Wtip Boundary Waters Podcast

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 Fo

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. T

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 incl