Pride will be on the line at the upcoming Gunflint Trail canoe races. Canoe racers—those that actually race, that is—have been out practicing since the ice went out a month or so ago. The big Gunflint Trail Canoe Races are scheduled for Wednesday, July 18, starting at 4:30 p.m. at Gunflint Lodge. This is a huge fundraiser for the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department and it promises to be a whole lot of fun, so don’t miss it.
In 1976, friends and neighbors on the upper Gunflint Trail organized the first Gunflint Trail Canoe Races to raise money for worthy causes benefiting all on the Trail. Since then only one year was cancelled – 1999 – when the great BWCA Blowdown occurred just a few days before the scheduled races.
This year the Gunflint Trail Canoe Races will be held at the Gunflint Lodge on the south shore of Gunflint Lake, Wednesday, July 18, beginning at 4:30 p.m. The underlying mission of the races is to support the efforts and growth of the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department (GTVFD).
According to GTVFD Chief Jim Morrison, “Funds from the Canoe Races support GTVFD Emergency Medical Services. We have ordered a new ambulance. It is a type 1 Ford 450, 4×4. It will also have a Stryker power cot and loader. These additions will make for much safer operations for responders and patients. This vehicle will also provide a much gentler ride to town.
“We have also added glucagon,” notes Morrison, “which is an IM injection for folks who are having a diabetic crisis and are unconscious. With the increasing problem with opioid overdose we have also added Narcan. Thanks to all the donations we receive from the community we are able to provide these services and continue to upgrade them.”
There’s something for everyone at the 2018 Gunflint Trail Canoe Races
. Fifteen (15) canoe races for multiple ages and abilities and plenty of space to cheer on your favorites from Trail resorts and campsites. All are welcome to register onsite. Bring your own canoe and paddles. . A food tent with delicious, well-priced BBQ and more, prepared and served by Gunflint Lodge staff, will make for a great supper on the Trail. Food service starts at 4:30 p.m. . Auctions—both silent and live. Items will come from up and down the Trail and throughout Cook County, including many hand-made treasures. One highlight of the live auction will be a hand-made quilt, created from souvenir T-shirts of resorts along the Trail. . A commemorative, fundraising 2018 Canoe Races T-shirt will be available onsite and at Trail Center on weekends before the Races for just $20. . Last but not least, a lucky $5 raffle ticket holder will win a bright yellow Current Designs Solara 120 kayak, worth $800! Winner to be announced just after the concluding fun-to-watch Gunnel Canoe Race. The kayak will be on display at Trail Center prior to the races. Raffle tickets are available at numerous resorts and from volunteers.
An active committee of the Gunflint- Seagull-Saganaga Property Owners Associations, working with volunteers from up and down the Trail, has made the races a success for 40 years. This year’s overall chairman, Bob Baker Sr. of Gunflint Lake, notes, “the Canoe Races are a true expression of how our Gunflint Trail community works together to make living in the wilderness better and better each year, for residents and visitors alike.”
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