The Nelson family have been paddling in Quetico for decades. Three generations of canoe-campers have now entered the park, most often through Cache Bay, the southeastern entrance near the end of the Gunflint Trail.

Siblings Matt and Laura led a group of six into the park in mid-July 2026. The group included Matt and his daughter, and Laura and her three children.

Wildfires were burning in Quetico and BWCA leading up to their trip, which started July 11. By the afternoon of July 13, excessive heat and strong winds dramatically increased the size of the wildfires. The Nelsons, paddling on Kawnipi Lake, became surrounded by wildfire. They were eventually airlifted to the north side of the park, though they had to leave their canoes behind. 

Months later, the canoes were flown out of the park and brought to an outpost just north of Quetico. In early October, Matt drove from Michigan to Ontario to get the canoes, and that's where this episode picks up the story. 

Support for the Paddle & Portage Podcast comes from Ely Outfitting Company, Northstar Canoes, and Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles. 

Wildfires stand out as the most significant event from the 2026 BWCA paddling season, with the entire wilderness closing for a section of July. Other notable events include a blizzard during the May fishing opener in the Boundary Waters and a new telephone reporting system to enter Quetico Provincial Park. 

Through it all, the Paddle & Portage Podcast was here doing what we do best: Sharing stories from the canoe country. The podcast duo share this episode from the wilderness, accompanied by a fresh batch of BWCA smoked lake trout chowder. 

This episode is supported by Loons Nest Coffee and Borderland Lodge. 

Erin's guest in this episode is Bridget Douglas. Bridget is a guide in the BWCA Wilderness and Lake of the Woods. She's worked with Women's Wilderness Discovery in Ely and has a decade of experience as a guide in the Lake of the Woods waters on the Minnesota and Ontario border.

This episode is supported by Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles.

Erin's guest in this episode is Grand Marais resident Kaylan Dix. A dedicated paddler in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Kaylan works in healthcare in Grand Marais. She says paddling and outdoor recreation help her navigate the complex world of healthcare, along with being a mother of two teenage daughters.

Other topics discussed include the differences between growing up with canoeing and outdoor recreation as part of one's youth, the merits of single portaging, and the prospects for Kaylan's first solo canoe trip.

This episode is supported by Bending Branches Canoe and Kayak Paddles.

Mona and Jenna were part of a group of nine women who Mona led into the BWCA Wilderness in September 2026. The group paddled in the area that burned in the Pagami Creek Fire in 2011. Mona intentionally chose that route so the firefighters, both urban and wildland firefighters, could see the role fire plays in the Boundary Waters. She chose that route before the fires this summer.

During the peak of the closure of the BWCA and the fires this summer, it was hard to think about the benefits of fire in the boreal forest here in the Boundary Waters, but there’s starting to be some of that now, with the reopening of the wilderness and paddlers back on the water and businesses running again, and things feeling more normal as we move deeper into fall. The U.S. Forest Service recently led Paddle & Portage and other media from across Minnesota on a tour of this summer's wildfires. 

This episode is supported by Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles, Ely Outfitting Company, Loons Nest Coffee, and Sawtooth Outfitters. 

Also participating in the forum was incumbent state Rep. Roger Skraba and DFL challenger Aaron Kania, a former U.S. Forest Service district ranger in Ely.

A separate event featuring candidates running for the Ely City Council will take place next week at the same venue. That event is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10.

In this issue of the podcast, we narrow the complexity of the political landscape near the Boundary Waters, including the local level in Ely.

Featured in this episode are Skraba and Kania, along with Ely City Council candidates Heidi Omerza and Emily Roose. Omerza and Roose are running for mayor this year and are both currently on the council, with Omerza serving as the current mayor of Ely. Also featured in the episode is city council candidate Abby Dare, as well as Ely business owner Sarah Vogl.

This episode is supported by Tex’s Riverways and Borderland Lodge.

Erin also shares the recap of her and Jon's recent encounter with a grizzly bear while canoeing in the Northwest Territories. 

Also featured is a cameo by an old friend of the podcast, one we know by name. 

This episode of the podcast is supported by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Borderland Lodge. 

That being the case, there is an old mine in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In this episode, Duluth writer Ryan Rodgers and the podcast team take you there. 

Go here to learn more about the history of the old mine in the BWCA: paddleandportage.com

This episode is supported by Loons Nest Coffee, Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles, and Williams & Hall Outfitters. 

Listen to this story from a previous adventure with Rodgers: 

Large swaths of the BWCA, including the entire Gunflint and significant portions of the wilderness on the Ely side, will be reopening for overnight paddling and other access during the first week of August. 

The BWCA Wilderness was shut down entirely July 14 due to numerous wildfires. 

The reopening is welcomed news for paddlers and outfitters. In this episode, we share stories about the reopening of the BWCA, and how people came together during the closure. 

This episode is supported by Tex's Riverways, Ely Outfitting Company, and Friends of the Boundary Waters. 

In this episode, we hear their firsthand accounts of getting out from deep in the BWCA and Quetico during the evacuation. Towboats played a role, as did a series of critical decisions made along the way. The stories were recorded near Ely soon after the Scouts were evacuated. 

Special thanks to Jake Hway from Chilly Dogs Sled Dog Trips for first reaching out with news of this story. Thanks, too, to Pam Wright from Soka Outdoors for recording some of the audio used in this podcast. 

This episode is sponsored by Borderland Lodge, Sawtooth Outfitters, and City Cast Twin Cities. 

The BWCA Wilderness shut down July 14 amid a series of wildfires and excessive heat. The length of the closure is unknown at this time. Quetico is also closed at this time due to numerous wildfires burning in and around the park. 

In this episode, we hear from Laura Nelson, a resident of Washington D.C. who was among a group of six paddlers airlifted from Quetico July 14. 

We also hear from Aubrey Helmuth-Miller, who drove with her family from Ohio to paddle a canoe in the BWCA, only to have the wilderness shut down soon after they arrived to Ely. 

Music in this episode from The Upstream Drifters and Ian Tamblyn. 

Photo credit for this episode to Pam Wright for Paddle & Portage media. 

Hear more stories like Aubrey and Laura's on our YouTube page.

To kick things off, we hear from Mark Zimmer, the Barefoot Paddler of the Boundary Waters. 

Also in this we hear from Nancy Scheibe, an Ely artist who is leading a project to paint a mural of Sig Olson this summer. 

We cap the episode with a conversation with the new director the Listening Point Foundation, Kathleen Floberg. 

This episode is supported by Sawtooth Outfitters, Ely Outfitting Company, and City Cast Twin Cities. 

In this episode, we hear from Cache Bay Rangers Peter and Stacey about their time working on the remote island where the ranger station is located. We also head up the Moose Chain near Ely with Blayne Hall from Williams & Hall Outfitters to check out the Prairie Portage entrance into Quetico.  

This episode is supported by City Cast Twin Cities, Friends of the BWCA, and Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center. 

The U.S. Forest Service, in an attempt to reduce the number of BWCA permits canceled each year, is planning to make it more expensive to take such action. 

We break it down with Ginny Nelson, a co-owner of Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters in Ely. 

Submit your comments to the U.S. Forest Service on this topic to this email: sm.fs.bwcawsurvey@usda.gov

Other ideas on this topic, as discussed in the episode: https://paddleandportage.com/2025/01/13/bwca-wilderness-permit-reservation-system-opening-day-analysis/

This episode is supported by Borderland Lodge and Voyageur Canoe Outfitters. 

Also in this episode, we hear from Bryan Hansel, a photographer who lives near Grand Marais about the public's right to film, take photos, or make sound recordings in the BWCA and other wilderness areas across the country. It's been a long road, and finally there's clarity on what is allowed. 

This news track is supported by City Cast Twin Cities and Northstar Canoes. 

Over the past 150 years, industry and other human activity disrupted and altered natural habitats at this estuary, as shorelines and near shore areas were dredged and developed, and chemical contamination impacted the waters, according to the DNR. 

People recognized that legacy sediment contaminants needed to be remediated and damaged habitat needed to be restored. This work started decades ago and continues today. 

The Paddle & Portage Podcast team recently traveled to the estuary for a paddle trip. Joining the podcast duo were staff from the Lake Superior Reserve and the St. Louis River Alliance. 

This episode is supported by our listener-members, and by Cooke Custom Sewing, Loons Nest Coffee, and Friends of the Boundary Waters. 

About 10 years after reading one of Bob Cary’s articles, Don left Ohio and headed north. The year was 1983. His destination: Ely.

In this episode, we hear the story of Don Beans and his journey to the Boundary Waters. Special thanks to Cindy Smyka and the Jasper Company, a multigenerational family business dedicated to hospitality, for their contributions to this episode. 

This episode is supported by you, our listener-members. Support also comes from Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles and Ely Outfitting Company.

We also hear from Gunflint Trail resident JT McMillion in the episode. JT is a retired pilot who recently wrote and released a book about his experiences in the sky, "Arctic Circle Dreams." JT got his start in the outdoor industry at Gunflint Lodge in the 1970s. He shares his story on the podcast, while also taking us up above the Gunflint in his plane. 

This episode is supported by Loons Nest Coffee and Ely Outfitting Company. 

Nonetheless, the team from Paddle & Portage traveled into the BWCA once again for the fishing opener. Lake trout were caught. As were walleye. Despite numerous snow squalls, relentless gusts of wind, and cold temperatures, the trip was by all accounts a wonderful experience. 

After departing the BWCA on the Monday after the fishing opener, we were informed that Scott Stahnke, 73, had passed away. Scott was the owner of Ugly Baby Bait and Boats on the Gunflint Trail. The day before the opener, we'd featured Scott in a P&P article. 

Travel with us for all of this in this episode of the podcast, which is supported by Sawtooth Outfitters, Borderland Lodge, and Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles. 

Music in this episode courtesy of the Upstream Drifters and Ian Tamblyn. 

These days, Bob is busy running Carlson Roasting Company and Loons Nest Coffee. He still enjoys paddling in the BWCA with his family. Chasing lake trout and walleye are part of the experience on a Carlson-family adventure, but it's more about sharing a passion for the canoe country with the next generation of paddlers, as Bob shares in this video episode of the podcast.

This episode was recorded at Canoecopia 2026 in Madison, Wisc. 

Support for the episode comes from Canoecopia, Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, and Friends of the Boundary Waters.

Joe from the P&P Podcast recently toured the Peterson State Fish Hatchery, which is managed by the Minnesota DNR. The hatchery is located near the Root River and the popular tourist town of Lanesboro. 

Assistant Fisheries Supervisor Ryan Wierzba led us on the tour. Among other things, we discuss how splake are made and how they end up in the lakes in and around the BWCA.

What is a splake? It's a lake trout and brook trout hybrid. And they're damn tasty, many anglers agree. 

This episode is supported by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Borderland Lodge. 

As part of the move, the Forest Service says it will also close or repurpose all nine of its regional offices, create 15 state offices, and shutter research and development facilities in more than 30 states, including a site in Ely on the edge of the Boundary Waters.

The specifics on what “research and development facility” in Ely will be closing remains in question a week after the announcement came out. Paddle and Portage media spoke with officials from the Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps April 4, as it’s possible they are included in the situation, specifically a historic research lab they now manage in Ely via a lease with the Forest Service. 

Learn more in this episode of the podcast. 

Also featured in the episode is Duluth writer Alex Messenger. Alex talks about his new book, "The Ice on the Lake." He also shares stories about search and rescue operations he's been on in the Boundary Waters, as well as the time he was mauled by a grizzly bear in Canada. 

This episode is sponsored by Voyageur Canoe Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail, and Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles. 

Recent revelations about what April can offer for BWCA and Quetico adventures has the podcast duo rejuvenated this year. A surge of outdoor activity in late March played a role in this newfound understanding of late winter in the Boundary Waters, as is shared in this episode, which is sponsored by Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters, Loons Nest Coffee, Friends of the Boundary Waters, and Ely Outfitting Company. 

Kevin has built small batches of garments near Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters for more than 20 years. He runs his business the same way he always has: Old school. Customers order direct. No waitlists. Manufacturer to customer. No B.S.

In this episode of the podcast, we learn about the journey of Kevin Kinney. 

This episode is sponsored by Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles and Borderland Lodge.  

The book takes readers from Minnesota’s Boundary Waters into the Canadian barrens, a region rarely seen by most BWCA paddlers. The book tells the pull this area had on one of Minnesota’s most accomplished paddlers, Bob O’Hara.

Rodgers recently met up with Joe Friedrichs on the shore of Lake Superior in Grand Marais to discuss the book and other topics relevant to the Boundary Waters.

This episode is sponsored by Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters and Ely Outfitting Company. 

In 2025, Mona completed a 200-mile solo trip across the border lakes of the Boundary Waters. It was her first solo adventure after completing nearly 70 trips to the BWCA. 

In this episode, we share Mona's story of her first solo trip, and how it intersects with decades of introducing others to wilderness paddling. 

This episode is sponsored by Loons Nest Coffee and Sawtooth Outfitters. 

Special thanks to Mike Gauthier, Sue Sullivan, Paula & Fred Furlich, Lisa DeLaney, Joanie Ouellette, Ruthie Davis, and Kevin Kenow for supporting Mona's trip and helping to make this episode possible. 

Tim worked at the University of Minnesota Duluth outdoor education program. He was also a co-founder of the Duluth Folk School. He was a certified canoe instructor who introduced the Boundary Waters to many people during the past 30 years. 

In this episode, we hear the story of Tim Bates, a quiet legend of the Boundary Waters. 

This episode is supported by Bent Paddle Brewing Company and Friends of the Boundary Waters. 

Special thanks to Julie Bates, Kelly Bates, Ken Gilbertson, and Pat Kohlin for making this episode possible. 

Four Minnesotans spent most of last summer paddling from the end of the Gunflint Trail to Hudson Bay, going north across a large section of Canada along the way. Paddling under the name Solitude of Four, the group traveled more than 1,250 miles over the course of the 2.5-month expedition through some of North America’s most remote waterways.

We followed their journey last summer on the podcast, and featured it before, during, and after their trip. We’ve also been in contact with the group since they completed their journey in mid-August. The names of the four paddlers are Ryan, Kathleen, Maren, and Timea.

They’ve all settled back into the post Hudson Bay trip differently. We wanted to learn what it’s like settling back into society after being immersed in the routine of a canoe trip for more than two months.

Also featured in this episode is Zach Fritz. Zach is well known in many paddling circles across the Upper Midwest, including an epic paddle trip he made from Minnesota to the Arctic Ocean in 2024. Zach was in communication with the Solitude of Four before their trip, offering suggestions for the paddle north.  

This episode is sponsored by Ely Outfitting Company.

The podcast duo of M Baxley and Joe Friedrichs discuss the latest and what it means for the Boundary Waters in this news track. Other topics discussed include the consumption of BWCA permits following "Go Live Day" in late January, a conversation with Forest Supervisor Tom Hall about management plans for the BWCA, and what the 2026 election year could mean for the Boundary Waters. 

Many miles were covered over the course of multiple trips. Lake trout were sought after and caught. Camps were made, refined, rebuilt, and torn down again. 

In this episode, we hear about one of the numerous P&P trips to start the winter of 2026. During this adventure, nearly a foot of snow made an exit from the wilderness physically exhausting. The mind-game entered the equation. You can't think your way out of the Boundary Waters once you're in. Or can you?

Featured guests are 'Oregon Bill' Busacker and The Great Josh Dix. 

Music in this episode courtesy of the Upstream Drifters. 

This episode is sponsored by Friends of the Boundary Waters. 

Sarah is 31 years old now and working as a music teacher for multiple schools near St. Cloud. On top of her work as a music teacher, Sarah’s also been busy writing music. In fact, she wrote a symphony. And it’s about paddling. It will be performed for the first time in front of a live audience March 1 in the small town of Buffalo, Minn., which is about an hour northwest of Minneapolis. The musical composition is called “A Paddler’s Symphony." 

In this episode of the podcast, Sarah shares her story of music, paddling, and why she wrote this symphony. 

This episode is sponsored by Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters and Borderland Lodge on the Gunflint Trail. 

It's worth noting that Erin and Jon are married and share some of their adventures on YouTube. Take a look behind the scenes of the Lost Lakes in this P&P exclusive.

This episode is support by Loons Nest Coffee on the Gunflint Trail. 

Buck doesn't think much about his age. He certainly doesn't let it slow him down. On a recent winter day near Lake Superior, Buck and a friend skied on the frozen Cascade River, covering many miles on their journey.

More recently, Buck told the crew from the Paddle & Portage Podcast that he wanted to catch some lake trout in the Boundary Waters. We were happy to oblige.

As we traveled across the frozen lakes and snow-covered portages, it came as no surprise that Buck traveled with great ease, even as he pulled a sled full of gear up a steep hillside. And that was after he bagged a few trout on the remote wilderness lake, of course.

In this episode, we share the story of Buck Benson. Thanks for the inspiration, Buck.

This episode is sponsored by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Ely Outfitting Company.

Also shared in this episode of the podcast, M Baxley and Joe discuss the continuation of the food storage order in the BWCA, and some rule changes coming to Minnesota in 2027 for walleye anglers. 

Make sure to check out the original tune at the end of the episode. Hint: John Prine.

Go live day is both celebrated and jarring for outfitters and and BWCA paddlers and other users of the wilderness. Ginny and Joe break it all down in this video, which was recorded inside Spirit of the Wilderness in Ely.

This episode is sponsored by Sawtooth Outfitters and Voyageur Canoe Outfitters.

Also discussed in the news track are possible changes to the start date for lake trout fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, as well as an update on RABC permits. 

This news track update is sponsored by Loons Nest Coffee. 

Fire is an essential component of a healthy forest, both inside and outside the BWCA Wilderness. If fire is not allowed to burn, some form of timber management is needed in order to prevent the forest from becoming a tinder box. This has led to complications inside the BWCA, where large stands of blowdown and dead balsam from an infestation of spruce budworm in recent years has large swaths of the forest ready to burn.

The land purchased by the Nature Conservancy will be managed for a healthy forest, which could include prescribed fire and logging, according to two foresters the Paddle and Portage Podcast duo met up with in the winter of 2025-26. Joe Friedrichs from the podcast spoke with Laura Slavsky, a resilience forester for the Nature Conservancy, and Chris Dunham, the resilience forestry director for the same organization. The discussion focused on the land purchase, and how timber management will be a centerpiece to the health of this land. This stands in contrast to the current management plans for the BWCA Wilderness, where logging is strictly prohibited and most wildfires are put out via aggressive suppression tactics.

In addition to this comprehensive audio report, watch this video to learn more: https://youtu.be/8Oe0K3jUAkA

This episode is sponsored by Borderland Lodge, Friends of the Boundary Waters, and Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters.

For the first time in her birding adventures, Tanya participated in an official bird count this year. The event she chose was in Grand Marais on Dec. 14. The 2025 Grand Marais Audubon Christmas Bird Count was a successful event once again this year, with more than a dozen birders seeing a combined 1,400 individual birds across an area from Lake Superior and up toward the Cascade River and inland toward Devil Track Lake, found near the start of the Gunflint Trail. 

The next morning, the day after the official count, the Paddle and Portage Podcast crew traveled approximately 40 miles up the Gunflint Trail with Tanya for some additional birding. In this episode, we invite you to join us. 

This episode is sponsored by Loons Nest Coffee, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, and Borderland Lodge.

The first ice of the season can mean a lot of things. In this episode, we learn what it means for the Paddle & Portage Podcast duo as they venture onto the frozen water. Joining them on the first outing of the season was their old pal, "Omaha" Erik Dickes. 

This episode is sponsored by Sawtooth Outfitters and Loons Nest Coffee. 

In fall 2025, researchers with the Voyageurs Wolf Project released an updated study on wolf activity and the population of wolves in an area located about 10 miles southwest of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is found in the far reaches of northeastern Minnesota. The report tallied about 100 wolves in the study area near the BWCA and Voyageurs National Park. Some media reports highlighted that number as a "crash" of the population. Tom Gable, who leads the project, said the region's deer population ebbs and flows, as does the local wolf population.

The duo from the Paddle & Portage Podcast met with Gable in late fall to learn more about the wolf population near the Boundary Waters. Together, they paddled and portaged on the trail of a wolf, one suspected of killing a deer near a remote lake not long before they arrived to the scene. In this episode, we invite you to tag along.

This video is made possible by our Paddle & Portage member-subscribers, and by our sponsors, including Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, Sven-Saw, and Ely Outfitting Company.

Simes, who grew up in Iowa and now resides in Wisconsin, spoke with M Baxley about paddling Lake Superior at Canoecopia in Madison, Wisc. 

This episode is supported by Loons Nest Coffee and Solbakken Resort on Superior. 

Erin is the daughter of Barb Soderberg. Barb Soderberg’s career with the Forest Service started in 1967 on Superior National Forest, and she was intricately involved with crafting the 1978 BWCA Wilderness Act. She retired from the Forest Service in 2007.

Erin and Barb were in Grand Marais for the North Shore Readers and Writers Festival in early November. They met up with Joe Friedrichs from the Paddle & Portage Podcast at Artist's Point to talk BWCA issues, writing, and family life.

This episode is supported by Cascade Vacation Rentals. 

Now in her late 30s, Shannon continues to be a prolific paddler. She makes frequent trips to the Boundary Waters, including this fall, on an annual trip she makes with some of her friends to the BWCA. This year's trip will be perhaps most memorable as it featured a bachelorette party for Shannon. 

The Paddle and Portage Podcast met up with Shannon and her crew at Artist's Point in Grand Marais, just before they headed up the Gunflint Trail to start their fall adventure to the Boundary Waters. 

This episode is supported by Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Northstar Canoes.

In this update from the road, we hear from the podcast duo about who they've been talking with for video podcasts and what brought them to the western edge of the Boundary Waters in search of wolves. 

We hear from Stephanie in this episode of the podcast. We also cook some smoked trout and wild rice chowder that was inspired by the cookbook. We caught the fish. We smoked the fish. We made the chowder. We ate the chowder. 

This episode is sponsored by Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles, Williams and Hall Outfitters, and Solbakken Resort on Superior.

Barrett moved to Ely more than 10 years ago to start up the guiding and outfitting company. She wanted to focus on offering a safe and comfortable place for women to have a means to access the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

In this episode, we hear about Peta's journey to the Boundary Waters. 

This episode is sponsored by Ely Outfitting Company and Borderland Lodge. 

The Boundary Waters is one such place. In this episode, we learn how two families have been, and continue to be impacted by the power of place. 

Special thanks to Andy Cochrane, Stellan & Lena Bengtsson, Scott, Jess, & Niklas Henderson, and Bob & Deb Friedrichs, for participating in this episode. 

Thanks also to Chad from Gunflint Wilderness Guide Services for participating in the fishing adventure shared in this episode. 

This episode is made possible with support from Sawtooth Outfitters, Loons Nest Coffee, and Solbakken Resort on Superior. 

Team River Runner seeks to get physically (amputations, mobility impairments) and/or visually impaired veterans in kayaks or other watercraft. This summer, M Baxley from the P&P Podcast traveled to the edge of Yellowstone National Park to learn more about the paddling clinics, and to speak with some of the participants. The adventure took Baxley from Minnesota to Montana. Join the road trip turned paddle trip to hear the full story. 

To learn more about Team River Runner, visit their website: https://www.teamriverrunner.org/

This episode is made possible with support from the Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles, Bent Paddle Brewing, the Yellowstone River Motel, and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. 

This episode is supported by Cascade Vacation Rentals and Sawbill Canoe Outfitters. 

The Duluth woman was in the emergency room at St. Luke’s Medical Center Sunday, Sept. 7. She is now home and recovering from the virus. She believes she was infected with West Nile while on a canoe trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in mid-August. After nearly three weeks, she continues to experience body aches, headaches, fatigue, among other symptoms.

The group entered at the Kawishiwi Lake entry point, which is in Lake County near the border with Cook County.

This is believed to be one of the first confirmed cases of West Nile virus ever reported from the BWCA Wilderness. Her case is one of only 21 cases of West Nile reported statewide this year, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. 

In this news update on the podcast, we hear from the Duluth woman about the West Nile infection. We also talk with Elizabeth Schiffman, supervisor of MDH’s Vectorborne Diseases Unit. 

Boreal Bliss Yoga Retreats is a Minnesota business owned by women who bring together themes of self-reliance, seasonal living, and the transformative power of time spent paddling and portaging in the BWCA Wilderness and surrounding area. They've been in business since 2017 and have hosted more than 60 retreats focused on this theme. For their BWCA adventures, they partner with Birchwood Wilderness Camp and Ashley Bredemus.

We travel to the end of the Gunflint Trail, South Lake, and Rose Lake in this episode of the podcast. 

Music in this episode from Upstream Drifters and Ian Tamblyn. 

This episode is sponsored by Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Northstar Canoes, Borderland Lodge. 

This episode is supported by Bent Paddling Brewing Company, Sawtooth Outfitters, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.

Joe’s book pulls back the curtain on the outdoor recreation industry, on the glossy images, the feel-good branding, the well-meaning campaigns, and asks, “What’s being left out?” It traces how the idea of “wilderness” in the U.S. was built through marketing strategies that romanticize land as empty and pristine, while erasing the Indigenous people who’ve always been there.

Joe discusses the concepts he raises in his book on this episode of the podcast. 

This episode is supported by Rutabaga Paddlesports and Ely Outfitting Company.

Support for this episode comes from Northstar Canoes, Loons Nest Coffee, and Williams & Hall Outfitters. 

Graham Schatz is working at Seagull Canoe Outfitters this summer. He is not a typical "Trail Kid," those who lug canoes and clean cabins at the resorts on the Gunflint Trail each summer. Graham is an actor who has been attending acting school in Los Angeles. This summer, when he came to the Gunflint, it was his first time experiencing the Boundary Waters. 

Graham's story illustrates something about the BWCA: The power of this place to transform knows no boundaries. 

Music on this episode from the Upstream Drifters and the Blue Dot Sessions. 

This episode is supported by Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center and Borderland Lodge. 

Listen to the full audio report in this episode of the podcast. 

Photo from @aidant_007 on Instagram. Music on this episode from Canadian folk singer Ian Tamblyn and the Blue Dot Sessions. 

This episode is supported by Bent Paddle Brewing, Save the Boundary Waters, Drury Lane Books. 

This episode is supported by Canoecopia, Women's Wilderness Discovery, Friends of the Boundary Waters, Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, and Cascade Vacation Rentals.  

This episode is support by Williams and Hall Outfitters. 

Backstory: Four paddlers and canoe guides from Wilderness Canoe Base on Seagull Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail are paddling north this summer. Leaving Seagull May 31, the group, paddling under the name Solitude of Four, are on a 1,250 mile canoe journey from our camp to Hudson Bay, Canada. It is a 2.5 month expedition through some of North America’s most remote waterways. The group includes Ryan Mohr, Kathleen Grube, Maren Johnson, and Timea Vrabcová. 

This episode is supported by Northstar Canoes and Loons Nest Coffee. 

According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 25, 2020, Cook County law enforcement responded to North Shore Health, the local hospital in Grand Marais, where a woman being treated for medical issues reported that she was sexually assaulted. The woman told medical personnel and law enforcement she had been raped.

The woman who is the victim of this crime has spent the past five years trying to connect more with nature, including the Boundary Waters. She shares her story in this episode of the podcast. 

This episode is supported by Bending Branches Canoe and Kayak Paddles and by Ely Outfitting Company. 

This episode is supported by Borderland Lodge, Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center, Solbakken Resort on Superior.

After returning from Afghanistan, paddling became more than just a sport-it became a way to process emotions, navigate personal experiences, and find new purpose. The pursuit of pushing physical limits, overcoming mental hurdles, and feeling a sense of accomplishment led Nate to seek out even greater challenges. At the heart of Nate's paddling journey is a philosophy of survival and resilience. Whether working through emotions, physical obstacles, or mental challenges, paddling represents the idea of moving forward-one stroke at a time. "Moving forward is progress," Nate says. 

This episode is supported by Cooke Custom Sewing, Ely Outfitting Company, Women's Wilderness Discovery, Loons Nest Coffee, and Canoecopia. 

In the spring of 2025, just as the ice was leaving many of the lakes across the Boundary Waters, the P&P team met up with a group of volunteers to learn more about the history, current status, and future of the Border Route Trail.

This episode is supported by Northstar Canoes, Bending Branches, Borderland Lodge, and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. 

In this episode, Ed arrives on the great fishing opener weekend, which includes Mother's Day. 

Music on this episode is shared, with permission, from the album Crooked Step, Open Gate, by Upstream Drifters. The duo features P&P writer and dear good friend, Aubrey Helmuth Miller. Joining Aubrey to complete the Upstream Drifters is musician Craig Mast.

This episode supported by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, Loons Nest Coffee, Solbakken Resort on Superior. 

This episode is supported by Drury Lane Books, Cooke Custom Sewing, Northern Goods, and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. 

These are all themes the U.S. Forest Service is seeing and facing on a routine basis as the 2025 paddling season arrives to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. 

In this episode, we hear from Barb Soderberg. Soderberg's career with the Forest Service started in 1967 on Superior National Forest, and she was intricately involved with crafting the 1978 BWCA Wilderness Act. She retired from the Forest Service in 2007. Soderberg is speaking out for what she views as the dismantling of the Forest Service at this time. She spoke with P&P Podcast team in Ely, and again at a rally in Duluth May 9 outside the Forest Supervisor's office and the Superior National Forest headquarters. We also hear from former Superior National Forest Supervisors Connie Cummins and Brenda Halter, who were also present at the rally in Duluth. 

This episode details what staffing cuts, budget woes, and other challenges facing the Forest Service will mean for the upcoming paddling season in the BWCA. 

This episode is made possible with generous support from all of our sponsors. They include: Bent Paddle Brewing Company, Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters, Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, North Country Canoe Outfitters, Northstar Canoes, Cascade Vacation Rentals, Save the Boundary Waters, Bending Branches, Solbakken Resort on Superior, Sawtooth Outfitters, Borderland Lodge, Voyageurs Canoe Outfitters, Northern Goods, Women's Wilderness Discovery, Cooke Custom Sewing, Loons Nest, Ely Outfitting Company, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center. 

Support for this episode comes from Cascade Vacation Rentals, North Country Outfitters, and Bending Branches.

This episode is supported by Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and Cooke Custom Sewing. 

Watch the full interview on the P&P YouTube Channel. 

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

Loons Nest Coffee

Women's Wilderness Discovery

Ely Outfitting Company

This episode is sponsored by: 

Borderland Lodge on the Gunflint Trail

Friends of the Boundary Waters

Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters

The order, signed April 3 by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, declares an emergency on more than 176,000 miles of national forest. The order calls for logging in order to increase timber production and reduce the risks associated with wildfires.

The map accompanying the announcement clearly shows the emergency order applies to land protected as federally-designated wilderness across the nation, including the BWCA here in Minnesota. That said, the Forest Service informed Bloomberg Law that it logging won’t take place inside wilderness areas as part of the order.

In related news, an expected loss of timber products is due to the highly-publicized tariff war between the U.S. and Canada. 

The Paddle and Portage Podcast team speaks on these topics in this news track.

From Lake Superior to the far western edge of the Boundary Waters near Ely, reports of sightings of drones and helicopters flying just above the tree line continue to reach the Paddle and Portage Podcast team.

Part of the podcast team traveled to Saganaga Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail in late March to check out the situation. We traveled to Quetico Provincial Park via Cache Bay with property owners on the Canadian side of Sag, using our recently renewed RABC permit in the process. 

This episode is supported by: 

Solbakken Resort on Superior

Save the Boundary Waters

Sawtooth Outfitters

Maddy stopped by the Paddle and Portage headquarters in Grand Marais to discuss Trail life, living and working at the end of the Gunflint, and why she is moving on to her next chapter.

This episode is supported by:

Bending Branches Canoe and Kayak Paddles

Sawbill Canoe Outfitters

This episode sponsored by: 

North Country Canoe Outfitters

Ely Outfitting Company

Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters

Also featured in this episode, recorded entirely at Canoecopia 2025, is a highlight on paddler and author Cliff Jacobson. This year's expo was Cliff's final as a presenter, something he has done for decades at the annual event. Cliff spoke with the Paddle and Portage Podcast just before his presentation, titled "My Last Picture Show: Remembering a Lifetime of Canoeing Wild Rivers." 

This episode is sponsored by: 

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness 

Women's Wilderness Discovery

Special thanks to Canoecopia and Rutabaga Paddlesports for making this episode possible. 

Kelcy moved back to Minnesota recently to be closer to family. The Paddle and Portage team heard about Kelcy and paddling adventures through her father, Pat. We also heard about another family member that make this story one podcast listeners won't soon forget. 

This episode is sponsored by: 

Borderland Lodge 

Loons Nest Coffee 

In this news update on the podcast, we talk about Trump administration’s deferred resignation program for federal employees. The offer, commonly referred to as “Fork in the Road,” has now expired. Following its expiration, multiple Forest Service employees who work on Superior National Forest were let go, sources confirmed with Paddle and Portage. The podcast team attended a community rally in Ely Feb. 15 that was, at least in part, to show support for the Forest Service employees.

Also discussed in this episode are tangible impacts happening now in the BWCA as a result of the staff reductions. One noticeable impact is a lack of day-use/non-quota season permits being available at kiosks on the Gunflint Trail. Not having a permit while a person is in the BWCA Wilderness is against the law. Though, who is accountable if there are no permits in the kiosks? All of this and more discussed on this news update on the podcast.

In this episode, we share the story of Ella Hall. We do so with the help of the late Mike Hillman, an iconic storyteller who lived for many years in and around Ely. Known locally as “Iron Mike,” he wrote and published many stories about the Boundary Waters region. One of the stories he wrote was titled “Legend of the Lost Girl: A Boundary Waters Story.” In his story, which was never published, Mike Hillman writes about life and death of Ella Hall. Thanks to White Raven Productions and Allison Hillman, Mike's daughter, for making this episode possible. 

This episode is sponsored by Cascade Vacation Rentals.

Temperatures hit -30 Fahrenheit from the Gunflint Trail to areas near Ely in the middle of February. Double-digit negative temperatures have become something of the norm this winter, dating back to the Jan. 1 trout opener in the BWCA Wilderness. 

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about what ice thickness means for anglers and winter campers for the remainder of the season. One consideration is that auger extensions will become essential in many cases, as Chad Kieper from Gunflint Wilderness Guide Service shares with the podcast team. 

This episode is supported by Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters

In this episode of the podcast, the bulk of which was recorded in the Minnesota capital, we hear from Dan Johnson, the founder of BWCA Wild. Dan films the portages in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. As of February 2025, he's about a third of the way done filming all of the portages. We met up with Dan to talk about his trip reports, videos, and travels in the Boundary Waters. 

Joining the conversation is Scottie Baldwin. Scottie is a sound engineer. He's worked with artists ranging from Prince to the biggest pop starts in China. Through it all, the Boundary Waters has been a place of solace for Scottie. As has our podcast. In the episode, Scottie shares why he didn't book a single permit on "go live" day this year. Hint: It's because of a story he heard on this podcast. 

This episode is sponsored by:

Borderland Lodge

Canoecopia

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness 

Those meetings, scheduled for Feb. 4 and 5, were cancelled. 

The cancellations were tied, at least in part, to ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to shrink various parts of the federal government, including the U.S. Forest Service. 

In this episode of the podcast, we analyze recent reporting we've done about ongoing efforts to get federal employees to resign in an attempt to shrink the size of government. We also hear from WaterLegacy Executive Director Paula Maccabee about environmental issues and the regulatory industry in the revisited era of Trump, as well as the Walz administration in Minnesota.

This episode of the podcast is supported by Ely Outfitting Company. 

Photo courtesy of Superior National Forest. 

In this episode of the podcast, Erin talks about her upcoming Canoecopia presentation with the Paddle and Portage Podcast team, her love of winter, and her audition tape for Survivor.

This episode is supported by the SavetheBoundaryWaters and SawtoothOutfitters ​

This episode is sponsored by:

Voyageurs Canoe Outfitters

Loons Nest Coffee

Ely Outfitting Company 

“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

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 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 

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. 

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). 

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

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

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

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

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. 

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

Bent Paddling Brewing Company

Solbakken on Superior 

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 

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. 

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