Two of my all time favorite creatures: Amy and Fennel. Here Amy is slowly slogging through the shallow, ice chocked waters along the south shore of Great Slave Lake while Fennel keeps his paws dry in the canoe—in May of 2011. Fennel passed away several years ago. Amy and I looked so much younger then; time passes so quickly. Flipping through photos from that day near the middle of a 3-year, 11,700-mile human-powered adventure across North America brings back such vivid memories. We had no idea how long the ice would last or if we could force our way though, if the 47 days worth of food we carried would see us to the next town, or if we could catch enough fish to feed Fennel along the way. Fennel was a 100-pound sled dog who had basically never been in a canoe, yet he would spend the next five months as our constant canoeing companion, riding out menacing waves on Lake Winnipeg, swimming down rapids after us, coming face to face with a giant wild fire, being taught a thing or two by moose, black bears, and porcupines that he had an uncanny knack for running into. All these memories are a constant reminder of the hardship, joy, and visceral connections—to ourselves, to each other, and to our planet—that are waiting for us when we push ourselves, live in the moment, and follow our hearts. #dogs #canoe #paddlecanada #natgeoadventure #optoutside #wilderness #canada @colwalke @wenonah_canoe
