Ultimate Hugh Heward Challenge 2009

Home | About Us | Contact Us | Board Members | Getting Involved | Fund Raising Events | Portland River Fest Canoe&Kayak Race | Kruger Challenge 2008 | Kruger Rally 100 | Ultimate Hugh Heward Challenge 2009 | 50 mile Hugh Heward Challenge | Bushwhacker 2008 Results | Manistee 150 | Links

                          April 17th to May 9th

In the spring of 1790 British trader Hugh Heward, together with seven French-Canadian paddlers in two birchbark canoes, departed Detroit on a trip that would take them to the Chicago Portage and then via the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers to the Mississippi. Instead of following the usual exploration and fur trade route north through Lake Huron and the Straits of Makinaw then south through Lake Michigan, the Heward party went downstream on the Detroit River into Lake Erie, then upstream on the Huron River. They eventually worked their way to the divide between the Lake Erie and Lake Michigan watersheds, portaged their canoes and goods into a tributary of the Grand River and then paddled down the Grand to Lake Michigan. In effect, they took a shortcut across Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Once in Lake Michigan they skirted the coast east and south all the way to Chicago.

As history has shown us and often was the case in those days, Heward's party ran into a misunderstanding with some Native folks over fair trade agreements and had to rush their journey down the first stretch of the Grand River. Heward and his men did outrun the Natives and because of this small misunderstanding they ended up paddling over 50 miles in a single day, a distance that Michigan Historian and Topologist Jim Woodruff found very interesting and quite amazing. Jim, being a very good friend of Verlen's, brought this historical information to Verlen and asked him to re-enact Heward's race down the Grand River. Verlen jumped at the chance to prove it could be done and since then there has been a growing number of paddlers that re-enact that 50 mile run down the Grand River on the annuall Hugh Heward Challenge.  

In addition to the annual 50 mile Hugh Heward Challenge the Verlen Kruger Memorial would like to introduce a much longer and more difficult Challenge in 2009. The Ultimate Hugh Heward Challenge will follow the original route of the Heward party from Detroit to Chicago including an 8 mile overland portage from the Huron River watershed to the Grand River watershed. This Challenge will include many different water conditions including up river travel, big open water on Lake Michigan and Lake Erie, many difficult portages and adverse springtime weather. This Challenge is for experienced paddlers. 

                      

Kruger Style Rules

- Unassisted by any and all preplanned shore crews except at official checkpoints.

-Self supported at all times. Challengers must carry their own gear and supplies for entire length of Challenge. This includes over water and portage miles.    

-Craft must be Expedition ready and able to handle big open water and upriver travel.

-Wheels for portaging are allowed and encouraged and must be carried by the Challenger the entire length of the challenge.

-Sails are allowed.

-Challengers will be able to pick up open water lake gear at CP2 for the final 150 miles to Chicago. 

-Challengers must raise $500 as entree fee that will go directly to the Verlen Kruger Memorial Project. 


Checkpoints

There are two Checkpoints along the route.

The first will be at the Thompson Field canoe landing in Portland, the future site of the Verlen Kruger Memorial Statue. This is about 195 miles into the Challenge and the finish site for the annual Hugh Heward Challenge. Camping will be available for Ultimate Challengers and thier support crew.
 
The second will be in the town of Grand Haven, just before we enter Lake Michigan. Challengers will be allowed to take on additional open water gear including sail rigs. Camping will also be available here for Challenger and support crew.  

Cell Phone coverage is great along the entire route, we will ask Challengers to stay in contact with folks at home as well as Challenge Organizers so we can update progress for all those interested. 



Much more information to come. Please contact Mark or Dan with questions and comments. 


Contact Dan or Mark here

  •             Place                                                 Miles
  • Detroit to Huron River mouth                          22
  • Huron River mouth to start of portage             67
  • start of portage to Grand River                        20
  • Grand River to Thompson Field (CP1)              86
  • Thompson Field to Grand Haven(CP2)             129
  • Grand Haven to Chicago                                 151
  • Total Miles                                                              475

For more information on Hugh Heward and his journey please contact our history buff Jim Woodruff. 

TheTopologist@sbcglobal.net

Copyright 2008, Verlen Kruger Memorial