BWCA Cross-quetico race training - any takers? Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
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lmislinski
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04/07/2009 01:11PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
So I did a crazy thing... I heard about the legendary August 8-9 Cross-Quetico marathon canoe race that starts at French Lake, has a mid-point at Prairie Portage, and then returns to French Lake the next day to complete a 120-mile loop. This is a resurgence of a race that was held for 3 consecutive years in the 60's and was frequented by legends such as Gene Jensen. Well, I thought to myself, this looks like fun!

After hearing about this epic sounding race, I called my brother from CO to see if he was interested. Being that he's an experienced adventure racer, he was quick to jump on board so to speak.

Now to the point of my post. As I think about preparing, I'm wondering if there are any other board members who are planning on doing this trip and who also live in the Twin Cities area. If so, are any of you interested in putting together a training plan for the race and getting together to train periodically? From the sounds of things, this should be one crazy race. For more info, check out another member's blog (thanks CIICanoe!)

If interested, send me a PM and we'll figure out how to survive the race!

http://www.ciicanoe.com/2009/02/updated-information-events-canoe-races.html
 
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04/07/2009 02:51PM  
Hey! lmislinski,

The stories of those races back in the 60's are legend! There is one in an old issue of the Boundary Waters Journal about Don Belund and the year he won the race and the year he almost drowned. And then there is the story of the "Racers Portages" that were created by two Canadians to win the race.....I'll have to look up their names....the portages are named after them.......Great Stuff!
CIIcanoe
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04/07/2009 03:03PM  
Eugene “Bonhomme” Tetreault and Joe “Sauvage” Meany

"The third and final year of the race it was won by two Atikokanites. Eugene “Bonhomme” Tetreault and Joe “Sauvage” Meany created quite a controversy in their victory by cutting the two portages that now bear their nicknames. Not only did the team cut the new portages, but they cut false trails off the portages that would mislead the teams who hadn’t been down the trails before."

Chuck

CIIcanoe.com
lmislinski
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04/07/2009 03:09PM  
CIIcanoe - you beat me to it :) I just took a look at the race routes, and they have it going over those two portages on the return trip. Nothing like covering the same ground as the legends.

I hear ya fishguts. It should be one helluva race and quite the effort, but at the same time those old stories and the fact that this race hasn't been held in so long are what draw me to it.
CIIcanoe
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04/07/2009 03:27PM  
Legends yes! I knew both Gene Jensen and Buzzy Peterson. Gene designed the bent shaft paddle as well as many canoes, both racing and recreational. Gene lived in Brooklyn Park, MN and Florida. I got into racing in 1999 and Gene had pretty much stopped racing due to his health, but Buzzy would still be out on Saturdays and Sundays with his dog on the Mississippi River. Buzzy would still do an occasional race up until he died. Both of these guys were animals in the canoe in their earlier years and for many years after. I've heard many stories about these two paddlers over the years.

Steve Peterson, Buzzy's son, along with his wife and three kids still paddle with our group. Steve Peterson is also a very strong paddler.

Chuck

CIIcanoe.com
lmislinski
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04/07/2009 04:23PM  
Chuck,

You're lucky to have been a part of such a group of paddlers. No matter what the sport, it's amazing the stories and perspectives you pick up from the true "trailblazers". I haven't had such opportunities myself, but my brother speaks of this quite a bit. He's fortunate to be close climbing buddies with some world class mountaineers and adventure racers. Some of the stories he's heard about trips to K2, for example, remind you of the sheer will these type of people have.

By the way - thank you immensely for posting the info on the Cross-Quetico race. It's sitting out there as quite the inspiration right about now...

Luke
carey
Guest Paddler
  
05/25/2009 04:41PM  
My dad(Pete Colas) did the race from Atikokan to Ely and back. In 66 and 67. I know one year he came in 2nd. He paddled with Dan Hassel. In 2004 we took the same way down to Ely. It was pretty cool to travel the route they took and the stories about the race.
Matty V
Guest Paddler
  
07/13/2015 05:40PM  
Hello, I'm looking for people who have a paddle group. I recently recieved some property on Nym Lake from my late Uncle who was a paddler and aunt. Please reply even if to point me in the right direction. Thanks.

Matt Varin
Grand Rapids, MN
carmike
distinguished member(1721)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/13/2015 05:52PM  
Slightly off topic, but I thought the Racers Portages went from Pickerel into Nym?
07/13/2015 09:52PM  
quote lmislinski: "So I did a crazy thing... I heard about the legendary August 8-9 Cross-Quetico marathon canoe race that starts at French Lake, has a mid-point at Prairie Portage, and then returns to French Lake the next day to complete a 120-mile loop. This is a resurgence of a race that was held for 3 consecutive years in the 60's and was frequented by legends such as Gene Jensen. Well, I thought to myself, this looks like fun!



After hearing about this epic sounding race, I called my brother from CO to see if he was interested. Being that he's an experienced adventure racer, he was quick to jump on board so to speak.



Now to the point of my post. As I think about preparing, I'm wondering if there are any other board members who are planning on doing this trip and who also live in the Twin Cities area. If so, are any of you interested in putting together a training plan for the race and getting together to train periodically? From the sounds of things, this should be one crazy race. For more info, check out another member's blog (thanks CIICanoe!)



If interested, send me a PM and we'll figure out how to survive the race!



http://www.ciicanoe.com/2009/02/updated-information-events-canoe-races.html"


I have a friend who often raced against Gene Jensen and for a retired person my friend is still in great shape,maybe I can get him back into racing with me, only problem I would be called what is the anchor man literally.

What is very interesting with many stories many of the people he raced against went into making canoes,paddles etc. later in life.
My friend went into teaching.
marsonite
distinguished member(2468)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/14/2015 06:06AM  
quote Matty V: "Hello, I'm looking for people who have a paddle group. I recently recieved some property on Nym Lake from my late Uncle who was a paddler and aunt. Please reply even if to point me in the right direction. Thanks.


Matt Varin
Grand Rapids, MN"


Matt,

I think people are a little unclear as to what exactly you are looking for and you added your question to a preexisting thread, so most people aren't even seeing it. I recommend you start a new thread in "Listening Point" with a descriptive title and give us some more detail and you'll get plenty of responses I bet.
 
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