From winning a survival camping test to spending the summer working in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minn. as assistant guides, our 2 teen boys in this book face rough portages, learning to be camp cooks and fishing guides. Mark and Bob work for a wilderness outfitter who has set up a back country experience for a group of clients with disabilities. Set in the early 1970s, we travel with the pair from Iron Mountain MI all the way to Ely MN and home again. This story is a fictionalized account of an adventuresome summer spent learning about the challenges of nature, it's beauty and how being tested can bond friendships. The author brings his own teen years and the influence of an incredible teacher into play as he weaves interactions with family and friends into the story. Plus Mark, the main character, also experiences "dream" sequences back to the early 1800s and the voyageurs during the fur trade era. Truly a book for all ages who love the outdoors and history.