By The Tha-Anne River first started flowing through my imagination in August 2019. After 42 days of criss-crossing Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nunavut, I was descending the very final rapids of the Thlewiaza River when I glanced over my left shoulder and saw another river – the Tha-anne – surging in from the North and merging with my river before the combined current swirled into the icy salt water of Hudson Bay.
As I mentioned in my book, Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic, at the time I thought that maybe, someday I would return and explore that river too. Well, someday is here, and that’s what I’m hoping to do this summer.
Track my trip progress on the map starting July 6th, 2026.
Then scroll down further and check out the updates I’ll be posting on social media from the field.
The Tha-anne 2026 Expedition Consists of Four Stages…
Stage 1, Kasba Lake to Dimma Lake on the Kazan River (downriver)
The trip will start in the boreal forest as it falters towards the treeline, just to the north. I hope to descend the upper Kazan River down to Dimma Lake. Most travellers would continue northwards on the Kazan towards Baker Lake, but at this point I’ll hang a hard left and start heading upriver.
The Kazan River is fairly well described by many modern travellers, so there shouldn’t be any huge surprises here.
Stage 2, Dimma Lake to Hicks Lake (upriver and overland)
Although this will be the shortest stage distance-wise it will probably be the most challenging and slowest-going travelling of the trip. I’ll be wading and tracking upstream in mid July, a time when the bugs will be fiercest and the little creeks will be brimful with meltwater. The final portion to connect the Kazan and Tha-anne watersheds will involve extensive portaging and route-finding, requiring a minimum of 3 loaded carries and 2 return trips because I’ll still have a lot of food at this point.
I know one person (Calem Watson) who has done this short section in the opposite direction from me, so I know it’s possible, but other than that, there is very little information about this section of the trip.
Stage 3, Hicks Lake to Hudson Bay on the Kognak and Tha-Anne Rivers (downriver)
From Hick’s Lake to Hudson Bay is downriver, so it should be easy going, right? Hang on a minute!
First of all, there is a ton of whitewater as the river falls 291 meters (almost a thousand feet) off the plateau on which it was born.
Secondly, this river is very poorly described. The only written source of which I’m aware is a missionary’s report from the 1800’s by the Reverend J. Lofthouse. He didn’t have a ton of details, and also didn’t go as far upriver as I’m starting. Other than that, I’ve chatted briefly with a paddler called James deMello who did the Tha-anne (but not the Kognak) in the 1980s, and Cliff Jacobson who cut across to the Tha-anne from Seal Hole Lake on the Thlewiaza with a group that then flew out before they reached Hudson Bay.
Anyway, the upshot is that there isn’t a lot of information about this river and I’m going in pretty much blind other than my maps and studying the rapids on airphotos (my procedure for that is described here).
Stage 4, Mouth of the Tha-Anne River to the town of Arviat (open ocean)
Hudson Bay is a terrifying place. The massive 10-14 foot tides, combined with enormous tidal flats, combined with a dense population of polar bears makes it an extremely anxiety-inducing place. I’ve paddled portions of the coast before and also have seen 14 polar bears in 24 hours on a different trip, so if I can avoid the coast I will.
My current plan is to contact Inuit friends of mine in Arviat and have them pick me up with a motor boat, but if communications fail or the plan falls through because of other reasons, then the last 100 km of the trip will be a terrifying paddle with very little sleep.
Follow Along for Live Updates from the Field!
If all goes well with my cameras and satellite connection, I should be posting live updates from the field on my various social media channels. Please follow on the platforms of your choice…
- Essential Wilderness on YouTube (I also put lots of long-form content on here as well).
- Essential Wilderness on TikTok (don’t worry, I’ve never done a TikTok dance and probably never will)
What Gear Am I Taking?
I broke down my food, gear, boat and paddles for this Tha-Anne expedition on YouTube in a video called All My Gear to Canoe Solo in the Arctic for 30 Days ($21,000+).
My 2024 Thlewiaza River Expedition
This trip from a few years ago took me across Nueltin Lake and down the Thlewiaza River. It’ll give you an idea of what I’m in for.
Perseverance, the Book in Hardcover, Kindle, and Audiobook Format!
For the detailed story of my 42 day expedition on the Churchill, Reindeer, Cochrane and Thlewiaza Rivers I’d be thrilled if you’d consider taking a look at Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic. It has received great reviews on Google, GoodReads, the CBC, and Library Journal.
