The Goals

Goal

This expedition is being undertaken by three adventurers who simply want to know the answer to a simple question:

How far can a man walk in a remote wilderness without resupply, outside support, and dependence upon foraging, hunting, or fishing?

Key Objectives

1. To complete the longest wilderness traverse in the U.S. by fair means, between Point Hope, AK, and Anaktuvuk Pass, AK.
2. To be the first party to visit the most remote location (Near the Ipnavik River) in the U.S. by fair means.

Definitions

Wilderness Traverse – a route taken in a generally singular direction following natural major land features (e.g., mountain ranges) through an uninhabited tract of land without crossing and otherwise accessing existing road or habitation networks.

Habitations – organized permanent dwellings harboring communities of people capable of providing support, including, but not limited to gear, food, supplies, and medical assistance.

Longest Wilderness Traverse – that wilderness traverse defined by the longest distance in a generally singular direction between two roads or habitations.

Without Support – a route completed while carrying all food, supplies, and gear in a backpack, with no access to resupply or cache.

On Foot – that mechanism of travel by which all food and gear is carried in a backpack and propelled entirely on foot (i.e., “backpacking” or “trekking”) with no assistance from machines (e.g., bicycle or cart) or other modes of transport (e.g., skis, packraft, or hang glider).

By Fair Means – without support and on foot.

Most Remote Location – that singular place defined by its maximal distance in any direction from a road or habitation.

Comments

[Mule]

Regarding the notion of "Most Remote Location" - is this something commonly referred to in the public forum or did the three of you research and come up with this personally?

I presume the idea is of the former and that people have visited this place under powered travel. My next question follows logically as I wonder, where is the most remote location on the planet?

[Roman Dial]

There has been at least one other attempt to find the most remote spot, published by Ned Rozell: http://www.r7.fws.gov/internettv/nwrtv/akmartv/units/LinkStMatthew.htm

Jason Geck and I used possibly a different geospatial dataset and came up with a slightly different location: the one we are visiting.

We are unsure if anyone has visited it. Ned wrote me in an email last fall that he'd like to visit the spot but has not. It's likely nobody has purposely visited it, but my hunch is that we'll see some sign of Innupiat hunters, either from snowmobile access in the modern times or old stone points from past times, in the area.

"My next question follows logically as I wonder, where is the most remote location on the planet?"

That's a great question!
As most readers would likely guess, most remote terrestrial spot on the planet is likely in Antarctica, but we have not yet done the GIS buffering exercise.

[Mule]

Roman -

Thanks for the well-defined answer. It amazes me that in the lower 48 one can only get twenty-eight miles from a road or habitation. These points would make good arguments against more roads/drilling in the ANWR.

- Mule

[Richard S]

I am wondering about the value of the objectives. What you're doing is very cool, but it seems like extreme recreation rather than a scientifically valuable expedition. So here's the thing - wouldn't it be more valuable to do this as part of a PR campaign for wilderness values? An example that comes to mind is Karsten Heuer's 3400 km Yellowstone-to-Yukon hike in support of that conservation initiative. See http://www.y2y.net/overview/adventurers.asp for a bit about that.

[Ryan Jordan]

Richard: I'm not sure any of us are in this for its scientific merit. However, as you suggest regarding highlighting wilderness values in this context, I couldn't agree more, and this is a core piece of the slideshow tour about the expedition this fall and the book that I am writing that uses this expedition as a backdrop to investigate contiguous wilderness and recreation use in the US.

[Mike]

I understand the terms and the goals. It will be quite the achievement to walk from PHO to the remote spot without support. However, hasn't the goal of your "party" already been compromised by the evacuation of Ryan? Of course, no one should risk life and health to achieve the goal, the evacuation was sensible. But you now are a 2 man party due to unfair means.
Additionally, your attesting to reaching the remotest spot by "fair" means, but you only use these means from PHO(actually from Kivalina. You still had to use "unfair" means to get to Kivalina.
No matter how you cut it, expeditions such as yours cannot truly be done "fairly".

[Erden Eruc]

Wonderful goals.

On Foot and By Fair Means to me simply means "self-propelled" - that is: "each individual on the team moves his/her body under their own power." None of you will carry another on your backs, a la rickshaw, each will earn the distance by their own muscle power.

I would add self-propelled to your description as well.

Way to go.

Erden Eruc
MN'04