Journey 4 Renewal: Canoeing from Minnesota to the Hudson Bay

February 21, 2020

CanoeKayak.com-805807-edited.jpgAmong the tannin-stained lakes and loons of the Wilderness Canoe Base in northern Minnesota, hundreds of children have learned to canoe over the years. In 2016, four alums from the camp decided to pay it forward.

They paddled 1,239 miles over 66 days from Wilderness Canoe Base to Hudson Bay–by way of the Boundary Waters, Rainy River, Lake of the Woods, Lake Winnipeg, Hayes River, God’s Lake, and God’s River–raising over $40,000 for Wilderness Canoe Base in the process. They paddled past towns like International Falls, MN, and Kenora, MN, portaged dams, waterfalls, and Class IV-V rapids, ran whitewater up to Class III, and crossed enormous lakes.

All in their twenties, Chelsea Froemke is a Catholic worker from Duluth, MN, Whitney Vogel is a NOLS instructor from Maple Grove, MN, Stephanie Branchaud is a physical therapist from Denver, CO, and Tessa Larson is an art therapist from Grand Marais, MN. They paddled a pair of 17-foot Royalex Wenonah Spirit IIs and used custom-made Sanborn Canoe Company Gunflint bent shaft paddles.

Read the full story on CanoeKayak.com. 

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Written By

Kim Freitas

Kim is a Wind River Wilderness and Wilderness First Responder graduate who works as the NOLS Writer and PR Specialist. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, warm yoga, and drinking lots of coffee!