The two adventurers are battling upstream currents, long portages and hope to arrive in November at some point.
On their second day of portaging, Brown suffered a serious fracture to her foot and couldn’t wear her boots anymore.
A few days ago, her feet were almost too injured to go on. “It was the hardest moment,” she said. “I held back the tears as best I could as I turned to Martin, ‘I can’t, I can’t do the walk today. My boots, I can’t get them on.’
“My feet too swollen and in too much pain my boots would know longer go on. I was devastated. I knew I couldn’t get away with wearing my crocs to portage. The fracture in my right foot had caused me to compensate with my left. They both swelled with the force and began to rub. The blisters huge and now oozed with infection. Two toes, black and felt as though hammers had come down upon them.
“Each morning step I told myself, ‘I can do this, keep going, it will all heal once back in the canoe.’ It was the painful truth at that moment, though, my body, my feet could no longer keep going, no matter what I told myself.”
Brown had intended to do the trip alone, but met Trahan a few days before leaving after his trip fell apart.
“Since I was young I found solace in nature,” said Brown. “On hot summer days I would wander, barefooted, over to the marsh by our cabin. Smiling alone as I watched the turtles plop off their perches into the waters.
“I’d run gleefully chasing toads and frogs pouncing to hold them and say hi. Many rainy evenings I’d be found at the end of our dock with my fishing pool casting for hours quietly enjoying.
“I’ve shared space and time with the tiniest of critters to biggest of creatures, finding nothing but pure love, curiosity, and peace. And I’ve let many winds blow my hair wildly and carry my laughter away upon it.”
Their trip will end on the shores of the Florida Keys in the Atlantic Ocean over 7,500 kilometres from the starting point.
Follow the journey with the pair’s words and photos here.
