Grand Finale on the Grand Portage

My son Aidan and I journeyed back to the BWCA last month to tackle the hardest part of the Voyageur’s Highway: The Grand Portage. I wrote about our trip for the Star Tribune:

At some point on the 9 miles along the Grand Portage Trail, with a 69-pound canoe burrowing into my shoulders, I stopped noticing the bites of mosquitoes and black flies, the squish of muddy water in my boots, and the sting of sweat and sunscreen in my eyes. Instead I focused on putting one foot in front of the other and getting to the next pose — that's French voyageur lingo for a resting spot — so that I could get a brief break before starting on the next leg of the march.

The thought crept into my mind: Why am I doing this? And why am I subjecting my 15-year-old son to this agony? Because, I told myself, we had to finish what we started last summer.

Read the rest HERE.