Paddle and Portage Podcast

Paddle and Portage Podcast
  • 4.8 (39)
  • WILDERNESS
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

This podcast is produced by people who live near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park. It is the source for storytelling, news, and information about the canoe-country wilderness and other paddling destinations across North America. All music on this podcast, unless credited otherwise, comes from Ian Tamblyn and the Blue Dot Sessions. 

  1. 4H AGO

    Paddling North: How Stories Inspire Adventure

    Sometimes the hardest part of wilderness travel – be it a winter trip to the Boundary Waters or a canoe trip to Quetico – isn’t the actual adventure itself that is the most taxing. What can be the most challenging is simply getting back home and adjusting back to “regular life.” 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.

    28 min

  2. 5D AGO

    BWCA News Track: Politics and Mining in an Election Year

    The BWCA is making national headlines in early 2026, with a proposed mine near the edge of the wilderness being the primary news item drawing attention to the region. A vote to reverse a mining ban on Superior National Forest is likely happening soon in the U.S. Senate, though any such vote was delayed this week.  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.

    27 min

  3. FEB 5

    BWCA Winter Camping: Mind Games

    The core Paddle & Portage team spent a combined 24 nights in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in January.  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.

    30 min

  4. FEB 1

    The Paddler's Symphony: A Minnesota Music Teacher's Opus

    Sarah Kremer is a music teacher and musician who lives in Minnesota. She's also a paddler. Her first trip was a 30-day epic to Woodland Caribou. She was a teenager on that first trip. The next summer, she paddled to Hudson's Bay.  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.

    24 min

  5. JAN 28

    The Lost Lakes Deep Dive with Jon and Erin

    Erin Walker is a frequent contributor to Paddle and Portage media. She also appears regularly on The Lost Lakes YouTube channel. In this interview, Erin talks with Jon, the founder Lost Lakes about how the channel came to be, what trips are on the books for 2026, and what industry trends mean for the channel. 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.

    55 min

  6. JAN 23

    Finding BWCA Inspiration with Buck Benson

    Buck Benson is 74 years old. Born and raised in Grand Marais, he still lives near his hometown on Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior. 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.

    29 min

  7. JAN 1

    Fire, Logging, and Healthy Forests Near the Boundary Waters

    The Greenwood Fire in 2021 led, in part, to the complete closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness during the peak of the paddling season. Some of the burn area, about 12,000 acres located outside the BWCA Wilderness, was purchased in 2025 by the Nature Conservancy. 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.

    49 min

  8. 12/18/2025

    Birding Near the Boundary Waters

    Tanya Piatz says she comes to the Boundary Waters for birding and to develop a deeper understanding of the connection between wildlife and the land. She also does this to reconnect with nature and get away from the hustle of everyday life.   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.

    21 min
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4.8
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

This podcast is produced by people who live near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park. It is the source for storytelling, news, and information about the canoe-country wilderness and other paddling destinations across North America. All music on this podcast, unless credited otherwise, comes from Ian Tamblyn and the Blue Dot Sessions. 

Information

  • Creator
    Paddle and Portage Podcast
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    93
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Paddle and Portage Podcast

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