Ski For Fire journey ends successfully in Grand Portage at Lake Superior

Ty Olson completed his 250-mile journey across the boundary waters border lakes this week. He ended his journey at Lake Superior at Grand Portage.

Olson called his trip ‘Ski For Fire‘ and raised more than $43,000 to buy firewood for the Pine Ridge Reservation. He teamed with the nonprofit organization One Spirit, a group of volunteers and tribal members who provide aid and assistance to the Lakota people.

Olson spent the past month pulling his gear on sleds as he traveled on skis through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and across other border lakes in Minnesota. The journey took him 27 days, crossing of 35 lakes and more than two dozen portages along the way. Olson arrive to Lake Superior just before 3 p.m. on March 9. Temperatures varied dramatically during his trip, ranging from 40 below zero in February to nearly 50 degrees when the trip ended in Grand Portage.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs was there to meet Olson during the final stretch of his journey. On the shores of Lake Superior, members of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa presented Olson with a blanket that came from Pine Ridge to honor his efforts.

The audio below is recorded within the first hour of Olson reaching Lake Superior.

Joe Friedrichs March 10, 2021