The Franklin Trail - 1998 Expedition

The Victory Point Expedition April 20, 1998 to April 28, 1998 (150th Anniversary Expedition)
TEAM MEMBERS:	John Harrington - Team Leader John MacDonald - Archaeologist Derek Smith - Photographer Ron Rust - Amateur Historian Doug Stern - Expedition Guide
PURPOSE:	The purpose of the trip is to experience conditions at Victory Point on the exact 150th anniversary of the men abandoning ship. The team will venture out onto the ice to observe and experience the terrain. Day hikes north and south of Victory Point are planned. (Arrow on map indicates location of Victory Point.)
SUMMARY:	This trip was to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the abandonment of the ships Erebus and Terror by the Franklin crews in 1848. A note had been placed in a cairn at Victory Point on April 25, 1848 that explained that Franklin had died, the ships had been abandoned and that the remaining crews were attempting to reach Back's River. As well as our own commemorative activities, we were also fortunate to participate in the unveiling of a plaque at Victory Point erected by Cameron Treleaven, from Calgary and Louie Kamookak, from Gjoe Haven, which commemorated the 150th anniversary.
SPONSORS:	BAKA Communications RAREnterprises Inc. Eureka tents Canadian Coleman Kaufman Footwear Mountain Equipment Co-op