Crew Bio’s
Jonathon and Zach first started paddling together in 2017 when they guided a group of high school students throughout Manitoba/Ontario on a month-long expedition with Les Voyageurs Inc. Shortly after, in 2019, they guided again on a 40-day expedition into the Northwest Territories and Nunavut from Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean via the Coppermine River.
We both worked well together on trail and stayed in touch over the years. When Zach’s idea of this route and expedition formed, Jonathon was an obvious person to reach out to.
Jonathon Rau
When Jonathon was approached by Zach with the idea of doing such a remarkable trip, although there was some hesitation, it did not take long for him to get on board.
Jonathon’s love for adventure, but more specifically, canoeing stems from his first time taking a canoe trip into the Manitoba and Ontario wilderness through the Les Voyageurs Inc. program. Jonathon quickly realized these types of trips were once in a lifetime opportunities to do something memorable and remarkable while he was still young. After his first year trip through Les Voyageurs Inc., Jonathon continued his time spent with the program working as a guide between 2017 and 2020, spending just over 5 months total on trail with the program.
Jonathon has spent his time since graduating high school, working in the construction industry. This line of work eventually brought him back to school to work on his degree in construction management at St. Cloud State University. He is expecting to graduate from there just before the planned departure date in early May of 2024.
Zachary Fritz
Zach’s love of the outdoors and paddling started at a young age when he went on his first canoe trip when he was four. Every year since, he has been going on these trips. At 16, these trips changed pace when he went on his first extended trip for a month in Manitoba/Ontario with Les Voyageurs Inc.. Since then, he has paddled to the Arctic Ocean twice and led six separate month-long trips across Canada through the program.
While working as a canoe guide in the summer, Zach attended Saint John’s University where he pursued a degree in environmental studies to further expand his knowledge and love of the outdoors. His studies in college eventually brought him to Patagonia, Chile for several months where he conducted field research on the flora and fauna of the area. He is excited to follow the changes in the flora and fauna as we paddle from Minnesota to the Arctic.
Since graduating college, Zach has continued to put together personal expeditions throughout Canada, as well as work as the Program Director for Les Voyageurs Inc. Where his passion for paddling flourished.