Eligibility

Each trip will consist of three (3) participants and a trip leader paddling tandem in a pair of Souris River 18' Wilderness canoes. Participants must be experienced paddlers, 25 years of age or older as of January 1, 2009, physically fit and prepared to share in all trip activities. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Stringent limits are placed on the weight, volume and type of gear and clothing each participant may bring. First-time participants are limited to a one-week trip and are encouraged to use the canoeing and camping equipment that is provided at no extra charge.

Requests for personal food preferences cannot be accepted but every effort will be made to accommodate dietary restrictions due to health or faith.

A Wabakimi reconnaissance expedition is unlike any other wilderness canoe trip. Exploration of routes that have fallen into disrepair through decades of abandonment and neglect pose a unique set of challenges. Portage landings are difficult to locate and trails are often impassable. Dealing with them involves considerable time and physical effort. Campsites are few and far between which often dictates shuttling back and forth from a base camp to explore the next portion of a canoe route. Consequently, trip distances are far less than what one would normally expect to cover.