Two on the Trail: A Story of the Far Northwest (1911) By Hulbert Footner A fictional version of the author's 3,000-mile canoe trip by Hulbert Footner through Northern Alberta. It is a romantic, exciting and adventurous novel, retracing his 3,000-mile canoe, train and wagon voyage through rough terrain and rapids.
About the Author: About The Author Canadian author Hulbert Footner (1879-1944) was best-known for his western and mystery books including "Rivers of the Eastern Shore". He was born in Hamilton, Ontario, to an American mother who was visiting her parents in Canada when she gave birth. His family were loyalists who fled the United States between 1775 and 1815 and considered themselves British loyalists rather than US or Canadian citizens. Footner was educated in Manhattan. His first article was published in 1903 involving a canoe trip on the Hudson River, from the outskirts of New York City to Montreal, Quebec. Footner wrote a four-act play, titled, "The Saving of Zavia" (later retitled "The Younger Mrs. Favor") and accepted a part in a play, Sherlock Holmes, which opened in Baltimore. His acting role took him across the United States and Canada. While traveling he wrote a vaudeville sketch and wrote about his experiences decades later. He accepted a reporting job in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which was a dangerous job in a lawless town. He was appointed historian to a legislative expedition formed to explore the unexplored northern part of the province. His job was canceled when the expedition was abandoned. Instead, he went by canoe alone, and paid his way by syndicating the story to several Canadian newspapers. He wrote "Two on the Trail", his first novel, and it was published in 1911. The story is a version of his 1906, 3,000-mile canoe trip made through Northern Alberta in Canada. His story in this romantic, exciting and adventurous novel retraces his voyage by means of a "scene by scene reproduction of the author's single-handed experiences" in his canoe; "that are, his visual experiences." He made a second journey to the Northwest Territory, and this time with a partner, Auville Eager. His explorations began with a series of railroad rides west through the Rockies, north by wagons into British Columbia to Yellowhead Lake where they launched a canvas boat and headed north down the Fraser River.