Bemidji - an Ojibwe term meaning "lake with crossing waters" has the distinction of being the first city one encounters paddling from the headwaters of the Mississippi ,which is 65 river miles away. For many would be explorers this has become a challenge, to see who could cover the distance in the shortest amount of time. In 1962 the first recorded time of 27 hours and 15 minutes was achieved by a group from Chicago. This record stood the test of many would be paddlers for over forty years until Dr.Terry Hanson (a native of Bemidji) now a resident of Memphis, Tennessee broke the existing record with a time of 18 hours and 6 minutes. He was assisted by William Fargnot using ultra light bent shaft paddles in a 16 foot Old Town canoe. Chris Johnson from Grand Forks, North Dakota followed in a kayak to verify the new world record set on June 5th, 2002. To our knowledge this time still stands today. If anyone is aware of a shorter time please contact us through this web site.

The mighty Mississippi flows north, crosses Lake Bemidji and then turns south on it's journey to the gulf. From this cache location one can see where this river enters the city proper and marks the finish line for the Itasca challenge. If you happen to be standing on the leeward side of the cache, then you can claim the distinction of being "north" of the river.
Visit Bemidji’s Homepage for more information on things to see and do in this great area.