I bought and read Distant Fires when a board member suggested it. Here's what struck me:

1. They were in such a hurry. I once met Verlen Kruger and wanted to compare notes on paddling the Mississippi as he'd just set the speed record for the river, but I soon realized he didn't know the river well because he'd been in such a hurry. There was one place in DISTANT FIRES where the original paddling pair had doubled to four and this quartet were catching many three pound specks and trout up to five and a half pounds and they did it for one evening and scooted. Madness. They were on gorgeous God's Lake and they still hurried through Heaven.

2. They'd leave each other behind. The author got lost on a portage and his three paddling mates just kept walking. He finally saw their distant campfire. Another time, the quartet hit the biggest rapids of their entire trip at dusk and the first canoe plunged into them, wondering a day later where their mates were.

3. They endured unnecessary misery. They had a tent, but often slept without it, beleaguered by mosquitoes, wet, and cold.

4. They were food-obsessed because they had packed a whole lot of starch: mac and cheese, potatoes, rice, and other noodles. And they'd go and mix all four starches and add every spice and make a starchy goo. I no longer obsess about food because I pack variety.

4. The author led an amazing, albeit short life. Two-degree Stanford grad. F-16 pilot. Inventor. Test pilot, which killed him. Paddler. He was a candle with six wicks, all lit. If he were still alive, for the reasons 1-4, I wouldn't paddle with him, but I do admire him times ten.

My ex bought the book for my kids to give me for Christmas one year. Nicest thing she ever did... Besides divorcing me. I really enjoyed the book myself. Like you though, I'm one to take in a lake or two a little more then blow through it. But you and me would probably spend the winter out there because we dalied to long.
I was working on his father in law's fireplace once and I looked up and was surprised to see Scott had pulled up in his float plane. He was a nice guy... His wife is a sweetheart. Good family. Tragic he had to die.

Thanks for the review, missmolly. I haven't read that book yet, but would like to.

I've come to the conclusion that people do trips for different reasons and everyone has to do his own trip.

Didn't realize he was deceased? Love the book and have "Gifted" a few of my canoe tripping partner's sons with the book. I too would have dallied too long on the God's River with those brookies!

quote ozarkpaddler: "Didn't realize he was deceased? Love the book and have "Gifted" a few of my canoe tripping partner's sons with the book. I too would have dallied too long on the God's River with those brookies!"

I know, huh?!? Kuh-razy to paddle on. However, Boonie is right; we all paddle the trip we prefer.

Got the book as a gift many years ago and remember I enjoyed it. Regarding their haste in traveling I think back to when I was a young paddler and we always paddled fast and for much of the day. It just seemed to make sense to us cover many miles. So it may not be unusual for young guys to do this. Now I very much enjoy getting back into the bush to find a nice spot to setup and just hang out. Woods bum.

MM-thanks for the review - I too would want to go slow enough to enjoy the surroundings.

Ya gotta stop
and smell the pines.
Ya gotta listen to the loons
each and everyday.
You're gonna find
the North is Heaven
if you don't portage
every rough and rocky trail.
You gotta stop and smell
the pines along the way.

I meet him in 1990 at a book signing event at the old REI in Bloomington MN. I talked to him for about a half an hour about his trip where he signed a book for me. He gave me great information about the Grand Portage and border lakes. My younger brother flew F-16s with him and they went to a few schools together. He was an amazing man.

Another thing I love about Distant Fires is the illustrations by Les C. Kouba. I meet Les two times at his studio in Minneapolis. I commissioned him to make a small pencil drawing at the bottom of one my prints before framing.

quote missmolly: "Ya gotta stop
and smell the pines.
Ya gotta listen to the loons
each and everyday.
You're gonna find
the North is Heaven
if you don't portage
every rough and rocky trail.
You gotta stop and smell
the pines along the way.
"

Nice Miss Molly... I always thought it was funny living pretty much on a lake with loons, eagles, beaver, swans and geese... In canoe country they get noticed more. Funny too, is Bernie was sort of the same way. She didn't hardly look at a beaver at home, but she thought they'd be great friends in canoe country. I've caught myself now slowing down at home. Watching swans, geese,... Wildlife! So much going on around me right here. Even my 40 day trip in 2012. It wasn't about miles. Got to get intimate with a few lakes.
On the other hand too, when I used to pile on the miles I thought I did get to see quite a bit. I think it's all good as long as we respect each other out there being patient and curtious. Paddle on.

quote boonie:


I've come to the conclusion that people do trips for different reasons and everyone has to do his own trip. "

Agreed. I love to paddle and probably paddle faster than most people would care to through the BW. I enjoy the physical challenge that the BW offers. I know some people don't understand why someone would want to move through such a nice place so quickly, but that's how I'm wired, and it's my trip. I'm not missing anything. I'm seeing the some things that people who are going at a more leisurely pass are. Remember it's paddling. It's the difference between going 2 1/2 mph or 4 1/2 mph both slow enough to see all the good stuff

Just added it to my list of books to read!

quote nctry: "

quote missmolly: "Ya gotta stop
and smell the pines.
Ya gotta listen to the loons
each and everyday.
You're gonna find
the North is Heaven
if you don't portage
every rough and rocky trail.
You gotta stop and smell
the pines along the way.
"

Nice Miss Molly... I always thought it was funny living pretty much on a lake with loons, eagles, beaver, swans and geese... In canoe country they get noticed more. Funny too, is Bernie was sort of the same way. She didn't hardly look at a beaver at home, but she thought they'd be great friends in canoe country. I've caught myself now slowing down at home. Watching swans, geese,... Wildlife! So much going on around me right here. Even my 40 day trip in 2012. It wasn't about miles. Got to get intimate with a few lakes.
On the other hand too, when I used to pile on the miles I thought I did get to see quite a bit. I think it's all good as long as we respect each other out there being patient and curtious. Paddle on."

I don't have your critter diversity, Ben, but I do see bear and coyote scat on my land and there were turkeys the last three days, replaced by mourning doves this morning. Red squirrels are always about too. The phrase should be, "As busy as a squirrel." Yep, paddle on, whatever the pace.

Blatz - you should think about doing the Kruger Challenge next fall - those guys really move a fast pace.

My response should have been... Miss Molly, now you know why gals live longer than guys.
And I second the challenge GrandmaL gave to Blatz. Go man...
I always used the trip guide books to plan trips in my early years. What they would have you do in a day was nothing back then... With 70lb canoes besides. Now they seem closer to me in time. Mostly portaging I portage less than half what I did back then and still don't have it in me to go the speed I did back then. But even at my slower pace I'm happy. There comes a time...

quote nctry: "My response should have been... Miss Molly, now you know why gals live longer than guys.
And I second the challenge GrandmaL gave to Blatz. Go man...
I always used the trip guide books to plan trips in my early years. What they would have you do in a day was nothing back then... With 70lb canoes besides. Now they seem closer to me in time. Mostly portaging I portage less than half what I did back then and still don't have it in me to go the speed I did back then. But even at my slower pace I'm happy. There comes a time...
"

Yup, Ben you got it. I discovered at about age 60, that all those lakes have loons, rocks, trees and some pretty nice water. What is the hurry? Over the years I managed to see most of it and like you said - with old Grumman canoes, canvas tents and heavy equipment and food. That might be why my back gave out a couple of years ago,

I'd say that the scenery is seen at any speed a canoe will go, unless you are working so hard that you get tunnel vision. However, some of the good stuff is seen at 0 mph. Throw in doing photography, which changes how you are seeing things, or spend time looking at tiny things like bugs or flowers and really look at them carefully, and it changes what you can do in a day.

The same stuff may be within your field of vision at any speed but how you see it is different.

BTW, I love working hard and intense exercise. But it does change things. And in the BW I'm in slow mode.

Definitely do the challenge if it appeals to you. It appeals to me a bit. But I told my wife about it and she practically recoiled and said, "but how do you take pictures?" Heck sometimes she pulls out a sketch pad.

quote Grandma L: "Blatz - you should think about doing the Kruger Challenge next fall - those guys really move a fast pace."

30 years ago, yes I would have. Even though I like to paddle a little faster than most, my endurance isn't what it used to be.

In "Distant Fires" the goal was to get to Hudson Bay. Having done several long arctic and Hudson Bay canoe trips myself, I can tell you that there is always the nagging worry of getting windbound for long periods of time (or slowed down by brutal terrain)---and running out of food or missing the plane south.

I fish as much as I can, but often, I have been the only avid angler on the trip or we were in and out of the canoe for frequent portages, so the fishing gear was packed away. I alway troll down big lakes or fish near camp at the end of the day.

The brook trout (and grayling, farther north) are spectacular.

To your points MM
1) like arctic said they had a goal, to get to Hudson Bay. Lake Superior and Lake Winnipeg had to be brutal to paddle. Lots of worries wondering if they would make it there. Wind, waves and worry equals push, paddle and pain. As I remember right Eric Sevareid and Walter Port also were concerned about not making it by freeze up.
2) I would not let anyone in my group get out of my sight. Too many things could happen and no one to rescue them. My rule would be to stay together.
3) they were probably dog tired and just slept out in the open. This is not for me but after a long day they just collapsed. I think most here have never done anything like this except BeaV and a select few others. This was an epic adventure for these guys.
4) I’m also with you on this one. I can’t remember thier menu but as you describe it I can imagine. I like to eat good tasty food and pack heavy in this department. I would have been dragging a Rapala or spoon most of the time to add to the food pack.
5) He lead a full life in half the time. Most would be satisfied with one of his many accomplishments. In my younger years I would paddle with him, nowadays not an option. I would have loved spending a few hours around a campfire talking about his trip and his life. He did give me a half hour of his time and I’m grateful for that.

"There comes a time" indeed. Time was I said I would not go to BW if the day ever came I could not portage a mile without stopping to rest along the way. I would "practice" my 70+ aluminum tub for 3 weeks and do just that, including the infamous Jap portage off Seagull. Each way since that was a day trip. Downsized the weight to a 18.5 Kevlar and now take my 16.2 foot Kevlar. Neither now gets portaged over a quarter of a mile at a time. I did bail on my long portage idea which now is a wish for times gone by.

quote arctic: "In "Distant Fires" the goal was to get to Hudson Bay. Having done several long arctic and Hudson Bay canoe trips myself, I can tell you that there is always the nagging worry of getting windbound for long periods of time (or slowed down by brutal terrain)---and running out of food or missing the plane south.


I fish as much as I can, but often, I have been the only avid angler on the trip or we were in and out of the canoe for frequent portages, so the fishing gear was packed away. I alway troll down big lakes or fish near camp at the end of the day.


The brook trout (and grayling, farther north) are spectacular. "

I would have a hard time traveling with people who do not fish :)

It looked intriguing so I purchased the Kindle version and started reading it last night. I moved to Duluth just weeks before they left on this trip. I did my share of crazy things back in the day but nothing like what these guys did. I have only gotten to the part where they reached Grand Portage and if it hadn't already been given away, I would bet anything that they would never make it.

EDIT: Now they are in Canada. Why would you get rid of your tent to save weight? Rain is practically a daily event and it's still plenty cool in June and they are coming up on mosquito and black fly season. I didn't recall if a tarp was on their packing list.

Sounds like a good read, I'll have to check it out. Most of us, it seems, have felt the pressure to "make tracks". It would be omnipresent on this sort of trip however and might take away from the enjoyment the experience is meant to provide. Much like through hikers on the PCT who just want "to be done".

quote Northwoodsman: "It looked intriguing so I purchased the Kindle version and started reading it last night. I moved to Duluth just weeks before they left on this trip. I did my share of crazy things back in the day but nothing like what these guys did. I have only gotten to the part where they reached Grand Portage and if it hadn't already been given away, I would bet anything that they would never make it.

EDIT: Now they are in Canada. Why would you get rid of your tent to save weight? Rain is practically a daily event and it's still plenty cool in June and they are coming up on mosquito and black fly season. I didn't recall if a tarp was on their packing list."

Just wait until they reacquire their tent, but don't use it on rainy, cold nights.