Foreword / Bill Hansen -- Preface -- Beginnings and middles without endings -- Changing times, early humans, Ice Age animals, Native American populations, explorer P.G. Downes, eagles and brilliant stars -- Beavers and voyageurs -- River canoeing and Ernest Oberholtzer, the little man who defeated an industrial giant -- An invasion of mice, five legendary figures of the Boundary Waters and morning fog -- Just dad and me, the Gunflint Trail, more historical figures and my men's group -- One dramatic rescue, peace and solitude on South Temperance and a good talk on retirement campsite -- Lake Two Fire, Table Rock, Indian names and the song of a loon -- A new used canoe, an old friend, end of the fire-suppression period, pictographs on Fishdance Lake, raging rapids, a wilderness canoe repair shop and Alice Lake at last -- My brother Larry's return trip, thoughts on portaging, and evening canoe ride and things that go bump in the night -- Concentric rings, chili cans and the ticket -- The Sawbill Trail and declining moose -- The Sag Corridor Wildfire, Boundary Waters boomers and the end of the known world -- A fishless trip and a pack-ripping bear -- The beginning of a seven-year run, too many fish to count, no campfires and the Old Sawbill-Alton Trail -- Climbing the Brule Boulders, the Fourth of July storm and the longest day in history -- A tumble, more good weather, a broken rod, Eddy's return, a bawling moose, a plethora of smallmouth on Grace and a waxing moon -- The foursome reassembled, canoe teamwork, partial fire ban and one lost dad on the Banadad -- An unfortunate ending to a "great and glorious run" -- Fickle fish, canoeing without dad and no happy hour -- Cellphone emergency calls, the disappearance of an experienced outdoorsman and changing times -- Dad and Eddy once again, the Cavity Lake Fire and one pathetic bear -- Anger run amok, the Ham Lake Fire, Kate and Markus, simmering heat and a blazing finish to a "great and glorious run."