If you are reading this, you’ve heard about the crazy trip Grant and I are taking August 28-September 4. The idea for this trip started a few years ago, when Grant and I broke free from our base camp group to retrieve a lost mapcase. He and I had not been canoe partners for a long time – I usually paddled with the two girls and he with Emily. We made fantastic time, and he remarked, “sometime I really want to push ourselves, see how far and how deep we can go.” A year later, with his cousin and my brother (later on joined up with the girls) – we logged 100 miles in the BWCA over 16 days. After that trip – we started talking about this challenge, the Kruger Waddell Challenge – which follows the entire border of the US/Canada from International Falls to Lake Superior in Grand Portage, MN across Voyagers National Park and all of the BWCA. This route is 260 miles, with about 25 miles of portages. We have been planning for over a year, and the trip is coming up quick.
Unfortunately, fires are burning in Quetico Provincial Park and the BWCA, and currently the western side of the BWCA is closed along the border. Organizers decided to add two loops to the “Moose Lake Challenge” and create the first ever “Fire Challenge” if you want to earn the bear claw necklace. This means that our plan B is to enter in Moose Lake – head west as far as possible making a loop through Basswood Lake, follow the border to American Point on Saganaga, then loop down to Mora Lake – back up to Sag, and continue the border to Fort Charlotte on the Pigeon river, where we will exit along the famous 9 mile portage to Lake Superior. This route will be around 200 miles with 22 miles of portages. Oh yeah, one more thing, we have to do it in 8 days.
While we are slightly disappointed that we cannot do the whole border route (Grant would be the youngest at 17 to do so) – it is a reminder that we are not in control and we can adapt. As is – we will have to pay careful attention to the fire situation and we still have to average around 30 miles per day before we hit the Pigeon River. Water levels are at historic lows, making portages longer and river levels low enough that we may be walking sections. If winds are high on those big border lakes, we may need to rest during the day and travel at night. It will be a big test, one that we will enjoy and talk about for years to come. You can follow along our with our progress in the Spot X link and on this site. My brother Luke will be keeping close tabs on us as we progress. Since it is the first ever Fire Challenge – Grant can still claim to be the youngest to do the challenge. Ha.
For you nerds out there – a little about the route, assuming the western side of the BWCA remains closed.
Generally speaking – we follow the border you see when looking at Google Maps…but are making two big loops – one around Basswood Lake and the other south from Saganaga to Little Sag and back up.