2008 EXPEDITION
(GREAT SLAVE L.-EMILE R.-COPPERMINE R.-RAE R.-KUGLUKTUK, ARCTIC OCEAN)

 


The Borealis Paddling Expedition is headed north again! In early June of 2008 we will put in at the small town of Rae, on the northwest corner of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Over the next two months we will follow the Emile, Coppermine and Rae Rivers north, completing our expedition at Kugluktuk, a small Inuit community on Coronation Gulf on the Arctic Ocean.


 

 

MISSION & GOALS


Our mission is to celebrate 90 years of excellence in wilderness travel at Camp Manito-wish YMCA by connecting to the strong Manito-wish tradition of female leadership and exploration. As in 2005, we will model our expedition on an ethic of wilderness travel that balances tradition and adventure in the wilderness. This ethic is grounded in following practices:

 

 

Traveling simply, in small groups and with a minimum of technology and gear.

Setting challenging goals that emphasize personal and geographical exploration, and in doing so, recognizing the inherent possibility of failure.

 Connecting with a historically significant area and mode of travel, and with previous travelers including indigenous populations.

Complete immersion in, and respect for, the surrounding natural, historical and cultural environment, including the practice of extreme minimum-impact camping.

Personal investment in the processes of researching and preparing the necessary components of an expedition including: route logistics, food preparation, budget planning and emergency procedures.

Use of a collaborative leadership model that recognizes the equal investment and importance of each individual member of the group.

We recognize that these values can be realized in a variety of environments--Camp Manito-wish YMCA provided us with the context in which we learned this mode of wilderness travel. In an effort to continue to support similar wilderness experiences for other young people, we will also be encouraging donations to the Borealis Campership Endowment, which sends at least one at-need camper to Camp Manito-wish YMCA each summer. Please go to the Endowment page for information on how to contribute.