Lake Superior’s western shore

There may be a couple of more older post that you never received an email about.

Note: nothing has a date or anything like that, it’s hard to be motivated when your melting UGH then combine that with SLOW to no internet to download pictures, double UGH!!!!!

We didn’t do much in Northern Minnesota, it was HOT, then we hit the west coast of Lake Superior where I watched the temperature on the van go from 84 degrees down to sometimes as low as 58. Like other popular areas campsites were almost hard to come by.

At the Cascade River State Park, the only campground we stayed 2 nights in we had to move spots, but that was ok because we were exploring durning the day.

This is a mostly picture post. More words and pictures below.

High Falls of the Pigeon River US Canada Border, this is what they had to portage around.

9 miles, to and over this gap in the hills, picture below. Can you imagine carrying not one but 2 90 pound packs up and over the 9 mile portage. The 2 90 packs (180 pounds) are just the company goods, not counting your food and any other supplies for your own comfort. UGH!!!!

from this site https://www.canoetripping.net/threads/voyageur-portage-loads-still-almost-unbelievable.127184/

I knew the voyageurs carried a bit of weight, but I’m reading Adney and Chapelle’s “The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America” and this description really drove it home.

“The term pacton was applied to the packs made up ready for portage; they were ordinarily made up of two or more packages, so the weight carried was at the very least 180 pounds. No self-respecting voyageur would carry less, as it would be disgraceful to be so weak. The pacton was carried by means of a collier, or tump-line similar to that used to portage canoes. …..The pacton was lifted and placed so that it rested in the small of the carrier’s back with its weight borne by the hips. The ends of the collier were tied to the pacton so as to hold it in place, with the broad central band around the the carrier’s forehead. On top of the pacton was placed a loose package, cassette, or perhaps a keg. The total load amounted to 270 pounds on average if the trail was good; the maximum on record is 630 pounds. With his body leaning forward to support the load, the carrier sprang forward in a quick trot, using short, quick paces, and moved at about 5 miles an hour over a good trail. A carrier was expected to make more than one trip over the portage, as a rule.”

But don’t try this at home…

“The traditional picture of the fur-trade voyageur as a happy, carefree adventurer was hardly a true one, at least in the 19th century. With poor food hastily prepared, back-breaking loads, and continual exposure, his lot was a very hard one at best. The monstrous packs usually brought physical injury and the working life of a packer was very short.”

We took a guided tour of the Split Rock Lighthouse. Built in 1910. At that time there was no roads in the area so everything to build the light house and the 3 keepers houses were hoisted up the cliff, this included monthly supplies for years after the lighthouse was built.

We wanted to stay a night in Duluth Minnesota but the park was FULL of course.

The end