Photo by: Tom McGuire
Jeff Wueste Walking on Sea Ice on Eclipse Sound
On Saturday, September 16, the Cowboys were able to paddle 40.6 miles in calm water without any wind. They saw several seals playing in the water as they made their way across the channel to Camping Island, Lambert Island and finally the Canadian Mainland. They have now traveled more than 1200 miles under human power in tandem kayaks. This camp was named Mainland Camp for the obvious reason that they have made it back to the mainland.
Total: 1216.41 miles Today: 40.6 miles Expedition: 1154.41 miles
On Sunday, September 17, the team paddled an additional 40.5 miles making it their first time to paddle back-to-back 40+ mile days. Sunday was more of a challenge with winds in the 17-18 mile range but it was a tailwind that definitely was helpful. West said the winds were “quartering” so it took more effort most of the time than the previous day. He had to make a minor repair to the center bulkhead which leaked water into the center storage compartment. They have materials onboard to help with this type of repair.
This camp was named Matty’s Camp in honor of Matthew Clarke, a solo rower on the Northwest Passage. Matty had to make the tough decision to stop his expedition due to safety concerns with his onboard electronics. West, Jeff, and the other Arctic Cowboys are big fans of Matty and Adam Riley. They are two rowers who built their boats themselves, launched from Tuktoyaktuk, and rowed the Northwest Passage from west to east. https://northwest-passage.com/ Adam, unfortunately, injured his shoulder and was unable to continue, but was still an integral part of his team in offering logistics support to Matty, who has continued on. Matty has paddled solo for more than 1500 miles. This is a true testament to his determination. As a 4-person team, the challenges faced in this part of the Northwest Passage are enormous. To do it solo is even that much greater. The Arctic Cowboys hope to meet up with Matty and Adam once back in the States, have a beer, and swap stories.
Total: 1256.91 miles Today: 40.5 miles Expedition: 1194.91 miles
Monday to Wednesday the team had to sit idle while waiting out weather. The area where the team sits is strife with ever-changing winds, rains, big breaking waves, etc. They will start paddling again on Thursday morning during a break in the weather and hope to log another few 40-mile days. During their downtime, they played trivia. Each person put 3 topics in the hat. They had to submit 5 questions per topic. It was a lively game with Eileen coming out on top, closely followed by Jeff, Mark, and West bringing up the rear. In addition, they spent a couple of hours playing charades while cooped up in their tent. The tent has been cozy and warm for the team, despite the rain and cold temperatures.
