You’ve got to love the nickname, “Canada’s Indiana Jones!” Well, the Toronto Star wasn’t too far off the mark with that one. Adam Shoalts does travel to remote areas looking for treasure. The difference is that for Shoalts, the treasure is the land, the journey itself.

Alone against the North tells the story of Shoalts’ determination to explore the Again River, a waterway that roughly follows the Ontario/Quebec border into Hudson Bay. The multiple attempts at running this river, interspersed with another major exploration of an unnamed river, fill this book to overflowing with stories of wilderness travel and companionship (and lack thereof).

Having paddled my fair share of wilderness trips—although nowhere near as remote as Shoalts—I resonated with his wrestling with being alone versus having good paddling partners. I’ve been blessed to have a solid handful of them in my life. I wonder if Shoalts is still friends with some of his, especially after this book went to print!

I paddled Lake Superior earlier this summer and don’t have another big trip scheduled until next year. It’s books like this one that help me to live vicariously until the next time I pull my paddle against the current.

Shoalts, Adam. Alone against the North: An Expedition into the Unknown. Penguin, 2015.