Eileen Visser, Potsdam, paddles her kayak on a prior excursion before her upcoming 2,200-mile Northwest Passage expedition. Submitted photo
BY CHERYL SHUMWAY
North Country This Week
POTSDAM — A Potsdam woman hopes to be on the first team to successfully paddle 2,200 miles through the Northwest Passage in one season.
Eileen Visser is part of the “Arctic Cowboys,” a four-member kayaking team attempting the Arctic route between northern Canada and the North Pole, launching July 1.
“This is a chance of a lifetime!” said Visser. “I love the challenge of it, and it’s too good an opportunity to not do.”
The Arctic route has had dramatic sea ice melt in recent years. The entire route was ice-free for the first time in recorded history in 2007, without the need of an ice-breaker.
“The Northwest Passage is even more pristine and untouched than Alaska. It is the last place we humans haven’t messed up,” said Visser. “It’s the only time climate change might be my friend. If it weren’t for our greenhouse gas emissions, the Northwest Passage would not be passable.”
The expedition is expected to take 100 to 120 days to complete.
The international team trained together in February and April in the Gulf. Team members include Visser, 53, two Texans in their 60s, and a U.K. man in his 30s.
An expedition manager and technologist are also crucial in the success of the trip. They will guide the kayak route, based on weather conditions, coordinate logistics and guide communication.
“The biggest determining factor of success is the weather, with the ocean conditions, waves up to 20 feet, and wind in your face,” said Visser.
In bad weather, they plan to stop and stay in tents for up to several days if needed, rather than waste their energy in a losing battle.
“I have an e-reader if I am stuck in a tent for days.”
Another challenge is staying safe from polar bears.
“We have motion detectors, air horns, and guns as a last resort for protection from…
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