Wow, time is passing by in a blur this summer. I have been to Yellowstone for a backpack into the Thorofare region. This backpack was just gorgeous with nice weather and exceptional hiking. A bit tough with a 70 pound pack but the wilderness was worth the pain.

My Grand Canyon meltdown hike was just that. Hot! Like 130 degree hot! Probably, one of the most physically brutal 10 mile hikes in my life. Now I know what the end of a lobster’s life must be like. Getting boiled or roasted really sucks. With the challenge came a wonderful time camping at Bright Angel Campground near Phantom Ranch and soaking in the cool and clear waters of Bright Angel Creek. All is all it was a great hike. The Colorado River canyon is a spectacular wonder. It is even more wondrous seen from the bottom.

Now I get to write and prepare for another foray into Yellowstone. I will be there to photograph the rut and to hangout with some of my bear friends before the winter snows send them to a long slumber in dens and under trees. I should be leaving Arizona around the 17th of Sept to begin this 14 day trip. Lots of hiking in the backcountry and hopefully the first snows will fall. It will be my pleasure to see the bears again before they den for the winter. Filming will be a little more difficult as they are more hungry than normal as the pine nut crop has substantially failed. I will have to show more discretion and be more alert. Should be a we bit more interesting. I am also hoping to film some otters, bald eagles, wolves and of course elk and bison. Lots of work coming up! Stay tuned as I will upload images on FB and my photo site. I am looking forward to this!

Planning for the 2011 Arctic Expedition is moving along at a very fast pace with most of the major dilemma’s solved or mostly solved. I am sure there will always be those areas that defy identification. War gaming these expeditions is difficult but must be quite thorough and as accurate as possible. Lapses within the intelligence activities are rare but they do happen. These intell lapses cause serious issues when you find them in the field. No contingency plan to fall back on is not a good feeling out there alone. Adlibbing while on expedition can be a dirty business. In these situations things go south in a hurry and that is when I will become fish food. At that point it will suck to be Mingo!

So this planning process has to be accurate and precise. Once the data is collected, contingency plans are developed and that becomes the umbrella that the expedition is planned to. Sounds simple! Figure it this way. For a 100 day period plan each meal, projected injuries and illnesses and the medical material you need to not only survive these incidents but to get better, fuel supplies for 5500 miles in an area that fuel is obtainable occasionally every 200 to 300 hundred miles and in some cases as far as 700 mile. How about the numbers of polar bears you will see. How many non-lethal rounds vs. killing rounds do you pack for your 12 gauge shotgun, how to keep it dry in a very wet environment, cold sea water. What kind of perimeter do I sleep behind on the ice and on shore. Both browns and polar bears will be looking at me each day I am there. On the Yukon kayak trip I had brown bears leave their footprints right next to my tent less than 2 feet from my head! What do I use to establish and maintain a defensible perimeter? Communications, map sections, gps units, cooking stoves and fuel has to be calculated. If I run out there are no Wal-Marts to run to. Do I need a headlamp? It is light 24 hours a day starting May 21. This lasts until august 21. Then the days become considerably shorter. Will I finish before late September when the snow flies and the days are getting very short? Where do I send my resupply packages? How do I know when I will need them sent from my basecamp? Now plan this in a very remote and unforgiving wilderness.

These are just a few of the questions that need to be researched, understood and then incorporated into a solid and bullet proof plan. Any one of these areas can lead to a fatal failure in the plan.

After months of collecting and analyzing data my plan has evolved into this latest phase. One other item that is important. I have advisors that I talk with to help in designing this plan and equipment to make it safer and tougher. These advisors come from both the US and Canada. They are kayakers, mountaineers, rock climbers, casual boaters, backpackers, hikers and open ocean sailors. They come from all disciplines and offer a few words to hours and days of suggestions. I believe that this is more than one man can plan. .

The plan! The main mission parameters are: this expedition will be solo, follow 1000 miles of the Mackenzie River, 3000 miles of Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea waters to access 2500 miles of the Yukon River. My boat, unnamed at this time, is a 12 foot fiberglass boat that will be fitted with extra buoyancy and floatation devices. She will also sport an outrigger to keep her from being flipped in heavier seas. She will also have a special cover on the bow and extending back to the pilots position to shed rain water and any waves that break over the bow. Bilge pumps will keep water from collecting in her hull. As an added safety, the Minnow, will be in tow. At 43 pounds she will cost very little fuel. If I get into real trouble I can kayak to the next village along the shore. This would be a last ditch effort of course. I will also use her to explore rivers on the coast and sometimes just get out and play on the water. I will use a new 15 to 20 HP motor. This will give me the mobility and speed I need to be a bit safer. I am pleased with this section of the plan. I believe, as do most of my advisors that the right compromises have been made and this package should give me some stability and the ability to survive.

At all times I will have about 30 days of food plus my personal and safety gear. I will carry at least 30 gallons of fuel in cans to make sure that I make it to my next resupply points. Fuel resupply will be every village that I pass. Running out of fuel would not be a very positive happening. Might turn ugly in a heartbeat!

Food is the same as always on expedition, dinner, soup, noodles, tea and hot chocolate. Since I do have a real hull with more than a 200 pound payload I will bring some cookies and other goodies. Wow, reaching towards humanity. Breakfast, oatmeal with an occasional pancake meal will be the general fare. Oatmeal will be predominating with over 90 days of this breakfast. Fortunately, I love oatmeal. Added benefit with 90 plus straight days on oatmeal, cholesterol does not stand a chance clogging up my arteries. My stove will be the old standby Optimus 111B. This 30 plus year old work horse I trust with my life. No backups for her.
My armament will be a 12 gauge shotgun with non-lethal rubber slugs, some bangers and of course 2.25 slugs if I am attacked. These slugs will kill a bear if that ever becomes a necessity. Hope not. That would be a sad day for sure. Probably carry a couple canisters of bear spray for brownies and blackies. This spray will stop even the most determined bear. A side note, polar bears use it as a condiment on the adventurer as they eat him. Not a good idea to use it on them.

When sleeping I will be behind an electric fence that is used to keep bears out. These are a pain to erect but are very effective in keeping the camp safe. My tent would not be a deterrent to a determined bear.

My communication needs will be met with a satellite phone system. I will use a GPS system with a series of map programs loaded into this unit. Locating my position each day is critical.

Clothing and survival clothing will be used. The temps on the Arctic coast are just not that balmy. Highs will generally be lower than 45 with the lows hovering in the mid 30’s. I will see almost constant rain if the weather is normal and I am hoping that the winds stay below 20 mph. That will keep the ocean alive and churning but not so turbulent that I have to be ashore. Water temps will be below 40 on the ocean sections so I will wear a full drysuit. Hypothermia is a serious and constant concern of mine. My drysuit will mitigate this issue plus give me added time for survival in these cold waters if something goes horribly wrong. Taking a bath in the Arctic Ocean qualifies as horribly wrong. Temps and conditions on the rivers will be wild but not nearly as dangerous so I will be in gore-tex on the river sections.

These are some of the important considerations in preparing for this expedition. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of decisions that will be studied and then implemented into the final plan. Then, when Mother Nature has her way, the plan will morph into a dynamic document that will change with each hour of each day. Cool huh! I think so! I hope that this plan will look at all situations that will arise. If it does I will have no adrenaline rushes and little drama other than the typical daily challenges. If that happens my survival chances increase dramatically and the expedition will be just that much more enjoyable.