Misc. Stuff

	Lars Monsen: We met Lars this summer on the Rupert River. It was day 24 for us. He was on a solo expedition across Canada, going west to east, and he was going up the Rupert in his small green canoe. Most of his expedition, which began in Spring 2000, had been on foot. He started on the Arctic Coast of Alaska, and he was making his way to the Labrador Coast of Canada. He had decided to canoe up the Rupert because of the plans to dam the river (more on that below). Traveling up the Rupert would be an incredibly hard journey, and he was doing it with 5 dogs who followed him on the shoreline. We camped with him that night, and he shared many amazing stories about his adventures the past two years. He told us about a few of his bear encounters, all of which would make my heart stop, and how he survived a 20-day stretch of -40 to -80 degrees celsius temperatures while he was crossing the Northwest Territories. It was an incredible treat for us to meet him. Perhaps the most amazing thing about him was his humility. He made us feel good about our 5-week adventure and seemed sincerely interested in us and our trip. To learn more about Lars, visit his website at www.larsmonsen.no.
	Hydro-Quebec: This company wants to spend $2 billion (Canadian) to divert and dam the Rupert and therefore change it forever. Plans have been made and broken over the past twenty years, but the current plan has moved forward because of Cree support. It's a hot issue in Canada, and one that is very complicated considering all of the parties involved -- outraged environmentalists, a determined power company and a split (as far as I can tell) Cree population. And don't forget the American power consumer (the majority of us) -- the electricity is meant for our markets. The current scheme would divert as much as 92% of the Rupert's water north to under-utilized hydroelectric generators on the East Main River, which was dammed years ago. The plan would clearly end all wilderness canoeing on the Rupert. If you are interested in learning more about the potential death of this river, check out these sites: Ottertooth.com and Hydro-Quebec.