Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/514227
12 When asked about my favourite experience in Manitoba, York Factory was it. I likened it to being in a National Geographic documentary, and it really wasn't that far off. To get to York Factory, you first must fly from Winnipeg two hours north to Thompson. You transfer planes and then fly 30 minutes east to Gillam, population 1,200. From Gillam, we met up with Clint, owner and guide of Nelson River Adventures, who met us in his pickup truck towing his boat. From Gillam we drove 45 minutes down a gravel highway, over a massive dam, through the boggy northern Manitoban landscape until we reached the Nelson River. Clint launched the boat into the river, and off we went. To say this area is wild is an understatement. There was literally nobody else around. It was so remote, Clint showed us how he was going to check in at various points during the trip, so that his contact in Gillam would know that we're safe. He also showed us how to use the satellite phone to call for help if we needed to. This was serious stuff. As we motored down the Nelson River, we'd spot bald eagles soaring over the trees. We stopped on an island to refuel, Clint strapping a rifle to his back, telling us that we couldn't leave his sight. We're in polar bear country now. The island we were standing on had wild raspberries, blueberries, and Labrador Tea. There were seals in the river, watching us playfully. On the island was a memorial plaque, celebrating an English explorer, Thomas Button, who had navigated the same river while in search of the Northwest Passage… in 1612! Back on the boat, we continued downriver. We'd spot a black bear spying on us, scampering up from the river and into the woods. And then there were two white heads, swimming away from us. It was a polar bear mother and cub. Incredible. It was a hot and sunny summer's day, yet here were polar bears. The river, wide and shallow, felt familiar like the Fraser, but the polar bears' presence reminded me that I wasn't anywhere close to home. We pass by long-abandoned railroad infrastructure of Port Nelson, and a shipwreck, and eventually find ourselves in the Hudson Bay. The river by this point is so wide, you can't tell where it ends and where the Hudson Bay begins. "Do you see that? Do you see those flashes of white? They look like whitecaps, except they last a little too long to be whitecaps." Yes, I do. "Those are belugas." Belugas! There are dozens of them, everywhere, all around. They don't have dorsal fins so you see a flash of white in the front of the boat, then to the side. And then another. And then another. And another. And another. It's unreal. We're out in the shallow depths of the Hudson Bay and round the bend into the estuary of the Hayes River. We're almost there. Tides are crucial to our journey, and we must arrive at our destination at a precise time so that we're not left stranded by a beached boat on our way back. Clint speeds ahead and my army green patrol cap goes flying – my donation to the Hudson Bay. A short while later we arrive at the dock. We're at York Factory... My Wilderness Adventure to YORK FACTORY, MANITOBA To continue reading about Robyn's trip to the York Factory and explore more Manitoba blog adventures, visit > manitobahot.com