Since July of 2006 I've had a Duluth News Tribune article on my fridge that describes the two guys that have the speed record for Hunter's Island. Here's the highlights:

Dan Litchfield and Steve Park improved by 21 minutes their record of paddling around the hunter's Island route through Quetico. They did it over the summer solstice on June 20-22.

The route covers 145 miles and includes 38 portages. Litchfied, 57 and Park, 52 covered the distance in 28 hrs and 27 minutes.

The men were on track to break their record by over two hours but encountered winds during the day of June 21 slowing their average speed.

The Hunter's Island loop begins at Prairie Portage. It follows the Mn-Ontario border then runes northwest through many lakes, veers east then south back to Prairie Portage.

The men paddled an 18' Wenonah racing canoe made from carbon fiber and weighing just 28 lbs. They ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola bars and pop tarts. They estimate they each consumed 24,000 calories.

Thanks for the challenge!!! I am doing this loop departing May 27 with a buddy. We do not plan to break any records but hope to enjoy the 10 days we have set aside for this trip. The two of us combined have done about 85% of the route but only about 50% each so we are really looking forward to it.

This is one of of my bucket list items.

How was the fishing on the trip :)

I think I read the story too. I wonder what it'd be like to paddle that racing canoe? Probably make my Souris River Quetico 18.5 seem like a barge :) 145 miles in barely over a day---pretty impressive.

T