Dermot higgins yukon

The Irishman became maybe the least likely paddler on record to traverse the Yukon River from its headwaters near Whitehorse, Canada to the Bering Sea. The journey took him 56 days, and he finished on Aug. Higgins was in as diminished physical condition as he said he was. A ccording to The Globe dermot higgins yukon Mailhe really did agree to the trip in a bar, dermot higgins yukon.

A year-old Irish man has completed an epic 3, km canoe trip along the Yukon River in North America, which took him a whopping 56 days. Dermot Higgins began his grueling 3, km journey in Whitehorse, in Northern Canada, at the beginning of July and finished at the Bering Sea, in Alaska. Higgins, who completed his epic voyage at the end of August, survived encounters with bears, cracked ribs, and bad weather to complete the journey. He told CBC News that he thought it was "all over" when he got stuck in the middle of the river during a "squally storm". He added that he found himself in the water when the canoe capsized during the bad weather. However, the Irish man managed to drag his half-submerged vessel to shore after an hour-long struggle. In a separate incident, Higgins passed out after inadvertently pepper spraying himself while trying to fend off a black bear.

Dermot higgins yukon

He departed on Aug. Higgins averaged about 60 miles a day. He said it took him exactly 56 days, having paddled for 35 of them. The down days were spent resting and getting to know numerous special Alaskans. That was very, very special. Along the way, Higgins had a close call with a bear, capsized his canoe, and battled loneliness and sleepless nights. He had a purpose of raising awareness for mental health after his own battle with depression and attempting suicide. Near the end of his trip, he formed a special bond with one family living in the small town of Marshall. They took him in and he stayed for a week and learned about a tragedy they had just experienced for themselves. Her body was eventually found miles down river and the funeral had just taken place a few days before he arrived. At the end of the day, the family wants justice for Kimberly.

The territory bristles with unpredictable weather and sheer remoteness. Connect With Us.

The adventurer from Dublin, Ireland, had spent the first week of July on the Yukon River in the early stages of his quest to paddle more than 3, kilometres to the Bering Sea. Though Higgins says he was careful to secure his food, he noticed a mess left behind by others — empty wrappers and human waste. He cleaned up what he could and set up his tent. Early the next morning, he woke to the sound of something hitting his tent, snapping one of the poles. Looking through the mesh of the tent, he saw a black bear and cub a few metres away. You know, a lot of thoughts went through my head really quickly," he said.

The Irishman became maybe the least likely paddler on record to traverse the Yukon River from its headwaters near Whitehorse, Canada to the Bering Sea. The journey took him 56 days, and he finished on Aug. Higgins was in as diminished physical condition as he said he was. A ccording to The Globe and Mail , he really did agree to the trip in a bar. Celebrating this past St. Several potential partners rallied around Higgins — but all dropped out before July 1, his launch date. Completing the Yukon River is challenging, even for hardened paddlers. The territory bristles with unpredictable weather and sheer remoteness. The Yukon fluctuates in its course, and getting lost on the water is a legitimate hazard.

Dermot higgins yukon

A year-old Irish man has completed an epic 3, km canoe trip along the Yukon River in North America, which took him a whopping 56 days. Dermot Higgins began his grueling 3, km journey in Whitehorse, in Northern Canada, at the beginning of July and finished at the Bering Sea, in Alaska. Higgins, who completed his epic voyage at the end of August, survived encounters with bears, cracked ribs, and bad weather to complete the journey. He told CBC News that he thought it was "all over" when he got stuck in the middle of the river during a "squally storm".

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He reached Dawson at 10 a. But what can a humble paddler do? Higgins said aside from the mess he'd found at that campsite, most of the ones he's visited have been "pristine. The Video Vault. The retired schoolteacher from the coastal town of Skerries, near Dublin, committed to the trip earlier this year, in the wee hours of St. These boats, beached in Whitehorse in , had been sold to the federal government in when the railway discontinued river service. Higgins decided to cross a wide bay rather than follow its winding bank. Are you planning a vacation in Ireland? Higgins, who completed his epic voyage at the end of August, survived encounters with bears, cracked ribs, and bad weather to complete the journey. Eventually, he rowed stark naked. The best St. Marsha Lederman.

Dermot Higgins poses for a photo near the ocean in Vancouver, B. Higgins paddled the length of the Yukon River last spring. Sign up here.

Three years ago, he nearly died from a suicide attempt following a profound depression. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Higgins decided to cross a wide bay rather than follow its winding bank. In his foot aluminum canoe, Mr. Watching Your Wallet. Nor for that matter, had I ever paddled a Canadian canoe. Higgins says he may not have made it to his destination without help from locals in the North. Sign Up for Newsletter. It went badly for both of them — but it could have gone much worse. Higgins muddled through, navigating by the sun and flow of the water. But the retired schoolteacher found nature soothed him, so he paddled out. He had by then been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Alaska's Olympians. All I wanted was to go home. I remember hearing it and seeing the cloud of orange spray hitting the bear just as it hit me too," Higgins told CBS News.