The Route West
John McDonell, a clerk for the Northwest Company, identified the routes between Grand Portage and Rainy Lake in the 1790s. Henry Hind in 1860 traced the route and provided more details than provided by McDonell.
| Name | Length | Distance from Lake Superior |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Portage | 8.16 miles | 8.16 miles |
| Pigeon River | 1.52 | 9.66 |
| Partridge Portage | 0.25 | 9.91 |
| Pigeon River | 4.25 | 14.16 |
| Decharge | 0.25 | 14.41 |
| Pigeon River | 1.75 | 16.16 |
| Décharge | 0.35 | 16.51 |
| Pigeon River | 3.13 | 19.64 |
| Fowl Portage | 1.13 | 20.77 |
| Fowl Lake | 4.55 | 25.32 |
| Moose Portage | 0.41 | 25.73 |
| Moose Lake | 4.25 | 29.98 |
| Great Cherry Portage | 0.48 | 30.46 |
| Lake | 0.25 | 30.71 |
| Mud Portage | 0.15 | 30.86 |
| Lake | 0.30 | 31.16 |
| Lesser Cherry Portage | 0.13 | 31.29 |
| Mountain Lake | 7.81 | 39.10 |
| Watap Portage | 0.30 | 39.40 |
| Watap Lake | 3.70 | 43.10 |
| Great New Portage | 1.46 | 44.56 |
| Rose Lake | 3.0 | 47.56 |
| Portage | 0.01 | 47.57 |
| Mud Lake | 2.62 | 50.19 |
| Portage | 0.21 | 50.40 |
| South Lake | 2.84 | 53.24 |
| Height of Land Portage | 0.26 | 53.50 miles (86.10 km) |
| Gun Flint Lake E. | 2.77 | 56.27 |
| Décharge | 0.01 | 56.28 |
| Gun Flint Lake W. | 8.92 | 65.20 |
| Rpd | 0.01 | 65.21 |
| Lake Strait | 0.25 | 65.46 |
| Little Rock Portage | 0.02 | 65.48 |
| Lake Strait | 0.75 | 66.23 |
| Rapid | 0.01 | 66.24 |
| Lake Strait | 0.25 | 66.49 |
| Mid-Fall Portage | 0.06 | 66.55 |
| Lake Strait | 0.25 | 66.80 |
| Island Portage | 0.29 | 67.09 |
| Lake | 1.35 | 68.44 |
| Rapid | 0.02 | 68.46 |
| Lake | 0.85 | 69.31 |
| Rapid | 0.07 | 69.38 |
| Lake Strait | 0.75 | 70.13 |
| Rapid | 0.05 | 70.18 |
| Lake Strait | 0.50 | 70.68 |
| Rapid | 0.40 | 70.72 |
| Lake Strait | 0.20 | 70.84 |
| Rapid | 0.01 | 70.85 |
| Lake Strait | 0.45 | 71.05 |
| Rapid | 0.01 | 71.06 |
| Lake Strait | 0.70 | 71.51 |
| Rapid | 0.02 | 71.53 |
| Lake | 5.35 | 76.88 |
| Décharge | 0.05 | 76.93 |
| Lake Strait | — | 77.63 |
| Portage | 0.01 | 77.64 |
| Lake Seiganagh | 10.07 | 87.71 |
| Portage | 0.01 | 87.72 |
| Swamp Lake | 0.82 | 88.54 |
| Swamp Portage | 0.24 | 88.78 |
| Cypress Lake | 5.35 | 94.13 |
| Portage | 0.02 | 94.15 |
| Knife Lake | 10.70 | 104.85 |
| Portage | 0.04 | 104.89 |
| Lake Strait | 0.20 | 105.09 |
| Portage | 0.09 | 105.18 |
| Lake | 0.60 | 105.78 |
| Carp Portage | 0.15 | 105.93 |
| Birch Lake | 4.0 | 109.03 |
| Portage | 0.11 | 110.04 |
| Basswood Lake | 16.00 | 126.04 |
| Portage | 0.10 | 126.14 |
| Lake Strait | 0.25 | 126.39 |
| Fir Portage | 0.20 | 126.59 |
| Lake Strait | 0.22 | 126.81 |
| Rapid | 0.04 | 126.85 |
| Lake Strait | 0.35 | 127.20 |
| Rapid | 0.02 | 127.22 |
| Lake Strait | 1.50 | 128.72 |
| Portage | 0.07 | 128.79 |
| Lake | 0.65 | 129.44 |
| Portage | 0.09 | 129.53 |
| Crooked Lake | 16.80 | 146.33 |
| Curtain-Fall Portage | 0.10 | 146.43 |
| Rapid | 0.03 | 146.46 |
| Iron Lake | 4.50 | 150.96 |
| Bottle Portage | 0.25 | 151.21 |
| Nequaquon Lake | 22.10 | 173.31 |
| Portage | 0.02 | 173.43 |
| Lake | 5.60 | 179.03 |
| Portage | 0.15 | 179.18 |
| Lake Strait | 0.50 | 179.68 |
| Portage | 0.04 | 179.72 |
| Loon's Narrows | 7.60 | 187.32 |
| Sand Point Lake | 9.67 | 196.99 |
| Nameukan Lake | 5.20 | 202.19 |
| Nu. Portage | 0.08 | 202.27 |
| Lakelet | 0.25 | 202.52 |
| Portage | 0.14 | 202.66 |
| Lake Strait | 5.20 | 207.86 miles (334.52 km) |
Read more about this topic: Grand Portage National Monument
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—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
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—Rebecca West (1892–1983)