Sept. 23-Oct. 1, 1975
By Ginny Reifenberger
Students on the trip:
Dan Zoellmer, Missy Cuigley, Kevin Schierman, Ginny Reifenberger, Andy Korn, Scott Thomson, Brett Otterson, Dave Sanko, Steve LePage, Doug Berg–instructor
The route we did was called the Voyageur’s Highway. It was part of the route that the Voyageurs did once a year to bring supplies and trading goods to and from the Indians and other important people. The route is 260 miles long. They did the route in 3 or 4 days, though it took us 14 days. We started out on Rainey Lake, right outside of International Falls. We ended up at Grand Portage Bay on Lake Superior. The first day we were out was a Wednesday and we made it about 18 miles on Rainey Lake. We were going to try and cross a big part of the lake, but our group decided against it because the waves were pretty high. So we made camp. We ended up sitting for 2 1/2 days on an island, for we were windbound. We decided to try it on Saturday morning. We didn’t get too far before we had to stop again, because of the wind. Then after a couple of hours we shot straight into the wind and then turned around and let the waves carry us to where we were going (somewhat). The temp was about 40 and it was pouring rain and really windy. But we did almost 30 miles that day just paddling. One canoe swamped. I fell in the lake. Everything was drenched, but other than that, we pulled through. That was our worst day. But after we got off Rainey Lake, the weather was just beautiful; calm and sunny. We pushed like crazy to get caught up, doing 20 to 30 miles everyday, getting up before the sun and making camp soon before dark.
We cut off about 1/2 day of paddling by taking the Dawson portage. It was 4 miles long and we crossed it in 2 hours. We all did well on portaging.
We had a strong group. The rest of the trip went as expected. We would just get up in the morning, break camp and paddle, do a couple of portages and camp, goof around, sleep and start all over again. We caught up for the time we missed and were able to layover 1/2 day before the Grand Portage.
We met a man named Jerry Pushcar* who is going to paddle from New Orleans to Alaska. He camped with us one night. Then we went to see the Cascades with him and he took a really good group picture.
We crossed Grand Portage that day–9 miles! We did it in 4 1/2 hours. That’s really good! We left for home that night.
We all had a really good time and worked really hard. We’re really proud of ourselves and so is Doug. We learned a lot about history and beauty and ourselves.
[*Editor’s Note: Jim Pushcar completed his journey in November of 1977. In 2019 he wrote a book about his adventure titled Waters Beneath My Feet: New Orleans to Nome… My 3 Year Odyssey. Doug adds:
“I’ve read it and have it. Mini- School and I are mentioned on, I think, page 75. A columnist for the Star-Trbune, Jim Klobuchar (Amy K’s dad and a celebrity around MN (an aside–he was Mini’s Recognition Night speaker one year, back in the 90’s, I think) was following Pushcar’s journey and would write an occasional column about him when Jerry checked in with him by phone (long before cell phones!).I had one of Klobuchar’s columns in my pocket just on the remote chance we would encounter Pushcar. As I pulled my canoe into the landing at the far end of the Grand Portage, a man carrying a red Old Town canoe with a Samoyed dog at his side approached the landing. I pulled the column out of my pocket and said, Mr. Pushcar, may I have your autograph?” We camped with him that night. Jerry was a quiet man, but we got him to tell us some of the tales of his adventure and he was equally interested in ours. The next morning we went on a hike with him down to the high falls on the Pigeon River, then parted company, we to slog the 9 mile portage and Jerry to continue on his journey to Nome , Alaska where I believe he still resides—out in the bush somewhere.
Jerry and I corresponded for several years after this encounter and the kids on the trip sent him a gift, a campfire oven, I believe. Jerry was/is an unobtrusive, reticent fellow, not seeking any fame or glory for his accomplishment. I encouraged him to write a book about his journey, which ranks as one of the longest and most arduous canoe trips of any undertaken and I’m glad he finally did.”]