Perseverance: One Month Canoeing the Mackenzie River

In the summer of 2006, four old men began an adventure that took them from the suburbs of Washington State through British Columbia and Alberta to Great Slave Lake in Canada's Northwest Territories. In two canoes, they began a 900-mile (1,500 km) journey down the Mackenzie River. One month later, they reached the town of Inuvik near the Arctic Ocean. Perseverance: One Month Canoeing on the Mackenzie River is a memoir of that journey told by one of the four paddlers, John Richardson. In this book, he captures the excitement and challenges of this exhausting voyage: battling the elements, missing and worrying about family, and navigating the second-largest river in North America. He tells stories of the First Nations and Inuit people who live in the wilderness and in villages along the river while also providing anecdotes of history, geography, topography, wildlife, natural resources, and much more. This book provides readers with an opportunity to explore a wild and remote river vicariously. For those interested in actually paddling the Mackenzie, the book also includes a mile guide with extensive information about the river, including the locations of various hazards as well as communities, memorable sights, and prime camping spots.