Waters Beneath My Feet: New Orleans to Nome... My 3 Year Odyssey

by Jerry Pushcar

After a 1,200 mile solo canoe trip from Grand Portage, Minnesota to Hudson Bay, Manitoba, Jerry Pushcar wanted to see more of North America’s untamed wilderness. Waters Beneath My Feet is the personal memoir of his a three-year solo odyssey from New Orleans, Louisiana to Nome, Alaska. His compelling journey began by paddling up the mighty Mississippi, battling barge traffic and wing dams all the while. The danger didn’t stop there. Between the Mississippi and his destination, Pushcar would spend more than two years in the bush, navigating tricky encounters, mammoth lakes, untamed rivers, and inhospitable winters. All were precursors to the final the Bering Sea. He almost didn’t make it. Contact with Pushcar was lost for weeks near the end. Just as the newspaper in Nome was preparing to declare him lost at sea, a bush pilot spotted him walking along a stark, snow-covered cliff above the ocean. Offered a ride for his final 30 miles to Nome, Pushcar declined. “I’ve come this far, I might as well finish it.” The record-breaking journey ended in Nome at 5:36 P.M. on November 12, 1977.

375 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 25, 2019

Reviews

[Stefan Sahlander · Rating 1 out of 5]

Forty pages was my limit; I couldn't stand to read any more about how terribly the man treated his puppy. The final straw was him leaving the puppy tied to a roadside bush without food, water, or shelter, then hitchhiking to a town, staying in a hotel overnight, and returning to the puppy only the following day. Hopefully, those who have reviewed this and say this is a funny story aren't pet owners.

[John Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started slow, but so worth persevering

I actually put this down part way through the first chapter or two and only picked it back up again one day when I had nothing else to read and decided to give it another go, and wow - so glad I did. What an amazing journey simply told. Just amazing.

[Patricia B Gould · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story!

Well written, easy to follow storyline. What ever happened to Molly. Exciting and interesting, full of great characters and none of them were fictional people.

[Karen M Gorten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a read!

What an adventure! I couldn't put the book down. I was enthralled from the first page to the last. But I think my favorite part was the segment going across Canada and Alaska. And he did it all with 1970's gear! That's saying something!!!

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining Read

Real life adventure. No frills story, just tells it as it was. Couldn't put it down. You really start rooting for the guy to pull through and finish.