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Cold Oceans: Adventures in Kayak, Rowboat, and Dogsled
A man who has traversed much of the world's unwelcoming landscapes shares some of his most memorable experiences, including a dangerous kayak trip around Cape Horn and several Arctic expeditions. Tour.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
87 people want to read
About the author
Jon Turk
25 books22 followersJON TURK is the author of twenty-five environmental and earth science text books and two previous adventure travel books. He is a world-class adventurer who, in addition to his kayak expeditions, has climbed big walls in the Canadian Arctic, mountain biked across the Mongolian Gobi, and skied high peaks throughout the world. He writes frequently for many different magazines and alternates his time between Fernie, British Columbia and Darby, Montana.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 8, 2023
I picked this book up by random at a Little Library and now it’s become one of my favorites. It’s an adventure memoir written by a guy that’s obsessed with taking on these expeditions in the toughest ice and ocean environments by kayak, row boat, dog sled and some more kayak. He encounters the dangers of ice, currents, polar bears and death itself numerous times. His complaints of regrets and failures make him seem unlikable at first, but you find yourself rooting for him. It was amusing and comical to see if he would ever have growth. I appreciated that he doesn’t hold any thoughts back, no matter how bad it makes him look. He also shares history and gives backstories throughout while he traverses through these northern/southern most territories that are so foreign to us city folks. I absolutely recommend to anyone!
April 24, 2023
Grāmatā bija četri visai ekstrēmi piedzīvojumi planētas aukstajos "galos". Autors brauc ar kajaku, laivu, suņu pajūgu, vienatnē, kopā ar draudzeni/sievu vai nejauši pieteikušos ceļabiedru. Piedzīvojumi bija interesanti, autors arī padalās ar reģiona īpatnībām, vēsturi, leģendām.
Četriem ceļojumiem, protams, ir četras sagatavošanās fāzes, un tās gan man brīžiem kaitināja. Dodoties tik skarbos apstākļos ar minimāliem līdzekļiem un augstiem mērķiem, autora motivācija un attieksme šķita ļoti vieglprātīga. Zinātāji iesaka vismaz mēnesi trenēties? Autors izbrauc vienu mazu līkumiņu vai vispār nemaz un uzskata, ka ar to ir gana. Diezgan likumsakarīgi, ka pirmās trīs ekspedīcijas nebeidzās tā, kā bija plānots, un radās iespaids, ka ar tik švaku un dīvaini motivētu gatavošanos viņš pats sevi nostāda vēl neizdevīgākā stākolī, lai arī visu laiku apgalvo, ka mērķis ir svarīgs un noteikti jāsasniedz. Kad ceļojums sākas, tad šī attieksme izzūd, un tālāk ir interesanti lasīt. Līdz nākamajam sākumposmam.
Kopumā interesanti, tikai nevajag iedomāties, ka ar tādu attieksmi ir droši un prātīgi doties šādos ceļojumos. Lasīt uz savu atbildību.
Četriem ceļojumiem, protams, ir četras sagatavošanās fāzes, un tās gan man brīžiem kaitināja. Dodoties tik skarbos apstākļos ar minimāliem līdzekļiem un augstiem mērķiem, autora motivācija un attieksme šķita ļoti vieglprātīga. Zinātāji iesaka vismaz mēnesi trenēties? Autors izbrauc vienu mazu līkumiņu vai vispār nemaz un uzskata, ka ar to ir gana. Diezgan likumsakarīgi, ka pirmās trīs ekspedīcijas nebeidzās tā, kā bija plānots, un radās iespaids, ka ar tik švaku un dīvaini motivētu gatavošanos viņš pats sevi nostāda vēl neizdevīgākā stākolī, lai arī visu laiku apgalvo, ka mērķis ir svarīgs un noteikti jāsasniedz. Kad ceļojums sākas, tad šī attieksme izzūd, un tālāk ir interesanti lasīt. Līdz nākamajam sākumposmam.
Kopumā interesanti, tikai nevajag iedomāties, ka ar tādu attieksmi ir droši un prātīgi doties šādos ceļojumos. Lasīt uz savu atbildību.
January 27, 2026
DNF.
I really, really wanted to like this book. I even gave it an extra 40 pages before giving up (100-my age=60, and I gave this one 104).
I really liked the history and place descriptions, and thought about persevering just to hear the rest of that piece.
I also am torn because this is the author’s raw, first-hand account, and I tried to see past my own judgment to focus on the story he was telling, but I just couldn’t get past how deeply unlikable I found him to be.
He reminded me of all of the Peter Pan types I met in Colorado. I didn’t care for the way he treated his partner or his massive ego, and I finally gave up when they were bugging a herd of Caribou for their own entertainment, which is exactly the type of behavior in the outdoors I just cannot endorse.
I really, really wanted to like this book. I even gave it an extra 40 pages before giving up (100-my age=60, and I gave this one 104).
I really liked the history and place descriptions, and thought about persevering just to hear the rest of that piece.
I also am torn because this is the author’s raw, first-hand account, and I tried to see past my own judgment to focus on the story he was telling, but I just couldn’t get past how deeply unlikable I found him to be.
He reminded me of all of the Peter Pan types I met in Colorado. I didn’t care for the way he treated his partner or his massive ego, and I finally gave up when they were bugging a herd of Caribou for their own entertainment, which is exactly the type of behavior in the outdoors I just cannot endorse.
February 12, 2025
liked this book a lot, good writing with interesting, gripping accounts of solo travel or with one other companion on extraordinary adventures kayaking and or dog sledding in remote, isolated waters and lands. least favorite parts were descriptions of hunting, fishing and gutting animals, but was necessary for natives for survival.
September 28, 2018
Anyone who lived through this mans adventures deserves 5 stars! His writing is delightful and his self awareness grows as he ages. Great book.
June 29, 2021
My favourite parts were the dogsled and kayaking to Greenland. Particularly enjoyed the historical aspects of the areas travelled.
February 19, 2024
great book. he describes his journeys in great detail so you feel like you are there... highly recommended
July 10, 2010
This was a mini-biography covering four of Jon Turk's expeditions, with a fifth mentioned in the epilogue. It wasn't clear at the beginning that the intent was to indicate his personal growth of attitude towards how he conducted his expeditions and what he expected to get out of them.
The first expedition covered was so sparsely filled in with details, that as a narrative missing complete background information such as planning, equipment, political clearances, route selection, etc. it would have only amounted to a magazine short article. Only later do you realize how Turk is building a self portrait of himself and his attitude and approach to expeditions, that the information information provided early is sparse because it presents what the reader needs to see in order to see how he changes. One of the interesting details that I learned elsewhere, is that Turk later helped archeologists locate spots for excavation or study of primitive human occupation sites in the Straights of Magellan area. Also learned elsewhere was that his choice of craft was based mostly on shipping difficulties for other type boats.
The second expedition along the bearing Sea presented the fact that Turk had limited interest in the places and people surrounding his expeditions. He apparently was focused only on the ability to write an adventure story for various magazine publishers and as such was mostly concerned with making miles toward a goal. As such he had a disjointed approach to weather conditions and a somewhat harsh approach to companions. I almost quit reading the book during this section.
The third expedition detailed, dog sledding on Baffin Island, was actually interesting for some of the details it provided in dealing with a dog team. His expedition partner made this an almost surreal retelling.
In the last expedition, kayaking from Ellesmere Island to the coast of Greenland and down a portion of the coast, Turk was much more descriptive of the environment, events, and his partner. His intention was to show his attitude change personal relationship growth over 20 years. His ability to organize and complete a mission had expanded.
The epilogue was a nice short wrap that indicated that this work was intended as an autobiographical sketch of the public expedition exposures he had created.
For the adventure reader, this was a choppy extract from difficult and remote voyages. The publisher could have provided many brief segment maps to enhance the location perspective with the narrative. In fact, the maps provided were somewhat hard to correlate to places named due to lack of map detail. Time-date-stamps along the routes would have helped the casual reader. Since the main purpose was to serve the autobiographical reminiscence, then those details were excluded.
Not many people do or have done this type of adventure traveling, so the book is worth a read, just because of its unique subject matter.
The first expedition covered was so sparsely filled in with details, that as a narrative missing complete background information such as planning, equipment, political clearances, route selection, etc. it would have only amounted to a magazine short article. Only later do you realize how Turk is building a self portrait of himself and his attitude and approach to expeditions, that the information information provided early is sparse because it presents what the reader needs to see in order to see how he changes. One of the interesting details that I learned elsewhere, is that Turk later helped archeologists locate spots for excavation or study of primitive human occupation sites in the Straights of Magellan area. Also learned elsewhere was that his choice of craft was based mostly on shipping difficulties for other type boats.
The second expedition along the bearing Sea presented the fact that Turk had limited interest in the places and people surrounding his expeditions. He apparently was focused only on the ability to write an adventure story for various magazine publishers and as such was mostly concerned with making miles toward a goal. As such he had a disjointed approach to weather conditions and a somewhat harsh approach to companions. I almost quit reading the book during this section.
The third expedition detailed, dog sledding on Baffin Island, was actually interesting for some of the details it provided in dealing with a dog team. His expedition partner made this an almost surreal retelling.
In the last expedition, kayaking from Ellesmere Island to the coast of Greenland and down a portion of the coast, Turk was much more descriptive of the environment, events, and his partner. His intention was to show his attitude change personal relationship growth over 20 years. His ability to organize and complete a mission had expanded.
The epilogue was a nice short wrap that indicated that this work was intended as an autobiographical sketch of the public expedition exposures he had created.
For the adventure reader, this was a choppy extract from difficult and remote voyages. The publisher could have provided many brief segment maps to enhance the location perspective with the narrative. In fact, the maps provided were somewhat hard to correlate to places named due to lack of map detail. Time-date-stamps along the routes would have helped the casual reader. Since the main purpose was to serve the autobiographical reminiscence, then those details were excluded.
Not many people do or have done this type of adventure traveling, so the book is worth a read, just because of its unique subject matter.
August 9, 2016
A really great adventure story... lately one of my past times has been to seek out out-of-print (by not too many years) adventure books. They say "if you want a new idea, read an old book" (or something like that), well, the gist of that is there is no true "new adventure." While over a decade old, I have to say that this book and the exploits that Turk writes about are still relatively new, yet his angle is novel. Haven't found anything quite like it. One thing for sure... for someone his age, he sure has bravado, sea kayaking in such frigid seas. Bravo!
March 7, 2008
If you enjoy true adventure stories then you would probably enjoy reading of Jon Turks travels in a kayak around the Cape Horn and along the northern coast of North America. He took his wife on a trip from the continent over to Baffin Island and then Greenland. The two of them were a thousand miles from anywhere and definitly on their own form months at a time. While his adventures lack falling off the cliff moments they are staggering in their temerity.
January 8, 2017
I read this book, met the author a year after moving to Colorado at the Boulder Bookstore. I was pursuing books in my personal library earlier today and this book called to me. I love what Turk wrote in my copy "Enjoy the planet; it's the best one we've got"
I am using that as a mantra to have big adventures on Earth in 2017. And I am going to reread this book now.
I am using that as a mantra to have big adventures on Earth in 2017. And I am going to reread this book now.
March 2, 2014
Early stories of Jon's adventures to Cape Horn and the Artic
November 10, 2015
I liked it.
February 13, 2024
Excellent - different than the trilogy, a collection of shorter stories, and still I couldn't put it down!!
May 5, 2010
Sometimes I get bored with self-indulgent white-man vs. nature epics.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews