Portage Into The Past

by J. Arnold Bolz

The wilderness of the Boundary Waters is as rich in history as it is in natural beauty. French Canadian voyageurs traveled through this area, which is bordered by both the United States and Canada, almost 300 years ago, paddling birch-bark canoes along the St. Lawrence-Superior route to northwestern Canada. In this classic work of travel and adventure, Bolz recounts a journey he took in 1958, retracing the voyageurs' route from Grand Portage on Lake Superior through the Quetico-Superior country to Rainy Lake. His canoe and paddle served as a time machine as he re-created a trip first taken centuries ago. Beautifully illustrated by Francis Lee Jaques, Portage into the Past draws from the journals and maps of the early explorers of the region. Today's adventurers of the north country will treasure this classic volume, an ideal guidebook for the region's remarkable past.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

Reviews

[Patrick DiSanto · Rating 2 out of 5]

🥱

[Tom Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having canoed and portaged these waters in the past, this book helped to place the significant historical perspective that I lacked at the time. I would recommend reading Portage into the Past for anyone who has or is planning a trip to the BWCA or Quetico. These routes were used quite heavily for the last 300 years.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Try Canoeing With the Cree instead.

[Dick Aichinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have an earlier edition of this book. Canoing the border between Minnesota and Canada. Links to the past fur trading days.

[Brittany]

Read during a week-long canoe trip in Boundary Waters. Gave delightful contextual perspective!