20-year-old solo circumnavigates Lake Superior in 42 days, spurred by climate change awareness

A triple-major at the College of St. Scholastica may be both the fastest and the youngest person to kayak around Lake Superior, and he hopes the 1,000-mile expedition will draw more attention to the effects of climate change in Minnesota.

Last summer, Cale Prosen’s adventure of the season was a thru-hike along the Superior Hiking Trail. This year, with little to no kayaking experience, he decided to take on another giant expedition, hitting the water within 48 hours of finishing his final exams in mid-May.

“It was about experiencing the raw nature” and spending time in an impermanent environment, he told MPR News.

Prosen saved up for the trip by putting in hundreds of hours as a caregiver at an assisted living facility, mostly in dementia care. He spent the past year saving money, buying gear, doing research and talking to others who had made the journey by kayak or canoe. He became a vegan. Prosen started a blog two days before the Superior trip, documenting his journey with almost daily posts and photos.

Spring, full of rain and storms, provided unforgettable moments.

“Sometimes it was just crazy, especially on June 18th. Those storms that shake the shore are really crazy,” Prosen recalled. “I woke up in a pond. I got caught in a flash flood when I was trying to set up camp, and the water rose about seven feet in two hours. Pretty crazy.”

In most cases, however, Prosen said he was able to anticipate inclement weather and quickly get to a place where he could leave the lake. Regardless, the storms did not derail his mission.

“I think that, like climate change and its effects, I want my message and my takeaways from all of this to be about everything,” Prosen said. “Focusing on my kayaking skills and adventures is not what’s important to all of us, and I think climate change is having a big impact on Lake Superior, and I wanted to bring advocacy and action to that.”

As a third-year student at St. Scholastica, Prosen is pursuing a degree in biology, chemistry, and science education. Although he is not entirely sure what his career path will be after college, Prosen knows that nature will inspire him.

“I hope to become an educator or advocate in the future who will try to protect nature.”

What’s next on your adventure list?

“We’ll see. I haven’t decided yet.”