In summer of 1973 Peter was a field assistant for Dr. A. Kesik (U of Waterloo) when they drove over the Yukon's Canol Rd. to the MacTung property north of Macmillan Pass, NT.  He only spent a couple of days there but Linda and he returned for July/August 1974 to conduct his Master's field research.  In June 1977 they returned for the first of 3 summer and 2 winter field seasons as part of Pete's Doctoral research on the long-term environmental impacts of the CANOL Project in alpine tundra.  In August 1977 they hiked from Camp222 to Norman Wells after 6 weeks of studies between Bull Cook Canyon (Mile Post 186) and Macmillan Pass (M231). Their longest winter field season was from February to early-May 1979 when they snowshoed and skied from M231 to 199 and then from M112 to 55 conducting snow surveys on CANOL Project disturbances.

Between 1980 and 1984 Linda and Pete conducted studies as environmental consultants within 30km of Camp 222, including winter aerial wildlife surveys.  For several summers in the 80s, the Camp 222 airstrip was used to access a research site near Tulita NT and then in 1990 annual field studies were resumed along the Canol.  Mountain bikes were the main mode of transport along the trail to access numerous study areas between Caribou Pass and Dale Ck with the logistical base at Camp 222 in facilities owned by Dechen la' Lodge.  Not all the time was taken up by research.  For example, in 1993, Pete and Linda with sons Eric 12 and Geoff 7 biked from Camp 222 past Godlin Lakes to M160 and back.  In 1998, after working between M55 and 111 the family hiked into McClure L to be picked up by float-plane and in 2002 Pete, Linda and Geoff "biked" the trail between M104 and 165 (including the infamous Trout Ck).  In 2008 Pete, Eric and Geoff biked/hiked through to Norman Wells from Camp 222, near the end  their dates of travel almost identical to those of Linda and Pete in 1977.  Short backpacking excursions included Christie Pass and another over the Barrens and through the Hess R valley below Keele Pk.  In 2012, we were joined by Bryn and the 3-generation Kershaws completed a resurvey of the botanical characteristics of selected oil spills in the alpine areas between M104 and 231.  Pete also assisted Geoff on his PhD studies of Spring snowmelt in 2018.  After 35 years, Pete retired from U of Alberta but did a couple more seasons of research in association with EarthWatch International.  Linda retired, kind of, after a career as a botanist/ecologist and author of botanical books, the latest (2020) being Vascular Flora of Alberta.  In 2019 Linda, Pete, Eric, Jen and Bryn did some backpacking and overlapped with the final field season of Geoff's PhD research below Mt Fred Andrew.

Questions/suggestions - contact us at CANOLhiker@gmail.com
Updated:  20210330