WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

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, whi...

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 Sup...

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 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, quot...

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. Woo...

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’...

The iconic portage between Duncan Lake and Rose Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will take on a new look in 2022 when two sets of wooden staircases will be replaced with stone steps. Stone used in the project will come from the land located between the lakes in the federally-designated wilderness area. Hand tools and other non-motorized instruments will be used to shape the new lo...

The collection of outfitters who provide assorted gear, canoes and guidance for the many visitors to the Boundary Waters each paddling season is a world full of hard work, long hours and repetition. It’s also a world of connection. And many of those connections are made by those who work for the outfitters on the edge of the wilderness. In the final episode for Season 4 of the WTIP Boundary Waters...

Superior National Forest is home to the nation’s only US Forest Service Seaplane Base. Located on Shagwa Lake in Ely, the three USFS pilots stationed there fly deHavilland Beaver float planes and conduct a variety of missions throughout the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The base has a long history with roots that date back to 1929 when the Forest Service b...

The number of people legally allowed to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) for overnight camping trips from May through September will be reduced for the next paddling season. With permits in high demand during recent paddling seasons – particularly during the past two seasons amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – some canoeists struggled to find available campsites, particularl...

The season of giving thanks returns to the Boundary Waters as 2021 begins to wind down. To celebrate the season, WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast hosts Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley returned to the ice on Thanksgiving Day. Ice fishing and ice skating were the means of entertainment on a windy and cold day in late November, with fish tacos for dinner marking a day of success on all fronts. Also fea...

A tornado with wind speeds between 111-135 mph swept through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in October 2021, knocking down trees and making a popular hiking trail impassable in sections. The National Weather Service in Duluth confirmed Oct. 29 that a tornado did roll through the BWCA near Clearwater Lake on Oct. 10. The tornado reached an EF2 rating on its intensity scale, meaning its w...

Michelle Kwan is a co-owner of Keefer Court Bakery in Minneapolis. Michelle is an avid fan of the BWCA. She makes as many trips to the wilderness as she can each year, including intentions of winter camping and canoe camping. The daughter of immigrants to the U.S., Michelle says she was introduced to the Boundary Waters by Wendy Paulsen, the sister of Northstar Canoes General Manager Bear Paulsen....

The Angleworm Trail does not leap to the forefront of most conversations when people talk about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. That being the case, it’s an easily accessible path and portage located off the Echo Trail near Ely. Podcast hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs set off to travel a section of the Angleworm Trail in October 2021. They were joined by a special guest on the a...

Fifty episodes! A milestone episode for the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. Hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs reflect on some of their favorite interviews and moments from the first 50 episodes of the original Boundary Waters podcast. Also included in the commemorative episode is new audio, including a never-before heard story told by the late Quetico Park Interior Ranger Janice Matichuk. With...

It's been a season to remember in the Boundary Waters. The entire BWCA was closed for two weeks heading into Labor Day weekend. There's been a campfire ban in effect since early July. Smoke, drought and heat were themes the entire summer. In this episode of the podcast, hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs drop the news thread and go fishing. The podcast duo ventured into the BWCA in mid-August...

It’s been a season like no other in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. On Aug. 21, Superior National Forest officials enacted a temporary but full closure of the BWCA. The order, issued in response to fire danger, came at the height of the paddling season. The BWCA will reopen Saturday, Sept. 4, with some closures remaining in place. News of the closure was delivered to paddlers by teams o...

News of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness reopening in time for most of Labor Day weekend traveled quickly throughout the paddling community and among local businesses impacted by the change from the Gunflint Trail to Ely. Most of the BWCA will reopen Saturday, Sept. 4. On this wildfire update on the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear from Tofte District Ranger Ellen Bogardus-Szymaniak...

As drought and active wildfires impact the most visited wilderness area in the nation, the U.S. Forest Service announced Aug. 21 that overnight permits to enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will not be issued at this time and all backcountry access is prohibited until further notice. Day trips to the BWCA are not allowed under the closure. News of the closure spread quickly throughout...

WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs traveled up the Gunflint Trail Aug. 27 to get a firsthand feel for how things were going on the edge of the wilderness. The BWCA remains closed at this time, now a full week into the closure of the most visited wilderness area in the nation. Canoe racks sat full at local outfitters. Restaurants along the Trail were quiet. Most of...

It's been about a week since the Superior National Forest closed the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. WTIP's Barbara Jean Meyers traveled around canoe country catching up with area outfitters and paddlers about what the closure has been like. She shares this special update on the podcast.

Superior National Forest officials confirmed with the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast they have extended the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closure through at least Friday, Sept. 3. Tofte District Ranger Ellen Bogardus-Szymaniak confirmed the closure extension. The choice to keep the BWCA closed for at least another week was widely expected. “We considered the weather, historically dry conditi...

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closed to all public access August 21 as wildfires in and around the region continued to burn. The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team will be reporting on the wildfires and the complete BWCA closure in a series of updates in the days, weeks and potentially months ahead. In this first installment of the wildfire updates and BWCA closure, hosts Matthew Baxley...