A Norwegian hiker chasing his cross-Canada dream has disappeared in the northern wilderness of Manitoba.Steffen Skjottelvik, 29, was last heard from on August 14 via GPS, when he contacted people in York Factory on Hudson Bay. He promised them he’d be arriving the next day, but never showed up.The CBC reported Skjottelvik — aided by his two dogs and sledding — had been hiking from Ontario to Alaska, a journey he planned to complete over three to five years, according to a Facebook page set up to chronicle the trip titled “Steffen's Great Canadian Journey.”Officials said during his last call, he reported losing one of his dogs to a wolf attack.Days later, a Facebook user shared images of a thin Husky resembling one of his companions wandering around Fort Severn, Ont., where Skjottelvik had set out last month — raising fears for the hiker’s safety..Police are concentrating search efforts near the fast-moving Hayes River, about 4.3 km from York Factory, suspecting Skjottelvik may have attempted to cross it.The area is notorious for wolves and polar bears, and the RCMP has warned that the operation is moving toward search and recovery rather than rescue.“I want to hold out hope that we can find him, but in reality, it’s becoming more of a search and recovery aspect at this point,” Sgt. Paul Manaigre of the Manitoba RCMP said.“We’re looking at a week now that he hasn’t made contact with anyone, so we have to assume, at this point, the worst.”"The family is focusing on all the good efforts and all the hopes that still [are] present in this," Christian Dyresen, a spokesperson for the family, told CBC.Skjottelvik’s uncle, Lars Jorgen Sorensen, told Norwegian media his nephew had dreamed about crossing Canada by foot for a number of years.“He had saved money for many years to be able to do this trip,” Sorensen said.“He prepared himself for this trip for many years. He got to know many people while walking.”CTV News reported locals in Fort Severn who knew the Norwegian have so far raised more than $40,000 to fund the search for him.
