Paddle and Portage Podcast

The Darkness in the Glasses of Brule Lake

Brule Lake is the largest non-motorized lake located entirely within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In this haunting episode, Joe from the Paddle & Portage P

Pack & Paddle Trip to Isle Royale

A group of women paddlers ventured to Isle Royale on Lake Superior this fall for a multi-day packrafting and backpacking trip. The group brought Alpacka packrafts, mixing

The Return of the Canoes: A Family's Quetico Evacuation Story

During the peak of the 2026 wildfires in the BWCA and Quetico this summer, the Paddle & Portage team shared the story of the Nelson family. The Nelson family have been p

The End of a Memorable BWCA Quota Season

It's one to remember. The 2026 quota season in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness wrapped up Sept. 30. The quota season runs May 1 to the end of September annually

Women in Paddling with Erin Walker: Canoe Guide Bridget Douglas

This series of the Paddle & Portage Podcast is titled Women in Paddling with Erin Walker. Erin's guest in this episode is Bridget Douglas. Bridget is a guide in the BWCA

Women in Paddling with Erin Walker: Talking with BWCA Paddler Kaylan Dix

This series of the Paddle & Portage Podcast is hosted by Erin Walker of the Lost Lakes YouTube channel. The series, created by Erin and Kate from Bending Branches Canoe &

Traveling Burn Routes in the Boundary Waters

Jenna Ladowski is a firefighter who lives near Fort Collins, Colorado. She was recently on a nearly week-long trip to the Boundary Waters with Mona Gauthier, who we featu

The Politics of the Boundary Waters: Volume One

Mining near the Boundary Waters is in the political spotlight this month as a pair of political forums take place in Ely. The first took place Wednesday, Sept. 2 on the c

Adventures in the BWCA & Bear Stories Abound

The Paddle & Portage Podcast duo share updates on some recent BWCA and Lake Superior adventures, and Erin Walker drops in to share the details of her upcoming series abou

Discovering an Old Cabin and Silver Mine in the BWCA

A mine in the BWCA...The mere mention of such a thing in 2026 sends fear up the spine of many paddlers.  That being the case, there is an old mine in the Boundary Waters

The Reopening of the Boundary Waters

After weeks of disruption and uncertainty, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is in the process of reopening.  Large swaths of the BWCA, including the entire Gunf

Northern Tier Scouts Evacuated From BWCA and Quetico During Wildfires

Paddlers from Northern Tier High Adventure, a Scout organization with strong ties to the Ely area, were among those evacuated from the Boundary Waters in July 2026.  In

BWCA Closure Update: News & Stories

Smoky skies, closures, evacuations, and displacement of people have dominated conversations across the Boundary Waters region during recent days. The BWCA Wilderness shu

Summer BWCA Stories and Updates From Ely

There are enough stories, news, and information happening on the Ely side of the Boundary Waters on any given day to produce an episode of this podcast. And while that mi

Quetico Park Revisited: Paddling in From the South

As we've reported in a recent episode of the podcast, access to Quetico Provincial Park from the Cache Bay and Prairie Portage ranger stations is once again an option for

The Rising Cost to Cancel a BWCA Permit

The cost to cancel a permit to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is likely on the rise.  The U.S. Forest Service, in an attempt to reduce the number of BWCA perm

Quetico Telephone Reporting and BWCA Filming Policy - News Track

We share the latest on access to Quetico Provincial Park now that telephone reporting is replacing the RABC Program. Hear a firsthand account of how the new telephone rep

Paddling a Lake Superior Estuary Near Duluth

The St. Louis River Estuary is the confluence of the St. Louis River with Lake Superior.  At 12,000 acres, the St. Louis River Estuary is the largest freshwater estuary i

The Magazine Story That Brought an Ohio Kid to the Boundary Waters

Don Beans first heard about the Boundary Waters when he was a kid growing up in Ohio. And he did so via a magazine, and through the words of longtime Ely resident Bob Car

Flying Over the Boundary Waters - Rescue & New Book

In this two-part episode, we hear of a helicopter rescue from May 2026 when two paddlers capsized in the BWCA near Ely. The podcast duo break down the situation, includin