BY CHERYL SHUMWAY
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — A Potsdam woman hopes to be on the first team to successfully paddle 2,200 miles through the Northwest Passage in one season.

Eileen Visser is part of the “Arctic Cowboys,” a four-member kayaking team attempting the Arctic route between northern Canada and the North Pole, launching July 1.

“This is a chance of a lifetime!” said Visser. “I love the challenge of it, and it’s too good an opportunity to not do.”

The Arctic route has had dramatic sea ice melt in recent years. The entire route was ice-free for the first time in recorded history in 2007, without the need of an ice-breaker.

“The Northwest Passage is even more pristine and untouched than Alaska. It is the last place we humans haven’t messed up,” said Visser. “It’s the only time climate change might be my friend. If it weren’t for our greenhouse gas emissions, the Northwest Passage would not be passable.”

The expedition is expected to take 100 to 120 days to complete.

The international team trained together in February and April in the Gulf. Team members include Visser, 53, two Texans in their 60s, and a U.K. man in his 30s.

An expedition manager and technologist are also crucial in the success of the trip. They will guide the kayak route, based on weather conditions, coordinate logistics and guide communication.

“The biggest determining factor of success is the weather, with the ocean conditions, waves up to 20 feet, and wind in your face,” said Visser.

In bad weather, they plan to stop and stay in tents for up to several days if needed, rather than waste their energy in a losing battle.

“I have an e-reader if I am stuck in a tent for days.”

Another challenge is staying safe from polar bears.

“We have motion detectors, air horns, and guns as a last resort for protection from the large carnivores,” Visser said.

The two tandem kayaks they will be paddling will also carry a 60-day supply of dried food and fuel for boiling water before reaching their first Inuit village to resupply, 1,000 miles into their trip.

“It will be the first place I can have a shower,” she laughed. “The best scenario is a 2,200 mile trip distance, but we may have to detour to other Inuit villages for supplies if needed.”

An Alaska native raised off the grid, Visser left at age 16, and has been a Potsdam resident and St. Lawrence University biology teacher for the past 25 years.

“Now that my children are grown, this is a new chapter in my life. When I heard they were looking for kayakers for the expedition, I said it’s calling me. If only it could be me, so I threw out an email with my resume to see. What do I have to lose?” she said.

Visser has participated in similar, smaller ventures in the past, taking second place finish in the 444-mile race on the Yukon River in 2018, beating all but one man.

Her paddling resume described her previous race results, and it also included possibly her greatest strength - her grit.

“When the going gets hard, I have the spunk to get through it,” she said.

To her surprise, a few days after applying for the expedition she got a call to set up a video interview. Following the two hour interview, she was ecstatic to be selected to join the team.

She is thankful to St. Lawrence University for granting her some time off during the fall semester for the trip.

“SLU recognized this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s never been done in the world,” she said.

For more information on the Arctic Cowboys team’s upcoming journey, and to follow their progress, visit www.thearcticcowboys.com

Visser leaves for her trip June 25, with launch date one week later.

Those wishing to support Visser’s unprecedented endeavor may donate to her Venmo account @Eileen-Visser.