Below are recently scanned and un-processed photographs of my 43 day canoe expedition in 1997. I, along with six other women, paddled the Tha-anne River to it's mouth in Hudson Bay. Unfortunately, our trip was cut about 5 days short when we were notified there was a polar bear sighting within three miles of our camp. We spent those days in Arviat, camping on an old aircraft strip.
Though, really, it was the 43 days prior that left a forever lasting impact on my life. To be challenged a million ways each day. We were so out of contact, we had not heard a male voice until radioing a plane above around day 30. The only people we saw were about day 35 (?). A small group of fisherman, who so kindly supplied us with a few canned goods and fresh fish, after hearing we had lost an entire food pack traversing a large lake in strong winds.
It astounds me how unconnected we were, from everything except ourselves, and each other.
There were minks, gorgeous moving heards of caribou, the northern lights and the un-invited swarms of black flies. I was 18 years old. It has been 14 years since I have seen these images. Again- the power of the photograph.
This is only a small sample from about 220 images. There would have been more, I am sure, had digital existed. All the women on this trip contributed images, and this is where the credit lies.
Sara Racciatti Johnson, our leader: I don't know how you did it.
Though, really, it was the 43 days prior that left a forever lasting impact on my life. To be challenged a million ways each day. We were so out of contact, we had not heard a male voice until radioing a plane above around day 30. The only people we saw were about day 35 (?). A small group of fisherman, who so kindly supplied us with a few canned goods and fresh fish, after hearing we had lost an entire food pack traversing a large lake in strong winds.
It astounds me how unconnected we were, from everything except ourselves, and each other.
There were minks, gorgeous moving heards of caribou, the northern lights and the un-invited swarms of black flies. I was 18 years old. It has been 14 years since I have seen these images. Again- the power of the photograph.
This is only a small sample from about 220 images. There would have been more, I am sure, had digital existed. All the women on this trip contributed images, and this is where the credit lies.
Sara Racciatti Johnson, our leader: I don't know how you did it.
