From Chaska to Hudson Bay

[ac777]

Two teens are paddling from Chaska to hudson bay following the minnesota, up through bigstone lake, up the red river, through lake winnepeg, to hudson bay. My teacher gave me the star tribune article, and then I found an article about them in the chaska paper, http://www.startribune.com/local/west/18352354.html

http://www.chaskaherald.com/news/outdoors/go-big-or-go-home-chs-grads-begin-canoe-journey-4228

I am going to try to follow their progress, as I think it is an awesome deal, and will like to see how it all goes.

[tedl]

Wow, that is a very ambitious trip!! This trip had been done by two teens in 1930.

Eric Sevareid and Walter Port, they paddled from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay Following 2,250 miles of river and lakes. When they were done they wrote a book it is titled "Canoeing with the Cree"

[Flaco651]

They must be the same guys Dtro helped out one day.

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ub.../gonew/1#UNREAD

[ac777]

Ha, yeah same ones, didnt see that post.

[tedl]

I suppose I should have read the star trib. articale before I posted. Duh, that was already mentioned

[Jim43]

With the weather we have had this spring so far I hope they don`t get started to early. They will likely run into high water and the

further north they get, lots of ice.

Just paddling up the MN river will be a real test for them.

Had my fill of paddling canoes back in the old Boy Scout days.

[goblueM]

Canoeing with the Cree is awesome... I actually did part of their route a few years ago. Canoed from Norway House on the north end of Lake Winnipeg down the Hayes to York Factory on Hudson Bay. Fun trip. Always wanted to take off from the Twin Cities and make it all the way up there.

Or canoe to my hometown of Ann Arbor from here. Or go down to the Gulf of Mexico on the Miss

[Jim43]

They came through New Ulm yesterday. Long hard paddle through some

heavy thunderstorms on there todays paddle.

New Ulm Journal article on their trip

[Duffman]

Here is a link to follow their progress;

http://colton-seanhudsonbay.com/index.html

They have a SPOT locator with them, pretty neat stuff.

I followed another guys trip into Lake Three up in the BW the past couple of days using the SPOT system, it showed his location every ten minutes. Just from watching the SPOT progress I could tell that he was sticking near shore, the only ice-free areas of the lakes.

[Jim43]

Thanks Duffman, I`ll bet these guys are wondering what direction

they heading now. The MN river above New Ulm practically goes in

circles all the way the way to Frankin and Redwood Falls. With the

high water though, they might be able to take some shortcuts avoiding a 2 mile paddle around some of the loops.

[ac777]

THanks duffman and jim 43 i am glad i could find the site showing their progress.

[Jim43]

Sure glad they stuck around and stayed off the river when we had them storms yesterday. They have a real tough paddle today with

NW winds gusting over 30mph to fight upriver.

Good time to toughen them up for the big lake paddling ahead. When

they hit them they will learn canoes and big waves don`t mix.

Hope they stay safe and dry. Not a good time of year to get wet.

[ac777]

Wow, They're already up to Fargo, They must be cruising.

[Jim43]

They better slow down, they will be running back into winter the

further they get now. Rivers in Canada and northern Lake Winnepeg

are still frozen.

[DTro]

As I read through their progress, I do admire the effort they are putting forth, and actually going through with it, but for some reason it’s a losing a bit as they seem to be taking full advantage of all the “amenities” along the way. Hot meal here, place to stay there. radio interview here, TV spot there.

I wouldn’t go as far as saying they have it easy, but times sure have changed since the last duo made the trip.

I do think that it will be a much tougher go once they get way up there in the bush.

[Jim43]

You are right, when they get to Lake Winnepeg they are heading

into the wild and will have to fend for themselves. They are best

off beefing themselves up good before getting into northern Lake

Winnepeg. It will be like crossing Lake Superior. Just hope they

don`t swamp out there and stay close to shore.

[ac777]

Yeah, I agree with dtro and jim also. But they've been doing good so far, It must have been fun getting up the minnesota.

[Jim43]

Yeah, I agree with dtro and jim also. But they've been doing good so far, It must have been fun getting up the minnesota.

Oh yes, getting up the MN river was good training for whats ahead. Lake Winnepeg and lakes and rivers above will really

test them. Was looking at Google Earth at the route and its

really a maze above above Lake Winnepeg to get anywhere.

Would not want to be on Lake Winnepeg in high winds and waves.

They could get stuck on shore for days up there.

They are suppose to reach Grand Forks tomorrow, WOW. They will

be crossing the border at this rate by Friday.

[Jim43]

These guys are moving, they are now past Winnepeg and on the way into the biggest adventure of their lives crossing 400 miles of

Lake Winnepeg and into the real wilderness. Won`t be any support

for them when they get so far north.

I am wishing them the best. Good luck guys.

[yakfisher]

Good luck gentlemen. keep on strokin'.

[goblueM]

I've paddled about half of lake winnipeg on several different trips... there can be quite a bit of current by Pine Dock, if there are winds pushing water thru the narrows, it stacks up. Then when the wind dies down, the water rushes back the other way pretty fast. Can be some large waves too - hope they're safe about it! Once they get past Norway House they won't have much if any contact unless they arranged for a food drop of some other media stuff

[Jim43]

Geez, these guys are moving faster then I can imagine. Here is a

news quote update from their HSOforum.

May 30, 2008-Loon Straights

They called around 2:00PM and were near Heckla Island. Heckla Island is in the middle of Lake

Winnipeg. We received a locater beacon at about 11:00PM and they are near Loon Straights. Loon

Straights is located on the Eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg about 1/3 of the way to Norway House. So,

they have crossed the Lake. It's good news that the crossing is behind them as the Lake is known for

it's big waves and sudden weather changes. The Postmaster from Velva, North Dakota, the birthplace

of Eric Sevareid, called and he has a "Special Stamp Cancellation" that he is going to mail to Colton &

Sean. The recently issued commemorative postage stamp and the special cancellation honor Eric

Sevareid as a "Great American Journalist". The postmaster thought the boys would like a picture of

the main street and the special cancelled stamp. He's going to mail it to the boys around the time

they arrive home. Thanks very much.

Well, this takes them towrds the most dangerous part of Lake

Winnipeg now, once past those points they are out in the big

Lake.

Good luck guys, watch the weather closely when out there.

[Jim43]

Incredible, these guys are within 75 Miles of York Factory. At

this rate they will be home in a week.

Latest updates

[goblueM]

wow that is amazing time. Simply amazing. They could be at York Factory tomorrow at that rate - the last two days of our trip we went 80 km and 90 km, respectively. Of course, the tide from Hudson Bay could be a limiting factor, when it comes in the currents go upstream. The currents up there are insane. Which, come to think of it, could be why they pounded thru the Hayes so fast, when I was there, we found good currents even in August.

I hope they get their paddles branded by Jim, the caretaker at the museum

[Jim43]

I`ll bet those boys are Hungry to. Hope they have a feast set-up

for them when they arrive. My hat is off to these brave adventurers.

With no camping at York Factory, hope they have someplace to rest

away from the Polar Bears.