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Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak: One Woman's Journey Through the North West Passage
During the summers of 1991 through 1994 Victoria Jason and two companions--Fred Reffler and Don Starkell--set out to kayak from Churchill, Manitoba to Tuktoyaktuk on the Beaufort Sea. When she set out in 1991, Victoria, already a grandmother of two, had been kayaking for only a year and was still recovering from the second of two strokes.
Her 7,500 km journey lasted four years. In the first year Fred dropped out due to an injury, and Victoria suffered serious internal bleeding ulcers. The second year Victoria and Don reached Gjoa Haven together, but Victoria was forced to drop out there, suffering from edema (muscle breakdown) caused by excessive fatigue. Don continued alone, and almost died from severe frostbite before being rescued by authorities just 46 miles short of Tuktoyaktuk.
Not content with failure, Victoria returned to the North the following two years and completed her triumphant journey alone from west to east, paddling from Fort Providence on the Mackenzie River to Paulatuk in 1993, and from Paulatuk to Gjoa Haven in 1994.
Among the Inuit people she became known as the Kabloona (the Inuktitut word for stranger) in the Yellow Kayak.
Her 7,500 km journey lasted four years. In the first year Fred dropped out due to an injury, and Victoria suffered serious internal bleeding ulcers. The second year Victoria and Don reached Gjoa Haven together, but Victoria was forced to drop out there, suffering from edema (muscle breakdown) caused by excessive fatigue. Don continued alone, and almost died from severe frostbite before being rescued by authorities just 46 miles short of Tuktoyaktuk.
Not content with failure, Victoria returned to the North the following two years and completed her triumphant journey alone from west to east, paddling from Fort Providence on the Mackenzie River to Paulatuk in 1993, and from Paulatuk to Gjoa Haven in 1994.
Among the Inuit people she became known as the Kabloona (the Inuktitut word for stranger) in the Yellow Kayak.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 29, 2022
Polar Bears and Grizzlies, Oh, My!!
What a wonderful, exciting true adventure.! I have several pages left to read of this book, and I don’t want to read them because then her trip will have ended. Still, by the time this review is posted, I will have finished the book.
The author, Victoria, took several trips to the Arctic in her little yellow
Kayak and writes about them in this book. Her first trip began on the Hudson, her second, I believe, was along the eastern coast of Canada to the Arctic, both of which she had taken with a companion or two. After this, she took several solo trips. As for myself, I can’t imagine ever wanting to do this, as it is too dangerous, and I hate the cold. But I imagine that kayaking is fun because I took a raft trip in Yosemite and loved the rapids. I am not sure what was worse, fighting the waves, the rough waters, the storms, the bears, or the cold. Well, it was all those things.
I was really surprised to learn that she was begging Don Starkell to take her with him on one of his Arctic adventures. Starkell is the author of another favorite book of mine, “Paddle to the Amazon.” It was such a great book that I read it a second time years later, but I had forgotten thetitle of it, and when I finally found it, I had also found his other book, “Paddle to the Arctic.” I never got to read the Arctic book, though, because it was a hardback, and now I can’t see to read, and it is not on kindle for Alexa to read to me. I was saving it as I did with the last pages of this book. But I just learned that Starkell’s Arctic trips were what Victoria had written about in this book, so all was not lost.
Don finally allowed her to take a trip with him. But he was not a nice guy, so was hard to be around. I got a glimpse of his temper when reading his Amazon book. He continually berated his son, who was with him, and who finally gave up on the trip, leaving Don to travel alone. I had read reviews of his Arctic book, and one reviewer had complained that the book was ruined by Don’s fighting with his partners. And now I read about it in this book as Don was berating Victoria constantly. I wondered if she should have left this out of her book because it made it unpleasant to read at times. Still, it did not ruin the book for me, as I still consider it a ten-star read. I was glad to know these things about Don, and I especially wanted to know what had happened to him after they parted ways. She became seriously ill and had to abort the trip. Don continued alone, and when he didn’t show up on time, it was she who alerted the authorities, and when they found him, it was just in time. He then had to have the tips of his fingers and toes cut off due to frostbite.
What made this book so great? It was many things. First, it was her gutsiness, then it was her beautiful descriptions of the land and the animal life, and it was the dangers she had faced, especially with bears. Speaking of which, she had her bear weapons: flares, an air horn, and a shotgun, all just noise makers, unless the shotgun was powerful enough. But I suppose she would only have time enough to choose one of the weapons, and if it didn’t work, well, that would be it. Every bear encounter turned this fun adventure into a horrifying thriller.
Most of all, it was the people that I loved hearing about, the inuit. When she talked about them, you knew that they were special because they were said to be kind by offering her all kinds of help, even giving her keys to their homes so she could freshen up. Everyone was so wonderful that I wanted to live among them, just not in the Arctic. They even stopped when they saw her camping along the way and asked her if she were okay, if she needed anything like food, water, or even rescuing. But then she began saying the same about the white people who lived there, so now everyone was special. I would not doubt if all people were special to her, no matter where they lived. Yet, I met a man in Juno, Alaska one year that made me have second thoughts about the inuit. He wanted me to come to Pt. Barrow to live with him because he needed a woman and his girlfriend wouldn’t go up there with him. He said that some Eskimo’s rape the women, and the bears eat the people. This made it seem like a hostile environment. No way would I go, I said, and to myself I thought, especially since you have a girlfriend. Plus, I don’t know you. So, you see, as I learned from him, not every inuit in Alaska or the Arctic is wonderful. Anyway, I didn’t get a Hallmark movie ending in Alaska with this bush pilot who was handsome and sexy. I had to wait a few more years to meet someone who didn’t have a girlfriend. And Victoria didn’t find a Hallmark man either.
Victoria was no longer married, but if she said why, I didn’t catch it. She had children and grandchildren, and they all missed her as she did them, but it felt like she was in love with the Arctic and its people and didn’t wish to go home. I felt that she should have met a man there, married him, and moved there. After all, she met many that were enticing to her. But there never was a love story. This was the only disappointment in the book because I wanted a Hallmark ending. Well, Don Starkell asked her to marry him.
What a wonderful, exciting true adventure.! I have several pages left to read of this book, and I don’t want to read them because then her trip will have ended. Still, by the time this review is posted, I will have finished the book.
The author, Victoria, took several trips to the Arctic in her little yellow
Kayak and writes about them in this book. Her first trip began on the Hudson, her second, I believe, was along the eastern coast of Canada to the Arctic, both of which she had taken with a companion or two. After this, she took several solo trips. As for myself, I can’t imagine ever wanting to do this, as it is too dangerous, and I hate the cold. But I imagine that kayaking is fun because I took a raft trip in Yosemite and loved the rapids. I am not sure what was worse, fighting the waves, the rough waters, the storms, the bears, or the cold. Well, it was all those things.
I was really surprised to learn that she was begging Don Starkell to take her with him on one of his Arctic adventures. Starkell is the author of another favorite book of mine, “Paddle to the Amazon.” It was such a great book that I read it a second time years later, but I had forgotten thetitle of it, and when I finally found it, I had also found his other book, “Paddle to the Arctic.” I never got to read the Arctic book, though, because it was a hardback, and now I can’t see to read, and it is not on kindle for Alexa to read to me. I was saving it as I did with the last pages of this book. But I just learned that Starkell’s Arctic trips were what Victoria had written about in this book, so all was not lost.
Don finally allowed her to take a trip with him. But he was not a nice guy, so was hard to be around. I got a glimpse of his temper when reading his Amazon book. He continually berated his son, who was with him, and who finally gave up on the trip, leaving Don to travel alone. I had read reviews of his Arctic book, and one reviewer had complained that the book was ruined by Don’s fighting with his partners. And now I read about it in this book as Don was berating Victoria constantly. I wondered if she should have left this out of her book because it made it unpleasant to read at times. Still, it did not ruin the book for me, as I still consider it a ten-star read. I was glad to know these things about Don, and I especially wanted to know what had happened to him after they parted ways. She became seriously ill and had to abort the trip. Don continued alone, and when he didn’t show up on time, it was she who alerted the authorities, and when they found him, it was just in time. He then had to have the tips of his fingers and toes cut off due to frostbite.
What made this book so great? It was many things. First, it was her gutsiness, then it was her beautiful descriptions of the land and the animal life, and it was the dangers she had faced, especially with bears. Speaking of which, she had her bear weapons: flares, an air horn, and a shotgun, all just noise makers, unless the shotgun was powerful enough. But I suppose she would only have time enough to choose one of the weapons, and if it didn’t work, well, that would be it. Every bear encounter turned this fun adventure into a horrifying thriller.
Most of all, it was the people that I loved hearing about, the inuit. When she talked about them, you knew that they were special because they were said to be kind by offering her all kinds of help, even giving her keys to their homes so she could freshen up. Everyone was so wonderful that I wanted to live among them, just not in the Arctic. They even stopped when they saw her camping along the way and asked her if she were okay, if she needed anything like food, water, or even rescuing. But then she began saying the same about the white people who lived there, so now everyone was special. I would not doubt if all people were special to her, no matter where they lived. Yet, I met a man in Juno, Alaska one year that made me have second thoughts about the inuit. He wanted me to come to Pt. Barrow to live with him because he needed a woman and his girlfriend wouldn’t go up there with him. He said that some Eskimo’s rape the women, and the bears eat the people. This made it seem like a hostile environment. No way would I go, I said, and to myself I thought, especially since you have a girlfriend. Plus, I don’t know you. So, you see, as I learned from him, not every inuit in Alaska or the Arctic is wonderful. Anyway, I didn’t get a Hallmark movie ending in Alaska with this bush pilot who was handsome and sexy. I had to wait a few more years to meet someone who didn’t have a girlfriend. And Victoria didn’t find a Hallmark man either.
Victoria was no longer married, but if she said why, I didn’t catch it. She had children and grandchildren, and they all missed her as she did them, but it felt like she was in love with the Arctic and its people and didn’t wish to go home. I felt that she should have met a man there, married him, and moved there. After all, she met many that were enticing to her. But there never was a love story. This was the only disappointment in the book because I wanted a Hallmark ending. Well, Don Starkell asked her to marry him.
September 9, 2016
Victoria Jason was an amazing woman.
When a friend learned I was going to the Arctic on an expedition cruise, she loaned me this Kabloona book. I began reading it before my cruise and finished it when I returned home, being more able then to picture the scenery Victoria describes in her book and to appreciate what she accomplished. I am in awe. Her skills in kayaking, navigating, camping and wilderness survival are evident, and she accepted and adjusted to the vagaries of weather and water conditions and to the discomforts inherent in Arctic travel. She never gave up hope, and she achieved such a laudable feat: 7,500 kilometres over four seasons, the only woman in history to kayak a Northwest Passage solo.
I was full of frustration reading the sections about the two earlier seasons, when she travels with a man (a second man doesn't last long into the first season). She is a paragon of patience.
I can understand now how the North gets into people's blood. As Victoria said: "It's just the freedom, the stillness, the peace and quiet. Once you get hooked on the Arctic, you can't shake it."
It is sad that Victoria Jason died at the relatively young age of 55. But what wonderful experiences she had. (She's not listed in Wikipedia yet. She should be. Maybe that can be rectified....)
When a friend learned I was going to the Arctic on an expedition cruise, she loaned me this Kabloona book. I began reading it before my cruise and finished it when I returned home, being more able then to picture the scenery Victoria describes in her book and to appreciate what she accomplished. I am in awe. Her skills in kayaking, navigating, camping and wilderness survival are evident, and she accepted and adjusted to the vagaries of weather and water conditions and to the discomforts inherent in Arctic travel. She never gave up hope, and she achieved such a laudable feat: 7,500 kilometres over four seasons, the only woman in history to kayak a Northwest Passage solo.
I was full of frustration reading the sections about the two earlier seasons, when she travels with a man (a second man doesn't last long into the first season). She is a paragon of patience.
I can understand now how the North gets into people's blood. As Victoria said: "It's just the freedom, the stillness, the peace and quiet. Once you get hooked on the Arctic, you can't shake it."
It is sad that Victoria Jason died at the relatively young age of 55. But what wonderful experiences she had. (She's not listed in Wikipedia yet. She should be. Maybe that can be rectified....)
April 18, 2008
it's hard to describe how tough (mentally and physically) this woman must have been (she passed away a few years back). it's worth reading just to get a look inside her mind. i wish i could have met her.
February 28, 2012
There are some books you read on your lifetime, that just stick with you. You find yourself continually bringing up in conversation, or thinking back to the book. This is just such a book. Victoria Jason is not the best wordsmith I have read. But the tale she tells is very engaging.
January 18, 2024
Between 1991 and 1994 Victoria Jason completed a 7500 km kayaking trip through the Arctic. It included Hudsons Bay, the Northwest Passage, and the Mackenzie River. She could only travel in the short summers, but even then she constantly battled ice and weather.
She started out with a partner, but his aggressive personality, rudeness, sexist attitude, and refusal to listen to her input made her decide after 2 trips to continue on her own.
I didn’t think I’d enjoy a book about a sport I do only occasionally but the incredible challenges she faced (including grizzlies and mosquitoes) made it a very good read!
She started out with a partner, but his aggressive personality, rudeness, sexist attitude, and refusal to listen to her input made her decide after 2 trips to continue on her own.
I didn’t think I’d enjoy a book about a sport I do only occasionally but the incredible challenges she faced (including grizzlies and mosquitoes) made it a very good read!
December 23, 2022
An account of the authors adventures kayaking the Northwest Passage. Incredible courage.
January 19, 2023
I really liked it. She was incredibly gutsy and probably a little naive based on some of her descriptions of the conditions she paddled in. I loved her stories of all the people she met and her torment between following her heart and missing out on her family life. She was really really patient with and tolerant of Don Starkell and put up with a lot from him. She figured out early on that she needed him at first but I was glad when they parted ways and she did just fine on her own.
February 2, 2022
Some years ago, I read Don Starkell's Paddle to the Arctic, in which he discussed a long and difficult kayaking journey in northern Canada. Jason was one of his two team members on the first two parts of that journey: the other team member dropped out first, and then Jason had to drop out because of illness.
I'm a little surprised to find that my review of Paddle is so positive, though I think that back in 2010 I was a little less...snarky? direct?...in my reviews. What has remained with me most strongly is a sense that Starkell would be a miserable person to adventure with—capable, yes, but very my-way-or-the-highway.
Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak doubles down on that. The portion of the book that covers Jason's travels with Starkell makes me think less my-way-or-the-highway and more my-way-or-I-will-scream-at-you-until-I'm-blue-in-the-face. It makes for a very tense first half of the book, as Jason describes kayaking with someone whose general attitude seems to be 'this trip is mine, and I'm making all the decisions, and I'll take credit if they're good ones but scream at you if they're bad ones, and how dare you have opinions, and how dare you paddle at a different pace than mine, if you don't like that I don't care if this trip kills you that's your own problem, time to swear a lot again'. There seems to have been no love lost between the two of them, but jeepers, having read both books I'm definitely inclined to sympathise with Jason.
Once they parted ways, Starkell continued up into the cold cold north, where he , and one has to think that Jason must have been glad not to be along on that part of the trip. Jason, meanwhile, recovered from her illness and set off on a milder solo kayaking adventure—one with less screaming, fewer deadlines, and fewer icebergs. That part of the book is both less stressful and (I regret to say) less interesting, because so much of the tension is gone—but I'm very glad for Jason that she managed to finish her adventure on her terms.
I'm a little surprised to find that my review of Paddle is so positive, though I think that back in 2010 I was a little less...snarky? direct?...in my reviews. What has remained with me most strongly is a sense that Starkell would be a miserable person to adventure with—capable, yes, but very my-way-or-the-highway.
Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak doubles down on that. The portion of the book that covers Jason's travels with Starkell makes me think less my-way-or-the-highway and more my-way-or-I-will-scream-at-you-until-I'm-blue-in-the-face. It makes for a very tense first half of the book, as Jason describes kayaking with someone whose general attitude seems to be 'this trip is mine, and I'm making all the decisions, and I'll take credit if they're good ones but scream at you if they're bad ones, and how dare you have opinions, and how dare you paddle at a different pace than mine, if you don't like that I don't care if this trip kills you that's your own problem, time to swear a lot again'. There seems to have been no love lost between the two of them, but jeepers, having read both books I'm definitely inclined to sympathise with Jason.
Once they parted ways, Starkell continued up into the cold cold north, where he , and one has to think that Jason must have been glad not to be along on that part of the trip. Jason, meanwhile, recovered from her illness and set off on a milder solo kayaking adventure—one with less screaming, fewer deadlines, and fewer icebergs. That part of the book is both less stressful and (I regret to say) less interesting, because so much of the tension is gone—but I'm very glad for Jason that she managed to finish her adventure on her terms.
June 20, 2021
My only complaint is that I wish she had provided better maps in the book. She refers to many landmarks that are not on her maps and not on Google Earth either. Amazing story, very well written and easy to read. Good riddance getting rid of Mr. Starkell! Of course I never would have arrived at this book without him so thanks for that. I can’t believe Ms. Jason left this earth so early. Thank goodness she accomplished so much in her short years.
May 8, 2009
I loved the way Victoria Jason connected with local people during her solo paddling trips. I'm sorry she didn't live long enough to continue her adventures.
November 10, 2014
I lived and worked above the arctic circle in Alaska and Canada. My exwife knew Victoria. An excellent read about one woman's adventure and bravery
February 19, 2018
hmm, the first and second trips, boggled my mind how unprepared they were (especially the men), and it upset me to read how Victoria took the mental and physical abuse heaped on her by Don. It was so hard to keep reading, but I persevered and was glad I did. When she dumped Don (and wow does he get what is coming to him) and travelled alone, I really enjoyed the rest of the book. Too bad it wasn't proofread as there were many errors in the last part of the book.
She painted a wonderful picture in my mind of what the Arctic is like and also made me want to take MY kayak on a trip, but somewhere with less bugs. ;)
I wish I had started the book part way through it, think about doing that if you read it.
She painted a wonderful picture in my mind of what the Arctic is like and also made me want to take MY kayak on a trip, but somewhere with less bugs. ;)
I wish I had started the book part way through it, think about doing that if you read it.
February 14, 2021
I enjoyed this record of one woman kayaking through the Northwest Passage. It takes place in Canada near the North Pole through the mid 1990s and is a thorough take on her journeys. Her writing made me feel the ups and downs of the trips, and made me love some of the people she met and really dislike others. Victoria did a great job writing it to really draw in the reader. I can’t say I’d ever dream of wanting to do something similar, but her tenacity and drive to complete her journey were very inspiring. It’s amazing to read about the places and people who live and survive in those locations. I’m so glad I read this book!
August 7, 2023
What a lovely tale of adventure. It really does emphasize a huge lesson of grand physical adventures such as this. Patience, it is incredibly key. It was lovely to see glimpses of someone else's adventure, meeting the many many beautiful people and places along the way. I was gifted a signed copy and it will be one I cherish. Read this as one of my Alaskan cruise choices - felt like a fitting landscape. It also had me taking out my own yellow Kayak, just a few 100km south from where Victoria started ;).
April 1, 2022
Such an adventure, quite unbelievable. I read this book after I read Kabloona, the French nobleman in 1940, in the winter. I would recommend that book as well. This book really is inspiring and a testimonial to the human spirit. I'm glad Victoria got to make all the trips and glad she shared her story.
November 24, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. The author provides a detailed account of her incredible journey and her love for the north and its people. I found it very inspiring - such a brave and strong person (and a little crazy to take on such an ambitious challenge). This book leaves the reader with a greater knowledge and admiration for the people who inhabit the north.
April 17, 2023
A good adventure kayak book
A wonderfully emotional journey into the attic with a person who knew their limits. They demonstrate throughout the book the deep desire to adventure but also to take a breath whilst looking at your surroundings. Particularly loved they say she interacted with other people reminding us not all humans are out for themselves.
A wonderfully emotional journey into the attic with a person who knew their limits. They demonstrate throughout the book the deep desire to adventure but also to take a breath whilst looking at your surroundings. Particularly loved they say she interacted with other people reminding us not all humans are out for themselves.
August 11, 2025
It’s one of the most interesting and original fantasy novels I’ve read. The vibe is part Lewis Carroll by way of Hieronymus Bosch, and part Kafka’s The Castle. It’s described as a medieval fantasy but it isn’t really at all. Offers a lot of food for thought on power, duty, animals, and plants.
Aughh! I reviewed the wrong book! I don’t know how to delete it!!
Aughh! I reviewed the wrong book! I don’t know how to delete it!!
February 10, 2018
Remarkable voyages by kayak in the Canadian Arctic.
March 21, 2019
Fascinating memoir of a woman's journey kayaking through arctic Canada.
October 19, 2021
Fabulous Story
A very brave and intelligent odyssey. Thoughtful and well written by a woman with great courage and common sense. Truly a tale for the ages.
A very brave and intelligent odyssey. Thoughtful and well written by a woman with great courage and common sense. Truly a tale for the ages.
December 15, 2021
Amazing
Sad to have come to the end , will
recommend it to everyone. Now to read Kabloona returns . I loved it
Sad to have come to the end , will
recommend it to everyone. Now to read Kabloona returns . I loved it
January 12, 2025
I enjoyed the story but not the writing style.
February 25, 2025
This feels very much like a tale of two halves. There are a lot of adventures squeezed into this book, and at times it drags a little. But overall I enjoyed the book.
July 12, 2025
Starts out slow but gets better as it goes on
September 22, 2010
Victoria Jason loves the Arctic. This fact is made abundantly clear throughout this well-written book. Her loving and insightful descriptions of the people and places she encountered fill each page. Her constant delight at each new discovery is obvious and a pleasure to read.
Victoria Jason comes across as a remarkable woman. A grandmother at 45 (the start of her voyage), she overcame many personal struggles and some health issues to take this trip. Her quick and perceptive mind are well displayed in her writing and her story.
Comparisons between Kabloona and Don Starkell's "Paddle to the Arctic" are inevitable. The authors shared much of their journey, they travelled over much the same ground when separate, and I read them in succession. Kabloona is less driven and focused than Paddle to the Actic, but richer and more satisfying at the same time. Jason is much more sympathetic than Starkell, she's a more balanced person, but that same weird obsession makes Starkell a somewhat more interesting person, if only because it's harder to imagine what drives him. Both authors come across as honest about their experiences. I recommend reading them together; they compliment each other well.
All in all, it was a great story.
Victoria Jason comes across as a remarkable woman. A grandmother at 45 (the start of her voyage), she overcame many personal struggles and some health issues to take this trip. Her quick and perceptive mind are well displayed in her writing and her story.
Comparisons between Kabloona and Don Starkell's "Paddle to the Arctic" are inevitable. The authors shared much of their journey, they travelled over much the same ground when separate, and I read them in succession. Kabloona is less driven and focused than Paddle to the Actic, but richer and more satisfying at the same time. Jason is much more sympathetic than Starkell, she's a more balanced person, but that same weird obsession makes Starkell a somewhat more interesting person, if only because it's harder to imagine what drives him. Both authors come across as honest about their experiences. I recommend reading them together; they compliment each other well.
All in all, it was a great story.
December 30, 2013
While I did not find the book to be particularly well-written or exactly a page-turner, I nonetheless found this to be a fascinating story of the author's journey through the Northwest Passage over several seasons. Her relationship with her unpleasant co-adventurer (for part of the book) remains a mystery to me, however, and it seemed that details on the nature of their relationship that would have perhaps explained some things were left out. An intriguing story of one woman's brave or foolhardy expedition and the draw of the far north!
September 7, 2016
An engaging book, filled with the mental and spiritual (and emotional) journey of a single woman kayaking alone through the Northwest Passage in Alaskan waters. This is saying a lot! No easy feat for anyone, much less a mid 40s woman alone. I was fascinated and challenged to take more risks in my own life. She wasn't a novice but it still demanded a lot from her and Ms. Jason has my respect.
March 31, 2013
Not bad. First half interesting voyage with her conflict with kayak partner...another author named Don....who had also completed the Amazon. The 2nd half of the book got quite repetitive...but still quite the journey for this woman doing it alone.
August 10, 2013
Very interesting and well written about either an amazing woman or a crazy one. Very detailed so I got bogged down a bit. First half was great regarding her conflict with partner, Don but half thru the book I found it repetitive.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews