"During the summer of 1991 Victoria Jason embarked on a journey together with Don Starkell (author of the bestselling Paddle to the Amazon) and Fred Reffler to kayak the Northwest Passage, starting at Churchill, Manitoba and aiming to reach Tuktoyaktuk on the Beaufort Sea. When she set out in 1991, Victoria, already a grandmother of two, had only been kayaking for a year and was still recovering from the second of two strokes." "Her 7,500 kilometre journey lasted four years. In the first year, Fred Reffler dropped out due to an injury, and Victoria suffered serious internal bleeding from ulcers. The second year Victoria and Don reached Gjoa Haven together, hauling their kayaks by sled, but Victoria was forced to drop out there, suffering from edema (muscle breakdown) caused by excessive fatigue. Don Starkell continued alone, reaching the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, where he was rescued by authorities suffering from severe frostbite which resulted in the loss of all his fingers and parts of four toes." "Their first two summers together were also a time of tension and conflict between Victoria and Don." "Not content with failure, Victoria returned North the following two years and completed her triumphant journey alone from west to east, paddling from Fort Providence on the Mackenzie River to Paulatuk in 1993, and from Paulatuk to Gjoa Haven in 1994. Among the Inuit people she became known as the Kabloona (the Inuktituk word for stranger) in the Yellow Kayak."--Jacket

A child and his beloved best friend go on a grand sea adventure in this magical picture book by the author and artist who created If I Had a Little Dream. You just never know what a new day will hold if you are brave enough to find out. On one quiet afternoon, a boy and his special friend’s unexpected adventure bring joy and excitement and sights never imagined. And the best part of any adventure is returning home with stories to tell and you best friend at your side.

After his astounding 12,000-mile canoe trip from Winnipeg down to the Amazon (recounted in his bestseller Paddle to the Amazon on page 48), Don Starkell decided to paddle a kayak from Hudson Bay 3,000 miles through the Northwest Passage. This is Don's diary of this journey from Churchill, Manitoba, to Tuktoyaktuk, close to Alaska, a voyage by kayak (paddled on water or dragged on a sled over the ice) that took him three Arctic summers and almost cost him his life. Through this compelling book we find ourselves sharing his blazing, driving determination to reach his goal, as he closes in on his destination, with his supplies running out and his ocean highway freezing over, making death a near certainty. Armchair travel at its best.

Kayak touring has become one of the most popular forms of paddling. Both basic and advanced techniques, touring accessories, and outfitting a kayak trip are explored. 100 illustrations.