Beyond the Trees

Beyond the Trees

By Adam Shoalts

Deemed by some to be “one of Canada’s greatest living explorers”, Adam Shoalts does what most of us would never dare to do – explore Canada’s wild places for months on end, alone.  Shoalts clearly loves the wilderness and feels comfortable with solitude.  But four months alone in the arctic is more than even the most seasoned outdoor enthusiasts would normally attempt.

Nevertheless, Adam Shoalts has experience with exploration and takes readers on a journey through the planning and execution of his arctic endeavour.  His plan is to cross the Canadian arctic from west to east by canoe.  He is aware of many other canoeists who would consider tackling at least some of this journey, but none who would brave these wilds alone.

Shoalts starts his journey in the small village of Eagle Plains in the Yukon, paddling east towards Hudson Bay.  Amazingly, for more than half the trip he is paddling upriver – that is, against the current.  (This, along with his lack of companion, is widely considered a crazy thing to do.)  Readers are privy to his tales of hard paddling, as well as wading and towing his canoe with a rope.  There are also countless portages through unknown territory, oftentimes over boulder-strewn terrain and through swampy, densely-treed areas.

Despite the hardships, Adam Shoalts is totally enamoured with the beauty and magic of the north.  He regularly describes breathtaking vistas as well as close encounters with curious wildlife.  Although he does endure a harrowing ordeal involving a muskox, most of his encounters with wolves, bears, and smaller wildlife are completely benign; these animals are totally unaccustomed to humans, and are neither fearful nor aggressive.

Beyond the Trees is a very readable homage to the wilds of the Canadian North.  Shoalts bemoans our culture’s “24/7 connectivity” and maintains that “immersed in nature, one feels alive,” (p. 72).  If you love an outdoor adventure, Beyond the Trees is for you.