TPZ002: A 130-day Canoe Expedition across Canada’s Northern Territories




My guest today is Pete Marshall.  Pete has paddled over 7500 miles through Canada. In 2005 he and his brother canoed 2700 miles over 122 days from their home state of Minnesota to the Arctic Ocean.  On May 8th of 2012, Pete and 3 others began a 2600-mile, 130-day canoe expedition across the isolated regions of Canada’s northern territories from Skagway Alaska to the Hudson Bay.  You can learn more about this adventure and purchase a DVD of their expedition titled 2600 Above 60 at the website canoe2012.com.  Pete Marshall, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

Spring Outdoor-Adventure Expo

Spring2013_OAETwice a year Midwest Mountaineering, an outdoor gear store near downtown Minneapolis, puts together a fantastic weekend of gear, vendor interaction, and adventure-filled presentations.  It also provides me a great opportunity to discover guests for The Pursuit Zone podcast.  There are some amazing people here really pushing themselves into some incredible outdoor adventures.  I reached out to a handful of people this weekend and I can’t wait to bring you their stories over the next few weeks.

TPZ001: Adventure in New Zealand, Australia, and SE Asia with Jess on a Whim

Traveling New Zealand and SE Asia


In 2011, my next guest surprised even herself by quitting an enviable office job, hugging friends goodbye, and leaving New York City after six years. She went home to California to regroup, wondered what she was doing with her life, and then got herself a work visa and an outlandishly expensive plane ticket for New Zealand.  She spent 12 months living and working on New Zealand’s south island, traveling Southeast Asia, and becoming the most hesitant extreme-adventure connoisseur in the world.  I guess you could say she did it all on a whim.  Jess, welcome to The Pursuit Zone.

Welcome to The Pursuit Zone

TPZ-iTunes-Podcast-02In December of 2009 I took my first vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  One evening, while I was sitting on the beach near the hotel where I was staying and listening to waves roll in from the Pacific, I asked myself a question.  How can I keep this going?  I wanted the journey to continue south rather than having to head back home to the north.  I wanted to challenge myself, to learn a new language, to push myself outside of my comfort zone.  And then another question came to mind.  What exactly do you call the area outside of the comfort zone?  I thought about it for a while as the waves crashed in and decided it should be called The Pursuit Zone.

Well, I headed back north and over three years the idea of what The Pursuit Zone website should be evolved in my mind.  By the end of 2012 I knew the website should focus on the pursuits of others and I knew it should be done in an audio-interview format.

Now, the evolution is complete and I’m pleased to present to you The Pursuit Zone website and podcast.  The idea behind this podcast is to interview people that dream big, get out of their comfort zones, and accomplish ambitious pursuits.  I hope it inspires you to find your own Pursuit Zone.

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