Outdoor Content Shoutout: Northern Scavenger

I have lived in Colorado for a dozen years now, and I’m not sure I’ve spent a single second in a canoe in that time.

With the rare exception, the biggest natural pools around here are high alpine glacial lakes, and the rivers and streams that run out of them are, more often than not, either whitewater or shallow enough to be seasonal. There’s no hauling a canoe up several thousand feet to Mystic Island Lake, for instance, while even the waters of the Arkansas are much better suited for flat-bottomed kayaks or boats inflated enough to bounce off the array of rocks.

Perhaps that’s just me making excuses. There was a time in my life when, back in Kentucky, canoeing on Elkhorn Creek and the Kentucky River was a regular summer activity. It’s a tremendous way to not only get outside, but to navigate terrain you’d otherwise find impassable on foot.

While casual canoeing is surely in their repertoire, it’s the more expeditious stuff Noah Booth and Alex Traynor get into with their canoes that caught my attention several years ago. At Northern Scavenger, they’ve been documenting their treks, portages, and travels across eastern Canada for a half-decade now, continually pushing themselves further into the vast wilderness for weeks – not just days – at a time.

The above video is the intro to an 11-part series chronicling their weeks-long journey across Labrador from a few years ago, and while it’s probably my favorite series they’ve produced, it might not even be the most epic. After all, they did back it up with a 30-day, 650 km trek across Côte-Nord, Quebec in the summer of 2021.

They’ve found a tremendous way to not only venture out on some of the more spectacular, ridiculous trips imaginable, they’ve also managed to begin perfecting their art of documentation, too. These aren’t merely two dudes with GoPros – these are quality films being recorded almost exclusively by the wet, exhausted folks who are paddling the boats into the void.

On top of the scenery, they’re also introspective, continually giving background details on the lands and waters they’re exploring. They aren’t there to use the natural features they find, they’re out there to experience it and pass along some knowledge to the viewers in a way that encourages them to get outside in a similarly respectful fashion. They paddle hard, they haul gear, they fish, camp, and exist in the backcountry in a manner that makes me wish I was in a boat right there with them.

I’ve had both Voyageurs and Isle Royale on my bucket list for quite some time. Perhaps I should aim a little bit further north when the time comes to book those trips.

You can tune in to the Northern Scavenger adventures on their YouTube channel for the low, low cost of absolutely nothing. You can also give them a follow on their Instagram page, where they often drop teasers for their upcoming films.