WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast: Recent Episodes
WTIP North Shore Community Radio
for the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe, who offers historical and cultural context about fires, prescribed burns and wildfire management as it relates to the BWCAW.To follow current wildfire and evacuation updates visit the Superior National Forest Incident Information page.
Paul Schurke is a business owner and winter adventurer from Ely, Minnesota. In this episode Paul shares stories about the deep human history of the Kawishiwi Triangle and the White Iron Chain of lakes, including the site of a Laurel-era settlement on Birch Lake. He also updates us on two recent maps that feature Ojibwe names for lakes in that part of the Border Country, in collaboration with Gakijiwanong First Nation (Lac LaCroix). Paul also shares his thoughts on proposed copper mining close to the Wilderness and how new mining relates to the old mining history of the area which predates modern times.
Dave and Amy Freeman are wilderness travelers and world adventurers who are based in the Kawishiwi Triangle, an area that dips in and out of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. In this conversation, they take us on an imaginary trip along the Kawishiwi River and share stories about how their lives and adventures intersect with this area, including on their wedding day. As advocates of wilderness protection and clean water, Dave and Amy also share their thoughts on the 2026 reversal of a 20-year extractive mining ban in the buffer zone around the Kawishiwi Triangle and how the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine would change the land and waterscape of this multi-use area of the Wilderness.
Loons are an icon of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and are the State Bird of Minnesota. But did you know that the time between Memorial Day and the 4th of July is the most dangerous time for loons, and that about 25% of loon deaths are attributed to lead poisoning? In this conversation with Kelly Amoth, administrator of the "Get the Lead Out" program at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, we learn about the connection between the lead fishing gear in our tackle boxes and the health and survival of loons. Kelly also shares information on what anglers can do now to help protect loons and other water birds. She also gives us the scoop on the MPCA's Rebate Program for small businesses who want to make the switch to selling lead-free tackle. To learn more search "Get the Lead Out" at pca.state.mn Keep it Wild is a regular feature of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Episode 129 was recorded live at Canoecopia 2026. We spoke with Tom, a canoe vender at the show, two organizations that share a connection to wilderness and water, and talked to Taylar Foster about an epic trip involving 11 beaver dams, a secluded island campsite and traveling with elders. Enjoy!
In this April 2026 edition of "Keep it Wild," Tom Yankowiak from the U.S. Forest Service Lac LaCroix district, talks about traveling safely in the early "ice-free" season. He shares some recommendations specific to spring weather and water conditions, offers safety tips and gives paddlers a heads-up about a new map that will be released this spring featuring alternative landing options for historically dangerous areas like Curtain Falls (pictured). "Keep it Wild" is a regular feature of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
As paddlers gear up for the spring season, we reached out to Chris Wiese at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, to learn about how food storage containers are certified as "bear resistant," as part of a wide effort to prevent human and bear conflict, and keep wild bears, including Black Bears, wild. To learn more about their mission, including grizzly and wolf cams, visit: https://www.grizzlydiscoveryctr.org/ For information about food storage orders in the Boundary Waters and Superior National Forest visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/newsroom/releases/frequently-asked-questions-forest-order-09-09-24-02-bear-aware-food
Bryan Hansel is a Grand Marais, Minnesota landscape photographer and advocate for wilderness and outdoor activities. In this far-reaching conversation, Bryan shares the historic role that art and photography have played in the preservation of public lands, from the establishment of the first National Parks through today. We also learn about some of his solo trips into the wilderness that were inspired by historical events and canoe routes, and discuss the link between making calculated risk assessments ahead of a canoe trip, and the need for environmental risk assessments ahead of decisions related to mining and other industrial impacts to public lands. He also shares his perspective on the use of generative AI in nature photography and why authenticity in photography and art is important--both for the future of artists as well as wilderness areas like the BWCAW. (Photo courtesy of Bryan Hansel)
n this episode of Keep it Wild, Cathy Quinn, assistant wilderness program manager for the USDA Forest Service speaks with Kalli Hawkins about a recent trail closure at Eagle Mountain, as part of a planned trail rehabilitation project. The work involved a team of sled dogs that were used to haul building materials into the remote portion of the trail, which is part of the BWCAW. Use of sled dog teams is not common in most National Forests, but this technique is used by the Superior National Forest to help with various projects every winter. Learn more about the USFS sled dog program and get a forecast for summer trail projects in the BWCAW, in this conversation. Photos courtesy of USDA Forest Service, 2026
Chris Pascone is an experienced skier and winter camper who is inspired by the challenge of winter travel in the wilderness. In this episode, get Chris's tips and tricks for pared down adventures in the Boundary Waters and other winter landscapes. He shares gear recommendations, making winter trip plans for families with kids, and tells the story of a three-day trip on Seagull Lake where he and his travel companion were challenged by extreme winter conditions. Photos courtesy of Chris Pascone.
Tim Burton from Piragis Outfitters in Ely, Minnesota goes over the "Go Live" basics in preparation for the launch of the 2026 Boundary Waters Permit season on January 28th. For more information about reserving BWCAW permits, visit the Superior National Forest Boundary Waters Permit page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/passes/boundary-waters-canoe-area-wilderness-permits
Episode 125 is a conversation with Emma Brackett and Olivia Bledsoe - half of the team of paddlers known as the Hudson Bay Girls. In 2025 this group of four women successfully paddled and portaged their canoes over 1,300 miles, from Grand Portage on Lake Superior all the way to York Factory on Hudson Bay. The journey took them 80 days and followed the historic fur trade route along the Border Country to Lake of the Woods, and then north to Lake Winnipeg, the Hayes River and on to the Arctic Ocean. Emma and Olivia share their insights about 12 hour portages, team travel, navigating high water and low water, tackling the Grand Portage, Manitoba and Ontario wildfires, and how trust in teamwork got them through the many challenges of their journey. To learn more about Hudson Bay Girls visit: www.hudsonbaygirls.com
Andy McDonnell of Tuscarora Lodge and Outfitters shares his observations about current ice conditions in the Round Lake area, 47 miles up the Gunflint Trail. He also talks about ice safety and preparing for early-winter travel in the BWCAW.
In this segment of "Keep it Wild" Kit and Sig Shirley from Sawbill Canoe Outfitters share "Leave No Trace" tips and strategies for Wilderness travelers of all ages. They also share a few animal stories from Summer 2025 canoe trips in the BWCAW. To learn more about "Leave No Trace" principles and other rules related to BWCAW travel, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/wilderness/boundary-waters-canoe-area-wilderness-rules-and-regulations
Life-long wilderness traveler Peter Komendowski completed three solo canoe trips in the Boundary Waters over the last 13 months. In Part Two of this two-part conversation Peter has reached day ten of his 14+ day journey, where he finds himself in a state of wandering and on a "rest day," processes past trauma and joyful memories from his life, at the age of 70. He tells the tale of meeting a fellow solo traveler in a surprising way, and shares his insight about the many ways that "nature puts its footstep on you," long after you return home from the Wilderness.
We first met Peter Komendowski at Canoecopia. A life-long wilderness traveler originally from Chicago, and now living in Iowa, Peter completed three solo canoe trips over the last 13 months. In Part One of this two-part conversation we hear about his most recent trip, a 14 day paddle of the Lady Chain, Alton Lake, Kelso and Sawbill. Early in the trip, he gets drenched, sustains a mild injury and reframes the way he approaches portaging. An advocate of "detoxing" from technology, Peter describes how his solo Wilderness trips lead to a deep exploration of aging and what he refers to as the transition between "an objective world to a subjective world."
In this segment of Keep it Wild, we talk to Sarah Bransford from Friends of the Boundary Waters, an organization that is collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service and other partners on a series of live streams for youth and educators across the United States. The discussion centers around Live Stream #3: Water as Home, which focuses on "Leave No Trace" techniques and camping skills related to water and resource preservation, as well as living with wildlife in a wilderness setting. We also learn more about "No Boundaries to the Boundary Waters," and other youth initiatives created by the Friends of the Boundary Waters.(Photo by Sydney Robinson)
Jim Wiinanen is an avid canoeist and history buff who has been documenting the modern, human history of Seagull Lake prior to the establishment of Wilderness Canoe Base in 1957. A BWCAW lake with three zones, Seagull is a popular entry point for many Wilderness travelers. Before the 1978 Wilderness Act, it was the site of early resort development on the Gunflint Trail. As Jim recounts, a full history of Seagull Lake includes the resort families who first arrived on the Gunflint Trail in the late 1920s. Beginning around 1922, the lake was the focus of two different schools of thought--those advocating for unlimited access and business development vs. those who wanted to preserve the area for canoe travel. These competing interests shaped how travelers experience the lake today.
Steve Stumpf talks about his wilderness mentor Robert Thomas, a life-long friend who served in the Vietnam War. Steve also tells some humorous tales about introducing his own 10 kids to wilderness travel (7 are adopted), and how he now enjoys paddling trips with his grandchildren and partner Roberta.
Fern and Shelby are two of the interns embedded with US Forest Service Wilderness crews this summer as part of the ongoing partnership between the Superior National Forest and the Student Conservation Association (SCA). In this fun conversation, they are both returning from work trips into the Boundary Waters Wilderness, and share what they typically do to help maintain campsites and portages in the BWCAW. Founded in 1957, the SCA's mission focuses on equitable access to nature, providing green job opportunities for young people and teaching crew members how to become environmental stewards. To learn more visit thesca.org.Keep it Wild is a regular feature of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast
LynnAnne Vesper has been a canoe guide for over 20 years. She also speaks French and Swedish, is a Fur Trade history buff, and on her days off enjoys what she calls "Extreme Day Trips" in the Boundary Waters. LynnAnne has been steering canoes since she was 10 and last year she completed a "dream" canoe trip of the Border Route, along with a group of women representing six generations from their 20s to their 70s, including her mother Bonnie, who was 79 when they made the trip.
In this June, 2025 edition of "Keep it Wild," we talk with Jo Swanson, director of the Friends of the Superior National Forest. Formerly known as the Minnesota Volunteer Connection, the Friends of SNF partners with the U.S. Forest Service on maintenance projects throughout the Superior National Forest, including the BWCAW, and area campgrounds and trails. The group is currently looking for volunteers to help with a number of projects this summer, including pulling invasive plants at the Pincushion Mountains trail system outside of Grand Marais, and trail maintenance work on the Moss and South Lake trails on the Gunflint Trail. (Photo courtesy of Friends of SNF)
In this episode of the Boundary Waters Podcast we talk to Chris Evavold about the value of public lands and traveling as a family over many years, and in all seasons. In the second half we talk with Cory Dack, a wilderness guide, youth instructor and world adventurer. Cory digs deep into the topic of access to public land and wild spaces, and the barriers often encountered by people of color, who, like others, are in search of a more meaningful connection to wild places and natural areas like the BWCAW.
In this edition of "Keep it Wild" we talk with Dave Seaton at Hungry Jack Outfitters. An official Boundary Waters Collaborator and permit issue station, Hungry Jack Outfitters just saw "ice out," and are ready for the paddling season. Dave explains the new permit pickup options and takes us through how to change the pickup location through your reservation at rec.gov. An advocate for wilderness travel for 35 years, Dave also provides some tips for a successful trip that promotes Leave No Trace principles.Photo of Hungry Jack Lake by Dennis Chick.
In this episode we talk with Mike Danielsen, who philosophizes about losing things while gaining others; including what can happen when a bear steals your pack. We also meet David Meier, longtime paddler and wilderness advocate for Friends of the Boundary Waters. David shares a story about the July 4th, 1999 Blowdown, which also happened to be he and his wife's honeymoon in the Boundary Waters.
The Superior National Forest is home to black bears, who are smart, have a good memory and most often prefer to keep to themselves. With increased human activity in the Wilderness, there is a chance that visitors to the BWCAW may encounter a wild bear. In this edition of Keep it Wild, Cheron Ferland, regional wildlife program manager for the Superior National Forest shares best practices and resources to help campers be “bear aware” as we move into early spring in the BWCAW. Keep it Wild is a Boundary Waters Podcast monthly feature.For bear-human conflict reports on the Superior National Forest contact the USFS: www.fs.usda.gov/main/superior/home (call one of the Ranger District offices or email the Tip Line: sm.fs.suf-tipline@usda.gov)More information on living with bears and where to find bear-friendly food containers:Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee Bear-resistant Products https://igbconline.org/programs/bear-resistant-products/MNDNR BearWise Living with Bears https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/livingwith_wildlife/bears/index.htmlUS Forest Service Bear Aware https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/bearsBear Canisters 101 https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/bear-resistant-canisters.htmlKeep it Wild is supported in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
The Boundary Waters Podcast sat down with Peter Komendowski, a wilderness traveler and president of The Partnership for a Healthy Iowa--a group that provides young people with resources to live free of alcohol, drugs and high-risk behaviors.In this insightful interview, Peter shares the story of a Boundary Waters trip he took with his two teenage sons and an up-close bear encounter. We also discuss his family connection to Ukraine, the symbolism of bears, what it means to move at "human speed" and the gifts of what Peter calls "traveling at the edge of the material earth."
The Hudson Bay Girls is an all-female canoe team embarking on a groundbreaking expedition to paddle a historic Voyageur Fur Trading Route - a 1,200-mile journey from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay, Canada. The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast met them at Canoecopia where they talked about their plans for the trip and their mission to raise awareness about the importance of environmental stewardship, outdoor education, and gender equality in outdoor spaces.Learn more at https://www.hudsonbaygirls.com/home
Krystal and Tina have been traveling together for twenty years--mostly in boats--almost all of them canoes--and always with their dogs. Wilderness lovers and skilled paddlers, they visit the Boundary Waters as often as they possibly can, and enjoy outdoor adventure in all kinds of weather and conditions.In this episode, they talk about dehydrating food for long trips, the division of duties when they are at camp and how their love and appreciation for the wilderness helped them get through the aftermath of a serious car crash, and Krystal's recovery from injuries that occurred in the accident.The Boundary Waters Podcast is sponsored in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
In the February 2025 episode of "Keep it Wild," we learn more about hiking trails in the Boundary Waters Wilderness. Our guest is Lucas Raudabaugh of the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC), a non-profit group of volunteers that helps to maintain over 70 miles of trails in the BWCAW. They are official partners of the Superior National Forest, and cooperate with that agency within the USFS, as well as with other trail partners on tread rehabilitation, campsite maintenance and data collection. (Photo courtesy of Lucas Raudabaugh.)To learn more visit: https://www.boundarywaterstrails.org/
Episode 115--Kyle Johnson is relatively new to the Boundary Waters, but so far has experienced the wilderness in all seasons, including solo trips in early spring and late fall. Kyle sets the scene for a recent outing in late October, where he encountered extreme quiet conditions, the mid-stages of wildfire ecology after the Ham Lake fire of 2007, a night perfect for astro photography, plus a wide range of temperatures.Kyle also shares the exciting story of catching his first walleye--one of the rare, blue walleyes who live in certain lakes in northern Minnesota and Canada.(Photo courtesy of Kyle Johnson)
In this edition of KEEP IT WILD, the Boundary Waters Podcast speaks with U.S. Forest Service Information Officer Joy Vandrie about the January 29th "Go Live" start of the 2025 permit reservation season. Joy emphasizes the importance of setting up an account on recreation.gov before the launch and highlights the 72 entry points with daily permit limits, including two new entry points created this year, for thru-hikers in the wilderness. Vandrie notes that over 11,000 permits were canceled last year, with 58% reserved in January or early February. She urges travelers to only reserve what you need and to cancel early so other travelers have an opportunity to plan a visit. Vandrie also stresses the importance of using a valid email for rec.gov accounts for emergency notifications.Keep it Wild is a regular feature of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast(Photo by Dante Gilbert)
Episode 114 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast features wilderness stories recorded at Canoecopia 2024. We hear from winter adventurers Brad Friend (Miyagi Travel) and Cyndi Guffey (pictured). We also hear fond memories about wilderness travelers who have passed along a legacy of appreciation and knowledge about the wilderness, and are still inspiring others to visit the Boundary Waters. With thanks to Brad, Cyndi, Jeff Wadley and Dan Morgan for sharing your stories with all of us! And mark your calendars--the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast will be at Canoecopia in Madison, Wisconsin, March 7 through 9, 2025. Please find our booth in the exhibit hall lobby and say hello. We would love to hear your Boundary Waters stories and record them for future episodes.
In this special, extended episode of "Keep it Wild," Ann Schwaller, a designated areas specialist for the U.S. Forest Service, shares the history of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as a certified, Dark Sky Sanctuary--a designation awarded by Dark Sky International in September, 2020. She explains her personal connection to the preservation of natural dark skies, and why the Dark Sky Sanctuary designation is considered "a fragile situation," due to the encroachment of light pollution at the edge of the wilderness, as well as light domes from the urban areas of Thunder Bay, Grand Marais, Ely and even as far away as Duluth. "Keep it Wild" is a regular feature of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. To learn more, visit darksky.org
Signe and Ruben Hushagen have made a tradition of camping in the BWCAW every year, to celebrate their May birthdays. This year they decided to move their annual trip to September, to mark their child Ronan's first birthday. In this episode, Signe shares how to go about planning for a wilderness trip with a toddler--from choosing a simple route to researching the best gear options for young children. She also talks about what it means for her as a parent, to see the wilderness through brand, new eyes. The trip went so well the family is already planning for next year. (Photos courtesy of Signe and Ruben Hushagen, 2024)
It's self-permit season in the wilderness! Tim Engrav from the Lac La Croix District of the Superior National Forest, shares more about self-issue permits and the reasons why it's important to fill one out, even if you are visiting for the day. Plus, a quick ice report and a reminder about ice safety.
A story of family unity and lots of water--In Episode 112 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, wilderness traveler Peter Halverson shares the tale of his family's June 2024 Boundary Waters trip to Lac la Croix, which coincided with an unusually strong storm that dropped three to eight inches of rain over NE Minnesota. On June 18th, the storm washed out roads from International Falls to the North Shore of Lake Superior, and many locations experienced flash flooding and high water conditions--including in the BWCAW. Even after the rain stopped, the water continued to rise.With thanks to Peter for sharing this epic tale of adventure with WTIP. Photo courtesy of Peter Halverson.
In the October 2024 edition of "Keep it Wild," Fire Staff Officer Nick Petrack reports on the prevailing, dry conditions in the BWCAW and shares insights about human-caused wildfires in the Superior National Forest, which account for about half of wild fire incidents in the Forest each year.Photo courtesy of Dewey Pihlman, 2019
Sam Nichols works in the Alaskan wilderness on an expedition ship in the summer. This year on a break from work, he took a memorable canoe trip in the Boundary Waters, along with his friend Jimmy. They explored the Border Route Trail and got to know Rose Lake, up close and personal. Plus, a fresh segment of "Keep It Wild," with a summer bear report. The Boundary Waters Podcast is supported in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. (Photo of Rose Falls, courtesy of Sam Nichols)
Episode 110 of the WTIP Boundary Waters podcast was recorded on a windy day at Camp Menogyn on West Bearskin Lake at the edge of the BWCAW. In his first season as a canoe guide for Menogyn, Dante Gilbert shares the story of paddling the old Fur Trade route from Crane Lake to Grand Portage with a group of five campers and their guide. Dante also explains his personal approach to finding and experiencing wilderness, from the backcountry to a city park near you. Plus--a bonus segment of 'Keep it Wild" about the seven principles of "Leave No Trace." The Boundary Waters Podcast is supported in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
In the August segment we speak with Wilderness Operations Supervisor Chris Maher about human-caused impacts to wilderness character including burning trash or putting it in the latrine, building "furniture" on campsites, pounding nails in trees and other damage to trees. Chris also covers what the follow up to these infractions might be. "Keep it Wild" is a monthly feature of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Episode 109 is about life-long connections to the wilderness and what happens when life circumstances and health conditions change the way families are able to experience the Boundary Waters. Featuring a daughter-father interview by Lindsey Gau following her dad's recent dementia diagnosis and follow up discussion about dads, dementia and day trips. Plus a great "Keep it Wild" interview with USFS Wilderness Ranger Richard Pulsfus, who has worked on the Superior National Forest for 20 years.
"Choose your adventure," that's the advice of William Choi, who spoke with the Boundary Waters Podcast about a family canoe trip with aluminum canoes, a new route and wearing your bug jacket. We also check in with Steve Piragis, of Piragis Outfitters in Ely, MN, following an early summer storm that dumped 4.5" of rain or more, across Northern Minnesota, including the BWCAW. As of June 27th, 2024, some roads within the Superior National Forest remain closed, and water levels remain high, and unpredictable. All that, plus the June edition of "Keep it Wild," our monthly check-in with the Superior National Forest.
This episode is packed with stories from the Wilderness! If you've ever wondered about the permit quota system and how that came to be, you'll want to hear Bill Hansen's interview with Jim Hulbert, one of the people who developed the very first "Visitor Distribution Program," back in the early 1970's. There's also a new segment of "Keep it Wild," which covers BWCAW "Fishing 101." And we've also gathered up a collection of critter stories from Canoecopia 2024. We hear about a wolf "greeter," being charged by a moose, a hungry bear story and what happens when mice attack.Thanks to everyone who shared your stories with WTIP for this diverse, fun and informative episode!(Photo courtesy of Jim Hulbert)
Cory Dack has nearly 20 years of experience in wild places, including 17 years as a canoe guide in the BWCAW. Host Lindsey Gau talks with Cory about de-colonizing outdoor spaces, empowering youth to love the wilderness, social justice and the commonalities between "wilderness medicine" and "street medicine." Cory also shares some of the lessons learned about community building, and friendship on her seven-month through-paddle on the Mississippi River, from the headwaters to the ocean. Plus, a new segment of "Keep it Wild," about being bear-aware in the Boundary Waters. The Boundary Waters Podcast is funded in part by the MN Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
The Boundary Waters Podcast attended Canoecopia in early March where we were able to connect with over 30 Wilderness travelers who shared stories and travel tips with us. In this episode we hear from four: Jolene Metcalf, Seth Taft, Gillian Fitzgerald and Monica Cofell. Thanks for traveling along with us!There is also a new segment of "Keep it Wild" about planning your early spring adventure in the BWCAW. Plus, a bonus from the archives!Photo courtesy of Seth Taft.
Over the summer of 2023 Aurora Gallagher spent 16 days canoeing and camping in Quetico Provincial Park as part of a YMCA Camp Menogyn trip. Aurora shares what the experience was like, from one week in, then two weeks, and finally how it felt to return home. It's all here--complete with foraging, fishing, traversing over multiple beaver dams, making blueberry crisp and all of the lessons learned along the way. Plus a new segment of Keep it Wild, our monthly check-in with the US Forest Service. This month's topics are augers in the Wilderness and summer jobs in the BWCAW.(Photo by Kian McDonough, 2023)
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast talks with Megan McClanahan of the US Forest Service about "Leave No Trace" principles in the winter. She covers the "dos" and "don'ts" of winter camping in the BWCAW, including harvesting firewood, where to build a fire, and what to do if you find a mess that someone else has left behind. "Keep it Wild" can be heard monthly as part of the Boundary Waters Podcast.(Photos courtesy of USDA Forest Service, Superior NF)
This episode is built on the connection between wolves and wilderness. Featuring Ellen Hawkins, a North Shore resident who had an extraordinary wolf encounter in 1985, that has shaped the way she thinks about wolves, wilderness and humans too. After Ellen's story about "the wolf in the window," Giselle Narvaez Rivera from the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN offers some perspective on wolf-human interaction, based on the work being done at the Center to educate others about the lives, behaviors and history of wild wolves.We also have a fresh segment of "Keep it Wild," our monthly check-in with the U.S. Forest Service. The topic of discussion is "Leave No Trace" principles in the winter season, when everything is covered in snow and ice.Photo of a timber wolf near the Sawbill Trail in Tofte, by Clare Shirley.
Catch this timely interview with Maggie Whiting, a USFS information specialist, who tells us everything we need to know ahead of the January 31st "Go Live" start of the BWCAW permit season. She covers all the details to make your permit reservation experience go as smoothly as possible.Photo courtesy of Barb LaVigne, 2024
In this very special, one-hour episode, you'll meet Lindsey Gau and Bill Hansen, part of our new, rotating crew of podcast hosts. They each share memories from formative canoe trips--both were 15 years old, and included travels with life-long friends. And WTIP introduces a new podcast feature called "Keep it Wild," a conversation with a USFS Wilderness Lead about all things wild.We also say "see you out there" to Joe Friedrichs and M. Baxley, the founders of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, who in this episode give their parting words, and share interview segments with Emily Ford, Bear Paulsen and Michelle Kwan about connecting to the outdoors. And finally, there's a look back to Christmas 2015 with Dave and Amy Freeman, Ely Wilderness Adventurers who spent Christmas in the BWCAW, complete with cookies and ice luminaries.(Photo courtesy of Lindsey Gau)
In this debut segment of "Keep it Wild," USFS Wilderness Operations Lead Megan McClanahan discusses early winter adventuring in the BWCAW, including monitoring the fast-changing ice conditions, preparing for your skating or fishing trip and why it's nice to fill out a self-issue permit before you go. "Keep it Wild" is a new Boundary Waters Podcast special feature!Pictured: Ice safety gear, modeled by Ada Igoe of Tuscarora Lodge & Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail
It's the second duck hunting trip featured on the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. Podcast friends Dean and Baylee share information about how to successfully hunt waterfowl in the BWCA in this episode. They also paddle alongside Joe and Matthew during an October hunt in 2023. Ducks were found, stories were shared, and the notion of a "mentor in the BWCA waterfowl hunting world" emerged on a crisp autumn day in the wilderness.
It's been a journey. 100 episodes. In this milestone episode, it goes back to the beginning, with Gaby, the German paddler who was featured on Episode One of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. Over the past 100 episodes, hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley have learned so much about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park. This learning has come, largely, through the stories shared by those who've appeared on the podcast. That learning continues in a deep way with Gaby's return to the podcast. Also featured in this episode is Rick Slatten, the captain of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad. Slatten also appeared on Episode 91 of the podcast, talking with Joe about a capsizing event from May 2023 where the podcast duo faced their most intense experience in the BWCA. Other voices familiar to podcast listeners appear in this episode, including Bear Paulsen, Kevin "The Kman" Kramer, Jana Berka, Aubrey Helmuth Miller, Erik Dickes, Dave Freeman, Shug the Hammock Camper, Josh and Kaylan Dix, Adam Mella, Jason Zabokrtsky, and Ian Tamblyn.
Life can be hard. It's almost always busy. There are responsibilities, tasks, and to-do lists abundant. Anyone who listens to this podcast regularly understands the BWCA offers a relief from these burdens with the anticipation of a profound connection with the real world that wilderness offers. Heath Larson takes on an incredible 6-day solo journey through the wilderness for his second Boundary Waters trip ever. His goal, to explain why this place has captivated his attention in such a profound way. Follow along on his journey, insights and reflections in episode 99 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Ernest Oberholtzer is a name that will forever be connected to the Boundary Waters. And yet, far too many paddlers of the canoe-country know neither his story nor his legacy of wilderness protection. Oberholtzer, more commonly known as 'Ober,' first arrived to the Boundary Waters region in 1909 during a college trip to the North Woods. Three years later, an Anishinaabe canoe guide, Billy Magee, traveled with Ober on a canoe journey across Canada. The trip cemented a place in Ober's mind about the power and importance of water and healthy forests. Rainy Lake is located on the far northwestern side of the Boundary Waters region, about 100 miles from Ely. Oberholtzer lived on Mallard Island in Rainy Lake for most of his adult life. These days, Mallard Island is the base of operations for the Oberholtzer Foundation. Each summer, artists, Boundary Waters enthusiasts, and people who appreciate the legacy of Ober, come to gather, create, and connect. Podcast Host Joe Friedrichs was among those who came to Mallard Island in the summer of 2023, as we learn in this episode.Featured in the episode are Rebecca Otto, the executive director of the Oberholtzer Foundation, and Tanya Piatz, a Minnesota artist and birder. Follow the link below to learn more about the Oberholtzer Foundation.https://eober.org
There are new rangers at the Cache Bay Ranger Station in Quetico Provincial Park. For the first time since the passing of Janice Matichuk, the new rangers could become something of a fixture on what is known as Her Island. Matichuk, the longest serving ranger in the history of Quetico, passed away in August 2020. The new rangers are Peter Kranenburg and Stacey Hofer. Both in their late 30s, the young couple celebrated their first year at Cache Bay this summer. They also got married in July, making for a summer Peter and Stacey say they will never forget. Their plan, Peter and Stacey say, is to return to Cache Bay for years to come. The Boundary Waters podcast duo, Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs, visited the Cache Bay Ranger Station in August 2023. They share a full report in this episode.
The paddler profile series continues with the inspiring story of one incredible human's walk across the wilderness. From a boy in Iowa to an adventurer in Ely, this is as much about life's journey as it is about a journey through the woods. And swimming the lakes, in October.
There are unexplainable things that can happen to people in the Boundary Waters.
Strange energy. Powerful feelings that someone, or something is nearby. One campsite, located on an island on Tuscarora Lake, is occasionally referenced when this discussion surfaces.
It was here, in May 2020, that a young man from Indiana died after their canoe capsized. Others have reported strange energy at the island, in fact leaving the campsite to travel on before the campers spent a night on the island.
In this episode, Matthew and Joe travel to this island on Tuscarora Lake. At the island they met Thang Huynh. Thang, his family, and others, were camped on the island in late July. They shared their experience with the podcast duo.
Also featured in this episode is Nataly Yokhanis, Billy Cameron's girlfriend up until his passing in 2020. We also hear from Shy-Anne Hovorka, an Indigenous musician, songwriter, and educator who lives in Canada near Lake Superior.
The Barefoot Paddler returns to the podcast, this time to share stories of walking every portage in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Mark Zimmer, more commonly referred to as the Barefoot Paddler, took several years to walk every maintained portage in the BWCA. He tracked his steps and created a map of the portages. He intends to offer this digital map to the paddling community in the near future.
Also featured in this episode is co-host Joe Friedrichs sharing an experience from the wilderness on the tail-end of a bout with COVID. The wilderness doesn't cure everything, but it can add some perspective on the journey, as Joe and Matthew Baxley discuss throughout the episode.
For many paddlers, the BWCA is the ultimate destination for all trips. For others, its the training ground for trips further north.
Maddy and Cory, two sisters, grew up on the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. Both eventually found themselves paddling further north in Canada, though took very different paths to get there. Outdoor writer, Sam Cook, returns to share stories of his own travels into far northern territories. Get inspired and pick up some tips while following along on these tails of adventure.
A large section of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will be closed near the end of the Gunflint Trail due to the ongoing threat from an active wildfire.
The closure area will include an area west of the Gunflint Trail. Lakes and campsites included in the closure are Ogishkemuncie Lake, sections of Knife Lake, Ottertrack Lake, Jasper Lake, Kekekabic Lake, Spice Lake, Hanson Lake, and Ester Lake, among many others (see map above). Day-trip paddling and overnight camping is currently prohibited in the closure area. The Kekekabic Trail is also closed at this time. Approximately 80 campsites are off-limits in the BWCA as a result of the fire and subsequent closure area.
The closure went into effect Friday, June 16.
There is also a campfire ban in effect for the BWCA at this time. Learn all the details in this short track of the podcast.
It's all about hammocks in Episode 92.
Back to share stories and information and hammocks and hammock camping in the Boundary Waters is none other than Shug. Well known for his YouTube channel and extensive hammock-camping adventures in the BWCA and along the Superior Hiking Trail, Shug shares information about Superior Gear hammocks, along with tips of the trade for hammocks in the BWCA.
Also featured is Kevin "The K-man" Kramer, an experienced Boundary Waters paddler who ditched his tent years ago in exchange for a hammock.
Episode 90 proved to be a pivotal moment in the history of the podcast. A capsized canoe on the Temperance River in the BWCA just days after ice out led to a memorable story that was shared by the four members of the trip: Matthew Baxley, Kevin "The K-Man" Kramer, Omaha Erik Dickes, and Joe Friedrichs.
In this episode, we learn more about the experience, including some lessons learned. St. Louis County Rescue Squad Captain Rick Slatten also shares perspective on the situation, specifically about Friedrichs getting pinned behind a white pine in the river after the capsizing event.
This episode also features supplemental commentary from the K-man about his family's reaction to the experience, and there's some bonus audio from around a BWCA campfire just days after the canoe capsized on the Temperance River.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast duo of Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs met up with Kevin "The K-man" Kramer and "Omaha" Erik Dickes for the 2023 fishing opener. The group set out in search of fish and open water. Not long after portaging around a stretch of rapids on the Temperance River, the adventure went sideways. This was not the fishing opener the group expected it to be.
The sights of the Boundary Waters are what many people think of when asked what they appreciate about the canoe-country wilderness. Seeing a moose. A sunset from camp. A stringer of walleye in summer. These are all images connected to the Boundary Waters. However, for Paul Dickinson, there's much more than just seeing the wilderness. Dickinson connects to the land, water, and sky in the BWCA via sound. Embracing a relatively new field of biology known as 'soundscape ecology,' Dickinson shares his experiences recording sound in the Boundary Waters.
Just ahead of the upcoming paddling season, there was news of a court case that could end the longstanding practice of using motorized towboats to help Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness visitors get started on their wilderness trips at least temporarily. A national organization, Wilderness Watch, is seeking an injunction to halt the towboat permit system as soon as the ice melts.The US Forest Service allows the use of towboats are used to assist canoeists starting their BWCA journey, dispersing visitors deeper into the million-acre BWCA. Some outfitters at the end of the Gunflint also use the towboat service to help paddlers reach Quetico Provincial Park via the Cache Bay Ranger Station. The towboats typically drop paddlers at American Point on Saganaga Lake, which is partially inside the BWCA.If the federal judge reviewing the injunction rules in favor of Wilderness Watch, it could disrupt the plans of thousands of Minnesotans who have already booked towboat-assisted trips with BWCA and Quetico outfitters. Here in Cook County, the ruling could impact Tuscarora Lodge and Outfitters, Seagull Outfitters, and Voyageur Canoe Outfitters. The ruling would have a much larger impact on the Ely area, where many canoeists receive a tow across Moose Lake each season, among other lakes in the Ely area.The organization Wilderness Watch claims that the Forest Service is not upholding its self-imposed restrictions and limitations of towboat services. The Forest Service’s most recent figures showed that in 2019, there were 4,817 tow boat trips, and 3,815 total trips in 2020. These figures amount to nearly “tripling the level that the Forest Service pledged that it would limit the total to,” according to officials from Wilderness Watch.We asked officials from the Forest Service to comment on this story and the towboat situation, including if the towboat services can operate while the judge considers a ruling on the injunction. Forest Service spokesperson Joy Liptak VanDrie said the agency does not comment on current litigation. However, she did say that since a current ruling has not been issued in the case, there is no change in towboat services at this time.In this episode, guest contributor and Grand Marais journalist Rhonda Silence speaks with Matthew Ritter of Voyageur Canoe Outfitters. Also featured is an interview with Kevin Proescholdt, the Minnesota-based conservation director for Wilderness Watch.
Mushing is the fastest way to travel across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness during the winter. Sled dogs love to run, and the open flats of a BWCA lake can provide stunning areas for experienced and novice mushers to explore. In this episode, we hear from Kate Tender and Allison Opheim. They spent the winter working as sled dog tour guides at Points Unknown, a Cook County business near the Arrowhead Trail.The duo recently went ice fishing for the first time with podcast host Joe Friedrichs. We hear about their BWCA adventure in a recording inside the wilderness. Also featured in this episode is Cook County musher Erin Altemus. The winner of the 2023 Gunflint Mail Run eight-dog race up the Gunflint Trail, Altemus happens to be an experienced paddler with a deep passion for the canoe-country wilderness. Erin shares some of her favorite summer and winter memories from the Boundary Waters, including some dog-sledding adventures.
The Paddler Profile series continues in this episode. The featured paddler is Wendy Paulsen, a dedicated paddler of the BWCA and other waters across North America. Wendy is the sister of Northstar Canoes General Manager Bear Paulsen. She has a generous spirit for introducing others to the BWCA, including Michelle Kwan, an avid fan of the BWCA who was featured on episode 52 of the podcast. In addition to paddling, Wendy enjoys swimming recreationally across BWCA lakes. And not just a dive-in, jump-out type swim. Literally swimming laps around lakes in the wilderness is something Wendy has embraced, as podcaster Matthew Baxley learns and shares in this episode.
Canoecopia 2023 took place in Madison, Wisc., from March 10-12.The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team was back for this year's paddling expo. In addition to posting up at their booth and talking with thousands of curious paddlers, hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley presented during Canoecopia this year. The podcast duo shared a presentation on how to document and share stories from a trip to the canoe-country wilderness. It was a busy scene at Canoecopia this year. In this episode, you'll hear from those who were involved and people who attended from all over the country.
For the first time in several years, there will be a park ranger at the Cache Bay Ranger Station in Quetico Provincial Park for the full season in 2023.Due to the pandemic and additional restrictions regarding Remote Area Border Crossing Permits, there has not been a full-time ranger at the island in Cache Bay since 2019. There was a ranger there for part of the paddling season in 2022. That means the last ranger to serve full-time at Cache Bay was Janice Matichuk, the longest serving ranger in the history of Quetico. Matichuk died from brain cancer in August 2020. Her voice has been featured many times on the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. The story of her time in Quetico was shared by Boundary Waters Podcast host Joe Friedrichs in the book "Her Island." In this episode, the podcast team shares some of the 'Lost Files of Matichuk.' In the early stages of shaping "Her Island," Friedrichs and Matichuk recorded some 14 hours of audio. The clips shared today are the first in what will be a series of stories Matichuk shared about her time in Quetico. Topics range from the ethics of fishing to stories of being charged by a moose. Also featured in this episode is a preview to Canoecopia 2023! The world's largest paddling expo is from March 10-12 in Madison, Wisc. The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team will be back in Madison for this year's expo! Sharing information about the upcoming event is Chloe Machula, one of the event organizers for Canoecopia.
Climate change isn’t something most BWCA enthusiasts think of in early January.On the day permits for the upcoming paddling season go live – as they did Jan. 25 this year – the bulk of those people planning a canoe trip made their reservations for the upcoming season with winter still in full force. A warming planet seems an afterthought on such occasions.In this episode of the podcast, hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley explore the notion of where climate change fits into the planning (if at all) and adventures of an average canoe trip to the Boundary Waters. To add context, they bring in two of Minnesota’s two top climate experts: Pete Boulay, assistant state climatologist with the Minnesota State Climatology Office who works for the DNR; and Peter Reich, a renowned expert in forest ecology and a professor at both the University of Minnesota and University of Michigan, who has done extensive research on how climate change is and will impact the Boundary Waters.This episode has nothing to do with proving or debunking climate change. This is about the intersection of canoe tripping in the Boundary Waters and the future of the wilderness.
Sam Cook made a career writing about the woods and waters of northeastern Minnesota, including his many adventures to the Boundary Waters. A longtime columnist for the Duluth News Tribune, Cook shares some of his adventures and reflects on his career as an outdoors writer in this installment of the Paddler Profile Series on the podcast.
January 25 was the first day to secure a 2023 overnight paddle trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Permits went up for grabs at 9 a.m. Podcast hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley met at WTIP headquarters in Grand Marais to book their permits for the 2023 paddling season, including their coveted fishing opener trip in May. The fishing opener in Minnesota this year is Saturday, May 13. A bit of chaos ensued as the duo booked their permits. Find out where the podcast team is headed once the 2023 paddling season begins.
Food tastes better during a trip to the Boundary Waters. It's a common sentiment, one many visitors to the canoe-country wilderness can relate to. During a recent winter trip to the BWCA, the podcast team explored the notion that food is about much more than fuel for the body. It's about bringing people together. Superior National Forest Tribal Liaison Juan Martinez returns to the podcast in this episode, bringing a cooking "disco" to prepare burritos for a group of eight. In addition to Juan, the Great Josh Dix talks lake trout fishing at the start of the season, and Adam Mella from the Tumblehome podcast makes a cameo. Also featured in the episode is discussion about the 2023 Gunflint Mail Run, which brought throngs of people to the edge of the BWCA this year.
Welcome to Season Six of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast! To start the season, we get to travel once again with the father/daughter duo Scott and Emilie Burditt. Scott and Emilie are Wisconsin residents who make an annual trip to Quetico Provincial Park. In 2022, they took their Canadian paddling adventures to new terrain and paddled Wabakimi Provincial Park. Along the way, the share their stories about a love for the outdoors and paddling in canoe country, and how this bond keeps them connected throughout the year. They also talk about the realities of backcountry travel, including injury. It's the start of a new season on the podcast! It begins!
The trip started with 24 hours of cold rain and seemingly endless beaver dams overflowing from a rising creek. Dense fog masked the shoreline in the distance on the occasional lake that broke up the swirling creek. Despite the weather and being mostly strangers, every member of this tripping team was smiling and giddy. Last September, a group of outdoorsy folks from across the country gathered in Ely, Minn., for a truly unique Boundary Waters trip. They all had two things in common. First, each person loved the outdoors. And second, each identified as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. One of these people was the podcast’s own Matthew Baxley.The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast marks the 80th episode by sharing a trip centered around belonging, acceptance, and adventure. Most of us know from personal experience how the Wilderness continues to offer life changing experiences. This episode documents the deeply personal way a trip can offer so much beauty in just four short days of paddling
Juan Martinez is the first tribal liaison for the U.S. Forest Service on Superior National Forest. He arrived to northeastern Minnesota in 2021. In late November 2022, during the first week of good ice in and around the Boundary Waters, podcast hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley went ice fishing with Martinez near the Gunflint Trail. They talked with Juan while on the ice about his work as the tribal liaison on Superior National Forest. Also joining the trio was Dean Paron, the Finland area fisheries supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Paron introduced the group to spear fishing through the ice, adding another twist to the start of ice adventures as winter settles in across the Boundary Waters.
Bear Paulsen has a style of canoe tripping named after him. Simply put, they're called "Bear Trips."
A Bear Trip means there will be weeks, possibly months, spent paddling on one specific trip.
Paulsen is the general manager of Northstar Canoes. He is also on the short list of the most experienced and well-respected paddlers in Minnesota and across the Boundary Waters region.
In this installment of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast Paddler Profile series, we learn more about Bear Paulsen.
Photo of Bear Paulsen by Nate Ptacek.
Dispersed camping on Superior National Forest is something the U.S. Forest Service has encouraged as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness continues to draw more people during the peak of summer. In this episode, podcast co-host Joe Friedrichs travels with The Great Josh Dix to a remote lake on the edge of the wilderness.
Pursuing brook trout in and around the wilderness formed a theme for October for Friedrichs and fellow co-host Matthew Baxley. The two of them worked together to find brookies, while Baxley also traveled with longtime Cook County resident Buck Benson to find fish and adventure near the BWCA.
Bryan Hansel is an outdoor photographer and BWCA enthusiast who lives near Grand Marais. In May 2021, Hansel followed the route of American geologist Newton Horace Winchell and the work he did while surveying the land of Cook County in 1879.
Hansel spent nearly two weeks on the solo adventure that took him from Grand Marais to Lutsen via the Iron Trail to Trail Center, then the Border Route to the end of the Gunflint Trail, and from there to the Ojibwe canoe route to Lutsen on the Poplar River.
Along the way, Hansel traveled about 160 miles, including about 25 miles of portaging.
In this first installment of the podcast's 'Paddler Profile' series, host Matthew Baxley talks with Hansel about his epic journey.
It's episode 75 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast!
In this episode, we hear from a familiar voice on the podcast, BWCA enthusiast Erik "Omaha Erik" Dickes.
Erik goes on his first solo trip to the wilderness in this episode, with hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley joining him for some fall fishing during a memorable afternoon in the BWCA.
Thanks to everyone who helped the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast reach its 75th episode! What a journey! And in many ways, it feels like it is just getting started.
A Minnesota woman is safe after spending a rainy September night lost in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near the Gunflint Trail.
56-year-old Jennifer Fitzer, a resident of Golden Valley, Minn., became lost Thursday, Sept. 8 from her group’s campsite on Rib Lake in the BWCA. This was Fitzer’s first trip to the Boundary Waters, according to her brother, Chuck Fitzer. Chuck spoke with WTIP Sept. 12 about the incident.
After being contacted by Chuck Fitzer from the campsite on Rib Lake, Cook County Search and Rescue were deployed in the late afternoon Sept. 8 and traveled to the campsite. Chuck Fitzer and another member of the group of five were able to use their cellphones to call 911, alerting the authorities of the situation.
Jennifer Fitzer became lost while exploring near the Rib Lake campsite in the early afternoon Sept. 8. After becoming lost, she walked north for several miles through thick forest and various swamps. She eventually made it to Dawkins Lake, which is located south of Extortion Lake and just west of the Banadad Ski Trail. After arriving to Dawkins Lake, Jennifer Fitzer found a large floating log and essentially rode it along the shoreline of the lake, thinking she was still on Rib Lake, Chuck Fitzer said. She spent the night in the woods wearing only a t-shirt and thin outdoor-style pants. She did not have food and ran out of water during the night, Chuck Fitzer said.
While ground crews searched on foot and canoe, a beaver float plane rescued Jennifer Fitzer from Dawkins Lake Friday morning Sept. 9.
WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast host Joe Friedrichs spoke with Jennifer Fitzer Sept. 19 about her experience in the BWCA.
(Note: Jennifer Fitzer is pictured wearing the yellow hat in the accompanying photograph. This photo was taken in the BWCA prior to Jennifer becoming lost in the wilderness.)
When we think of the Boundary Waters, solitude, quiet and getting away from the hustle of day-to-day life often jump to the forefront of the mind for many visitors to this canoe country wilderness.
A quiet retreat is indeed a common sentiment shared by the many thousands of people who visit the BWCA each year. And while solitude is sought, many of these same people travel through the canoe-country wilderness with familiar faces by their side. As we’ve learned while making this podcast, many enjoy sharing their adventures in the BWCA with their closest friends and family members.
Take, for example, a group of Minnesotans who traveled up the Gunflint Trail in August. Traveling under the name ‘the Bound Hounds,’ the curious paddlers have traveled to the BWCA every year for more than two decades. Sometimes there’s just a few from the group who make it, other times it’s eight or nine people.
Also featured in today’s episode is Kyle ‘Bill’ Busacker, a longtime Oregonian who recently moved to Massachusetts with his family, was one member of a recent canoe trip with podcast host Joe Friedrichs. The other companion on the September trip was Joe’s cousin, Jeff Frawley, known simply as Cousin Jeff. The three of them ventured to a secluded pocket of the wilderness in search of walleye, a prime campsite, the chance to see the Northern lights and to bushwack to what is essentially hidden lake. During the course of their trip, they found all of these things, though in reality what they, much like the Bound Hounds, came for was an opportunity to connect with other people.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team take to the road (and air) for this episode, traveling more than 1,000 miles south to the hills of Kentucky.
On the trail of Jordan Grider, a young man from New Mexico who died in the Boundary Waters in 2018, hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley travel throughout Appalachia on their journey to learn more about where Grider spent time camping and living near Daniel Boone National Forest. Along the way they meet Mennonites who let Grider camp on their land before he arrived to the BWCA, many of whom share stories about Grider and his time in Kentucky.
Grider gained national attention in 2018 when he was eaten by wolves near the Sioux Hustler Trail on the western side of the BWCA. Authorities believe Grider died first from an accidental injury and was later eaten by wolves.
The Barefoot Paddler abides.
Mark Zimmer, more commonly referred to as the 'Barefoot Paddler,' makes his return to the podcast in this episode. Mark is in the midst of his tenth season exploring the BWCA. Not your average paddler, Mark typically spends May through October in the Boundary Waters. He catches fish. He forages. He sleeps in a hammock. And he does it all barefoot.
The podcast team recently met up with the Barefoot Paddler on Brule Lake in the BWCA to learn about his 2022 season in the wilderness, which includes a bout with Lyme disease.
Emily Haavik is a Twin Cities based journalist and musician who has a deep love for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Emily and her husband, Phil, chose the BWCA as the setting for their honeymoon in September 2020, for example. The couple also got engaged in the canoe-country wilderness in 2019 on Rose Lake.
Emily grew up in Duluth and has been coming to the Boundary Waters for most of her life. Phil grew up in Des Moines, making his first trip to the BWCA in 2001 with a group of scouts. Those early trips were the foundation for a spirited passion for wilderness for both Emily and Phil, particularly the portages, rivers, lakes and forest of the BWCA.
Emily and Phil share more on their story in this episode of the podcast. Also featured in this episode is a familiar voice on the podcast, Aubrey Helmuth-Miller. Aubrey and her family open the episode prior to their recent trip to the Gunflint Trail and the BWCA.
Music featured in this episode includes the song “Good Times” by Emily Haavik. Other music from the Blue Dot Sessions and Ian Tamblyn.
It's the 'all news episode' of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast!
There has been so much news in and around the Boundary Waters in recent weeks, hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley use storytelling and interviews to sum up some of the biggest topics coming from the BWCA and Quetico.
Among them are the return of Remote Area Border Crossing Permits, the completion of the Stairway Portage redesign and the retirement of the forest supervisor who oversees management of the BWCA.
The photo supporting this episode is of Connie Cummins, the forest supervisor for Superior National Forest. The massive Superior National Forest, headquartered in Duluth, covers nearly 4 million acres, about 1.9 million of which is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
After leading the expansive Superior National Forest for the U.S. Forest Service for the past six years, Cummins is set to retire at the end of the month. Her last day is July 30.
In this episode we hear from Cummins about her tenure on Superior National Forest. Also featured are Willie Bittner talking about the Stairway Portage redesign and Kevin 'The K-man' Kramer shares an update from the Cache Bay Ranger Station in Quetico Provincial Park.
Poetry.
Process.
Paddling.
In the BWCA, the natural rhythms of wind and water churn through seasons without concern for human visitors. During the July 4 holiday weekend, five paddlers on a remote lake in the Boundary Waters found themselves sharing new experiences while reflecting on the past.
In today’s episode we hear from the poet, Emily Van Kley. Emily and her father, Dave Van Kley, have been traveling across the BWCA for many years. More recently, they introduced Emily’s partner, Allison Eby, to the wilderness.
Walleye were caught on this particular trip. Stories were shared. As the wind howled, the trees shared their poetry.
Human remains were discovered near a makeshift campsite in April 2019 near the Sioux Hustler Trail that runs through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Law enforcement later identified the remains as those of 29-year-old Jordan Grider, a New Mexico resident who was attempting to spend an entire winter camping in the BWCA. Authorities believe he was eaten by wolves, likely after he died from an unknown injury.
In this episode of the podcast, host Joe Friedrichs and DNR Conservation Officer Sean Williams visit the site where Grider made his final camp.
Also in this episode, host Matthew Baxley shares an update on the rebuild of the iconic Stairway Portage between Duncan and Rose lakes in the BWCA. Trail builder Willie Bittner talks with Matthew for the update.
And with the warmer temperatures, Matthew and Joe also have an upbeat fishing report to share from the Boundary Waters.
Cell phone use during a trip to the Boundary Waters.
To bring or not to bring? To use or not to use?
These are the questions some in the paddling community have struggled with for years, with age often being a factor in where one stands on the issue.
Many young paddlers, for example, are embracing elements of technology on their trips to the Boundary Waters. Modern cell phones take excellent photographs, allowing paddlers to leave behind dated and heavy camera equipment. A cell phone camera allows paddlers a chance to capture memories of their trips to the BWCA, the reasoning goes. There is also the safety aspect of having a cell phone while traveling through the wilderness, particularly as cell coverage becomes more widespread across the Boundary Waters region.
In this episode, we hear from Stu Osthoff, Emilie Burditt, Ben Strege, Will Doherty, Hazel Oberholtzer and Emily Elkins on this topic.
Legislation that would essentially block certain types of mining on a large swath of federal land in the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was passionately debated during a May 24 hearing of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
The bill would prohibit sulfide-based mineral development in an area of Superior National Forest near the BWCA.
During the hearing, a Congressman from Wisconsin said the United States must either depend on slave labor or open the stalled Twin Metals sulfide-mining project on the edge of the Boundary Waters if the nation aims to have renewable energy sources as it shifts toward a green future.
Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany, who represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, asked Julia Ruelle from the Kids for the Boundary Waters organization if she thought slave labor should be preferred over the Twin Metals project.
The audio in this short track includes segments from the May 24 hearing, as well as interviews with both Rep. Tiffany and Ruelle.
High water levels and lingering ice are making for a treacherous start to the paddling season across the Boundary Waters this spring.
Craig Regep, a resident of Hanover, Minnesota, experienced this firsthand at the start of a canoe trip in the BWCA on Friday, May 13.
Regep’s trip started at the end of the Arrowhead Trail on the far eastern side of the BWCA. He was paddling from John Lake to the Royal River en route to North Fowl Lake when he capsized in a solo Kevlar canoe. After tumbling into the frigid waters, Regep was alone and without a canoe. He did not have an emergency beacon or SPOT-location device. Hypothermia started to set in as Regep attempted to make his way back to the parking area at the end of the Arrowhead.
Regep spoke of his experience with WTIP Boundary Waters co-host Joe Friedrichs in this discussion.
It went from fishing opener to lake opener as ice lingered on the east side of the Boundary Waters in the middle of May.
Many area lakes, from the end of the Arrowhead Trail to the Middle Gunflint Trail, still held their ice on the day before the 2022 fishing opener in Minnesota.
Minnesota’s fishing opener for walleye, bass, trout and pike was Saturday, May 14.
As the ice lingered, many groups canceled their Gunflint expeditions on this year’s fishing opener. The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast did not.
This episode, featuring Matthew Baxley, Joe Friedrichs and Kevin ‘The K-man’ Kramer, tells the story of how it all went down.
With one week to go before the Minnesota fishing opener, many of the lakes across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and all of Superior National Forest remain locked in ice.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team drilled a hole in the ice of a 181-acre lake inside the BWCA on Friday, May 6. There was approximately 24 inches of rotting ice on the lake. One week prior, on April 29, there was 28 inches of ice on the same lake, with an additional six inches of snow and slush on top of the frozen lake.
Temperatures in the Mid-Gunflint Trail are expected to climb into the 70s by May 10. The fishing open is Saturday, May 14.
Along the Gunflint Trail, lakes with inlets or flowing water featured open water. The edges of many lakes are beginning to slowly pop open as well. Nearly all the rivers along the Trail featured fast, flowing water.
The audio below was recorded in the BWCA on Friday, May 6 by Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs from the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Lake Saganaga at the end of the Gunflint Trail is an easy place to get lost.
Sag, as the lake is often called, is both the deepest and largest lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It’s 280 ft. deep in certain pockets, and is spread across nearly 19,000 acres.
And while Sag might be challenging to navigate for even the most experienced paddlers, sometimes getting turned around can lead to magical experiences.
Nicole Erickson and Michael Kelly know all about this, as we learn in today’s episode.
Also in this episode, podcast hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley trek to the BWCA to drill a hole in the ice on the same weekend overnight travel permits are required to start the 2022 ‘paddling season.’
Emily Ford is a Duluth resident who skied across the border lakes of the Boundary Waters during the memorably cold, snowy and windy winter of 2021-22.
Ford captured national attention when she skied across Wisconsin the previous winter.
What motivates someone to embark on solo expeditions during the winter?
Learn this and much more about Emily Ford in this episode of the podcast.
It's the end of the ice fishing season for lake trout in the Boundary Waters.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team had a good year of ice fishing. In this episode, Gunflint Trail resident Mike Seim talks with Joe about a variety of topics related to lake trout in the BWCA.
Also of interest, a recent study out of the University of Manitoba in Canada shows some lake predators are changing their behavior due to climate change, which may have a wide-ranging effect on lake trout and the entire ecosystem of certain lakes in Ontario and northern Minnesota.
Matthew Guzzo is the lead author of the study. He shares some additional perspective on lake trout throughout the episode.
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Werner Bahner-Würth.
Canoecopia, the world’s largest paddling expo, returned in 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the Madison, Wisc., based event in 2020. It was a virtual gathering in 2021.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast was back at Canoecopia this year. Old acquaintances surfaced from the crowd. New friends were made as well. It was a time of connection.
This episode was recorded in its entirety at Canoecopia 2022.
Special thanks to Aubrey from Redbudsuds, and Nashville musicians Caitlin Evanson and Jerry Vandiver, for sharing their music on this episode.
Slush.
It can be the downfall of any winter trip to the Boundary Waters. The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team, along with Erik Dickes and Josh Dix, found this out firsthand during a recent trip to the edge of the wilderness on snowmobile, and then on skis and snowshoes after crossing the wilderness line.
After encountering bad ice and slush, foul moods settled in on some members of the party, while others remained patient. Then the lake trout moved in. And things changed.
While reflecting on the recent winter trip to the wilderness, podcast co-host Joe Friedrichs observed that "it's not all milk and honey out there, people." Upon further contemplation, he added: "It ain't all unicorns and rainbows, either."
The quiet of winter remains across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as cold temperatures and significant snowfall blanket the region. By looking at the woods and frozen lakes such beauty can be appreciated simply and plainly, but it's more challenging to know what is happening beneath the ice.
Chel Anderson is a botanist and plant ecologist. She lives near the Boundary Waters and Lake Superior and keeps close tabs on daily changes happening with the local woods and waters. She spoke with podcast host Matthew Baxley about what’s happening under the icy surface of the lakes in the Boundary Waters.
With permits now available for the 2022 paddling season in the Boundary Waters, it’s time to start thinking about gear and trip planning. One place to do just that is Canoecopia in Madison, Wisconsin.
Darren Bush, owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison, and organizer of canoeing expo Canoecopia, joins the podcast in this episode to talk about the return of an in-person event for 2022.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast attended the last in-person canoe expo in 2019. The pandemic has either shut down or let to virtual events the past two years. Learn about what to expect for Canoecopia 2022 in this episode of the podcast.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness quota permit reservations for May 1 — September 30, 2022, will be available beginning at 9:00 a.m. Central Time on Wednesday, Jan. 26.
Visitors are encouraged to book their reservations at Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast spoke with Clare Shirley from Sawbill Canoe Outfitters about the upcoming paddling season, quota reductions in the BWCA for 2022 and what to expect on 'opening day' of permit availability.
The winter of 2022 is off to a roaring start for the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. Adventures have been abundant to start the new year, including a recent trip to the BWCA with a duo of fellow podcasters from the east side of the wilderness.
Lake trout sushi, anyone?
The special guests on this episode lead the way…
It's back to the ice to ring in the new year in part two of the story to start Season 5 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Grand Marais residents Josh and Kaylan Dix join podcast hosts Joe and Matthew on the ice to share the rest of the epic journey to the BWCA to start 2022.
The start of a new season for the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast rolls in with a winter camping trip up the Gunflint Trail!
Air temperatures reached 31-below zero during the trip to ring in 2022. Joining podcast hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley on the trip were Grand Marais residents Kaylan and Josh Dix.
Lake trout were caught. A black wolf was spotted darting through the deep white snow. Woodstoves burned true and memories were made. This episode is part one of the experience.
The ice fishing season for trout on inland lakes located entirely within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness opens Saturday, Jan. 1.
Stream trout and lake trout can be caught by anglers willing to brave the cold temperatures expected this weekend in the BWCA. The high temperature for the Mid-Gunflint Trail area on the opening day of the trout season is below zero. Overnight lows on New Year’s Eve and Saturday night are expected to be in the high teens below zero or 20-below zero, possibly colder. Wind chill values will make these temperatures feel even colder.
Lake trout will be a primary target for many anglers this weekend, though some lakes in the BWCA do hold other species of trout as well. Stream trout are defined as splake, brook, brown and rainbow trout. The possession limit remains unchanged, at five, with not more than three fish longer than 16 inches. The possession limit for lake trout is two.
Examples of lakes that open for trout fishing this weekend on the eastern side of the BWCA include Daniels, Ram and Topper.
Lakes that are partially inside the BWCA do not open to trout fishing this weekend. Examples of lakes that are not open to trout fishing on Jan. 1 include Clearwater, Seagull and Meditation.
WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast host Joe Friedrichs spoke with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conversation Officer Kylan Hill about the upcoming trout opener in the BWCA.
The iconic portage between Duncan Lake and Rose Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will take on a new look in 2022 when two sets of wooden staircases will be replaced with stone steps. Stone used in the project will come from the land located between the lakes in the federally-designated wilderness area. Hand tools and other non-motorized instruments will be used to shape the new look of the portage.
“We are planning to replace the wooden stairs on the stairway portage with stone steps during the summer of 2022,” said Jon Benson, an assistant ranger for recreation and wilderness on the Tofte and Gunflint ranger districts of Superior National Forest. “Great Lakes Trailbuilders is the contractor with whom we will be working.”
The 80-rod portage between Duncan and Rose is among the most highly trafficked areas on the eastern side of the BWCA. Two sets of stairs, with more than 90 steps each, make up most of the portage between the two lakes. The portage largely parallels a set of falls dropping from Duncan down to Rose near the Canadian border in the Mid-Gunflint Trail area. The current look of the portage was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conversation Corps using logs to create a staircase of sorts.
Due to the harsh environment in the BWCA, wooden steps or set logs do not hold up well as weather and humans wear on them, according to Willie Bittner, the owner of Wisconsin based Great Lakes Trailbuilders. For example, the wooden steps of the Stairway Portage have been replaced three times in the past 30 years, he said. Rather than continually replace the wood, Bittner had a vision to place stone steps on the portage. Not only will the stone have a more natural look, they should last much longer than the wood version.
“This should be there for many generations,” Bittner said of the forthcoming stone staircase between Duncan and Rose.
After securing the bid, Bittner and his company are spearheading the project in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service and the Conservation Corps of Minnesota. The project comes under the umbrella of the Great American Outdoors Act.
Bittner and his team will use rifting hammers to split large rocks weighing up to 200 lbs. each to create the steps, he said. They’ll also use a device that he describes as a ‘zip-line for rocks’ to set the stones in place. Bittner plans to start the project in May not long after the ice vanishes from West Bearskin Lake and Duncan Lake. The goal is to complete the new Stairway Portage by the Fourth of July, he said.
WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast host Matthew Baxley spoke with Bittner about the project. The audio to their conversation is shared below.
The collection of outfitters who provide assorted gear, canoes and guidance for the many visitors to the Boundary Waters each paddling season is a world full of hard work, long hours and repetition. It’s also a world of connection. And many of those connections are made by those who work for the outfitters on the edge of the wilderness.
In the final episode for Season 4 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear from the summer staff at some of the outfitters along the Gunflint Trail. It’s the ‘Trail Kids’ episode of the podcast. And for hosts Matthew and Joe, it’s a time to reflect on their own experiences working on the Gunflint and how it brought them into a sense of connection with this place… The Boundary Waters.
Superior National Forest is home to the nation’s only US Forest Service Seaplane Base. Located on Shagwa Lake in Ely, the three USFS pilots stationed there fly deHavilland Beaver float planes and conduct a variety of missions throughout the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The base has a long history with roots that date back to 1929 when the Forest Service began using local pilots to help with wildfire mitigation. The program as it exists today, with dedicated airplanes and pilots, was established in 1938.
WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast contributor Barbara Jean Meyers traveled to Ely to meet Carlisle Doria, the latest pilot to join the team.
The number of people legally allowed to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) for overnight camping trips from May through September will be reduced for the next paddling season.
With permits in high demand during recent paddling seasons – particularly during the past two seasons amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – some canoeists struggled to find available campsites, particularly near popular lakes such as Sawbill, Brule, Duncan and Seagull on the east side of the BWCA.
Anecdotally speaking, weary paddlers are quick to complain about racing other groups for campsites, being forced to camp illegally in the brush or making camp in the middle of a pleasant travel day just to ensure they have a site for the night.
Each year from May 1 to Sept. 30, visitors taking an overnight paddle or hiking trip, or a motorized day trip into the BWCA are required to obtain a quota permit. The Forest Service designed a quota system following the designation of the Boundary Waters as a wilderness to reduce crowding and visitor impacts on sensitive resources.
Forest Service officials said many BWCA entry points and associated routes are regularly experiencing social resource concerns such as crowding, disruptive and oversized groups, lack of campsite availability or unsettling competition for campsites. Illegal camping is also becoming more of a problem in the BWCA.
Ten out of the 36 entry points on the Gunflint and six of the 13 entry points on the Tofte districts will see a reduction in permit quota numbers in 2022. The Forest Service declined to say the specific entry points the quota reduction will impact. All districts across the BWCA will see a quota reduction next year other than the Kawishiwi Ranger District.
The season of giving thanks returns to the Boundary Waters as 2021 begins to wind down. To celebrate the season, WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley returned to the ice on Thanksgiving Day. Ice fishing and ice skating were the means of entertainment on a windy and cold day in late November, with fish tacos for dinner marking a day of success on all fronts.
Also featured in this episode is a conversation with Timo Rova, an Ely-area resident who has years of experience hunting, recreating and working in the BWCA.
A tornado with wind speeds between 111-135 mph swept through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in October 2021, knocking down trees and making a popular hiking trail impassable in sections.
The National Weather Service in Duluth confirmed Oct. 29 that a tornado did roll through the BWCA near Clearwater Lake on Oct. 10. The tornado reached an EF2 rating on its intensity scale, meaning its wind speeds could have reached 135 mph. The tornado was estimated to be on the ground from 6:10 to 6:20 p.m., according to the NWS.
In an online post Oct. 29, the National Weather Service says the storm caused significant damage along the Border Route Trail. There is damage on Clearwater Lake, Alder Lake and the Border Route Trail is impassable in places, according to the Forest Service.
Earlier this year, Matthew Baxley and Lindsey Gau hiked a popular section of the Border Route Trail in the mid-Gunflint Trail area. They share a report from the trail in this episode of the podcast.
Michelle Kwan is a co-owner of Keefer Court Bakery in Minneapolis. Michelle is an avid fan of the BWCA. She makes as many trips to the wilderness as she can each year, including intentions of winter camping and canoe camping.
The daughter of immigrants to the U.S., Michelle says she was introduced to the Boundary Waters by Wendy Paulsen, the sister of Northstar Canoes General Manager Bear Paulsen.
Michelle shares her connection to the Boundary Waters in this episode of the podcast.
Also featured in this episode: BWCA smoked trout wild rice chowder...Tune in and find out the details.
The Angleworm Trail does not leap to the forefront of most conversations when people talk about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. That being the case, it’s an easily accessible path and portage located off the Echo Trail near Ely.
Podcast hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs set off to travel a section of the Angleworm Trail in October 2021. They were joined by a special guest on the adventure, a unique individual who was featured on a previous episode of the podcast.
Though the experience was rooted in the joys of fall travel in the BWCA, Joe was also researching a book he is working on about people who have died or gone missing in the Boundary Waters.
When it comes to the special guest, hammock camping is another theme of the episode... (hint, hint)
Fifty episodes!
A milestone episode for the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. Hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs reflect on some of their favorite interviews and moments from the first 50 episodes of the original Boundary Waters podcast.
Also included in the commemorative episode is new audio, including a never-before heard story told by the late Quetico Park Interior Ranger Janice Matichuk.
With 50 episodes tallied, many stories shared, a national award collected and countless adventures recalled in audio format, Baxley and Friedrichs say the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast is just getting started.
To that, we lift a paddle for 50 more episodes.
It's been a season to remember in the Boundary Waters.
The entire BWCA was closed for two weeks heading into Labor Day weekend. There's been a campfire ban in effect since early July. Smoke, drought and heat were themes the entire summer.
In this episode of the podcast, hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs drop the news thread and go fishing. The podcast duo ventured into the BWCA in mid-August, just days ahead of the wilderness closure. What they found was simplicity. And walleye.
It’s been a season like no other in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
On Aug. 21, Superior National Forest officials enacted a temporary but full closure of the BWCA. The order, issued in response to fire danger, came at the height of the paddling season. The BWCA will reopen Saturday, Sept. 4, with some closures remaining in place.
News of the closure was delivered to paddlers by teams of wilderness rangers who spent days sweeping the BWCA by canoe. Working in a coordinated effort across the wilderness, several dozen rangers were able to clear the area in just a few days.
WTIP’s Barbara Jean Meyers speaks with two wilderness rangers, Megan McClanahan and Chad LeFevere, along with Superior National Forest Recreation and Wilderness Specialist Cathy Quinn, about the challenges involved in covering an area to remove canoe campers that is more than 1 million acres in size, includes more than 2,000 campsites and 1,200 miles of canoe routes.
News of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness reopening in time for most of Labor Day weekend traveled quickly throughout the paddling community and among local businesses impacted by the change from the Gunflint Trail to Ely.
Most of the BWCA will reopen Saturday, Sept. 4.
On this wildfire update on the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear from Tofte District Ranger Ellen Bogardus-Szymaniak about the closure and upcoming reopening of the BWCA. Hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs also share an update on the situation.
A section of the wilderness will remain closed for at least another week as multiple wildfires continue to burn in an area south of the Gunflint Trail. Click here to view a map of the closure area. The area that remains closed is, generally speaking, west of Poplar Lake to the end of the Gunflint Trail, including Seagull and Saganaga lakes. The closure extends south and moves west from Sawbill Lake, including the popular ‘Lady Chain of Lakes’ west of Sawbill. The Sawbill entry point will reopen on Saturday.
A campfire ban remains in effect for the entire BWCA at this time. The entire wilderness area was closed to all access on Aug. 21 due to active wildfires and a prolonged drought.
Listen to the full interview with the Tofte District Ranger here: https://soundcloud.com/wtip-community-radio/tofte-ranger-on-bwca-reopening
As drought and active wildfires impact the most visited wilderness area in the nation, the U.S. Forest Service announced Aug. 21 that overnight permits to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will not be issued at this time and all backcountry access is prohibited until further notice. Day trips to the BWCA are not allowed under the closure.
News of the closure spread quickly throughout the paddling community. Among the last to hear of the closure, however, were canoe campers who were on a trip to the BWCA when the closure was announced.
Closures to the BWCA impacted WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast host Matthew Baxley and podcast contributor Lindsey Gau not just once, but twice on the weekend the closure was announced.
They share their story in this episode of the podcast.
WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs traveled up the Gunflint Trail Aug. 27 to get a firsthand feel for how things were going on the edge of the wilderness.
The BWCA remains closed at this time, now a full week into the closure of the most visited wilderness area in the nation. Canoe racks sat full at local outfitters. Restaurants along the Trail were quiet. Most of the vehicles the podcast duo passed on the Trail were trucks carrying firefighters. It was not a typical Friday afternoon and evening in late August on the Gunflint Trail.
Joe and Matthew stopped on the shores of Poplar Lake to record this wildfire update.
It's been about a week since the Superior National Forest closed the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
WTIP's Barbara Jean Meyers traveled around canoe country catching up with area outfitters and paddlers about what the closure has been like.
She shares this special update on the podcast.
Superior National Forest officials confirmed with the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast they have extended the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closure through at least Friday, Sept. 3.
Tofte District Ranger Ellen Bogardus-Szymaniak confirmed the closure extension. The choice to keep the BWCA closed for at least another week was widely expected.
“We considered the weather, historically dry conditions, fire behavior and the resources that we have and decided to go for another week,” she said. “Nothing has changed since the day we put it on.”
Wildfires continue to burn both inside and outside the BWCA wilderness line as of Aug. 25. Canadian wildfires burning inside Quetico Provincial Park continue to burn and could jump the BWCA unless conditions change, according to the Forest Service.
Podcast hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley recorded this update as smoke and ash from Canadian wildfires fell near Grand Marais Wednesday night.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closed to all public access August 21 as wildfires in and around the region continued to burn.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team will be reporting on the wildfires and the complete BWCA closure in a series of updates in the days, weeks and potentially months ahead. In this first installment of the wildfire updates and BWCA closure, hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs discuss the current situation in the Boundary Waters.
Ten years ago this month, the Pagami Creek Fire burned 93,000 acres in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
A lightning strike approximately 13 miles east of Ely ignited the Pagami Creek Fire. First detected on August 18, 2011, the fire smoldered in a bog for several days before it erupted on a monumental scale.
In this special episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear the story of Greg and Julie Welch. The Michigan couple were camped in the BWCA when the Pagami Creek fire found them. This is their story.
A continuation of the story started in episode 46, we hear the completion of two trips where two fathers take the oldest son into the wilderness for the very first time. To enhance the story, a three generation trio of ladies share their ongoing legacy of wilderness travel along with some tips to keep the kids happy and safe.
There comes a time when a father decides to take his son into the Boundary Waters for the first time. It could be anyone, really. A mother, aunt, uncle or family friend all face the same challenges. The goal is to make it safe and to make it fun.
This episode is a two-part series that follows two different trips with the same goal: taking a child into the wilderness. We hear from one father and son as they progress through their planning process and discuss the expectations of what is ahead. We also join another pair on a day-to-day report of the journey even as an aspiring young traveler records his tumble into the lake.
The wilderness always follows through on delivering a life changing experience for both pupil and teacher.
Recent encounters between black bears and visitors to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has the U.S. Forest Service considering a food storage order on certain lakes.
If implemented, the order would aim to reduce the likelihood of negative encounters between BWCA visitors and bears, according to Superior National Forest spokesperson Joanna Gilkeson. The Forest Service enacted a food storage order for a collection of lakes at the end of the Gunflint Trail in 2020 due to bear activity.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast was informed in recent weeks of multiple incidents involving canoe campers and bears in the BWCA. During one incident from July 15 on Duncan Lake in the Middle Gunflint Trail area, four bears aggressively pursued a hanging food pack at a campsite. According to reports, the bears, a sow, yearling and two cubs, would not flee even when whistles were blown and pots and pans were banged together. Additional reports of bear encounters surfaced days later on nearby Rose Lake.
Podcast host Joe Friedrichs spoke with Chris Vincent from St. Francis, Minn., about his experience with several bears on Rose Lake from July 17. This short track shares Chris’s story.
In wilderness settings, there are connections people can make to the land, regardless of their age, race or gender, by walking in the footsteps of those who have come before them.
With this in mind, a group of Minnesota paddlers set out in the fall of 2020 to travel across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to retrace the steps of a wilderness pioneer named Arthur Carhart. Their journey took them across abandoned portages, streams plugged by beaver dams and through remote territory inside the nation’s most visited wilderness area.
Carhart made his journey to the Boundary Waters in 1921. Though a century has passed since his expedition, there were generations of people who lived in this landscape that is now defined as a ‘wilderness area.’ The Indigenous communities were here long before white voyageurs and government officials put their canoes on this countless collection of lakes, streams and pathways through the Boundary Waters.
In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs revisit the notion of ‘what defines wilderness?’
In another follow up to recent podcast coverage, Minnesotan Alex Falconer shares an update with podcast contributor Lindsey Gau about his epic trail run from May 2021. Alex ran the entire Border Route Trail and the Kekekabic Trail in about two days, a distance of nearly 110 miles.
Alex did this run of epic proportions to raise awareness for the Boundary Waters and to protect clean water.
Photo for this episode provided by Mark Morgen. Thanks to KFAI Radio and the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund for making this episode possible.
Join the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team for a one-time special from Isle Royale National Park on the biggest boundary waters lake of them all: Lake Superior.
Hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs traveled to Isle Royale in June 2021 to share stories from the remote island archipelago. They talked with park staff about wildlife research being conducted on the island, chatted with visiting hikers, paddled a canoe through a winding harbor and saw 18 moose over the course of five days.
The stories of their adventures, and those of their fellow travelers and park staff, are all shared in this special episode of the podcast.
It’s back to hammocks on this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Well, sort of…
The featured guest on this episode of the podcast is YouTube sensation and hammock camping extraordinaire Sean 'Shug' Emery. Shug lives in Minnesota and frequents the North Shore and BWCA to enjoy time hiking, exploring and hanging in his hammock.
In a previous stage of his life, Shug was a circus performer and clown. He’s well known at the Minnesota State Fair and has entertained across the state at various venues, including the Grand Marais Public Library.
Shug has a following of more than 100,000 subscribers who engage with his discussions about hammock camping. That being the case, while speaking with host Joe Friedrichs on this episode of the podcast, the topic of hammock camping did not surface one time. Instead, they talked about equity, diversity in the wilderness, advocacy and other topics that have nothing to do with hammock camping whatsoever. During the discussion, both the host and the guest let their guards down and got… real.
The combined distance of the Border Route Trail and the Kekekabic Trail in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is approximately 110 miles.
In late May 2021, Minnesotan Alex Falconer ran the entire distance. In two days. Basically nonstop.
Alex did this run of epic proportions to raise awareness for the Boundary Waters and to protect clean water. Joining Alex for a portion of the run and for an interview on the podcast is Clare Gallagher, an American ultrarunner and environmental advocate who lives in Boulder, Colorado. Also featured on the podcast is another runner who participated in the event, Peyton Thomas. Peyton, who is from the East Coast, participated in multiple sections of the run with Alex.
Podcast contributor Lindsey Gau paddled out to record interviews near Clearwater Lake in the BWCA and shares a full report in this episode.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team spent the final days of April and start of May 2021 in Ely. Hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs were selected for an 'artist residency' by the Listening Point Foundation.
This is property owned by Sigurd Olson that is now managed and owned by an organization in Ely known as the Listening Point Foundation. Olson was an author and a dedicated advocate for wilderness, including the Boundary Waters, but many areas across the country as well.
The podcast duo recorded and produced this episode at Listening Point. The theme of the episode is 'a rite of passage' and includes interviews with paddlers sharing their love of the Boundary Waters with their children, friends and the next generation of canoeists, and where Baxley and Friedrichs fit within that concept of people who share stories about the wilderness.
Up first we hear the story of Myron Klesner. Myron was introduced to Quetico Provincial Park in 1977 during a class trip. It was the first of 30 years of trips taken from Quincy Jr. High (Illinois) to Canoe Canada Outfitters and into Quetico. Myron continues to visit canoe country and he has now gone with his two boys, the history teacher who started the school trips and others who have experienced Quetico over the years.
In part two of this episode, Cook County resident Hazel Oberholtzer talks about ‘her soul place,’ the Boundary Waters. Hazel frequents the BWCA and talks about her own rite of passage to wilderness travel, from camps to family trips to now paddling with her friends through canoe country. Hazel talks about the value of gaining self-awareness on trips to the Boundary Waters, learning from her mentors about strength and leadership both inside and outside of the wilderness.
The episode is shared through the lens of Listening Point and the work of Sigurd Olson to protect the Boundary Waters region, with the full understanding that the torch needs to be carried from generation to generation to protect these treasured waters.
Many of the lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness became ice free during the third full week of April 2021. To investigate the early ice-out situation, the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team ventured into the wilderness on a cold but sunny Sunday morning.
The plan was to enter the BWCA in the mid-Gunflint Trail area, navigating snowy portages and ice free lakes before floating out of the wilderness on the upper reaches of the Brule River. The headwaters of the river are on Horseshoe Lake, a well-known BWCA destination south of Poplar Lake.
It was not an easy trip, including the fact hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs had to repair their damaged Royalex canoe with peanut butter and mud.
Follow Matthew and Joe on this short track of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
A love of the land is the theme in this milestone episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Up first in episode 40, we hear a feature about remote lakes waiting across the border in Ontario. Canadian trapper Mark Deans tells podcast host Joe Friedrichs about a collection of lakes just east of Quetico Provincial Park and just across the border from the border lakes above the Gunflint Trail. Mark and his family run traplines in this remote border country, and some of the lakes in this region are rarely, if ever visited each year by human travelers.
Also in today’s episode focusing on a sense of connection with the woods and waters of the BWCA, the podcast team ventures out for one more ice fishing trip of the season. Eric Glasson is a manager at Piragis Northwoods Company in Ely. He is also the host of an outdoor adventure and fishing platform he calls ‘Farwater.’ Eric joined Matthew Baxley and Joe for a ‘lake trout redemption’ trip to the BWCA in March 2021. Fish were found, as was an extraordinary day on the ice to slowly wind down the winter season.
PLEASE NOTE: Recreational camping is prohibited on public land in Ontario at the time this episode was released in April 2021, including Crown land until further notice. This is to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect the health and well-being of Ontarians. Also, the fee for a non-resident Crown land camping permit is $9.35/person/day plus the federal Harmonized Sales Tax. The permits are available to non-residents through Ministry and/or Ontario government offices and through outside license issuers.
Winter camping continues to be a favorite activity for the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team. In February 2021, Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs took a TV news team from Duluth for a trip to the BWCA. Alex Laitala and Dan Wolfe from KBJR joined the podcast duo for a trip to the far eastern reaches of the designated wilderness. Temperatures dropped to 10-below zero and Matthew shares a report from the wilderness along with added reflection from a memorable trip.
Also in this episode, podcast contributor Lindsey Gau talks with Ty Olson about his epic and important journey through the Boundary Waters and other border lakes. Ty traveled more than 270 miles over 27 days in February and March across the border lakes of Minnesota and Ontario. He called his journey ‘Ski For Fire’ and he did the trip to raise money for firewood for the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Lindsey sat down to talk with Ty just moments after his trip ended on the shores of Lake Superior in Grand Portage.
The March sun is slowly melting the surface of some lakes in the BWCA. The season of change nears.
A special thanks to Claire Campbell and Ian Tamblyn for their musical contributions to this episode.
The depths of winter rolled over the Boundary Waters in February 2021. Temperatures plummeted and overnight lows often measured 30 degrees below zero during the first full week of the month. That being the case, the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team embraced the cold snap as an opportunity to share stories from the wilderness.
Podcast Host Matthew Baxley opens the episode with a story about the longest serving interior ranger in the history of Quetico Provincial Park, Janice Matichuk. Matthew speaks with three men who credit Janice with saving their lives when they fell into the frigid waters of Cache Bay in 2019. Their story is not unique in the sense of a heroic tale involving Matichuk, but it stands out if for no other reason than it was one of her final rescues in Quetico. Janice died in August 2020 from brain cancer.
In the second part of the episode, WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast Guest Host Lindsey Gau chats with Maggie Friedrichs about the joys of winter camping in the BWCA. Lindsey and Maggie recently took a winter camping trip and share a full report, including how to stay warm and dry while winter camping in the wilderness.
It’s the start of Season 4 on the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast!
The new season kicks off with a theme specific to winter: blades and ice.
Indeed, ice skating on ‘wild ice’ was all the rage in the BWCA to start the winter of 2020-21. Host Matthew Baxley takes us on a journey up Clearwater Lake into the BWCA and over to Mountain Lake on the border looking across to Canada. This specific day trip captures a stretch of time that will be remembered for years and perhaps generations to come with regard to wild ice in the Boundary Waters.
To kick off the episode, Baxley and co-host Joe Friedrichs take us back to the frozen waters for lake trout ice fishing opener on Jan. 1, 2021. The annual fishing opener is a big deal in the BWCA, with a special season where only lakes located entirely within the wilderness are open to trout fishing. Learn about lake trout fishing and the value of having sharp auger blades in this report from the ice.
To view footage from Matthew’s trip to Mountain Lake on ice skates, watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hLw6rlFcsQ
It’s the holiday season in the Boundary Waters.
What this means, of course, is that it’s quiet in the wilderness.
November and most of December are traditionally some of the quietest times of the year in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Looking to embrace that solitude, the podcast team of Joe Friedrichs, Matthew Baxley and Lindsey Gau all traveled into the BWCA to celebrate Thanksgiving and ring in the 2020 holiday season. They share a report from the ice and snow in today’s episode, including what they’re thankful for as this challenging year winds down.
Also in today’s episode, we hear once again from Minnesota resident and trail runner Alex Falconer. A dedicated athlete and director of the Boundary Waters Action Fund, Falconer recently spoke on the podcast with host Matthew Baxley about the challenges and joys of running on trails throughout the BWCA, including the Border Route Trail. Falconer shares another update in today’s episode as winter settles in on the wilderness.
It’s an episode of reflection while also sharing in the spirit of new adventures in the Boundary Waters.
November in the Boundary Waters is a time of transition. That being the case, here on the podcast we’re not ready to let the canoe season slide away just yet.
We hear from four women today about their 2020 paddling experiences in the BWCA.
Up first we hear from Aubrey Helmuth Miller and the team at Redbudsuds. Aubrey is the founder of Redbudsuds, a small business in Ohio that specializes in selling 4-in-1 soap products. In August 2020, Aubrey and her two employees, Liz Wagner and Amanda Petzker, traveled to Ely for a ‘work retreat’ to the BWCA. In today’s episode we hear an audio diary they recorded on their trip.
In the second part of today’s episode we hear from Twin Cities resident Claire Campbell. Claire talks about being a solo paddler in the Boundary Waters in a wide-ranging and intriguing conversation with podcaster Matthew Baxley.
Also featured in today’s episode is a collection of music with an appropriate twist to the Boundary Waters and this podcast.
Waterfowl hunting is not something most people associate with a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It is, however, completely legal to hunt in the BWCA during the annual waterfowl hunting season in northeastern Minnesota.
In October 2020, the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team accompanied Cook County resident Sven Hoaglund on a duck hunting trip to the wilderness. We hear directly from the woods and water as the group travels in pursuit of migrating ducks.
Also in today’s episode, we hear from Minnesota resident and trail runner Alex Falconer. A dedicated athlete and director of the Boundary Waters Action Fund, Falconer talks with host Matthew Baxley about the challenges and joys of running on trails throughout the BWCA, including the Border Route Trail.
It’s an episode full of unique opportunities that the Boundary Waters presents to visitors in the wilderness... join us for the adventure.
In this short track of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs share a report on an Oct. 8 event held to raise awareness of threats to the wilderness. The Boundary Waters Action Fund sponsored an event hosted by Al Franken and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Featuring a collection of elected officials and political candidates from Minnesota, what the event largely turned into was a place to share stories about the Boundary Waters. The WTIP Boundary Waters podcast team couldn't have been more at home while listening in...
Audio diaries continue to be an essential component of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. These ‘diaries’ are segments of audio recorded by the hosts and listeners of the podcast during trips to the wilderness.
In this episode, we hear two different audio diaries on two very different types of trips to the BWCA. Up first, podcast host Matthew Baxley takes us on his recent journey with Lindsey Gau and her father, Jeff Gau. (Cool fact… Lindsey is the person holding the canoe in the photo used for the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast logo!)
In the second part of today’s episode, we hear from Minnesota resident and backpacking aficionado Michelle Schroeder. Michelle joined Annie Nelson in 2019 for a hike on the Border Route Trail. The BRT is particularly inviting in the fall months, as we find out from Michelle in her audio recordings from the rugged trail along the border lakes in the Boundary Waters.
A 'business trip' to the Boundary Waters is something many in the paddling community would jump at in an instant. However, finding a boss to support such a notion is likely the biggest obstacle to such a dream becoming reality.
Well, apparently Aubrey Helmuth Miller is one cool boss.
Aubrey is the founder of Redbudsuds, a small business in Ohio that specializes in selling 4-in-1 soap products. In August 2020, Aubrey and her team from Redbudsuds traveled to Ely for a ‘work retreat’ to the BWCA. Joe Friedrichs from the podcast traveled to Ely to talk with them following their trip.
We’ve heard from Aubrey before on the podcast, when she played her banjo and shared stories at Canoecopia in 2019. In addition to being a BWCA guide for several years, Aubrey and Redbudsuds also give 50 percent of the sale of each Gunflint Peppermint shower bar they produce to help protect the BWCA.
Learn more in this special short track of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast…
Every summer there are a number of storms that roll through the Boundary Waters that generate campfire conversations for years to come. On occasion, such as the epic 1999 Blowdown Storm, these storms become the stuff of legend.
Such is the case with a storm from July 8 this summer where nine people found themselves entangled in a vicious weather event. The heart of the storm was on Trout Lake in the BWCA on the western side of the wilderness.
Jason Busch and David Bell were among the group camped out as the storm ravaged their campsite. WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast Host Matthew Baxley talks with the duo about their experience from the summer of 2020.
Also in this episode, Baxley and podcast co-host Joe Friedrichs discuss the recent passing of Janice Matichuk, the longest serving ranger in the history of Quetico Provincial Park and a dear friend of the WTIP and paddling communities.
Half-in, half-out.
That's what many entry lakes to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness are when it comes to the official wilderness designation. And yet, it's the same water. To the lakes and rivers in the BWCA and Quetico, there are no imaginary wilderness or international lines. It's the same water. Podcast hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs explore this notion to open the episode.
Indeed, sentiments such as these are a common message the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters continues to share. In this episode we hear from one of their staffers, Lauren Eggert, before she departs on a BWCA in the summer of 2020 for a trip off the Gunflint Trail.
To complete the episode, we have another audio diary submission! This trip report comes from Minnesotans Kaylan and Josh Dix. They did an early summer 2020 trip as well off the Gunflint, sharing the details of what brought them to the wilderness during a health pandemic and other societal issues in Minnesota and beyond.
It's a complex time in the world, and the BWCA is not absent from its own challenges in 2020. It's all told plainly on this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Janice Matichuk is the longest serving ranger in the history of Quetico Provincial Park. She is on medical leave from Quetico at this time and the Cache Bay Ranger Station is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and border closures with the U.S. and Canada.
During a special program that aired live on WTIP July 11, Boundary Waters Podcast Host Joe Friedrichs spoke with Matichuk about her health and some reflections on the Gunflint Trail community.
Also featured in this special episode are updates with canoe outfitters from across the BWCA. We hear from the teams and Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, the Ely Outfitting Company and Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters.
It’s all here on this bonus track of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
It’s a mix of news, important discussion and wilderness adventure in this important episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Up first, host Joe Friedrichs travels back to the BWCA with Kevin ‘The K-man’ Kramer. Joe and Kevin travel deep into the wilderness, finding moose, solitude and many walleyes along the way.
Also in today’s episode, host Matthew Baxley talks with Miki, aka ‘Tricky Miki' from Minneapolis. Miki is an artist, documentary filmmaker and host of the Minnesota-based Black Helpline Podcast.
Matthew and Miki discuss access to the wilderness for people of color, in addition to challenges that some in the paddling community perhaps are not aware of when it comes to who is comfortable in the BWCA and why.
The 2020 paddling season has started. Along with that, it’s a time of change, education and transition across the planet, including inside the BWCA.
He loved the outdoors.
For most of his life, camping, hiking, canoeing and experiencing life in nature were Billy Cameron’s driving forces.
Despite years of experience with various and often rugged forms of outdoor recreation, Cameron died May 20 on Tuscarora Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness when the canoe he was in capsized, sending him and two of his dear and lifelong friends into the frigid waters of the deep and remote lake.
Nataly Yokhanis started dating Cameron in July 2011. A resident doctor at the Dayton (Ohio) VA Medical Center, Yokhanis told WTIP May 22 that her boyfriend died from hypothermia and drowning. He was 29.
“This has broken me at my deepest. I am shattered,” Yokhanis said. “I don’t think I’ll ever be whole again.”
Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Yokhanis spoke with WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast host Joe Friedrichs about the loss of her boyfriend, Billy Cameron.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast has some great news in May 2020!
The Radio Television Digital News Association announced May 12 that the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast is the winner of a 2020 regional Edward R. Murrow Award.
More than 750 Murrow Awards represent more than 350 local radio and television news outlets from 49 states and four countries for this year’s awards.
The winning work includes 36 podcasts, a new category for 2020, along with nearly 50 investigative reports and more than 100 examples of excellence in innovation, social media and multimedia.
In the small market radio category, WTIP won for the ‘Best Podcast’ category for the original “Boundary Waters Podcast.” The award is for overall series content based on the submission of Episode 18, the story of Erik Dickes from Omaha, Neb., who recorded an audio diary on a trip to the BWCA in May 2019, to commemorate his late father, and tell the story of a canoe trip they had planned to take together in 2018.
In today’s episode, we again hear from Erik as we share the news about the Murrow Award with him from his home in Nebraska. Co-host Joe Friedrichs also talks about an upcoming trip Erik has planned for June 2020.
Also in today’s episode we hear from Wisconsin resident Chris Charnecki, an avid BWCA angler and paddler about his trip that was canceled for the Minnesota Fishing Opener on May 9, 2020.
Joe and podcast co-host Matthew Baxley did venture out for the Fishing Opener this year on a day-trip, while being mindful of social distancing measures amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Overnight permits in the BWCA were not valid on this year’s Opener, and there was a campfire ban in place in the wilderness as well. It was a cold day in the BWCA on this year’s Fishing Opener, though walleye were found after much hard work.
It’s the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast update to the 2020 paddling season amid the COVID-19 situation. Host Joe Friedrichs shares today’s audio update on the podcast.
What we know: As of April 21, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will be open for the 2020 paddling and hiking season starting Tuesday, May 5.
In a press release sent to WTIP and the podcast on April 16, the US Forest Service says that in order to help lessen impacts to local communities while Minnesota’s Stay-at-Home order is in place, and to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will be closed for both day and overnight use from April 15 through May 4. Reservations made through May 4 will receive a full refund including reservations fees.
The temporary closure should have a minimal impact on travel in the BWCA. Many of the lakes in the wilderness are still locked in ice, with some lakes in the Mid-Gunflint Trail area still holding more than 20 inches of ice as of April 15. A traditional start to the paddling season often coincides with the start of the fishing opener in Minnesota. This year that date lands on May 9.
When the season starts on May 5, and in alignment with current federal, state and local guidance for social distancing and to ensure health safety of its employees, partners and members of the public, the Superior National Forest will temporarily change permit pick-up requirements for all BWCA quota permits.
As part of this, visitors will have two options:
1) They can print their BWCA reservation confirmation email at home and use this as their permit.
2) They can pick up the permit in person at a cooperating business that remains physically open and that is under an agreement with the Forest Service. A list of these local cooperators on the Gunflint and Sawbill trails and in Ely and Grand Marais is expected soon. This will help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by allowing for social distancing in the permitting process, according to the Forest Service.
Campsites in the BWCA will be open for those who have overnight permits starting May 5. Day use, either canoeing or hiking, will also be allowed starting that same day.
Campgrounds on Superior National Forest, including those near entry points here in Cook County, were not mentioned specifically in the press release. All campgrounds on the Superior National Forest are closed until at least May 1 out of coronavirus concerns. These include campgrounds at Baker Lake, Sawbill Lake, among others.
Quetico Provincial Park is closed at this time. There is no official word on if the park will open in May at its normal time. Learn more in this interview with the Quetico park superintendent: https://www.wtip.org/wtip-talks-covid-19-impacts-2020-paddling-season-quetico-officials
Furthermore, the international border separating the United States and Canada is currently closed to non-essential travel. This means canoeists aiming to enter Quetico through Cache Bay or Prairie Portage are not allowed to cross the border to enter the park until this border restriction is lifted. Quetico Park would also have to open independent of the border reopening. The travel suspension, or access closure also applies to cabin owners on the Canadian side of Saganaga Lake, a massive and popular lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail that sits partially in both the United States and Canada.
It’s a time of unknowns in the Boundary Waters. Paddlers and hikers are heading into April 2020 uncertain of travel plans or even if the wilderness will be open for the upcoming season.
In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, hosts Matthew Baxley, Joe Friedrichs and Chelsea Lloyd put that notion itself on hold and focus on community, paddling and storytelling.
Matthew talks with longtime BWCA paddler John Oberholtzer about his experiences in the Boundary Waters. Also in today’s episode Chelsea talks with Rachael Romnek and her unique and deeply meaningful visits to the wilderness area.
Please note: In short tracks coming soon, the podcast team will be relaying specific information about the impacts of COVID-19 and how that could impact the 2020 paddling season.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team was all set to return to Canoecopia 2020 in Madison, Wisc. However, the event – scheduled for March 13-15 – was canceled due to concerns about COVID-19, the coronavirus capturing headlines across the planet.
With their plans cancelled, WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast hosts Matthew Baxley, Joe Friedrichs and Chelsea Lloyd brainstormed on what to do instead. It took nothing more than a few seconds of planning before it was agreed upon where they should go instead: The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
In this episode, join the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team as they go winter camping in the BWCA on the weekend that Canoecopia 2020 was scheduled to take place. Stopping by their camp near the Canadian border were other patrons who had their sights set on being at Canoecopia as well.
It’s the 2020 ‘Canoecopia in the BWCA’ episode.
Be certain to listen all the way to the end, as there is a surprise guest who makes an unplanned appearance.
Winter still has its firm grip on the Boundary Waters as anxious paddlers start to think about the upcoming canoe season. However, something known as the ‘Death March Portage’ in Quetico Provincial Park could make the slow trudge across a frozen lake sound delightful by comparison.
In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear from the father/daughter duo Scott and Emilie Burditt. Scott and Emilie are Wisconsin residents who make an annual trip to Quetico Provincial Park. They share their stories about a love for the outdoors and paddling in canoe country, and how this bond keeps them connected throughout the year. We previously heard from them on episode 16 of the podcast.
Speaking of traveling across a frozen lake, in part two of this episode we hear from longtime Cook County resident Jeff Nemitz about building your own pulk sled. Nemitz is the engineer at WTIP in Grand Marais and an avid ice angler who has enjoyed many winter BWCA camping trips. After years of hauling ice fishing and camping gear by a sled with a rope attached to it, Jeff built his own pulk sled in the winter of 2019-20 specifically for Boundary Waters adventuring. With a few simple items from the hardware store, Jeff explains how you can build a pulk sled too.
It’s the start of season three on the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast!
The new season comes out in style, as it’s the first ever live recording of an episode of the original Boundary Waters podcast!
The entire episode was recorded live at the Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race on the Gunflint Trail. The episode was broadcast live on WTIP Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, from the race headquarters near Trailcenter Restaurant on the Gunflint Trail.
Featured in the episode are some familiar voices to the podcast and WTIP airwaves. Up first, host Matthew Baxley talks with Gaby and Werner Würth from Germany. Gaby and Werner are frequent visitors to the Boundary Waters. They have appeared on the first episode of each new season on the podcast.
Also in today’s episode, host Chelsea Lloyd talks with a newcomer to the Boundary Waters region, Anastasia Gill. Anastasia quit her job as an accountant in Houston in 2019 and found her way up to Moetown Kennels off the Arrowhead Trail on the edge of the BWCA. She is working as a dog handler and getting involved with the local mushing scene in northeastern Minnesota. Anastasia is also hosting a new podcast for WTIP called “Sled Dogs, Cold Toes and Gal from Texas.” Chelsea learns more about Anastasia’s journey to northern Minnesota, and it all started with a canoe trip to the Boundary Waters.
It’s the last episode of season two for the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast! Many great things are already in the works for season three starting in 2020, but this year ends with both a look back and a look forward in episode 24 of the podcast.
Host Chelsea Lloyd talks with Nashville-based musician Jerry Vandiver about his love of the Boundary Waters. Jerry is a singer-songwriter who has done a number of songs about paddling over the years, including songs specific to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Jerry is also a regular attendee and performer at the annual Canoecopia event in Madison, Wisc. To wrap up this episode, Matthew Baxley from the podcast team talks with Darren Bush about the 2020 Canoecopia extravaganza. Darren is a key player and organizer of the annual paddling and gear expo. In this episode he talks about what to expect in 2020 and some of his favorite paddling memories from the Boundary Waters.
The canoeing season is officially over for 2019 in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. For some, a new chapter is welcomed with open arms as winter travel begins and the lakes freeze up.
In this episode, hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs take you along for their final canoe trip of the season. The duo retrace their route featured in episode two of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. That journey took them across the ice to Winchell Lake. This time, a canoe serves as the transport vessel and a return to Winchell is the trip's primary objective. Rain, snow, storytelling and a visit from a unique character make their expedition one to remember.
Also featured in episode 23, Podcaster Chelsea Lloyd talks with Grand Marais resident Kjersa Anderson about her experience paddling in the Boundary Waters. Chelsea and Kjersa share some of their personal stories from the wilderness, including how experiences in the Boundary Waters provides confidence throughout many aspects of their lives.
There are a variety of reasons for both why and how people fall in love with the Boundary Waters.
In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, Siddeeqah Shabazz and Stephe Stovall share their story of love for the woods, water and how this natural treasure opened so many opportunities for them personally and professionally. It’s a love story with deep connections both for and from the wilderness.
Also in episode 22, Podcaster Chelsea Lloyd talks with Douglas Wood, a longtime wilderness guide, who is also a prolific author, perhaps best known for his first book, “Old Turtle.” In 2017 Wood released a memoir about the mysteries of the natural world, “Deep Woods, Wild Waters.”
It’s October in the Boundary Waters, let episode 22 be your guide into the new season.
There’s a certain magic that unfolds on a first trip to the Boundary Waters. Memories are made, experience gained, and often the trip ends with some stating the following: “When do we get to come back?”
In episode 21 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear from Minnesota resident Sarah Kermode and her friend Joe Schille, who is also from the land of 10,000 lakes. Sarah and her husband Andy took the lead on a summer trip in 2019 with four of their friends, including Joe, who was making his first trip. We hear about their trip that started at an entry point off of the Gunflint Trail.
To kick things off on this episode, however, new Boundary Waters Podcast Host Chelsea Lloyd shares an interview with well-known (who are we kidding… famous!) paddler Becky Mason. Becky is an artist, canoe instructor and the daughter of paddling legend Bill Mason. Chelsea traveled across Canada to interview Becky for this episode, and it was well worth the journey to hear from this paddling icon, literally at her kitchen table.
It’s September in the Boundary Waters! Bring on the new season…
The tables get turned on WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs in episode 20. A fan of the podcast and BWCA enthusiast Chelsea Lloyd stopped through Grand Marias after a summer 2019 paddling trip. Joe and Matthew met Chelsea at the Midwest Mountaineering Expo in Minneapolis in April and struck up a conversation about podcasting and paddling. When Chelsea stopped by WTIP to record an interview on the podcast about her summer trip, she flipped the script and started to interview Joe and Matthew. Low and behold, it was a significant moment in the history of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
In fact…WTIP is pleased to announced that Chelsea Lloyd is now a host on the Boundary Waters Podcast! Episode 20 is Chelsea’s first interview, and there are many more to come on upcoming episodes.
Also featured in episode 20 is Danny Warnock, a musician and software engineer who loves exploring the BWCA. While canoe camping, Danny prefers to sleep in a hammock. He enjoys it so much, in fact, he started his own company that specializes in backcountry hammock camping. Superior Hammock is the company, and Matthew finds out more about its products and Danny’s paddling experiences.
August is an amazing time in the Boundary Waters. We dive right into the goodness on this episode.
It’s easy to imagine the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as a sunny place where things never go wrong and plans fall perfectly into place on every trip. This line of thinking, however, is a recipe for, at the very least disappointment, and perhaps far worse.
The reality of traveling in canoe country is that the weather is often a challenging element of most trips and the best-laid plans don’t materialize the way they were envisioned at home. In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, host Joe Friedrichs explores this notion firsthand. Joe and Minnesota resident Kevin “The K-man” Kramer share audio recorded during a 2019 summer trip. The duo entered at Brule Lake and found that indeed plans on a BWCA trip don’t always go exactly as they were put down on paper.
Also in this episode, podcaster Matthew Baxley talks with North Shore resident and Boundary Waters enthusiast Chel Anderson. Chel is a botanist and plant ecologist who has lived and worked on the North Shore since 1974. Matthew and Chel talk about a hot topic in the BWCA during the summer months: insects. There’s been no shortage of winged critters spending time at campsites and becoming acquainted with paddlers in the BWCA in 2019.
It’s summer in the Boundary Waters… shared firsthand on this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
The wilderness, and the Boundary Waters in particular, are widely considered a place for personal reflection. Certainly there are many aspects that appeal to recreational enthusiasts who visit the Boundary Waters, including fishing, camping, paddling, hiking and simply the notion of ‘getting away from it all.’
At the heart of wilderness, however, lies something deeper. In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear the story of Erik Dickes from Omaha, Nebraska. Erik made plans with his father in 2018 to paddle in the BWCA. It was to be the first and long-anticipated trip to the Boundary Waters for both of them. After losing a battle with cancer in the fall of 2018, Erik’s father never made it to Minnesota and put his paddle in a Boundary Waters lake. Determined to follow through on a trip to canoe country, Erik and his friend Johnny completed a week-long trip to the BWCA in May 2019. With his father in the forefront of his mind, Erik recorded part of his trip in an audio diary that is shared on this episode of the podcast.
Also featured in this episode is an interview with outdoor writer and journalist Stephanie Pearson. Stephanie is a contributing editor to Outside magazine. Her stories have also appeared in The New York Times Magazine and other publications. In May 2019, Stephanie published an article in Outside titled “The Uncertain Future of the Boundary Waters.” She discusses the focus of this article on the podcast, as well as her personal connections and history in the Boundary Waters.
At the end of episode 18, a supporter and listener of the podcast, Chelsea Lloyd, shares a musical gift by covering Ian Tamblyn’s “Campfire Light.” Tamblyn’s tune is the theme song of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Twenty years ago this summer, the Boundary Waters and other parts of northern Minnesota were impacted by what is forever known as the Boundary Waters Blowdown storm. On July 4, 1999, the storm roared through the region, impacting the wilderness area and lives of many thousands of people.
WTIP, the community radio station in Grand Marais, is looking back on the Blowdown storm in a series of commemorative features and interviews with those who experienced the Blowdown storm firsthand. We are sharing part of this series as a short track on the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
In part one of this WTIP original series, we hear from Grand Marias resident Cindy Carpenter Straub. Cindy was camped on Pine Lake on the eastern side of the BWCA during the Blowdown storm. And we hear from Mike Stewart, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service who was working the afternoon of the Blowdown.
Introduction to the Boundary Waters region can arrive through many channels. Some learn of the waters and portage trails through family or friends. Others find videos or audio online, the descriptions and images of canoe country ultimately leading them to make that first trip to the wilderness.
For many, the discovery of the Boundary Waters comes at an early age through one of the many wilderness camps for youth that surround the BWCA and Quetico. In this episode, camp attendees turned camp staffers, Ashley Bredemus and Victor Pilon from Camp Birchwood for Boys, share their stories about the value of camps near the Boundary Waters.
And being that it’s May, anglers will once again take to the Boundary Waters in pursuit of walleye, pike, lake trout and smallmouth. And while many stick to crankbaits or live bait, Podcaster Matthew Baxley talks with Duluth resident Jeremy Kershaw about fly fishing in the Boundary Waters.
Anthea Grasley and her family are big fans of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In the summer of 2018, they made their first family trip to the BWCA and traveled to Ely from their home in Rockton, Illinois.
In this short track of the podcast, Matthew Baxley talks with Anthea about their family trip to the Boundary Waters.
There is a sense of community when it comes to paddlers who frequent the Boundary Waters. In episode 16 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs take this notion a step further and explore the dynamics of families who paddle together in the Boundary Waters.
In this episode we hear from the father/daughter duo Scott and Emilie Burditt. Scott and Emilie are Wisconsin residents who make an annual trip to Quetico Provincial Park. They share their stories about a love for the outdoors and paddling in canoe country, and how this bond keeps them connected throughout the year.
We also hear from outdoor explorers and adventurers Maura and Bobby Marko. After becoming parents, Maura and Bobby knew that passing on a love and respect for the wilderness would be a major priority for their family. In 2017, the couple, along with their two young children, completed what they call 'The Arrowhead Traverse' paddling inside the BWCA from Moose Lake to Saganaga Lake and then hiking a section on the Border Route Trail.
Welcome to Canoecopia! The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team take to the road for episode 15, with all the content coming directly from the paddling and outdoor gear expo held March 8-10 in Madison, Wisc.
In this episode, podcasters Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs speak with a variety of attendees who traveled from all across the country to attend the 2019 Canoecopia extravaganza.
Guests include Joe Robinet, whose videos of camping in northwest Ontario have garnered him worldwide attention. Robinet has more than 1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
Also featured in this episode is Aubrey Helmuth Miller of Redbudsuds, a soap company based in Canton, Ohio. Aubrey has a direct connection to the Boundary Waters, as does her business.
Music in this episode, which was also recorded at Canoecopia, features tunes from Jerry Vandiver, Lacie Carpenter, Ashleigh Caudill and Aubrey Helmuth Miller.
In the Boundary Waters, it can happen in an instant. No matter how experienced a paddler is starting a trip, tipping a canoe and falling into the frigid waters can happen to anyone through a variety of ways. In late fall 2018, Jacob Leingang, Rachel Nethercut and their dog Lathan experienced the very real dangers that play out when a canoe tips in the Boundary Waters. In this episode, Podcaster Matthew Baxley hears their harrowing story.
Also featured in episode 14 is a conversation with Greg Gaskin, an instructor with the Wilderness Medicine Institute and National Outdoor Leadership School. Podcast host Joe Friedrichs talks with Gaskin about Rachel and Jake’s story of survival and his own reflections on the importance of wilderness medicine and safety.
They’re….back!!! Exactly one year since episode one of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast dropped, guests Gaby and Werner from Germany return for the first episode of the new season. This time, host Joe Friedrichs takes them out for their first ice fishing trip in the Boundary Waters.
Also featured in this episode is a conversation podcaster Matthew Baxley has with David Hoole from Frost River outdoor equipment in Duluth about keeping your hands warm during the winter months in the BWCA.
It’s the first episode of 2019… as the adventure rolls on with the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast!
The holiday season has arrived in the Boundary Waters. In this episode, we hear from two voices often associated with spending significant amounts of time in the BWCA: Dave and Amy Freeman.
In the winter of 2015-16, Dave and Amy spent their holidays in the BWCA as a part of their Year in the Wilderness. Podcaster Matthew Baxley talks with the Freemans to hear what Christmas Day and conditions are like in the Boundary Waters in December. Dave and Amy also share an update on their ongoing efforts to protect the BWCA.
In keeping with the holiday spirit, Baxley and co-host Joe Friedrichs discuss their holiday wish lists, with all the items being tools of the trade for recreation in the Boundary Waters.
Many people who visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness leave with a parting sentiment: We don’t want to go home quite yet.
In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear from an individual who takes this concept to the next level. Known as the 800-Day Paddler, Mark Zimmer shares his story of essentially living in the Boundary Waters from May until fall.
Speaking of changing seasons, November is a time of transition in the Boundary Waters. With lakes starting to freeze and cold ushered in by strong winds, November is one of the lowest-traffic months of the year in the BWCA. But there are those who remain in contact with the land, including Clare and Dan Shirley, the owners of Sawbill Canoe Outfitters. They share their stories of November in the Boundary Waters in part two of this episode.
More than a century of combined paddling between just two people is celebrated in episode 10 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Bob O’Hara is among the most recognized and accomplished adventurers to dip his paddle into the Boundary Waters annually, something he has done for the past 60 years without missing a season.
Likewise, Ken Koscik is no stranger to canoe country. Ken hit the 50-year mark for consecutive years to Quetico Provincial Park and the Boundary Waters in 2018. A guest instructor at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Ken teaches a course on building cedar-strip canoes and kayaks.
Podcasters Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs learn what it takes to make it back to the Boundary Waters every year for at least 50 years in this episode of the Boundary Waters Podcast.
It’s the ‘All Ontario Episode’ of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast! Join Podcasters Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs as they paddle to the Cache Bay Ranger Station in Quetico Provincial Park. Interior Ranger Janice Matichuk has worked at the station in Cache Bay for the past 34 seasons, and she shares her story on the podcast.
Also in this episode, we hear from Canadian musician Ian Tamblyn. A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Tamblyn has shared his music on every episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. He visited Grand Marais and WTIP recently and shares his passion for paddling and writing music with a focus on wilderness and water.
If there is concern about the number of young people visiting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, you won't hear it in episode eight of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.
Ada Igoe from Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail joins the podcast team for this episode. Her segment features a group of middle school students who travel to the BWCA each summer from Indiana. It's another example of the good times people of all ages can have in canoe country.
Also in episode eight, we hear from Natalie Kundel at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais. Natalie shares her expertise on choosing the perfect canoe paddle for your trip to the BWCA.
The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast goes for the trifecta in this episode. Three topics are covered, including a conversation with Julia and Linda Ruelle from the Twin Cities area. Julia, a high school student in Minnetonka, won an essay contest in 2018 from the Ely Outfitting Company that brought her and three friends to the Boundary Waters for a week. Julia was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer during the winter of 2017-18 and completed chemotherapy in February. The trip to the Boundary Waters was largely a celebration of Julia’s return to good health.
Also in episode seven, we hear from Tim Barton, a guide for Piragis Northwoods Company based in Ely. Barton shares his thoughts on the best footwear for navigating the Boundary Waters.
And the trifecta that is episode seven wraps up with a journal-style reading from Beth Gaede. Beth is a book editor who lives in Hudson, Wisc.
June is often the gateway for trips that can last for weeks in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Ann and Steve Holtz take that theme to a different level, including a 100-day trip they completed without a resupply of gear or food. Heading into the 2018 paddling season, Ann and Steve have spent some 775 days camping in the Boundary Waters. In this episode, we hear their stories and love of the wilderness.
In part two, we hear about a new lightweight camp stove that was created at a campsite in the Boundary Waters. Now officially called the Voyageur Stove, we hear from Joe Fleming, the mastermind behind the stove, about the product and his passion for the Boundary Waters.
The month of May is a prime month for fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In this episode of the podcast, we hear from two names often associated with outdoor gear and fishing in the Boundary Waters: Tom Sega, the owner of Duluth Pack; and Stu Osthoff, the publisher of the Boundary Waters Journal.
The winter of 2017-18 lingered long into April in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Some complained... while others chose to embrace it. Among the celebrators of snow and ice is Fred Sproat, an adventurer with a long history of travel in the Boundary Waters. He talks with Podcaster Matthew Baxley in this short track about an epic journey across the wilderness.
In this episode, WTIP Boundary Waters Podcasters Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley venture to a frozen Duncan Lake in the BWCAW. The trip took place in March 2018.
Joining the duo on the adventure was Derek Hofeldt from Loon Lake Lodge. An owner of the Gunflint Trail resort, Derek is an excellent chef with years of cooking in both a kitchen setting and in the backcountry. On their trip to Duncan, Derek and the Boundary Waters podcasters make a variety of meals, all under the comforts of a late-season snowstorm.
In part one of the episode, Friedrichs speaks with Minnesota artist Wayne Potratz, who has made it his life’s work to study and teach sculpture. Potratz spent more than four decades as a sculpture professor at the University of Minnesota, including 13 years as chair of the Art Department. Potratz has long found inspiration for his work during trips to the Boundary Waters, even creating art within the wilderness setting.
There are approximately 12,000 black bears that call Minnesota home. Some of those bears are found in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In this special short track, we hear from canoeist Kay Alton on why it's a good idea to remember black bears do indeed roam the Boundary Waters.
Travel with guest hosts Alison Young and Brenda Piekarski as they recount their thru-hike of the 65-mile Border Route Trail through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Also featured in this episode is a discussion with Duane Lottig, the owner of Snowtrekker tents. Find out what makes "hot-tent camping" in the BWCA the latest buzz in wilderness exploration.
During the winter months, the BWCA Wilderness Act of 1978 requires everyone who enters the wilderness to have a permit and generally prohibits recreational snowmobile use. There are exceptions to the snowmobile restriction, including a specific corridor from Seagull River through Saganaga Lake.
Jon Benson is the recreation specialist on the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Districts based in Grand Marais. He stopped by WTIP to talk with Joe Friedrichs about snowmobile policy within the federally-protected wilderness area.
In this episode, WTIP Boundary Waters Podcasters Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley venture to Winchell Lake deep in the BWCAW. The trip took place in early January 2018. The duo record the experience on a frozen Winchell Lake, including gear they used to get there and conditions on the trail.
In part two, Friedrichs speaks with General Manager Bear Paulsen from Northstar Canoes about what factors to consider when it comes to purchasing a tandem, Kevlar canoe.
This podcast is all about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It is a place to hear stories from the people who visit this amazing outdoor playground. On this podcast, we invite you to join the adventures as well.