of ice that doesn't creak, crack, groan or give any other indication of heating. Although the silence of that ice weighed so heavily in the air, my recollection is that it didn't come even remotely close to shadowing the raw will and desire my four trip mates and I brought to the Boreal Forest that summer. We were hungry for adventure and willing to take on the unknown. And how unknown it was. The following 95 days brimmed with experiences we never could have predicted.

Tonight I sit among the shrub and spruce once again. No ice just yet, but no doubt a great adventure is on the horizon. After a four-day drive to the end of the road at Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, we picked up Beth at the airport, ate our last supper at an historic mining restaurant, and spent a great morning with the pilots of Urus Aviation (our resupply outfitters). Finally we headed for the water. The native children of the small town, Rae, played with our gear and asked us a million questions like "Why is your jacket orange? Why are you camping? Do you like her?" We took photos, gave them all high-fives, and paddled away.

It was clear long before today that this is not merely a replication of our 2005 expedition. Our insatiable hunger for adventure seems to have taken on a new shape -- a personal and defined need to take this land with great intention and soak in the lessons of each challenge as they come. A favorite author of mine, Wendell Berry, described the combination of some of the feelings we are feeling today (excitement, curiosity and fear) as exploring.

We'd like to express our undying gratitude to our families for so, so much support in so many ways. We love you all so much. I'd also like to tell my grandpa that I saw the world through his eyes today, as it has always been his dream to get to Great Slave Lake. I love you and I wish you well.