Adam Shoalts, bestselling author and modern-day explorer, takes “touching grass” to another level

ADAM SHOALTS IS a member of a dying breed.

- KATIE UNDERWOOD

For one thing, he had to be pressured by his now-wife into getting a smartphone. And service tends to be sparse where he works. Shoalts, originally from Fenwick, Ontario, is one of Canada's greatest living explorers—our very own bearded, millennial Indiana Jones. He's done archeological digs in four countries, hosted guided hikes focused on edible mushrooms and has faced down gale-force winds, rapids and entirely too many bears for comfort. It's all part of a larger project: to keep Canadians in touch with the country's wild side.

Shoalts has faithfully chronicled his many treacherous expeditions. In his latest bestselling book, Vanished Beyond the Map, he recreates the Arctic journeys of Hubert Darrell, a fellow wanderer whose disappearance remains unsolved 115 years later. Not only does Shoalts live (spoiler), but his solo trek reveals parts of Canada most of its residents never see: untamed, undeveloped and mostly unnavigable, even with Waze. Thankfully for Shoalts's many superfans, unlike his long-dead explorer colleagues, he posts trip footage on YouTube.

This week, Ontario received its first snow dump of the season. I thought, I bet Adam is out in this. Was I right?

I just shared an Instagram story where I walked through the forest by my house in Niagara. It's especially pretty right now because we've got two seasons in one: there's snow and the tamaracks are still golden. Of course I want to get out there every chance I get.

The map of Canada looks different now than it did when you started exploring back in 1999. It's a bit strange to think of our geography as something that's always very much evolving.