Greetings from Preparation Hell! Well, I suppose it can't really be described as hellish since it is a voluntary appointment.

No one forces us to do these increasingly elaborate expeditions such as this summer's Labrador Odyssey 2001. We have been incredibly fortunate at the Hide-Away Canoe Club. We have a fabulous, challenging route with full sponsorship by one magnanimous and appropriate sponsor-Woods Canada.

We have always wanted to have one main sponsor since it works out best for everyone. They get all the exposure and we get complete and generous cooperation from a company that respects what we can do. Hardly the stuff of hellish proportions.

As the principal organizer of these jaunts, much falls to me, willingly, and every year it seems we bite off a little more to chew. Labrador Odyssey 2001 will be the most complete media presentation we have yet done. With a Web site designed and written by the HACC (primarily Sean Peake) and media on the Web consisting of stories, photos, sound files, video clips and 360 degree photo panoramas - all thanks to Woods Canada.

All that tech stuff that makes it so interesting to those of you who check us out at www.canoe.ca/labrador2001 is what causes the biggest headaches. Getting all the pieces to work together - satphones seem to like Windows laptops - not our beloved Macs.

Both previous Onriver.Online trips on the George and Winisk have had their high-tech heart attacks to deal with on the trail-no charger for the digital camera and a fatal tarp water bath for a G3 laptop. The reason things still worked is because of all this work we are doing now to make sure everything is backed up with duplicate systems. It's that NASA-thing, with a crew of one!

But through it all, an understanding and helpful wife (who's somewhat nervous about the ocean parts of this journey) and the knowledge that we're doing what we do best makes it worthwhile.

The anticipation of paddling and walking through the incredible Torngat Range in northern Labrador, pulling Arctic char out of the churning Korok River, sharing great camaraderie with my brothers and friends makes the all the effort pale in return for the true rewards.

Michael Peake.

This story first appeared in Che-Mun Outfit 105 in 2001.