Bob Vollhaber (BeaV) - 5x

Kendra Leibel (MAKK) - 2x

Thomas Head (Deke) - 2x

Jim Kretsch (Jimmy Justice) - 3x

Jeff Bloomer (White Wolf) - 4x

Troy Troskey (McPipes) - Nugget

Chad Shields (Esteban) - Nugget

Todd Troskey (MeatPuppet) - 3x

[paragraph break]

Team Canoe Makeup: Three boats, to-whit:

BeaV & MAKK in a MN 2;

Deke, JimmyJustice and Whitewolf in a MN 3; and

McPipes, Esteban and MeatPuppet in a MN 3.

[paragraph break] Goal: 102 hours

[paragraph break] Completed: 235 miles, in 94.55 hours, which equates to 2.5 mph total elapsed average speed from start to finish.

Of Note: Roughly 75 hours on the move, 21 hours in camp, 14.5 total possible sleep hours available (with no chance of it being used up)

PREPERATION:

Each crew member prepared in their own way. The distance between each of us precluded regular group training runs.

MeatPuppet: Paddled 100 miles with BeaV, me and Pigeon River Dave during a leisurely 18-hour lily dip down the Namakagan. He and McPipes did paddle trips of 28, 36, and 20 miles. And he put in another 250 miles of solo time. Clearly, he is dedicated to his craft.

Esteban: He ran. He ran like the wind 5-7 days a week between 3 to 5 miles a day for months. While not exactly the best choice of training for this type of event, his feet were tough as nails. He did not get one blister or sore spot. His upper body, however, was a complete train wreck. As the adventure got closer, he canoed where & when he could. Mostly solo. Sometimes with a boat full of kids or the dog and sometimes with rocks and tree stumps. Overall, he spent his summer building motorcycles, growing a beard envious to all who appreciate beards and mastered his general coolness.

McPipes: In between bicep curls, he did tips of 28, 36 and 20 miles with his brother MeatPuppet and lifted a shit ton of tile. He owns a tile shop so lifting tile is a job requirement. You need tile, McPipes is your guy.

WhiteWolf: Paddled with BeaV, MAKK and me on Forest Lake for a short 10-mile paddle helping BeaV and MAKK with one of their final training runs before their record attempt. He also paddled 20 miles with BeaV, MAKK and me on Gunn Lake at Grandma L’s cabin on Gunn Lake Chain of Lakes. I am pretty sure he also worked on his repertoire of pondering questions. Twenty hours a day in a canoe gets long without a Q&A session with WW.

JimmyJustice: I paddled 100 miles with BeaV and MP on Memorial Day Weekend along with Pigeon River Dave (PRD is an interesting dude). (Note to self…next time don’t’ paddle 100 miles without practicing first.) At this point in life one would think that I would know better. Guess not. Glad to have been paddling with BeaV though because he offered up some advice about the height of my paddle stroke. I tried in earnest to implement his observation into my routine and it really helped on the KWC. We paddled the Namekagan River to the St. Croix. I also paddled with BeaV, MAKK and White Wolf on Forest Lake for a short 10-mile paddle helping BeaV and MAKK with one of their final training runs before their record attempt. I paddled 20 miles with BeaV, MAKK and WW on Gunn Lake and 10 miles the next morning all at Grandma L’s cabin on Gunn Lake Chain of Lakes. Other than that, I did not practice paddle…but I did practice portaging. With a full pack I would mow the lawn and every other day (for a month) go on a 3-mile hike. The neighbors laughed regularly at me. A couple of days before the KWC I did a 6-mile hike with gear. As was typical for me, I felt very comfortable about my stamina for the upcoming portages but not so much with my paddling skills. What I did this year for paddling prep was way more than I had done in prior years….so I had that going for me, which was nice.

Deke: In March he and BeaV completed the WaterTribe’s annual Everglades Challenge which is a 300-mile unsupported Gulf of Mexico excursion from Tampa Bay (Bay) to Key Largo. Deke has sailed this before but this year he stepped up and paddled his kayak along with BeaV and his Sea Wind. I watched from afar and was truly impressed by his efforts. Once hearing from him the details of the actual trip, I was even more impressed. Deke, as he is known to do, probably paddled every day for a month…“just for fun” before our adventure. The dude is in shape. After the KWC he sends out an email wondering if any of us wanted to pay for a weeklong class put on by former Navy Seals…to see if we could handle Seal training. Ok, pay good money to go to Seal training? Ah, that’s a hard no. Deke is officially signed up for the 2020 Sealfit KoKoro. The KoKoro is a whole different level of crazy. Good luck Brother!!

BeaV: Managed to get in a measly 1,500 miles and help set the Kruger Waddell route record at 63.27 hours. Blah blah blah. What have you done lately? All joking aside, BeaV is pound for pound the best there is. Glad he is on our team.

Kendra: Managed to put up with BeaV all summer long during multiple training runs, set a World Record with BeaV making it from EP 37 Kawishiwi Lake to Adams Lake in 6 hours (cause no one else would think of doing that). Set another World Record with BeaV completing the KWC in 63.27 hours. In the process, MAKK maintained her status of supermom and proved once again the girl from Delano is second to none. [paragraph break]

TIME ALLOCATION #1 (8:06 am – 5:43 pm)

Lakes/Rivers: (5) Rainy, Ash River, Kabetogama, Namakan and Sand Point

Portages: (2) Gold and Grassy

Camp: Ingersoll Cove on Sand Point Lake

Miles: 40

Time: 9.6

Rest time: 6.25

MPH: 4.2

As has become custom, those starting from International Falls wake up early and meet at Piragis around 5:00 am to make final adjustments. From there participants took shuttles to International Falls. This year, there were 22 individuals comprising 9 teams leaving from the Sha-Sha Resort, which is where Clint and Verlen departed from in 1968.

Our goal for the “day” was to make Sand Point Lake and stop short of EP 12. Why? Because someone in our group pulled our permit into the BWCA for Sunday September 15, 2019 NOT this day, Saturday the 14th. Never a complaint department around when you need one.

It’s tough for me to be away from home this time of year. The bride teaches 5th grade and her Super Bowl is the first week of school. I missed one challenge because it was scheduled in early September. This year, it was later in the month so less pressure on being away. I am keenly aware of the sacrifice she makes allowing me to be gone for 10 days while she is in her first week or two of school; not just teaching but with our kids as well. I tend to feel a bit guilty about that (just a bit). While that feeling never subsides, it is pushed aside by all the other emotions that accompany an adventure like this.

What I remember most of this day was that it was fluid yet defined by a set of emotions and pain. I have a bit of anxiousness about me when something “big” nears. I believe I keep it to myself but not entirely sure what others perceive of me in this regard. To be aware would require me to have paid attention. Having done the Kruger Waddell Challenge (KWC) previously, having previously paddled with everyone but McPipes and Esteban, and now knowing that Grandma’s bars are not meant for me, I felt prepared. The anxiety that may perplex some is rarely a part of me. Rather, once prepared, I am wanting to get on the road.

This day however is in some respects, about others and not me. It’s about all of the other participants (non-team members) loitering around Piragis slowing me down! (me being the team – cuz let’s be honest…without me, what would the team be? Just a couple of world record holders and 7 really good adventurers…pffft.). Let’s Go!! is the theme in my head. I was ready, packed repacked, thrice packed. What the hell are we waiting for…get your shit together and let’s roll.

Because of our crew size, BeaV procured a van just for us. Nice job BeaV.

Finally, it’s nap time. The ride to International Falls is actually an important step in the process. It provides an opportunity for me to internally adjust. No turning back now, so how about not wasting any fuel, adrenaline, rest etc. This will be the last time I get any unpainful rest. To be sure, it will be the best I feel mentally and physically until the KWC is done. I take in some donetts, a bit of liquid and sneak in a nap.

We stop at a gas station outside of I-Falls on our way to Sha Sha. Good idea. My kudos to the planning committee. The rest stop was well received. We make it to Sha Sha, unload, prep, take some pix and again I am wishing everyone (other than my crew) would just get the hell out of the way. (Side note: is it Sha Sha or Sha Sha). Presumably all other challengers are thinking the same of me…so as usual, I was out voted, and everyone stayed and work around each other. As it should be.

Our crew loads up its 3 boats, float out a bit, collect ourselves, someone gives a short pep talk and we are then off to the races! I ignore the fact Whitewolf (WW) is not wearing his life jacket. We have discussed this on a prior trip. He is an adult capable of making his own decision and a few trips to counseling has allowed me to look past such things.

My observations to this point: Brother Deke is amped and ready to go. He came prepared to go fast and was willing to share the bitch (middle seat); WW a wily veteran is at the helm of our boat so no 4-5 foot swells are going to impede our progress; McPipes and Esteban dressed the part and are under the tutelage of brother/B-I-L-B MeatPuppet so what can go wrong there; and while BeaV and MAKK are average to above average canoeists their limitations probably will not hold us back. This is one badass crew. Let’s Go!!

So, we are on the water and set the pace (let everyone else watch us leave them behind). Having never felt it before I wondered how those behind us felt knowing that at this point in time it will be the closest, they ever get to us. That feeling must really suck. So, we are cruising along, our boat in first position with BeaV and MAKK, the world record holders (“WRH’s”), behind us (seemed to be a theme for the days ahead) and the pet shop boys (our third boat) behind them. Side note: Not that it is important, but our boat seemed to be out front an awful lot on this trip.

Well it was not long before I got to feel what everyone else outside our crew was feeling as MuddyFeet paddled up next to us in his handmade, sleek, super-fast canoe. That thing was moving! It sucks watching yourself be left behind. Hard to begrudge a guy who had a plan to build a fast boat and did just that. Congrats to him. Seeing his hard work pay off was both frustrating and inspiring. I think his finish time was somewhere around 84 hours. Whatever MuddyFeet. At that point, at least in my mind, it was time to embrace the suck and move forward. Which we did as a team.

We hit our planned resting spot on Sand Point Lake a couple hours ahead of schedule. The official float plan (“OFP”) had us arriving at Sand Point around 8:00 pm. We got there around 6:30 maybe. A couple of competing crews finally made their way by, stopped and stared at us wondering what the hell were we doing? Is there a portage that they did not know about? Eventually they relied on their skills, confirmed with their maps and proceeded onward into the BWCA.

We were ahead of schedule and although BeaV would not admit it, even if under oath, I knew it then and there; the OFP was out the window. Let’s Go! The new plan was to have us rest until 11:00 pm, get up and be on the water by midnight. Hit the BWCA as close to midnight as possible so as to not break the rules. (recall this plan was necessary due to our permit date…who got our permit anyway?). EP 12 was just down the way a bit so getting to the BWCA border was going to take no time at all. Back to my original point, what I remember most of this day was that it was fluid yet defined by a set of emotions and pain. My emotions were as I expected them to be. Eager to get started but not nervous about what lie ahead. The pain was less than anticipated. I presume that was in large part because BeaV advised me to change the height of my paddle stroke while we were on the Namakagan. His advice was very helpful and made a big difference. Only problem is I now have too long of a paddle.

The Good: 40 miles was an easy day which left us lots of energy for the next day. According to our OFP we were scheduled to paddle 63 miles during the next leg of our challenge.

The Bad: I found out that it is nearly impossible for me to sleep when the sun is out, and my adrenalin is flowing. Note to self, bring melatonin and a sleeping mask on future trips. They are lightweight and will do the trick if needed.

The Ugly: No sleep since 3:30 am (20.5 hours) and 63 miles ahead do not a good partner make.

Bob Vollhaber (BeaV) - 5x

Kendra Leibel (MAKK) - 2x

Thomas Head (Deke) - 2x

Jim Kretsch (Jimmy Justice) - 3x

Jeff Bloomer (White Wolf) - 4x

Troy Troskey (McPipes) - Nugget

Chad Shields (Esteban) - Nugget

Todd Troskey (MeatPuppet) - 3x

[paragraph break]

Team Canoe Makeup: Three boats, to-whit:

BeaV & MAKK in a MN 2;

Deke, JimmyJustice and Whitewolf in a MN 3; and

McPipes, Esteban and MeatPuppet in a MN 3.

[paragraph break] Goal: 102 hours

[paragraph break] Completed: 235 miles, in 94.55 hours, which equates to 2.5 mph total elapsed average speed from start to finish.

Of Note: Roughly 75 hours on the move, 21 hours in camp, 14.5 total possible sleep hours available (with no chance of it being used up)

PREPERATION:

Each crew member prepared in their own way. The distance between each of us precluded regular group training runs.

MeatPuppet: Paddled 100 miles with BeaV, me and Pigeon River Dave during a leisurely 18-hour lily dip down the Namakagan. He and McPipes did paddle trips of 28, 36, and 20 miles. And he put in another 250 miles of solo time. Clearly, he is dedicated to his craft.

Esteban: He ran. He ran like the wind 5-7 days a week between 3 to 5 miles a day for months. While not exactly the best choice of training for this type of event, his feet were tough as nails. He did not get one blister or sore spot. His upper body, however, was a complete train wreck. As the adventure got closer, he canoed where & when he could. Mostly solo. Sometimes with a boat full of kids or the dog and sometimes with rocks and tree stumps. Overall, he spent his summer building motorcycles, growing a beard envious to all who appreciate beards and mastered his general coolness.

McPipes: In between bicep curls, he did tips of 28, 36 and 20 miles with his brother MeatPuppet and lifted a shit ton of tile. He owns a tile shop so lifting tile is a job requirement. You need tile, McPipes is your guy.

WhiteWolf: Paddled with BeaV, MAKK and me on Forest Lake for a short 10-mile paddle helping BeaV and MAKK with one of their final training runs before their record attempt. He also paddled 20 miles with BeaV, MAKK and me on Gunn Lake at Grandma L’s cabin on Gunn Lake Chain of Lakes. I am pretty sure he also worked on his repertoire of pondering questions. Twenty hours a day in a canoe gets long without a Q&A session with WW.

JimmyJustice: I paddled 100 miles with BeaV and MP on Memorial Day Weekend along with Pigeon River Dave (PRD is an interesting dude). (Note to self…next time don’t’ paddle 100 miles without practicing first.) At this point in life one would think that I would know better. Guess not. Glad to have been paddling with BeaV though because he offered up some advice about the height of my paddle stroke. I tried in earnest to implement his observation into my routine and it really helped on the KWC. We paddled the Namekagan River to the St. Croix. I also paddled with BeaV, MAKK and White Wolf on Forest Lake for a short 10-mile paddle helping BeaV and MAKK with one of their final training runs before their record attempt. I paddled 20 miles with BeaV, MAKK and WW on Gunn Lake and 10 miles the next morning all at Grandma L’s cabin on Gunn Lake Chain of Lakes. Other than that, I did not practice paddle…but I did practice portaging. With a full pack I would mow the lawn and every other day (for a month) go on a 3-mile hike. The neighbors laughed regularly at me. A couple of days before the KWC I did a 6-mile hike with gear. As was typical for me, I felt very comfortable about my stamina for the upcoming portages but not so much with my paddling skills. What I did this year for paddling prep was way more than I had done in prior years….so I had that going for me, which was nice.

Deke: In March he and BeaV completed the WaterTribe’s annual Everglades Challenge which is a 300-mile unsupported Gulf of Mexico excursion from Tampa Bay (Bay) to Key Largo. Deke has sailed this before but this year he stepped up and paddled his kayak along with BeaV and his Sea Wind. I watched from afar and was truly impressed by his efforts. Once hearing from him the details of the actual trip, I was even more impressed. Deke, as he is known to do, probably paddled every day for a month…“just for fun” before our adventure. The dude is in shape. After the KWC he sends out an email wondering if any of us wanted to pay for a weeklong class put on by former Navy Seals…to see if we could handle Seal training. Ok, pay good money to go to Seal training? Ah, that’s a hard no. Deke is officially signed up for the 2020 Sealfit KoKoro. The KoKoro is a whole different level of crazy. Good luck Brother!!

BeaV: Managed to get in a measly 1,500 miles and help set the Kruger Waddell route record at 63.27 hours. Blah blah blah. What have you done lately? All joking aside, BeaV is pound for pound the best there is. Glad he is on our team.

Kendra: Managed to put up with BeaV all summer long during multiple training runs, set a World Record with BeaV making it from EP 37 Kawishiwi Lake to Adams Lake in 6 hours (cause no one else would think of doing that). Set another World Record with BeaV completing the KWC in 63.27 hours. In the process, MAKK maintained her status of supermom and proved once again the girl from Delano is second to none. [paragraph break]

TIME ALLOCATION #3 (2:10 am - 7:30 pm)

Lakes/Rivers: (17) Basswood, Sucker, Birch, Carp, Melon, Seed, Knife River, Knife, Little Knife, Ottertrack, Swamp, Saganaga, Granite River, Maraboeuf, Gneiss, Granite Bay, Clove

Portages: (19) Horse, Prairie Portage, Carp Portage, Melon Portage, Seed, Knife River, Big Knife, Ottertrack, Monument, Swamp, Saganaga Falls, Horsetail Falls, Devil’s Elbow, Gneiss Lake, Granite River#1, Granite River #2, Granite River #3, Swamp, Granite #4 .

Camp: Clove Lake. Campsite 440

Miles: 60

Time: 17.3

Rest time: 7.25

MPH: 3.5

The sleep at Horse portage was a god send. I did not waste any time in camp. Once food was in my stomach, off to bed I went. Deke made up a good tent; REM was at hand. Comparatively, I felt pretty good once the Raven called at 1:00 am. Having an ample supply of BioFreeze helped get the muscles loosened up. Again, Deke and I split up chores to make our morning obligations as efficient as our evenings. The crew’s plan was to spend no more than 1 hour between Raven call and being on the water. We did a pretty good job of sticking to that plan.

Breakfast included hot water for me, coffee for the others. Oatmeal for all. Off we went to embrace the suck. All in all, attitudes were still intact. Sure, there was an occasional grouse or snip, but at the time, I think generally we were on the same page. In my mind there is a keen difference between discussing or commenting about the pain, the endeavor, the collective struggle versus complaining about it. The former, to me, can be cathartic and bonding. The later, if employed too often can become divisive and segmenting. I saw more of the former than the later. We signed up for this, nobody made us do this. It’s our job to see it through. Hopefully I was more helpful than hurtful in that regard. The others would know better than me if I was.

As the day progressed, I think the pet shop boys were fighting the good fight. Yesterday certainly took its toll on McPipes and Esteban and maybe even MP. How Esteban sat in the middle seat the entire time is beyond me. He gets an extra star for dealing with that encumbrance. Way to go Esteban! Deke and I traded seat positions between the bow and the middle. We tried to do it every 3 hours when portages allowed, but we switched when it made sense. WW had the stern the entire time and did a great job. Side note: WW goes straight as an arrow when he is not talking…when he’s talking…not so much ??).

BeaV got lost on taking a left in to Granite Bay rather than a right into Cove Lake. We laughed at him. It costs us like 16 hours. Seriously…not serious. It also was also a lesson learned because our boat decided to catch up to BeaV and MAKK instead of meander our way to them. Had we meandered we would not have had to back track. We camped on Clove Lake. I’m feeling good. Let’s Go!! Day 3 Thoughts from Whitewolf follow-

Camped at site closest to the start of the Horse Portage. Evening was thick with humidity and no breeze. BeaV and JJ quickly make something-boiled supper. In bed at sunset- BeaV and I took the leftover site to pitch our tent (this being the only night we set up on the Challenge). As a result, ground was pitched on a slight incline and the bottom of tent is very slippery and I kept rolling into BeaV most of the night and both of us got very little sleep. Alarm goes off at 1am and I wake up to BeaV sleeping in the vestibule. No others are moving or lights coming from tents so the infamous raven call is given by BeaV and within minutes groans and flickers of light are observed. Everything wet with dew as we packed up. Portage to Basswood in the dark was uneventful.

Basswood Lake- remember following the Luci light in the stern of BeaV's/ MAKK's canoe and just trying to keep it in sight as we wind around US Point etc and not let them get to far ahead which is easier said than done. Water was glass and the clear skies allowed the heavens to be reflected off the water. An experience few get to witness and reminded myself of Rose Lake the year before under similar conditions. As we turned east before you enter the south part of Baley Bay I witnessed what must have been a variable star changing intensity - not a shooting star or International Space Station as this remained in the same location. Never seen anything like this before but it only lasted perhaps 2 minutes and my fatigue and concentration of steering didn't allow me to share it with my canoe mates before it went back to steady state. Just before this - I nearly vomited on a Hammer Bar and JJ asked if I was OK. Everything is fine except these Hammer Bars are getting old. Everyone eating them in my canoe agrees and not again on the next trip. Next thing I remember is we are entering Inlet Bay as the first rays of light are making navigation a tad easier. I don't even remember canoeing through Bayley Bay -- a VERY good thing!!!

At Prairie Portage I think to myself we are making very good time and are likely well ahead of the next planned resting spot (in the Conners Island area, just NNW of Sag Falls). I mention to MeatPuppet that we are going further than Sag Falls area today, perhaps much further

Beautiful sunrise on Birch Lake.

Lost BeaV in the sunlight on Carp Lake. My canoe was going in wrong direction when we heard the raven call which directed us to the next correct portage and BeaV and MAKK.

Changed into shorts right before Knife and the long paddle that was about to start. It's very warm and Knife is like glass. A few hours down Knife (Little Knife area) we started as a group to paddle side by more often. The conversations that take place and being able to look at your teammates as your talk (hard to do with just those in your canoe) really make the time and distance go by much faster. Soon we are entering Ottertrack Lake, one of my favorites.

Ottertrack to SAG port- MeatPuppet falls in the drink of the boardwalk.

TIME ALLOCATION #3 (2:10 am - 7:30 pm)

Lakes/Rivers: (17) Basswood, Sucker, Birch, Carp, Melon, Seed, Knife River, Knife, Little Knife, Ottertrack, Swamp, Saganaga, Granite River, Maraboeuf, Gneiss, Granite Bay, Clove

Portages: (19) Horse, Prairie Portage, Carp Portage, Melon Portage, Seed, Knife River, Big Knife, Ottertrack, Monument, Swamp, Saganaga Falls, Horsetail Falls, Devil’s Elbow, Gneiss Lake, Granite River#1, Granite River #2, Granite River #3, Swamp, Granite #4 .

Camp: Clove Lake. Campsite 440

Miles: 60

Time: 17.3

Rest time: 7.25

MPH: 3.5

The sleep at Horse portage was a god send. I did not waste any time in camp. Once food was in my stomach, off to bed I went. Deke made up a good tent; REM was at hand. Comparatively, I felt pretty good once the Raven called at 1:00 am. Having an ample supply of BioFreeze helped get the muscles loosened up. Again, Deke and I split up chores to make our morning obligations as efficient as our evenings. The crew’s plan was to spend no more than 1 hour between Raven call and being on the water. We did a pretty good job of sticking to that plan.

Breakfast included hot water for me, coffee for the others. Oatmeal for all. Off we went to embrace the suck. All in all, attitudes were still intact. Sure, there was an occasional grouse or snip, but at the time, I think generally we were on the same page. In my mind there is a keen difference between discussing or commenting about the pain, the endeavor, the collective struggle versus complaining about it. The former, to me, can be cathartic and bonding. The later, if employed too often can become divisive and segmenting. I saw more of the former than the later. We signed up for this, nobody made us do this. It’s our job to see it through. Hopefully I was more helpful than hurtful in that regard. The others would know better than me if I was.

As the day progressed, I think the pet shop boys were fighting the good fight. Yesterday certainly took its toll on McPipes and Esteban and maybe even MP. How Esteban sat in the middle seat the entire time is beyond me. He gets an extra star for dealing with that encumbrance. Way to go Esteban! Deke and I traded seat positions between the bow and the middle. We tried to do it every 3 hours when portages allowed, but we switched when it made sense. WW had the stern the entire time and did a great job. Side note: WW goes straight as an arrow when he is not talking…when he’s talking…not so much ??).

BeaV got lost on taking a left in to Granite Bay rather than a right into Cove Lake. We laughed at him. It costs us like 16 hours. Seriously…not serious. It also was also a lesson learned because our boat decided to catch up to BeaV and MAKK instead of meander our way to them. Had we meandered we would not have had to back track. We camped on Clove Lake. I’m feeling good. Let’s Go!! Day 3 Thoughts from Whitewolf follow-

Camped at site closest to the start of the Horse Portage. Evening was thick with humidity and no breeze. BeaV and JJ quickly make something-boiled supper. In bed at sunset- BeaV and I took the leftover site to pitch our tent (this being the only night we set up on the Challenge). As a result, ground was pitched on a slight incline and the bottom of tent is very slippery and I kept rolling into BeaV most of the night and both of us got very little sleep. Alarm goes off at 1am and I wake up to BeaV sleeping in the vestibule. No others are moving or lights coming from tents so the infamous raven call is given by BeaV and within minutes groans and flickers of light are observed. Everything wet with dew as we packed up. Portage to Basswood in the dark was uneventful.

Basswood Lake- remember following the Luci light in the stern of BeaV's/ MAKK's canoe and just trying to keep it in sight as we wind around US Point etc and not let them get to far ahead which is easier said than done. Water was glass and the clear skies allowed the heavens to be reflected off the water. An experience few get to witness and reminded myself of Rose Lake the year before under similar conditions. As we turned east before you enter the south part of Baley Bay I witnessed what must have been a variable star changing intensity - not a shooting star or International Space Station as this remained in the same location. Never seen anything like this before but it only lasted perhaps 2 minutes and my fatigue and concentration of steering didn't allow me to share it with my canoe mates before it went back to steady state. Just before this - I nearly vomited on a Hammer Bar and JJ asked if I was OK. Everything is fine except these Hammer Bars are getting old. Everyone eating them in my canoe agrees and not again on the next trip. Next thing I remember is we are entering Inlet Bay as the first rays of light are making navigation a tad easier. I don't even remember canoeing through Bayley Bay -- a VERY good thing!!!

At Prairie Portage I think to myself we are making very good time and are likely well ahead of the next planned resting spot (in the Conners Island area, just NNW of Sag Falls). I mention to MeatPuppet that we are going further than Sag Falls area today, perhaps much further

Beautiful sunrise on Birch Lake.

Lost BeaV in the sunlight on Carp Lake. My canoe was going in wrong direction when we heard the raven call which directed us to the next correct portage and BeaV and MAKK.

Changed into shorts right before Knife and the long paddle that was about to start. It's very warm and Knife is like glass. A few hours down Knife (Little Knife area) we started as a group to paddle side by more often. The conversations that take place and being able to look at your teammates as your talk (hard to do with just those in your canoe) really make the time and distance go by much faster. Soon we are entering Ottertrack Lake, one of my favorites.

Ottertrack to SAG port- MeatPuppet falls in the drink of the boardwalk.

What follows below is BeaV's Trip Report from our last long day.....

Leaving Clove Lake camp at 2:45 am well ahead of our proposed itinerary, I gradually start considering when we might arrive at the South Fowl Portage (the next intended resting spot). The original plan had us arriving there at midnight, resting 5 hours, and then tackling the Fowl Portage late in the night and doing the Pigeon River and Grand Portage in the daylight (this is the gentlemanly way to tackle these last obstacles). A possibly unwanted thought starts forming in my head… we’re setting a real fast pace, faster than our goal. What if we push harder, hard enough to break 100 hours? If we push a little harder, we could break 98 hours (the time the Norwegians did the previous year, albeit a longer route they did). I am grasping for little tidbits to entice the team into agreement.

We stop at Little Rock Falls Portage to take our group photo at the same spot we always do.

We finish the Granite/Pine River area, into Gunflint Lake with a southwest wind blowing harder than preferred. If we stay on the direct line across, we will be battling unsettling rear quartering waves the whole way of 6 and ½ miles. We make the decision to paddle a longer route, cutting across to the south shore to find protection in the lee. It is a little bumpy making the crossing but we make it intact with bow paddlers wet from overtopping waves. Thru Gunflint (and the return of daylight), Little Gunflint, Little North, North, South, Rat, and Rose. Over the Long Portage, complete with a small beaver pond flooding over part of the trail, into Rove, Watap, and Mountain.

While paddling the lengthy expanse of Mountain, my mind returns to earlier thoughts of pushing it a little more. Doing the math…rough calculations of times I think we can make the lakes and portages ahead, the Pigeon River, and the Grand Portage. If we skip the next rest (camp) period on South Fowl, I think we can make it in 92 hours! Wow, what an opportunity! I finally couldn’t resist…I let MAKK (Kendra) in on my plan. I need allies in this idea and MAKK is a good one to start with. “Kendra, I’ve been thinking….if we push it and don’t sleep, I think we can make the finish in 92 hours”, I say. She quickly without any convincing says “great idea!” She adds, “I really want to at least break 98 hours”. Ha, we often think alike! A little more discussion ensues and she wants to know if we should let the rest of the team know now. I say “no, let’s wait until we get closer to the Fowl Lakes. It’ll be easier for them to accept if we are close to our proposed resting lake with daylight to spare”.

We finish those three tough, back to back to back portages into Moose Lake. The time is ripe for the plan to be sprung. We all launch into Moose and we gather for a drink and bite to eat. “Guys,” I say “we’re making really good time and the tough stuff is behind us. The next portage into North Fowl Lake is a cakewalk”. Pausing a little to let that positive report sink into sleep-deprived brains, “we have an opportunity to make a really good finish time, if we don’t stop to rest on South Fowl”. I scan their faces looking for expression- expression of support, anguish, or hatred. The statement mostly appears to have been well received…but there is some quietness- which I hoped was not a sign of unexpressed negativity. Quickly before it’s too late I add “we’ll stop briefly at Fowl Portage for a hot Mac & Cheese with Spam supper and a short nap” as additional enticement. In the prior year’s challenge, Mac & Cheese night was a favorite. JimmyJustice yells out “a nap, who needs a nap!” I knew I could count on JimmyJ to make a hard final push! With the promise of a hot supper and maybe short nap…who could say no....and none did. We are now pushing hard to get to that yummy meal- their tummies on my side. Everyone is happy and motivated, for now.

Earlier in the day, we were warned by other canoeists of impending bad weather coming in at 4:00 pm. And as warned, the rain moved in. Rain gear is put on and paddler’s moods started falling like raindrops. The portage to North Fowl is easy- it’s flat but it does have a huge amount of small boulders. Now wet, this portage paved with boulders became slippery. The entry into North Fowl is swampy and boggy…maybe some get wet feet again. As we neared the Fowl Portage, the guys in the MN 3’s put on a sprint race to the finish. All 6 guys paddle as fast and hard as they can as they challenged each other neck in neck to the beach. They race past MAKK and I pushing hard but with happy challenging words to each other’s boats. It is fun to watch’em go although I’m not sure what spurred them on….hope it wasn’t Mac & Cheese….

I know heading to Fowl Portage that there will be no cooking or sleeping with a steady rain coming down. On arrival there, I gave the bad news similar to what the crew of the Edmond Fitz Gerald heard “fellas it’s too rough to feed ya”. I push off the promised meal until it stops raining…likely spots being Partridge Falls or Fort Charlotte. The team’s tummies are not happy with this realization! Pushing onto the mile-long Fowl Portage, as usual, it’s a tough bugger with a passing thunderstorm for amusement. 85 logs to step over per JimmyJ’s count and deep slippery clay mud at the end for kicks (slips). The time between the first person to finish and the last to finish is concerning...it is a big gap. Thunder rolls away into the distance and the team is fighting to stay cheery as we enter the Pigeon River, and doing a good job of it given the circumstances.

The crew has been hearing from me for some time “how easy the Pigeon will be this year as we float over all the shallow class 1 rapids”. The water flow was very high when we launched a few days ago and it can’t possibly drop down to problem levels again…right? Right? We travel downstream on the Pigeon River and my paddle occasionally hits the bottom… I swear under my breath. Realizing my predicted promise of just floating over the rock-strewn rapids ahead may be wrong, I show the new team members how to do the draw and cross-draw paddle strokes, just in case. We enter the first shallow boulder field area that I promised would be a float over. It’s not and we take turns getting stuck on shallows and rocks. Some getting out freeing the boats and some staying in the boats hoping to keep feet dry (BeaV promised, right?). I apologize for my false hope and quickly hatch a plan. Darkness is falling and we’re not yet to the English Rapids where a little more challenging stuff will be found. “Stay back about 80 foot spacing and follow me thru the rapids” I say.

The first stretch of the English Rapids is the fastest. I pick a line and shoot in with headlamps on. MAKK and I make it thru this first 600 feet before we smack boulders and get hung up. In frustration, I jump out so fast I think MAKK thinks I’m going to capsize the boat. I free us and look upstream to see how the other 2 boats fared. I see headlamps and hear a lot of excited yelling. Then, in the beam of my flashlight, I see 2 canoe packs bobbing in the deepest fastest water coming at us quick. I yell “packs in the water!”. Someone lost 2 packs and they were coming down side by side, one too far out in the deep fast current. I quickly swing the bow of the boat out into that zone for MAKK to grab that pack as I grab the other. Not known to me at the time, MeatPuppet, McPipes, and Esteban got pinned sideways on a rock. The current quickly capsized them with MeatPuppet in a bad way under the boat. Powerhouse that he is, Esteban with one arm, grabbed MeatPuppet and pulled him free.

We continue on, bouncing into, over, around boulders. We can’t see far enough ahead to pick the good line before it’s too late and the dark stained water doesn’t reveal lurking boulders. Shouts from all canoes ensue “left, right, straight!!” 2 or 3 people all at the same time yelling to be heard over the noise of the fast water. MAKK and I smack twice really hard. Frustration mounts, I yell over the noise of the rushing water to MAKK “can’t you see the rocks?” My nice carbon canoe is taking a beating and she feels terrible about it…she quits talking to me. Nothing seems to be working- I can’t see far enough ahead to pick a clear route, rocks beneath the dark stained water don’t show themselves until it’s too late, and if seen, there’s not enough water depth to pull the canoe to avoid them. Our three boats at some point get close enough to hear each other. Deke throws up his arms and yells “this is comical, left, right, straight…I can’t see shit”! His statement is not meant to be humorous, but we all felt exactly the same way. MAKK relinquishes her vow of silence and yells “exactly Deke!!” as loud as her voice would allow. Stating this frustration, we move forward united to make it thru. I hear Whitewolf yell encouraging words, “we’re gonna make it thru this, it’s just taking a little more time.” He is right and that reminder was well received by me and probably the others.

Occasionally we stop to bail water and my canoe seems to be gaining water too quickly. We make it thru the rapids into slower water but I must continue to bail every few minutes or sink…I have a bad leak. Paddling the next 4 miles to Partridge Falls, 3 of us are wet from the neck down and the rest are wet from the waist down. Three or four of us are getting chilled and one would like to take a break at Partridge Falls to cook the promised Mac & Cheese and another wants to change into dry cloths. Unfortunately, both are time wasters at this moment and will just lead to others getting colder. I am adamant that we cannot stop there to cook- we will all get cold. Instead I say we finish the paddling and continue to Fort Charlotte where the trail head of the Grand Portage starts. There, it makes sense to dig out our dry clothes and then warm up as we walk. I am not feeling much love from the others right about now.

We paddle downstream seeing some wildlife in the darkness. We pass a large tree leaning over the river and see a lone swan hanging out with a merganser duck in the river. We get within 100 feet of them and they take flight…unfortunately, the swan came our way. The eight of us instinctively beamed our headlamps on this swan, like the bird was some superstar on a stage. We blinded it! It flies right into the branches of that overhanging tree crashing hard and falling down into the river. I cheered in amusement but I hear Deke shriek in terror as if someone had dropped a human baby from a second story window. Different reactions for sure but the big bird other than being startled appears to be OK.

We struggle thru pottery quality clay on the Partridge Falls portage. All our gear and packs are saturated and heavy. Progress is slow and moods are sour, I feel responsible… We’ve been pushing hard now for almost 20 straight hours, things are not going good, we’re tired and uncomfortable, and now many unexpected obstacles at a time when we least can handle them!

Making it to Fort Charlotte, everyone moves their gear to a campsite where we drain water from packs, put on dry clothes, and repack for the 9-mile walk ahead. Being this close to the end, I ignore requests for a little sleep and a campfire. The majority of the group wants to push forward, I think, so that is what we do. Nearby at the next campsite, a voice in the dark says “BeaV is that you?” I reply it is and a friend of the MN Border Route Challenges, Ben aka Nctry, emerges from the dark. Ben watches this frenzy of 8 people repacking noticing, as he later wrote, “how the guys were all sober faced at best…but Kendra? Yep, big smile like I got this!”

Most of the team changes into dry clothes- I don’t bother…I know how wet the trail ahead will be and know it is just a waste of time. I do dump the water from my boots, wring muddy water from my socks, and put wet socks and feet back into my boots. Seventy-five minutes later, we’re ready to commence walking.

Starting around midnight, we portage together but soon separate into 3 groups. JimmyJustice, MAKK, and Deke out front; MeatPuppet, McPipes, and Esteban in the rear; and Whitewolf alone (in typical lone wolf style). Everyone’s pace is slower than what we need to keep on pace for under 92 hours, but as I am about to pass the front group to move on, I realize I should not leave the group. Instead, I drop my canoe and wait for the last portagers to pass, giving them time to pull away from me before I shoulder my canoe and eventually catch up. And I always catch because the slowest four make frequent rest stops. Way too frequent and way too slow. It takes twice as long as it should to go the first 2 miles to the beaver pond boardwalk! And when they stop, they sprawl on the ground in apparent utter exhaustion. I know this is the easiest part of the portage…it will get muddier and hillier, with more slippery boardwalks to balance on- all obstacles to slow us down and cause an injury. MeatPuppet, McPipes, and Esteban appear to be physically done in. Whitewolf never did mentally get his head into this plan. I know this because every time I pass him he tells me so and about the 3rd time he confesses he really needed to have that Mac & Cheese meal. He is tired and maybe not thinking straight, I understand but can’t come up with any clever motivational words. When he rests, he starts taking what he is calling 2-minute naps where he collapses his body over his canoe pack in an awkward looking way.

I’m feeling worried for the others and somewhat helpless, 4 team members are hurting bad with little hope of going much further. The other 3 members have gone on ahead, who knows how far, and don’t know the dire straits we are in back here. I am not sure how to push any harder or give them encouragement. I ask Whitewolf and MeatPuppet to allow me to carry their packs…both refuse my request. Sometime after the beaver pond, I find myself following Esteban who is currently carrying their MN 3. His stride is baby steps and his footing is wobbly on the boardwalks and even on flat ground. It looks like a bad fall is inevitable. Passing him and then the three others, I get well ahead, drop my canoe, and turn around. This time, I decide, I will not let anyone turn down my help. Back up the trail without a load feels good. I am surprised to first come upon a briskly moving MeatPuppet alone by himself as he had been sticking close with Esteban and McPipes. I explain how bad I think Esteban is and he concurs and MeatPuppet also is concerned about his brother, McPipes. MeatPuppet agrees to go back with me and we will shoulder their load for a while. I am less worried about Whitewolf now…his 2-minute naps seem to be working to get himself back into the fight recently. We find MeatPuppet’s crew and I tell Esteban that I will carry his canoe for a while. He declines. I say more forcefully, “I’m taking your canoe, you need a break. Individually we all want to do our share but we are a team first and you need to accept help”! I bud-in under the front of him and took the canoe off his shoulders. MeatPuppet grabs the canoe pack off of his brother and away we go. Later, Esteban said he has no memory of me taking the canoe from him.

My exact memory of the next series of events isn’t completely clear- not that I have forgotten, it is just somewhat of a blur even while it was happening. The trail in pitch black feels like walking into a dark tunnel and my mind and body are tired... MeatPuppet and I do a couple leap frog carries- carrying our gear and then going back and carrying others gear. Esteban refuses to eat or drink at a time he clearly needed to do both. MeatPuppet becomes severely thirsty; I give him most of my fresh water. MeatPuppet warns me he is about done-in himself and needs water or else. I take a load down the portage fast enough to catch up with MAKK. MAKK is doing well. MAKK and I rest at mile 4.5 located at the first road crossing called Cowboy Road. Whitewolf catches up and I give him some of my remaining peanut M&M’s to eat. He promptly vomits them back up when he tries to slam them down. He tells us not to worry...ha? Not worry? MeatPuppet joins our resting party and MAKK gives him her water filter so he can make some water at Poplar Creek whenever he gets there. MeatPuppet goes back for another load, probably his last extra trip back, while MAKK, Whitewolf and I continue down. Whitewolf’s mood is better but his feet were really causing him pain now, he limps along gingerly. I pull away from the others eventually catching up with Deke.

Deke is doing well but I am surprised he is not long gone down the trail. The previous year, he was known to have run down parts of the Grand Portage with the canoe on his shoulders. I explain how bad things are behind us and asked Deke if he will be able to help leap frog other’s gear. Deke is absolutely willing to help. We drop our loads and return back up the trail. Deke needs water badly so as we intercepted MAKK, she gives him most of what she had left. Sometime later, MAKK, Deke and I meet up at the next road crossing, Old Hwy 61. Deke grimly reports coming across MeatPuppet lying in a canoe somewhat unresponsive and sleeping. Further up the trail, he found Esteban and McPipes sprawled on the ground refusing to get up. They were going to take a 10-minute nap. Days later, Esteban recounted that they did rest, but while in a dream (or delirium), he was awakened when he saw MeatPuppet throw McPipes on his shoulders and walk away. Seeing this, Esteban felt cheated in that he felt they still had 5 minutes left in their planned 10-minute break (none of this really happened…). It seemed now, even with Deke’s help, things were getting so bad that the group’s progress was grinding to a crawl.

I push forward as fast as I could with my canoe leaving it after the hilly area and turn back up the trail. Coming across MAKK again, I tell her she should take a break. I’m not sure she needed one, but I did take MAKK’s canoe pack for a spell to give her a boost (I kind of tricked her to get her pack). Dropping her pack, I once again turned and go back up the trail. JimmyJustice is still somewhere out in front of all of us making progress, followed by MAKK, Deke, and Whitewolf. By this time Deke is getting worn down and warns me that he is about done with double portaging. We part ways.

Suddenly, the stillness of the night is shattered! Someone screams out in pain at the top of their lungs! I stop in my tracks and try to figure out which way the sound came from and waited for an expected follow-up cry of help. I hear no further sound so I continue back up the trail for another dreaded load belonging to someone else. This is near the area that has the creek valleys with 72 steep wooden steps to climb at one particularly steep incline. I have already climbed these steps 2 times tonight and wasn’t looking forward to a third. And of more concern is the fact that MeatPuppet and Deke are now getting spent and the someone who screamed in pain must surely need medical assistance. I first intercepted MeatPuppet carrying a canoe and moving fast down the trail. Before going down the dreaded wooden steps, I intercepted Esteban and McPipes and am relieved to see them making good progress. To my pleasant surprise, MeatPuppet, Esteban, and McPipes had stopped and filtered/drank water and were rejuvenated enough to be moving again! With everyone now moving, I will stay behind them all until we reach Highway 61, mile 8.5. The plan was this would be our rendezvous place where we would all gather before making the final push to the finish at the Fort.

Later, I learned, it was Whitewolf who screamed in pain at the condition of his feet/ankles. MeatPuppet was the first to find Whitewolf who excitedly explained his “flesh was falling off his feet!” MeatPuppet, in a slight panic, hurried down the trail to get help, finding Deke, they both turned back to help extract Whitewolf. Upon further assessment of his feet, they found the flesh intact but painful blisters and a sprained ankle. The would-be rescuers were relieved but also a little upset given what seemed like an overreaction to pain all of us to some degree were dealing with. Deke and MeatPuppet had used up precious adrenalin and energy to come to his aid. Deke relieved Whitewolf of his pack, for a while, and they continue down the trail.

In defense of our team’s physical and mental conditions, we had started this day way back on Clove Lake, 60 miles back and over 24 hours ago; had already portaged 7 miles; been hot, cold, wet, capsized, fought thru boot sucking clay mud, rained on, walked thru a thunderstorm, multiple slips and falls on portages; and waded thru boulders in the Pigeon River. Everyone was tired and was finding new limits and everyone dealing with the exhaustion and pain in different ways. I myself felt responsible for our condition and that feeling likely helped me push myself a little harder trying to help where I could.

The whole group now moved forward slowly slogging thru the mud that was the trail, balancing precariously on the wet slippery boardwalks. I feel relieved that everything is calming down and I lose my nervousness. Without the need to help the others now, my adrenaline is spent and I grow really tired. We still have a couple miles to go to reach Highway 61. Staying in the rear, I catch up with someone and then drop my canoe to let them get ahead. When I stop, it is getting hard for me not to allow my eyes to close and sleep. On one such occasion, I feared I had closed my eyes and fell asleep sitting. For a long while, I couldn’t catch up with any moving headlamps and worried I really had fallen asleep and left my teammates waiting below wondering what happened to me. My headlamp is becoming increasingly dim as the batteries are nearly spent and my spare batteries given away to someone else earlier. But eventually I did catch up and I think all were relieved when we were finally reunited at Hwy 61. Together we pushed toward the end; encouraged by the fact we were almost done. For me, this last ½ mile of the trail is easier since the end is so near and the trail is firm.

At 6:39 am, we reach the now closed Grand Portage Fort and touch the gate together- the pain is quickly forgotten replaced with the feeling of accomplishment. Eight hours it took from the time we landed at Fort Charlotte to complete the Grand Portage. But we were done, beating our pre-event goal of 102 hours by finishing in 94 hours 33 minutes. I now know the answer to my question of “how fast can a group of 8 go?” We didn’t make my hoped for last minute adjusted 92-hour goal but with the seriousness of our exhausted condition, I was very proud of our accomplishment. Each member of Team BeaVer Fever is, I’m certain, also feeling this way. No one gave up even when maybe the urge to stop crept in. “94-33” by Jeff, Todd, Jim, Deke, Kendra, Chad, Troy, and BeaV.

Post Script- It is odd now looking back…this is the 7th time down the Grand Portage for me and this was the largest group I ever did it with. But this was the most time that I spent walking it by myself in my own tunnel of darkness, other than when I’ve been solo. If I wasn’t by myself bringing up the rear, I was by myself much of the time back and forth up and down the trail. Wow, what a night filled with challenges for us all! Not something I will forget. We struggled together and we overcame. It is these tough times together that will make our friendships stronger. Where I may have pushed too hard with someone, I have apologized.