Sled Dogs and Sunsets: a Year in the Life of Sarah McNair-Landry

Sarah McNair-Landry is a household name in arctic adventure. Here, the native of Nunavut offers a glimpse into the inner workings that make her tick.


This article was originally published on GearJunkie


Against the sprawling snowfields and ice-choked channels of the Canadian Arctic, you’ll often find Sarah McNair-Landry in frenetic motion.

The Iqaluit, Nunavut-born athlete hones her multiple adventure skills throughout every season. From ocean kayaking to glacier travel to big wall climbing and dog sledding, it’s all in a lifetime’s work for a world-class arctic explorer.

But what makes McNair-Landry’s robust engine run, and what impact do her experiences make on her? Those are the topics in My 2020, a documentary that “creates a fascinating logbook punctuated by extreme sports and breathtaking northern landscapes, from Nunavut to Idaho.”

The diary-style action follows McNair-Landry, her longtime companion Erik Boomer, and their trusty sled dogs as they cover ground and ponder adventure sports’ biggest questions. “Isolation, freedom, the future of recreational tourism, and the quiet power of the great outdoors” all make the list.

So settle in for a frozen meditation and check out My 2020, which premieres for free today thanks to the National Film Board of Canada.

Sam Anderson

Sam Anderson takes any writing assignments he can talk his way into while intermittently traveling the American West and Mexico in search of margaritas — er, adventure. He parlayed a decade of roving trade work into a life of fair-weather rock climbing and truck dwelling before (to his parents’ evident relief) finding a way to put his BA in English to use. Sam loves animals, sleeping outdoors, campfire refreshments and a good story.