The Hudson Bay Girls’ 1,200-Mile Canoe Expedition
12-minute read
In May 2025, the Hudson Bay Girls took on a 1,200-mile canoe expedition from Lake Superior’s North Shore to York Factory on Hudson Bay. Their 80-day trip was completely human-powered.
Paddling through a rocky canyon after Hell's Gate rapids on the Hayes River in Manitoba
Two of the Hudson Bay Girls, Olivia Bledsoe and Helena Karlstrom, have joined the Bending Branches ProStaff team since completing their trip. We asked them to carve out some time for an interview about their expedition.
Here’s what they had to say…
BENDING BRANCHES: For a trip of this magnitude, share some highlights about your expectations vs. the eventual outcome
OLIVIA: What stands out to me the most from this expedition was how I felt afterward. A lot of people talk about the feeling of accomplishment upon completion of their journey, followed by a “post-expedition blues” phase, and I certainly went through a bit of that.
After the expedition ended, I had a weekend at home before returning to college. Going from living and traveling through the backcountry all summer to learning how to use RStudio and ArcGIS was certainly a hard transition.
However, it’s been great to reflect on my journals and memories from the expedition, and I’m very excited for my future outdoor adventures.
On the expedition itself, we traveled faster than we anticipated. We averaged about 20 miles per moving day, despite having several 3-7-mile days on Lake Winnipeg due to wind. We finished a few days earlier than we anticipated, and only had about six storms the entire trip.
It took us longer to portage than I anticipated, mostly because of the weight of our packs. It was oftentimes impossible to put a pack on yourself for a week after a resupply, so you needed one or even two other people to help you lift it.
Olivia and Helena paddle through the Hell's Gate rapid segment of the Hayes River
HELENA: Going into the trip, I had no idea what to expect in terms of meeting new people along the route. I was pleasantly surprised by the kindness of strangers and their support. From people offering to make us meals, give us rides, or buy us ice cream, it felt like my “faith in humanity” was restored.
One of my personal goals was to engage with people along the route and learn about different communities. I tried to stop and talk to people as much as I could because I love hearing stories and learning about people's lives.
We made some lasting connections with people on the route that we will definitely hold with us for a long time.
BRANCHES: Talk about the relational dynamics of your crew during your trip.
OLIVIA: For our crew, we decided to use a democratic system for both our planning process and time spent paddling together, but had a rule that if one person said “no” to something due to safety concerns, then we wouldn’t do it. We also didn’t assign tasks beforehand, and just let people fall into whatever roles felt natural.
While this ended up working out for our crew, I could definitely see it not working out for every team. For anyone planning an expedition, I recommend doing at least one paddling trip beforehand with your crew that mimics some of the tougher elements of your route.
It’s important to learn how people deal with challenging days on the water and to establish good group decision-making systems.
Olivia points towards Brassy Hill on the Hayes River
HELENA: A lot of people don’t know that the start of our expedition was the first time that the four of us had been in person all together. In the first week of our expedition, we were traveling about 12-14 hours a day.
I was empowered by how well we supported each other on difficult and strenuous days of travel. We had to start with an open mindset and learn how to work together. Later on, when we were faced with difficult risk management decisions—like navigating big open water crossings, wildfire danger and white water—we had to figure out again how to make decisions that supported each other.
BRANCHES: Overall, was the trip harder or easier than you thought it would be?
OLIVIA: The last month of the expedition on the Hayes River was definitely harder than I thought it would be. The threat of nearby wildfires, feeling so close to York Factory but still having 400 miles to paddle, and having to manage running rapids in very low water levels presented a lot of challenging situations to our crew.
Something that was better than I expected was our interactions with strangers. So many people were incredibly kind, and even took us to get ice cream, let us shower, or gave us a place to stay during resupply days.
HELENA: A big section of our trip was through muddy wetlands towards the end. We had to navigate shallow muddy rivers, low flow, and plenty of beaver dams. I was shocked by how many beaver dams we had to pull our gear over and how exhaustive it was.
"Paddling" on the Echimamish River about 1,000 miles into the expedition—during the two days the crew spent here, they had to lift their canoes over dozens of beaver dams
Although difficult, it reminded me of the fur trade and I often pretended that we were real Voyageurs and what it may have felt like for people to travel through here long ago.
Additionally, I was originally psyched out to paddle the wicked waves of Lake Winnipeg after many warnings from locals, but found a lot of peace on the water there. Many people would warn us that Winnipeg was “unforgiving” and I feared that, but now I have a lot of respect for the Lake.
BRANCHES: In our first interview with you, both of you spoke of what you were most looking forward to and what you felt would be your biggest challenges. Now looking back, comment on those.
OLIVIA: A year ago, I said that I was most looking forward to completing Grand Portage—an 8.5-mile portage trail connecting Lake Superior to the Pigeon River.
However, in the months leading up to our start date, I developed a condition called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS. My energy was reduced to about 50 percent of what it once was, standing for more than twenty minutes felt impossible at times, and I was unable to run, lift or portage to prepare for the expedition.
I knew that Grand Portage was definitely going to be my greatest challenge of the trip, and we genuinely completed it one step at a time. We would walk for 8-12 minutes with our 65-pound canoes and 110-pound packs and rest when we needed to. We finished the portage together in 12 hours.
Although this was my greatest mental and physical challenge of the entire trip, completing Grand Portage gave me back some of the confidence I had lost since developing POTS, and I am so grateful we completed it as a team.
HELENA: Originally I said I was looking forward to spending time with the crew and paddling in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. This trip has only deepened our connections with each other and the BWCA. We are bonded in so many ways and share experiences that only the four of us understand.
I learned so much about the region just by being there and I am so grateful that I got to spend so much time in such a beautiful and unique wilderness area. It felt so special to share our memories in the BWCA together and it’s a place we are honored to advocate and fight for.
BRANCHES: Do you have a personal trip highlight you know you'll carry with you the rest of your life?
OLIVIA: A trip highlight I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life was my first time seeing a wolf. We were a few days into the Lake Winnipeg segment of our expedition, and were battling a strong headwind, so we decided to follow the shoreline and use a chain of swampy islands for wind cover.
We had ducked into a secluded little bay, and suddenly Helena started gesturing towards the swamp and whispering, “Wolf!” I frantically scanned the shoreline to try to catch sight of it. I’d never seen a wolf before, and was so excited by the idea of finally getting to see one.
I looked for a few minutes without luck, but as we were about to leave the bay, I saw it: a large, grey and white wolf, standing on a rock and intently watching us as we paddled by. We saw several more wolves during the trip, and what still stands out to me from those encounters is how they were never afraid to stand in the open and observe us. They’re such incredible animals.
Olivia portaging a canoe at York Factory the day after completing the 80-day expedition
HELENA: A special memory I hold with me is sitting on a beach overlooking the Sable Islands during the sunset on Father’s Day. I remember feeling so grateful to be paddling and overwhelmed with the beauty of it all.
It was a very small moment, but paddling makes me appreciate the little things so much more. Eating a homemade meal in the backcountry, having my hair braided, or just watching the sun set. I missed my family and friends so much, but knew that this trip was something I’d hold with me the rest of my life.
BRANCHES: What’s your message to other girls and women who dream of doing big adventures like this?
OLIVIA: My biggest piece of advice is that you’re never going to feel fully ready, so don’t let yourself get stuck in the “one day I’ll do this” mindset. Anyone can do a canoe expedition with the proper planning, team communication and risk-management mindset.
The biggest hazards in the outdoors usually stem from environmental and personal factors. When people picture the dangers of camping, it’s easy to imagine getting stalked by a mountain lion, a bear tearing down your tent in the night, or being chased out of camp by a pack of hungry wolves.
In reality, you’re a lot more likely to encounter hazards like lightning, wind, large swells, complex rapids and even dead trees. While these threats aren’t always what beginner paddlers or backcountry recreationists picture as dangerous, they all have the ability to cause harm and endanger you and your crew.
Helena with a pike she caught on her fly rod, below a waterfall campsite on the Hayes River
You’re always going to come across new situations when in the outdoors, and it’s vital to view these obstacles through an honest risk management assessment—one that considers the skills, training and experience level of your entire group and calculates every foreseeable “what if” scenario.
You can make poor choices in the outdoors regardless of experience level, and it’s important to never let yourself get to a point of unconscious incompetence, because that’s where you risk making mistakes with dangerous consequences.
That being said, there are so many ways to learn backcountry safety and build your risk assessment skills! Take a Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder course. Educate yourself with online resources (like learning the ten essentials for outdoor travel!). Go outside with a program or experienced friend. These are all fantastic ways to get started.
Helena paddling on Hairy Lake, Manitoba, about 900 miles into the expedition
HELENA: I would say that if you are ready for it, don’t wait. I feel like I live a lot of my life waiting for permission from others to color outside the lines. I am a capable and strong person, but find myself hesitating to make big moves.
Committing to this trip has taught me a lot about taking chances and making choices for myself. It has been completely life-changing and freeing to stop waiting for the approval of others.
Two years ago, I would have no idea this is where life would lead me. You are much more capable than you think and it is worth it to take risks and travel on the roads less traveled.
Not everything will happen overnight, but if you have a passion, you have the ability to make a change in your life and the lives of others.
Some steps are small, but they are still steps. Reach out to people, learn about their experiences, sign up for a Wilderness First Responder course, learn about Leave No Trace principles and you’re on your way.
BRANCHES: Tell us about your efforts to help protect the Boundary Waters.
OLIVIA: One of our missions for the expedition was to advocate for a permanent mining ban in the Rainy River Watershed, and our work towards that is far from over.
Through our partnership with Save the Boundary Waters, we aim to continue educating and inspiring those who followed our journey to advocate for their public lands.
The Boundary Waters is truly America’s wilderness—an expansive 1.1 million-acre landscape of pristine habitat, with a thriving network of wildlife, and clean lakes and rivers. The Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters contain 20 percent of all freshwater in our entire National Forest System.
Currently, there is a congressional plan to facilitate Chilean-owned copper mining in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters—this is Joint Resolution 140. It passed the House on January 21st and is going to the Senate now. If this passes the Senate, it will set a dangerous precedent for the future of all of our public lands.
Please call your Senators and visit Save the Boundary Waters’ website to help protect our wilderness. We can win 100 times, but we can only lose once when it comes to protecting America’s most visited and beloved wilderness area.
HELENA: As a fly fisher and canoeist, it’s important to me to keep the water clean so I can keep doing what I love. That’s why we wanted to use this expedition as a way to raise awareness for the Boundary Waters.
I encourage people to look into the current mining threats the Boundary Waters are facing as one of the last pristine wilderness areas left. Do what you can and consider supporting organizations like Save the Boundary Waters to protect our public lands.
Olivia and Helena paddle a 55-mile day to York Factory on the final day of their expedition
Our thanks to Olivia, Helena and the rest of their crew for their adventurous spirit and dedication to our waterways. We look to hearing more from the Hudson Bay Girls on future trips!
Photos courtesy of Olivia Bledsoe and Helena Karlstrom.
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or bbinfo@bendingbranches.com, or choose our online chat option.
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