True North: Exploring the great Canadian wilderness by bush plane

In this beautifully written and keenly observed travel narrative, bush pilot/environmentalist George Erickson takes the reader on an unforgettable journey through some of the remotest and sparsely populated landscapes on the planet. Flying solo in his Piper Cub seaplane across the vast northern wilderness of Canada and the United States, the author travels to Hudson Bay, the Northwest Territories, and Alaska, to the Yukon, the Arctic Sea and back south across Saskatchewan and Manitoba to his home in northern Minnesota. Eschewing the comforts of civilized life and armed with only a few bare essentials, Erickson captures the exhilarating thrill of roughing it through adverse weather conditions (he almost loses his life twice), as well as evoking the sheer romance of adventuring in the high north. As he says, "And though solo travel has its hazards, what good are dreams if we lack the courage to follow?"

While the author variously sets down on unexplored lakes, lights campfires, and makes fishing lures to catch his suppers, he shares with us a considerable knowledge of science, history and literature that enrich this exquisite travelogue. Replete with scientific observation, entertaining anecdotes, and uncanny insights, Erickson’s unique journey will appeal to both armchair travelers and flying enthusiasts alike. Indeed, many of the places visited are so distant that very few Canadians will ever experience them first-hand. This is travel writing at its very best.

George Erickson, a retired dentist, is passionate about flying and has logged more than a thousand hours flying over the North country. He is married with two adult sons and lives in Minnesota.