Quest for the Bay

The arduous task of rowing the York boat to the Hudson Bay begins under a searing, hot summer sun. The heat and insects begin to take a toll. The crew makes a number of bad decisions which jeopardize the quest, however they finally arrive at the Cree community of Norway House at the top of Lake Winnipeg.

"The Great Portage" the crew leaves the security of Norway House, as the York boat sets out into the northern wilderness. They fight their way over barricades of beaver dams and drag the boat through the leech-filled sloughs of the Echimamish River before reaching the arduous 1600-meter Robinson Portage. The spirit of the group cracks under the intensity of the portage as the good weather turns to a torrential rain.

The crew have reached the magnificent Hayes River. Whitewater rapids and razorsharp rocks damage the boat. The spirit of the group is threatened by a leadership struggle between two strong, but different men. Tired and hungry a decision is made to run a dangerous set of rapids and calamity occurs.