Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Stand Up Paddleboard Speed Record - Krueger Waddell Challenge
by mcward1989

Trip Type: Paddling Kayak
Entry Date: 09/05/2022
Entry Point: Little Vermilion Lake (Crane Lake) (EP 12)
Exit Point: North Fowl Lake (EP 70)  
Number of Days: 6
Group Size: 1
Trip Introduction:
Inspired by Beav and other WaterTribe ultra-distance paddlers, and Scott "Conchistador" Baste who set the SUP record before me, I (Mike Ward) set out on September 3, 2022 from Sha-Sha Resort just outside of Voyageurs National Park and paddled east on my stand up paddleboard to Lake Superior via the Grand Portage in 5 days, 10 hours, 30 minutes.
Report
Here is a link to the detailed story with photos: http://www.mikeward.cool/cool-adventures/bwca22/. Below are some other stats of the trip!

Trip Date: Sunday, September 4 – Friday, September 9, 2022

Area: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Trip Plan: Travel by stand up paddleboard from Sha Sha Point at the western edge of Voyageurs National Park west through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness along the US/Canada Border to the Grand Portage. Complete the 8.5-mile portage to Lake Superior to complete the historic ~250-mile route known as the Krueger-Waddell Challenge.

Stats: Start time: Sunday, September 4, 2022 at 6:23am Finish time: Friday, September 9, 2022 at 4:54pm Total time: 5 days, 10 hours, 31 minutes (130 hours, 31 minutes) Total miles (GPS): 255.7 miles Tracking Link: https://share.garmin.com/YCMPS

Training: I figured I’d be in good enough shape to paddle a lot during the summer, complete two races and rack big miles over two three-day weekends. The BWCA trips planned for June and July would be designed to be simulations for September

Moose Lake – June 25-27, 2022 Vatten Paddlar 5 mile Race – July 7, 2022 Big Ole Paddlefest 17 Mile Race – July 17, 2022 Fall Lake – July 25-26, 2022

Day 1: Sunday, September 4: Sha Sha Resort to Depthfinder Island Campsite N7, Namakan Lake – 46.4 miles 12:57:03. Started 6:23am, finished 7:20pm

Day 2: Monday, September 5: Namakan Lake to Fish Stake Narrows, Lac La Croix – 45.6 miles 12:53:15. Started 6:17am, finished 7:10pm

Day 3: Tuesday, September 6: Lac La Croix to East Side United States Point, Basswood Lake – 39.1 miles 11:59:20. Started 6:37am, finished 6:36pm

Day 4: Wednesday, September 7: Basswood Lake to Granite River – 49.5 miles 13:25:31. Started 5:46am, finished 7:11pm

Day 5: Thursday, September 8: Granite River to Mountain Lake – 40.5 miles 11:52:55. Started 6:01am, finished 5:51pm

Day 6: Friday, September 9, Mountain Lake to Lake Superior – 34.6 miles 10:50:00. Started 6:04am, finished 4:54pm