The 11th annual Border Route Challenges are a go! The dates are as follows: meet up in Ely on Friday afternoon September 5th, get shuttle ride to entry point(s) on Saturday September 6th, and paddle/portage like heck to get to Lake Superior at Grand Portage Monument no later than Sunday September 14th to catch shuttle ride back to Ely. So where is the start you may ask? This can vary depending on your goals (there are three options).

1) “Kruger Waddell Challenge”- 260 mile route International Falls through Voyageurs Nat'l Park and ALL of the BWCA
2) “Voyageurs Challenge”- 205 mile route Crane Lake(or Little Indian Sioux North as an alternative start) though ALL of the BWCA west to east
3) “Moose Lake Challenge”- 125 mile route Ely @ Moose Lake

The above start dates are going to be flexible due to Entry Point permit availability. All the Challenge routes finish on Lake Superior at the historic Grand Portage Fort. The route to be followed should generally be the international boundary with Canada. Of course, longer routes are fine and maybe needed if the wind is blowing hard when you want to paddle one of many big lakes.

A group called WaterTribe has set up the details and making shuttle arrangements. More details are given at the WaterTribe website at the link below. All participants who need shuttling help will equally split shuttling costs.

WaterTribe has a customized satellite tracking map that will show all groups as they progress along the route. This is why each group needs to bring and use a Spot or an InReach. WaterTribe has a $100 membership fee for this service (per group not per paddler). This fee is optional. You can do this Challenge at no charge. But you won't show up on the tracker or be listed in the WaterTribe Roster or Record Book.

This is an unsupported challenge. Unsupported means no preplanned assistance such as a support crew, phone calls to home for navigation assistance, and food resupply. Take what you need from the start. What really makes this a challenge is the time constraint component. The harder you push the greater the challenge. The first recorded record of 6 and a half days was set by Sir George Simpson of the Hudson’s Bay Company and his hand-picked team of Voyageurs in the 1800's during the fur trade era.

Feel free to express your interest in doing this and post any questions you may have here, or you can email me direct. Grandma L from this site is also available to help with questions and with keeping us organized.

Post here if you’re looking to form a team, join a team, or have room for someone to join your team.

The WaterTribe site is where you register and see the current roster list. You will need to create an account with WaterTribe to register and show up on the roster list. However, this is not a WaterTribe sponsored event this year so you are not required to join (if you don’t register with WaterTribe, email myself or Grandma L).

WaterTribe Website

Smiling, smiling, smiling! Excited to do the Voyageur Challenge again this year, though mixing it up a bit this time. I'll be going tandem with one of my former campers from 1989. Super excited.

If someone is considering this adventure, please feel free to reach out.

Reading the past Border Route Challenge posts inspired me to do the Kruger-Waddell route this year. While the dates don't line up for me to travel with the Water Tribe crew this year, I wanted to post of the appreciation and inspiration that you all have given.

I'm going to be doing the Voyageur Challenge this year for the first time, and am really excited! I am all signed up on Water Tribe and have my permit reserved for a Crane Lake start. Looking forward to meeting everyone!

Count me in

straighthairedcurly: "Smiling, smiling, smiling! "

Me too! I'm glad the this year's dates worked out for you to get back on the water.

clacosse: "Reading the past Border Route Challenge posts inspired me to do the Kruger-Waddell route this year. While the dates don't line up for me to travel with the Water Tribe crew this year, I wanted to post of the appreciation and inspiration that you all have given."

I like that you're inspired enough to travel the route on your own. Have a great trip. Are you planning a leisurely or not so leisurely trip?

My youngest (16) daughter and I are planning to do the Voyager this year. Can't wait!! Such a fun group of folks!!

CatchMe and scotttimm- welcome back!!

EmmaMorgan and scotttimm's youngest daughter- welcome to the fun!!

This isn't the year for me, but I have been craving another shot at some version of the route since the day after finishing the last time. Best of luck everyone! I'll be following along digitally.

EmmaMorgan: "I'm going to be doing the Voyageur Challenge this year for the first time, and am really excited! I am all signed up on Water Tribe and have my permit reserved for a Crane Lake start. Looking forward to meeting everyone! "

Going solo? Let me know if you want to chat at all for planning.

straighthairedcurly: "

EmmaMorgan: "I'm going to be doing the Voyageur Challenge this year for the first time, and am really excited! I am all signed up on Water Tribe and have my permit reserved for a Crane Lake start. Looking forward to meeting everyone! "

Going solo? Let me know if you want to chat at all for planning."

I am going solo, and would love to chat. Thank you! I'll send you an email soon.

Looking forward to visiting with previous "challengers" and meeting new ones.

Wow, great conversation and inspiration!! We now have 25+ paddlers committed to the Challenge. Keep recruiting! don't want to limit the fun!

I will soon be sending information to committed paddlers to check on shuttles, start points and all the details.

clacosse: "Reading the past Border Route Challenge posts inspired me to do the Kruger-Waddell route this year. While the dates don't line up for me to travel with the Water Tribe crew this year, I wanted to post of the appreciation and inspiration that you all have given."

When do you think you will be doing the route? If you are around when we are in Ely (Friday, Sept.5) or at Grand Portage (Friday, Sat, Sept. 12 and 13), stop in and meet the crew and join the shenanigans! Paddlers are a lot of things - boring is not one of them!

Hi BeaV, Grandma L, and everyone!

I'm in for 2025. In 2023 I did the Voyageurs solo, this year it will be the Kruger/Waddell with a partner. This is a great event and I would have done it last year but I had to go to a wedding that I couldn't really miss because it was my own. We did get married on the shore of Rainy Lake so there was Voyageur vibe.

I'm so looking forward to seeing familiar and new faces and undertake this beautiful challenge.

"EZ Pete"

Straighthairedcurley So happy to see you will be doing the challenge this year. Me too with a partner this time. See you soon!

Pete,
Glad to hear you will be with us! I have you on the list.

TreeBear- Hope you can do it with us someday.

EZPete- Good to hear from you again. Glad you made the wedding. Is your new partner your new paddling partner?

EZPete: "Straighthairedcurley So happy to see you will be doing the challenge this year. Me too with a partner this time. See you soon!"

Congrats on the wedding! It will be great to see you again.

I'm planning on it as well.

HighnDry: "I'm planning on it as well."

Welcome back for another year!!