New Jersey man is first ever to reach world's largest beaver dam in Alberta
The first thing Rob Mark recalls about his trek through the dense Alberta bush is the mosquitoes. But he says the bugs were worth the trip after he became the first person to reach the world's largest beaver dam in person. It's a goal he's had since he first learned about the 850 metre-long dam via a Google Earth discovery...
The first thing Rob Mark recalls about his trek through the dense Alberta bush is the mosquitoes. But he says the bugs were worth the trip after he became the first person to reach the world's largest beaver dam in person. It's a goal he's had since he first learned about the 850 metre-long dam via a Google Earth discovery in 2010.
His journey to the dam took 9 days, and involved a boat ride from Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, across Lake Claire, followed by days of bushwacking through the dense bush of Wood Buffalo National Park.
"Those were the most vicious mosquitoes I've ever encountered. They would bite through my clothes. They were relentless."
After the long trek through the bush, Mark had to wade through a lake for more than a kilometre to reach the dam.
"It was worth it. It was a moment of calm and of peacefulness when I finally reached it. The dam itself? It's not a really pretty looking thing."
Mark says he'd like to recommend the trip to others, but he just can't. However, he does hope someone will research the decades-old dam one day.