Rediscover North America makes brief stop in Lansing during trek to Arctic Ocean


Six young men from Iowa and Minnesota return to their quest up the Mississippi River after a brief stop at Sweeney's Landing in Lansing Friday morning, March 27. The hearty half dozen are canoeing their way from the Gulf of Mexico up to the Arctic Ocean on their "Rediscover North America" expedition. Photo by B.J. Tomlinson.

by B.J. Tomlinson

Six canoe paddlers on their way upriver to the Arctic Ocean docked their canoes at Sweeney's Landing in Lansing Friday morning, March 27. The hearty, bearded adventurers, bundled against the brisk spring breeze, took a 20-minute break from their grueling adventure to eat granola bars, drink coffee and answer the question most frequently asked by observers along the way, "Why?".
First, to their knowledge, no one else has ever made this particular expedition. They're proud of that.
Luke Kimmes said he loves "waking up in the open air and seeing nature all around." In addition, he and his cohorts  enjoy the well-wishers and River Angels they've met along the way. Interested readers can get the inside scoop on their entire journey by reading the crew's blogs at http://www.rediscoverna.com/crew-blog/.
Kimmes and fellow Iowan Jarrad Moore, along with Minnesotans Adam Trigg, Winchell Delano, Daniel Flynn and John Keaveny, began their trip 85 days earlier at the Gulf of Mexico. They've been following the Mississippi River north ever since. Moore said the group usually travels 25-30 miles a day, docking and camping on islands on the river. They do stay over in motels or with River Angels on occasion if the weather is particularly inclement.
Although the crew members insist no big disagreements between them have erupted, they rotate various housekeeping tasks and paddling partners to prevent conflicts. All the men are experienced outdoorsmen and seem to enjoy even the discomforts of the journey.
They anticipate reaching the end of their time on the Mississippi River in a few days, but will then continue their trek through what will have amounted to 10 United States, five Canadian provinces and numerous lakes and rivers, including the Minnesota River, Little Minnesota River, Lake Traverse, Bois des Sioux River, Red River, Lake Winnipeg, Saskatchewan River, Sturgeon-Weir River, Churchill River, Reindeer Lake, Cochrane River, Wollastan Lake, Fon du lac River, Lake Athabaska, Slave River, Great Slave Lake, Yellowknife River, Winter River, Parent River, Coppermine River, Fairy Lake River, Lake Napaktulik and Hood River, before reaching their final destination - Bathurst Inlet in Nunavut, Canada - sometime in October. Bathurst Inlet connects the Northwest Territories to the Arctic Ocean.
The men spent a year or more planning the trip and saving money to purchase supplies, and Winchell Delano also won a $2,500 grant. They hope to donate any excess funds they receive to various small Mississippi River towns and groups (such as Friends of Pool Nine), to aid in river clean-up. Anyone wishing to donate to their effort can do so at http://www.rediscoverna.com/new-page/.