Written by Zach Osmek
The Trans Superior Traverse is a human-powered expedition around Lake Superior completed by canoe, foot, and bicycle. The route is divided into three legs: a 180-mile paddle through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness along the Minnesota–Canadian border, a 320-mile thru-hike of the Superior Hiking Trail from the Canadian border through Duluth, and a 1,300-mile bikepacking journey around Lake Superior through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Canada.
This trip report covers the first leg of the Traverse: a 180-mile canoe journey through the Boundary Waters. Traveling west to east along the historic Border Route, we paddled and portaged our way across some of the most remote and beautiful wilderness in the country. What began as the opening chapter of a much larger expedition quickly became an adventure of its own, filled with long days, challenging portages, incredible campsites, and unforgettable moments in the Northwoods.
We launched from Crane Lake on May 31st at the far western edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Our goal was simple: reach Lake Superior, nearly 190 miles to the east, by June 10th. Over the next ten days, we crossed more than 50 lakes, carried our canoes and gear over 14 miles of portages, and eventually navigated the historic Pigeon River before completing the 8.5-mile Grand Portage to Lake Superior—a route traveled for centuries by Native Americans and later by French Voyageurs during the fur trade era.
Most days followed a similar rhythm. We woke around 6:00 a.m., cooked breakfast, broke camp by 8:00, and spent the day paddling until 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening. With Canada on our left and the United States on our right, we traveled between 18 and 25 miles each day through a landscape shaped by water, rock, and wilderness. By the time we reached Lake Superior, we had completed the first leg of the Trans Superior Traverse and set the stage for the miles still to come.
This expedition had been more than a year and a half in the making. Countless hours were spent studying maps, refining routes, testing gear, training, dehydrating meals, and preparing for what would become the first leg of the expedition. With all that preparation, nothing compared to the feeling of pushing away from the dock at Crane Lake for the first time. With each stroke of the paddle, the planning phase faded into the background and the journey finally became real.
Ahead of us stretched nearly 200 miles of interconnected lakes, rivers, and portages. Between our starting point and Lake Superior lay ten days of wilderness travel through some of the most remote country in Minnesota. There would be no shortcuts, no easy exits, and no guarantees beyond the next bend in the shoreline.
One of the most fascinating parts of the Border Route was the history woven into the landscape. On Lac La Croix Lake, we stopped to view ancient Ojibwe pictographs painted high on the cliffs of the Canadian shoreline. Some of these markings are believed to be hundreds of years old, serving as reminders that people have traveled these waterways long before modern maps, lightweight gear, and Kevlar canoes. The following day, more pictographs appeared along the cliffs of Crooked Lake, connecting us to generations of travelers who came before us.
The route itself was a constant mix of paddling and portaging. Along the way, we bypassed powerful waterfalls including Basswood Falls, Curtain Falls, and Rose Falls, carrying our canoes and gear around stretches of fast-moving water. After crossing the Laurentian Divide, we transitioned into a watershed flowing toward Lake Superior, knowing that every mile from that point forward brought us closer to our destination.
Wind became one of the defining challenges of the trip. The long, narrow lakes of the Boundary Waters often run west to east, but on seven of our eleven days we found ourselves paddling directly into the wind. Progress was slow, and every mile felt earned on these days. On two days, however, the wind shifted in our favor and pushed us eastward, allowing us to make up valuable distance. The remaining days brought calm conditions, transforming the lakes into mirrors that perfectly reflected the blue sky and scattered clouds above.
Ironically, the most difficult day of the trip was supposed to be one of the shortest. After leaving South Fowl Lake on day 10, we entered the Pigeon River and began the final push toward Lake Superior. Our maps ended, the route became less traveled, and what should have been a straightforward day quickly turned into an adventure. It took nearly four hours just to locate the first portage around a set of rapids. From there, we carried our gear for nearly a mile before putting back into the river.
The next ten miles demanded our full attention. We navigated swift currents, ran rapids, dodged rocks, and worked to keep our lightweight Kevlar canoes intact. By the time we reached camp around 8:00 p.m., we were physically exhausted but also energized by the realization that Lake Superior was finally within reach.
Although the canoe leg is the shortest of the three stages of the Trans Superior Traverse, it tested us in countless ways. For ten days we were completely off the grid, carrying everything we needed and relying only on our preparation, teamwork, and determination. Every evening, as we studied the map and reflected on the miles behind us, there was a deep sense of satisfaction in knowing we were making steady progress toward a goal that had once seemed impossibly far away.
With Lake Superior finally reached and the first leg complete, there was little time to celebrate. With one day in between to repack our gear, the next morning we would begin Leg 2: a 320-mile thru-hike of the Superior Hiking Trail. The adventure was only getting started.
