Paddle and Portage Podcast

BWCA Wilderness Permits: Opening Day Analysis

More people canceled a permit to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in 2023 than ever before, according to a recent report from the U.S. Forest Service.
“Cancellations have more than doubled in five years, suggesting that BWCAW visitors continue to reserve more permits than they can use,” the report states.
Some outfitters and paddlers say the process the Forest Service uses for people to book permits is to blame, at least in part, for the record number of cancellations.
The quota permit season runs from May 1 to Sept. 30. The permits are required for overnight trips only. Day-use permits do not need to be booked in advance.
The permits are available in late January each year for the quota season ahead. Permits go live at 9 a.m. on Jan. 29 this year, for example. Most visitors to the BWCA Wilderness book their early reservations online.
In this episode of the podcast, we hear from John Schiefelbein at North Country Outfitters near Ely about his take on the “go live” format for opening day of permit availability. John submitted a document to the Forest Service in 2023 making suggestions on how to potentially improve the rollout and distribution of permits for the nation’s most visited wilderness.
This episode is sponsored by:
Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
Borderland Lodge
 

Renaming BWCA Lake to Honor Former President Jimmy Carter

The idea came to Robert Barrett after skiing up the Gunflint Trail, just days after the passing of former President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29. 
There are two Caribou lakes near the Gunflint Trail. One near Clearwater Lake, another near Poplar Lake. Both are in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and found in the Mid-Gunflint Trail area. 
Given their proximity, why not rename one of the lakes to honor Carter? It was Carter, after all, who signed the 1978 BWCA Wilderness Act into law. Barrett had this idea and sent it to the team at Paddle and Portage. It turns out, the notion is not without precedent. And there is a process to change a lake name in Minnesota. Listen to this episode to find out the details. 
This episode is sponsored by: Sawbill Canoe Outfitters

Amy and Dave Freeman on Their North American Odyssey

Amy and Dave Freeman are widely recognized for their dedication and passion for the Boundary Waters, including their book "A Year in the Wilderness."
Amy and Dave have a new book, "North American Odyssey." 
To kick off Season Two of the Paddle and Portage Podcast, we hear from Amy and Dave about how their travels across the continent continue to be anchored, in part, in the Boundary Waters. 
This episode is sponsored by:
Cascade Vacation Rentals
Canoecopia
Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters 

Read the Book: A Boundary Waters Trout Opener Discussion with DNR's Hudson Ledeen

The trout opener for lakes entirely within the BWCA Wilderness begins Wednesday, Jan. 1. During the 2024 legislative session, state law was changed to move the start date for the ice fishing season to Jan. 1. Lakes outside the wilderness will continue to open on a Saturday later in the month, typically two weeks after the BWCA Wilderness opener. With the change in state law, that gap between the two openers is fluid, and could grow in length over time depending on what day of the week the wilderness opener falls on.
Paddle and Portage reported on this change earlier in the year, though with the opener drawing close, local conservation officers and others from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are reminding people about the change.
“Go with what the (regulation) book says,” said Hudson Ledeen, a DNR conservation officer based in Cook County.
In this episode, we talk with Ledeen about the 2025 trout opener and upcoming ice fishing season for lakes in the BWCA Wilderness. 

EXPLORE Act Implications for the Boundary Waters: Conversation with Bryan Hansel

Minnesota officials and some Boundary Waters enthusiasts are celebrating the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences, or EXPLORE Act.
The final package of the EXPLORE Act includes more than a dozen policy measures aimed at supporting outdoor recreation on public lands, including Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Among other things, the bill would remove some of the permits required for filmmakers and photographers who take pictures and video on public land, including Superior National Forest, while reducing barriers for those who want to share stories, images, and video from the nation's most visited wilderness area.
In this episode, we hear from Cook County photographer Bryan Hansel about the photography and filming aspects of the EXPLORE Act. We also hear a quick update from the DNR about the upcoming trout fishing season in the BWCA Wilderness (Listen to the separate, full episode for more on the trout opener). 

The Epic Saga of Frank Kugler on Pine Lake

In this episode we travel with Duluth based writer Ryan Rodgers to Pine Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Rodgers recently wrote an article in the Boundary Waters Journal about the life of Frank Kugler, an Austrian immigrant who was tried in Cook County for murder in 1919. Kugler shot a man named John Doe on Pine Lake that year, though he claimed the act was justified. 
We set out to visit the Kugler homestead to learn more about the tremendous saga of his life and times in and around the Boundary Waters. Ultimately, we learned more about Rodgers and what motivates him to write about the Boundary Waters and stories of violence, history, and redemption, than we did about Kugler himself. 
This episode is sponsored by:
Loons Nest Coffee
Sawtooth Outfitters

News Short Track: Ice Skateboard and RABC Update Revisited

In this news track of the podcast, we hear an update on the "pause" of the Remote Area Border Crossing Program. Donny and Lisa Sorlie, owners of Chippewa Inn on the Canadian side of Saganaga Lake, stopped by the P&P headquarters in Grand Marais to share an update. Also stopping by to explain how the RABC situation is impacting him is Cook County resident Darin Fagerman. 
Also in the short track, we hear from Grand Marais resident David Welch. An avid Boundary Waters skater, Welch engineered an ice skateboard and a social media post created by M Baxley and Bear Witness Media is generating a lot of buzz online. 
This episode is sponsored by: 
REDBUDSUDS
Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

Boundary Waters Winter Travel: No Ice is Safe Ice

Though winter is an amazing time to travel across the (frozen) Boundary Waters, a simple fact needs to be considered at all times: No ice is safe ice. At the very least, ice is extremely unpredictable. 
In this episode, we hear from Eric Glasson, LynnAnne Vesper, Pete Brautigam, and John Downing. They all have experience being on Boundary Waters ice. Perhaps more importantly, they share personal stories and facts about why people break through the ice.
This episode is supported by:
Voyageur Canoe Outfitters
Bent Paddle Brewing Company
Save the Boundary Waters Campaign
Canoecopia
Ely Outfitting Company

Motor Use to Study Fish in the BWCA Wilderness

The Minnesota DNR has been using motors inside the federally protected BWCA Wilderness for many decades. The uses of motors range from the stocking of fish by airplane to the studying of fish populations using boats and nets on the many scattered lakes across the Boundary Waters. The DNR is allowed to use motors in the nation’s most visited wilderness. This permission comes from the U.S. Forest Service.
In this episode, we hear from DNR and Forest Service officials about the use of motorboats in the Boundary Waters, and how the research impacts things like wilderness character and the user experience for those visiting the canoe-country. 
 
This episode is supported by:
Sawtooth Outfitters
Ely Outfitting Company
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters

Short Track News Update: RABC Permits

After a week of questioning from members of the press, Congressional staff, business owners, and people who are feeling left in the dark, Canadian officials are still being vague when it comes to the future of the Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) Program.
Luke Reimer, a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency, told Paddle and Portage Nov. 19 that the Canadian agency “regularly assesses its programs to respond to current service needs and evolving trends.”
Part of assessing the current status of RABC permits includes dynamics focused on “ensuring the safety, security, and prosperity of Canada.”
With nothing in the way of a public announcement, the Canadian government in late September “paused the processing of new and renewal applications” for the RABC program that allows travelers to cross into certain remote parts of the Boundary Waters region. The podcast duo analyze the latest on the situation in this episode of the podcast. 
Also discussed in the episode is Canoecopia 2025. Tickets should be booked now for the largest paddling expo in North America. 

Updates From The Road: Bending Branches Tour, Book Event in Duluth, Emily Ford Time

In this update from the road, we hear about a tour Bear Paulsen and Joe Friedrichs took of the Bending Branches facility in Wisconsin, share audio from an event for Last Entry Point at Fitger's where Rick Slatten and members of Mark Ham's family spoke, and M Baxley brings us an update from Emily Ford. 
This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:
Bent Paddling Brewing Company
Solbakken on Superior 
 

Winter Camping Truths Amid Celebration

Not everything about winter camping is pleasant. It can be cold, windy, and basically one giant bundle of brutal. Other parts can be, and often are, magic. Sunsets. Solitude. Adventure.
The Winter Camping Symposium is a gathering to celebrate the arrival of winter and the gear that allows us to embrace the cold months in places like the Boundary Waters. The annual event celebrated its 25th year in 2024. 
Some of the Paddle and Portage team were on site for the event this year. They share stories that show the event is very similar to winter camping: It's beautiful, and it's not immune from the complexities of human interactions and experiences.
This episode of the podcast is supported by:
Voyageur Canoe Outfitters 
Loons Nest Coffee
Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply 
 

Forest Service Budget Woes and What It Means For the Boundary Waters

The U.S. Forest Service is facing a budget cut for 2025. 
Looking ahead to the 2025 paddling season, if some of the seasonal backcountry staff are absent from the BWCA Wilderness it could dramatically impact the visitor experience, Forest Supervisor Tom Hall acknowledged during a recent public meeting in Grand Marais. 
“How do we make sure that we’re doing the right thing out on the land, in the Boundary Waters, with digging latrines and cleaning portages and any of those other sorts of services?” Hall said. “And so how do we meet those critical needs, knowing that we don’t want to close the Boundary Waters?”
Hall and the Forest Service on Superior National Forest hosted an open house at the Tofte Ranger Station Oct. 30 to discuss this and other topics relevant to the Boundary Waters and surrounding area. Paddle and Portage attended the event and shares this update on what the budget cuts for the Forest Service could mean for the next paddling season. 
This news update on the podcast is supported by Solbakken on Superior and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. 

Updates From The Road: Winter Camping Festival and Amy & Dave Freeman Book Event

The Winter Camping Symposium is a gathering to celebrate the arrival of winter and the gear that allows us to embrace the cold months in places like the Boundary Waters. 
 
The Paddle and Portage team attended the 2024 winter camping celebration near Moose Lake. We’ll be sharing stories from and about the event in the next full episode of the podcast. 
 
In this short track from The Road, we hear about a busy weekend of travel for the podcast duo. Stops along the way include a visit with Baihly from WDIO TV in Duluth, a few days at the winter camping fest, an incredible breakfast diner in Moose Lake, and a visit with Dave and Amy Freeman at an event at Bent Paddle Brewing Company in Duluth to conclude the adventure. 

Episode 16: The Barrens of Nunavut

Erin Walker and Jon Kelly are the duo behind the Lost Lakes YouTube channel. They live on an inland lake not far from the Canadian shores of Lake Superior.
This summer, Erin and Jon embarked on a three-week, 280-mile (450-kilometer) canoe trip into the subarctic barrens. It was a journey of many firsts: their first time in Nunavut, their first encounter with the subarctic taiga, and by far the most remote expedition they had ever undertaken.
Erin shares details about the experience in this episode of the podcast.
This episode is sponsored by:
Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters
Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply
Bent Paddle Brewing Company
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
Ely Outfitting Company
Solbakken Resort on Superior

Episode 15: Traveling Sober in the BWCA Wilderness

Booze or a dry run?
Opinions vary about bringing alcohol on a trip to the Boundary Waters. Many enjoy sipping whiskey or wine around the campfire. Others prefer no alcohol at all. And then there are those who tip back and glug until the bottle is gone.
In this episode, we hear from a group of five paddlers who chose to paddle the BWCA Wilderness without any alcohol. In fact, it was the centerpiece of their trip.
This episode is sponsored by:
Sawbill Canoe Outfitters
Friends of the Boundary Waters
REDBUDSUDS
Loons Nest Coffee
Sawtooth Outfitters
Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply

Episode 14: Celebration of Life for a Vietnam Veteran in the Boundary Waters

Herb Koenig and Jim Crigler loved to paddle in the Boundary Waters. It was the one place where they felt comfortable talking about their experiences serving as helicopter pilots during the Vietnam War.
In this episode, we hear about why the Boundary Waters opened the door for reflection, communication, and adventure for these two veterans. And we do so, with a funeral.
This episode is supported by:
Solbakken Resort on Superior
Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters
Bent Paddle Brewing
Cascade Vacation Rentals
Friends of the Boundary Waters
Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply
Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters

Episode 13: Rescue on the Granite River

In this episode, Tim and his daughter Sylvie embark on the trip of a lifetime. The crossing of the BWCA from west to east along the voyageur highway is abruptly interrupted by a tragic slip on the Granite River. What unfolds next is a skillful evacuation by fellow paddlers that redeems everyone's belief in the power of human kindness.
This episode is sponsored by:
Ely Outfitting Company
Friends of the Boundary Waters
Women's Wilderness Discovery
Sawtooth Outfitters
Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters
Voyageur Canoe Outfitters

A Letter From Cache Bay: Featured Short Track

Janice Matichuk first set foot on her island in Quetico Provincial Park in 1985. Located near the end of Minnesota’s iconic Gunflint Trail, this remote park is the heart of North America’s “canoe country.”
Decades later, and enduring beyond her untimely passing in the summer of 2020, Matichuk’s legacy includes being the longest serving interior ranger in the history of the park.
Over the course of three decades, Janice raised two children on the island. She saved the lives of canoeists who tumbled into the frigid border lakes of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Ontario’s Quetico. She had been charged by moose, canoed nearly every inch of the 1.2 million acre park, and watched many young paddlers grow into adults.
There are new rangers at Cache Bay. For the second consecutive season, Peter Kranenburg and Stacey Hofer are at the Cache Bay Ranger Station.
Tom McCann is a visual artist and cartographer who lives in Grand Marais. Tom, and his wife, Nancy, were longtime friends of Janice Matichuk. Tom, Nancy, and their friend, Bonnie Schudy (who was also friends with Janice for many years), paddled to the island in Cache Bay in July. Following that visit, Tom wrote a letter to Joe Friedrichs, a co-host of the Paddle and Portage Podcast.
In this short track, Tom reads the letter that he wrote to Joe from Cache Bay in the summer of 2024.

Episode 12: The Dan Cooke Tribute Paddle and Stories About a Legend

Dan Cooke was a "mentor's mentor" when it comes to the paddling scene in North America, particularly around the Boundary Waters region. The longtime owner of Cooke Custom Sewing, Dan passed away July 1.
A paddle parade was held on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis August 10 to honor the life of Dan Cooke. Stories were shared about Dan’s love of paddling, and in the episode we hear from a number of people who attended the event and participated in the flotilla. We also hear segments from an archived interview with Dan himself in this tribute episode of the podcast.
This episode is sponsored by:
Loons Nest Coffee
Voyageur Canoe Outfitters
Bent Paddle Brewing
Friends of the Boundary Waters
Solbakken on Superior

Episode 11: The Ely Challenge

In life, people tend to get consumed by the concept of how something can be done, without giving thought as to why something should be done.
When the Paddle and Portage Podcast first heard about the Boundary Waters paddle known as the Ely Challenge, we were guilty of this notion. We became fixated on the how.
The idea for the Ely Challenge is simple: Paddle across Saganaga Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail to Moose Lake on the Ely side of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Go to Ely and drop a postcard in the mail. And then paddle back to the Gunflint. Do it in less than 24 hours and you "win."
There are no prizes. There's no trophy.
An overnight paddle across the Boundary Waters without sleeping or stopping to enjoy the experience? Why?
On a warm Sunday night at the end of July, two staff members from Voyageur Canoe Outfitters at the end of the Gunflint Trail set out to complete the Ely Challenge. Their names are Jake Weyrauch and Bradley Sage. This is their story.
This episode is supported by:
Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters
Sawbill Canoe Outfitters
Friends of the Boundary Waters
REDBUDSUDS
Sawtooth Outfitters
Ely Outfitting Company

Episode 10: The Sounds Of Mallard Island

Emma Froh is an architect from the Twin Cities. She recently spent a week on Mallard Island, the former home of wilderness advocate and Boundary Waters paddler Ernest Oberholtzer. Emma and two of her colleagues, Mary Springer and Natalya Egon, were staying in what’s known as the Cedarbark House at Mallard Island. The structure used to be a floating brothel on Rainy Lake, before Oberholtzer bought it and stationed it on the edge of the island. Part of the structure still hangs over the edge of the shoreline, so water splashes on and under the building. During the week at Mallard, the sound of splashing water mixed with the calls of birds, the chatter of humans, and the cracking of thunderstorms.
In this episode of the podcast, we explore the sounds of Mallard Island. The sounds are shared through stories and human connection to land and water. Also featured in the episode are Tanya Piatz, Bon Mott, Pebaamibines, and Bambi Goodwin.
This episode is supported by:
Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters
Cascade Vacation Rentals
Friends of the Boundary Waters
Loons Nest Coffee
Solbakken on Superior

Episode Nine: Summer Storms Bring BWCA Community Together

Rain. It’s marked the start to the paddling season this year across the Boundary Waters. There was so much rain, in fact, that many portages and waterways across the BWCA flooded in late June. Roads near the Boundary Waters, from the Echo Trail to Highway 61, also flooded and were damaged by the heavy rain.
In one area of the BWCA, a community formed at the Mudro Entry Point. A tent village, as it goes in the Boundary Waters. The flooding destroyed the nearly 6-mile road leading from the Mudro Entry Point to the Echo Trail. A total of 28 cars were blocked off from the Echo Trail when the road washed out.
Among the people were stranded were Kaethe and Josh Boutelle, from Rochester, Minn. They share their story with us on this episode, along with Mark Kaesmeyer, his son Jared, his friend Tony, and Tony’s son Sam.
Five groups ended up at the entry point the night of June 19 and through most of the following day, they explained. A total of 14 people (and one dog) stayed the night in the parking lot. They shared food, told stories, played cards, and did what people do in a community: They rallied together.
We also hear from Ely resident Eric Glasson, who was fishing in the Boundary Waters when the storms rolled in.
Sponsors for this episode include:
Voyageur Canoe Outfitters
Sawtooth Outfitters
MNZ Gear
Friends of the Boundary Waters
Bent Paddle Brewing Company
Ely Outfitting Company

Episode Eight: Experienced Introduction To The Boundary Waters

We all have to start somewhere. Even Sigurd Olson had to be shown how to paddle and portage a canoe at some point.
We share stories in this episode about people taking their first trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We hear from Bob Carlson, who took a group of young paddlers on the Frost River in the BWCA this spring during a multi-day paddling adventure. We also hear from Mary Ellen Ashcroft and Angelina Elido. Mary Ellen was introduced to Angelina via Linda Newman, a resident of the Arrowhead Trail on the edge of the Boundary Waters. Mary Ellen is a guide with more than 30 years of experience paddling the BWCA. She took Angelina on her first ever canoe trip this year.
There is a right of passage involved with paddling the Boundary Waters. And that journey starts here, one paddle stroke at a time.
This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:
--Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters
--Sven-Saw
--REDBUDSUDS
--Solbakken Resort on Superior

Episode Seven - Sex In The Boundary Waters

Sex in the Boundary Waters. It's a thing. Happens on some trips, not on others. In this episode of the podcast, we explore the sexual energy that stirs in the Boundary Waters and other wilderness areas, and among the people who visit these types of wild places. Featured in the episode of the podcast are: Dave and Amy Freeman, experienced paddlers who once spent an entire year living in the BWCA; Anna Hennessey and Emily Ford, two experienced backcountry travelers who frequent the wilderness; and Erin Peterson, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified therapist who has paddled in the Boundary Waters many times. in the Boundary Waters? Absolutely. This episode sponsored by: Ely Outfitting Company Sawtooth Outfitters Women's Wilderness Discovery Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters