Gotta cheer on our man "Magicpaddler" as he attempts this border route challenge in under 7 days.  I'm not sure exactly where he's starting but the route follows the border lakes and ends with the 9 mile Grand Portage at Lake Superior. 

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I talked with Lawrence a bit about this and he intends to do 14 hour days on the water.  He will single portage his Placid Lake "Rapidfire" canoe.  He figures an hour each to set up and tear down camp will give him 8 hours sleep each night in his hammock.  He's going very bare bones as far as packing.  Minimal clothing and no stove.  Cold cereal (with coffee in the milk) and homemade peanut butter bars to eat on the trail, that's it.  He plans to only bring one 230 cm kayak paddle. 

I'm witness first hand that this man is a beast on the water and on the trail and I fully expect him to complete this in the time requirement. Go Lawrence!!

TomT wrote on Sep 13^th, 2019 at 3:05am:

Gotta cheer on our man "Magicpaddler" as he attempts this border route challenge in under 7 days.  I'm not sure exactly where he's starting but the route follows the border lakes and ends with the 9 mile Grand Portage at Lake Superior.    (You need to Login or Register   (You need to Login or Register

Great pic, TomT, of our gnome, "The Magic Man"!

Jimbo  8-)

Go, MP!! You are an inspiration  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

And the beard is an excellent look  8-)
ml

Wishing you well Lawrence!   

.......Mike

MuleLars wrote on Sep 13^th, 2019 at 3:30pm:

Go, MP!! You are an inspiration  [smiley=thumbsup.gif] And the beard is an excellent look  8-) ml

Do you know what they call a MAN without some facial hair?

A WOMAN !   ;) ;D ;D

  Good Luck MP and stay safe  8-)

Make us proud!

I KNOW you can do it!

Fair winds, my friend.

dd

Love that pic! Go Magic Man! You can probably develop a presentation for Copia on Geriatric Paddling. We’re pulling for ya! 8-) 8-)

So when does this voyage begin? End?

Sounds like the border route needs to be renamed. Perhaps The St Lawrence Seaway. Lake Superior resembles a freshwater sea. 8-)

Received a SPOT message from Lawrence just before 8 AM this morning. He was positioned at the edge of Crane Lake so I believe that was the purpose of the message... he was getting ready to start.

FYI

Jimbo.  8-)

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They say in the info it's NOT a race but it sure sounds like one to me. Lot's of great water your blowing right thru. I could see doing it like a typical Q trip for most of us. I'm just not that competitive to do it the way they do.

I wish MP all the best and hope he gets out of it what he set out too.

Thanks Jim.  Keep us posted. 

MagicPaddler is actually in the "Minnesota Voyageurs Challenge 2019."  It starts on Crane Lake and finishes at Grand Portage.  Magic was actually scouting out portages (& alternative portages) for this event during our VERY recent (ie. he came off the water on Wednesday!) 14 day adventure up into North Bay, Sarah, McIntyre, Burt, Robinson, etc.. 

Here are some additional helpful links to this particular challenge:   (You need to Login or Register AND especially   (You need to Login or Register .  The latter link will actually show where Magic was at the time of the last update.

I think this event could be viewed in numerous ways.  Obviously, wind, wave & other conditions are dynamic and vary significantly from participant to participant and from time to time so the "playing field" is never level for those that view it as a "race."  Others may view it as a test of skills.  For others, it is a test of stamina (the sponsor doesn't arrange your return trip unless you muscle through the event within the prescribed time period).  I guess "challenge" IS probably the best word to sum up what this thing is.

FYI

Jimbo   8-)

When does he need to finish to meet his ride?

Let’s do a little cyber cheer!

Magic, Magic, he’s our man!
Paddle paddle fast as you can!

Magic Magic, break some wind!
Lake Superior’s round the last bend!

Pounds of cereal and peanut butter!
Chased by bears and the occasional otter!

Magic Magic trolling line!
Sushi waldos taste just fine!

Repeat! 8-)

OS that cheer is outstanding. 😃😃

Magic mentioned 7 days being the requirement for the shuttle. He’s very serious about making it in time. So much that yes, he’s actually incorporated his instant coffee and Nido (powdered milk) in his cereal packages. He mentioned by doing this he saves a step by not preparing the coffee separately. The dude is hardcore. And, he’s the only tripper I know who routinely wears his pfd as a layer of warmth around camp. “Practical” should be his middle name. Another example - during the recent 2 week trip he drank water with all his meals. I asked why he didn’t flavor his water and got “cuz it’s one more thing I have to carry”. 

I have little doubt that Lawrence will finish on time. The guy is strong both physically and most importantly, between the ears.  8-)

Yup, I know Lawrence we’ll. We tripped together over a decade ago. I was amazed as you are about his strength and resolve. We did a joint presentation at Copia a few years ago and when we had some technical issues, he just took the lead and began presenting from memory. That, of course, challenged me to step up and do the same. The way it went was that he took my part, and I took part of his part. I wisely deferred to him to discuss the use of batteries in a fish finder.

Here’s another little ditty, to the tune of ‘Home on the Range’.

Oh give me a Gnome
Where the fishes do roam
And the paddling lasts all day

Gnome, gnome on the lake.
Where the moose and the otters do play.

Where ‘solitude’ is heard
An encouraging word
And the fishing is good all day  8-)

Magic has the lead right now.  He did have a different starting point than the Kruger challengers but right now our guy is out front.  The 14 hour day thing would have me swinging in my hammock right now nursing my canoe butt.  ;D 

Looks like the weather is warm and the winds will be mainly south and SW.  Light today at 6mph but getting into the teens after today. 

Magic’s SPOT Message at @6:30am this morning puts him at Prairie Portage this morning.  He’s really flying!

Jimbo   8-)

A little help here? What am I looking at?

---

I think if you open the link, the left column has the listings of event....click on MNVC2019.  The thrid column has list of challengers and you click on Magicpaddler.  Then last column allows you to see various things on the map.  For example, click show tracks and all waypoints, then click on "regenerate" and the map shows MP's on Saganaga getting ready to head down the gunflint lakes....

MP is moving really fast...anyone know when he started....I thought he said Saturday, which means he's gone from Crane Lake to Sag in 3 days....is that right?  Holy cow!!

db wrote on Sep 16^th, 2019 at 8:57pm:

A little help here? What am I looking at?

The upper left shows the Longer Kruger Challenge at the top and the Voyageuers Challenge just below. If you click the Voyageur Challenge you can then find magicpaddler. There’s options to what info from his SPOT that you can see. Pick an option and then click the regenerate button to see his tracks.

Looks like Magic has been passed by the BeaV group and also another solo. A guy named Muddyfeet. They are all  doing the Kruger Challenge and have ran this in previous years. In August BeaV and his paddling partner Kendra set the record for the Kruger Challenge at 63 hours. These people navigate with a map and compass at night. Magic has told me he won't do this.  8-)

Old Salt wrote on Sep 14^th, 2019 at 4:01pm:

When does he need to finish to meet his ride? Let’s do a little cyber cheer! Magic, Magic, he’s our man! Paddle paddle fast as you can! Magic Magic, break some wind! Lake Superior’s round the last bend! Pounds of cereal and peanut butter! Chased by bears and the occasional otter! Magic Magic trolling line! Sushi waldos taste just fine! Repeat! 8-)

Here here! Cheers to you Lawrence and safe travels.
-QFL

Magic is really getting after it this morning.  He was camped in Big Saganaga near Rose Island but left before dawn to reach Saganaga Falls when it was still dark at 5:30 AM.  That must have been a cool paddle.

I have been following Magics progress on Watertribe too. What a stud at 73 years old. 

GO MAGIC GO!

Is this one of those things that people do because others can see them (SPOT)? A PLB is a requirement?

There is just something intrinsically wrong about this in my brain in this context  that I can't properly vocalize.

Go Magic and safe travels to one and all.

The OP with beard and the hat? That's a winning look for sure.

I believe that having a SPOT is a requirement for Watertribe events....apparently one of the reasons for some of these events (derby?) a few years ago was to give participants practice using SPOT messages correctly....makes one wonder if SPOT is a sponsoring organization....

pine_knot wrote on Sep 17^th, 2019 at 7:51pm:

I believe that having a SPOT is a requirement for Watertribe events....apparently one of the reasons for some of these events (derby?) a few years ago was to give participants practice using SPOT messages correctly....makes one wonder if SPOT is a sponsoring organization....

  Don't you get some kind of reward/medal for finishing them is a certain time frame? I thought I read there were MANDATORY checkpoints you use the SPOT so they can see from your GPS points that your actually doing the course?

You know without some way to verify people doing it there would be a few lowlifes like in those marathon races that claim they did the whole race but didn't.

So Magic is camped on Moose Lake after doing the long (2 mile?) portage from Mountain Lake.  Tomorrow will most likely be the Pigeon River and my guess is he'll tackle the Grand Portage and finish on Friday. 

I wonder how he's feeling right about now?  Is he psyched to be near the finish or just dreading what's left?  I gave him the advice of packing a few more of his trail bars just in case his food ran low near the end.  That 9 mile portage is said to be full of slick mud since the big rain of a couple nights ago.  I hope he's feeling strong.  :-/

TomT wrote on Sep 19^th, 2019 at 2:17am:

So Magic is camped on Moose Lake after doing the long (2 mile?) portage from Mountain Lake.  Tomorrow will most likely be the Pigeon River and my guess is he'll tackle the Grand Portage and finish on Friday.  I wonder how he's feeling right about now?  Is he psyched to be near the finish or just dreading what's left?  I gave him the advice of packing a few more of his trail bars just in case his food ran low near the end.  That 9 mile portage is said to be full of slick mud since the big rain of a couple nights ago.  I hope he's feeling strong.  :-/

Good question, TomT.  As of 4:45am this morning (Thursday), he was already on the Portage to North Fowl Lake (per his SPOT Message).  So, he’s still on his “start-before-dawn” game plan.  Weather should cooperate w/him today.  However, I’m hoping he’s on that last long Portage early tomorrow morning as they’re calling for significant storms by the afternoon.

Jimbo.  8-)

Pretty incredible what Lawrence is doing.  Gotta tell ya...my hat's off to him. 

mpeebles wrote on Sep 19^th, 2019 at 1:39pm:

Pretty incredible what Lawrence is doing.  Gotta tell ya...my hat's off to him.

Yeah this is all new water to him too. The Pigeon River should be a fun ride for him today. I’ve Heard that Ben (nctry) is camped near Ft. Charlotte where the grand portage begins and is welcoming the challengers as they go past.

Our Gnome on the lake is making good time on the Pigeon River and closing in on the Grand Portage’. Will he do it today? Or camp and do it tomorrow? 8-)

At 3:29pm this afternoon MagicPaddler checked in at the Grand Portage Trail Head, per the SPOT Message I just received from him a few minutes ago.

That crazy old dude just might try to complete the 8+ miles of portaging yet TODAY!  I wouldn't put it past him....

Ditto to others re: "hat's off" to Lawrence.  He's my hero!

Jimbo   8-)

What’s he got to lose? If he portages today, and darkness over takes him, he can just Camp beside the trail and finish tomorrow. If he finishes tonight, he can find a hot meal and a warm bed and shower. 8-)

It's 6:00 pm so it looks like he's camping at the trailhead.  I'm sure he will have stories to tell.  I wanna know how his coffee cereal went down every morning.  :o (where's the gag emoticon when you need it).  ;D

TomT wrote on Sep 19^th, 2019 at 11:01pm:

It's 6:00 pm so it looks like he's camping at the trailhead.  I'm sure he will have stories to tell.  I wanna know how his coffee cereal went down every morning.  :o (where's the gag emoticon when you need it).  ;D

Yup, he and Ben are probably swapping stories by the fire. He has earned a little down time to rest up for tomorrow. I can’t imagine actually liking that concoction. :o

I suspect OS was right about he & Ben sitting around the fire last night.  I forgot about Ben heading in to greet him.  Anyway, it looks like MP was about 1/3 through the Grand Portage, as of the last check-in @10am this morning.  It appears he'll have to cross a couple county highways to complete the portage; now THAT will just HAVE to feel a bit weird, dodging cars with a canoe on your head.  Of course, I doubt he'll see any up there.

It's a good bet he'll be looking for a pick-up at the end of the trail before mid-afternoon, depending on trail conditions & weather.

Re: the discussion about MP's choice to mix coffee into his cereal over on the other thread, well... that's a bit TOO hard core for me, just to eliminate the weight of a tin coffee cup!

Jimbo   8-)

MagicPaddler's SPOT message, received 2:07pm, today (Friday 9/20), indicates he has arrived at Grand Portage.  He has completed the Challenge... and in a damn good time, too!

That's one heckuva summer, MP.  Congratulations!!!

Jimbo   8-)

Congrats to you MP!
I guess this proves for at least ONE of us, that 70+ is the new 50 +.   ;) ;D ;D

70+=70+! Congrats Magic! Obviously, our cyber cheer was effective. Uplifting to all of us that you took on this challenge and were successful. We hope you will fill us in after some well deserved rest and celebration. 8-) 8-) 8-)

Congrats MP! 

Way to go MP!

Awesome Lawrence, congrats!  Now sleep my friend, sleeeep.......

MagicPaddler, you are indeed MAGIC!!   Congratulations on a great finish--and also, I love the beard!

Lynda

Magic ... u da man!  Congratulations

There are some of us who are clearly “wired “ differently.  You are obviously pulling more “amps” than the rest of us.  But despite all that, this achievement is phenomenal.  Congratulations, my friend!  WELL DONE!!


You have again achieved knighthood status.

dd

Way to go Lawrence! Amazing...

DentonDoc wrote on Sep 21^st, 2019 at 3:04pm:

clearly “wired “ differently.

I still think you're nuts, Magic ;) but I'll add my hearty congratulations to the list as well! You accomplished what you set out to do and it does sound pretty dang impressive. You certainly earned the right to be very proud of yourself!

So... would you do it again?

Impressive paddle, Lawrence!!  If you do choose to do it again, I'll plan to start with you and chase you across the lakes and portages....just like a couple weeks ago...   :)

I second the nuts but mightily impressed category- really something Lawrence.

WOW !!!

I can only hope I'm kickin' it like you are in another 20 years Lawrence!  Well done my friend.

pd

Well done, Lawrence!!! You are indeed Magic!
ml

It is all a blur as to what happened where.  Somewhere around Gunflint Lake I stopped for the day about 4PM.  That was because I had taken a bad fall skinning my shin and smacking my elbow on a rock wall and the wind was blowing hard.  Another time I took a wrong fork of a portage and ended up at a beautiful overlook. Great view but don’t take your canoe up there.

Was the weather too warm at times?  How was the coffee cereal and what else did you eat?  Would you do it again?

TomT wrote on Sep 25^th, 2019 at 4:26pm:

Was the weather too warm at times?  How was the coffee cereal and what else did you eat?  Would you do it again?

The first 3 days I got hot on portages which slowed me down. 
The coffee cereal got the job done.  Homemade nut bars were ok but I got tired of them.  Cliff bars sucked.
Would I do it again?? Can’t answer that now.