WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

It’s a mix of news, important discussion and wilderness adventure in this important episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. Up first, host Joe Friedrichs travels back to the BWCA with Kevin ‘The K-man’ Kramer. Joe and Kevin travel deep into the wilderness, finding moose, solitude and many walleyes along the way. Also in today’s episode, host Matthew Baxley talks with Miki, aka ‘Tricky Miki' from Minneapolis. Miki is an artist, documentary filmmaker and host of the Minnesota-based Black Helpline Podcast. Matthew and Miki discuss access to the wilderness for people of color, in addition to challenges that some in the paddling community perhaps are not aware of when it comes to who is comfortable in the BWCA and why. The 2020 paddling season has started. Along with that, it’s a time of change, education and transition across the planet, including inside the BWCA.

He loved the outdoors. For most of his life, camping, hiking, canoeing and experiencing life in nature were Billy Cameron’s driving forces. Despite years of experience with various and often rugged forms of outdoor recreation, Cameron died May 20 on Tuscarora Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness when the canoe he was in capsized, sending him and two of his dear and lifelong friends into the frigid waters of the deep and remote lake. Nataly Yokhanis started dating Cameron in July 2011. A resident doctor at the Dayton (Ohio) VA Medical Center, Yokhanis told WTIP May 22 that her boyfriend died from hypothermia and drowning. He was 29. “This has broken me at my deepest. I am shattered,” Yokhanis said. “I don’t think I’ll ever be whole again.” Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Yokhanis spoke with WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast host Joe Friedrichs about the loss of her boyfriend, Billy Cameron.

The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast has some great news in May 2020! The Radio Television Digital News Association announced May 12 that the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast is the winner of a 2020 regional Edward R. Murrow Award. More than 750 Murrow Awards represent more than 350 local radio and television news outlets from 49 states and four countries for this year’s awards. The winning work includes 36 podcasts, a new category for 2020, along with nearly 50 investigative reports and more than 100 examples of excellence in innovation, social media and multimedia. In the small market radio category, WTIP won for the ‘Best Podcast’ category for the original “Boundary Waters Podcast.” The award is for overall series content based on the submission of Episode 18, the story of Erik Dickes from Omaha, Neb., who recorded an audio diary on a trip to the BWCA in May 2019, to commemorate his late father, and tell the story of a canoe trip they had planned to take together in 2018. In today’s episode, we again hear from Erik as we share the news about the Murrow Award with him from his home in Nebraska. Co-host Joe Friedrichs also talks about an upcoming trip Erik has planned for June 2020. Also in today’s episode we hear from Wisconsin resident Chris Charnecki, an avid BWCA angler and paddler about his trip that was canceled for the Minnesota Fishing Opener on May 9, 2020. Joe and podcast co-host Matthew Baxley did venture out for the Fishing Opener this year on a day-trip, while being mindful of social distancing measures amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Overnight permits in the BWCA were not valid on this year’s Opener, and there was a campfire ban in place in the wilderness as well. It was a cold day in the BWCA on this year’s Fishing Opener, though walleye were found after much hard work.

It’s the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast update to the 2020 paddling season amid the COVID-19 situation. Host Joe Friedrichs shares today’s audio update on the podcast. What we know: As of April 21, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will be open for the 2020 paddling and hiking season starting Tuesday, May 5. In a press release sent to WTIP and the podcast on April 16, the US Forest Service says that in order to help lessen impacts to local communities while Minnesota’s Stay-at-Home order is in place, and to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will be closed for both day and overnight use from April 15 through May 4. Reservations made through May 4 will receive a full refund including reservations fees. The temporary closure should have a minimal impact on travel in the BWCA. Many of the lakes in the wilderness are still locked in ice, with some lakes in the Mid-Gunflint Trail area still holding more than 20 inches of ice as of April 15. A traditional start to the paddling season often coincides with the start of the fishing opener in Minnesota. This year that date lands on May 9. When the season starts on May 5, and in alignment with current federal, state and local guidance for social distancing and to ensure health safety of its employees, partners and members of the public, the Superior National Forest will temporarily change permit pick-up requirements for all BWCA quota permits. As part of this, visitors will have two options: 1) They can print their BWCA reservation confirmation email at home and use this as their permit. 2) They can pick up the permit in person at a cooperating business that remains physically open and that is under an agreement with the Forest Service. A list of these local cooperators on the Gunflint and Sawbill trails and in Ely and Grand Marais is expected soon. This will help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by allowing for social distancing in the permitting process, according to the Forest Service. Campsites in the BWCA will be open for those who have overnight permits starting May 5. Day use, either canoeing or hiking, will also be allowed starting that same day. Campgrounds on Superior National Forest, including those near entry points here in Cook County, were not mentioned specifically in the press release. All campgrounds on the Superior National Forest are closed until at least May 1 out of coronavirus concerns. These include campgrounds at Baker Lake, Sawbill Lake, among others. Quetico Provincial Park is closed at this time. There is no official word on if the park will open in May at its normal time. Learn more in this interview with the Quetico park superintendent: https://www.wtip.org/wtip-talks-covid-19-impacts-2020-paddling-season-quetico-officials Furthermore, the international border separating the United States and Canada is currently closed to non-essential travel. This means canoeists aiming to enter Quetico through Cache Bay or Prairie Portage are not allowed to cross the border to enter the park until this border restriction is lifted. Quetico Park would also have to open independent of the border reopening. The travel suspension, or access closure also applies to cabin owners on the Canadian side of Saganaga Lake, a massive and popular lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail that sits partially in both the United States and Canada.

It’s a time of unknowns in the Boundary Waters. Paddlers and hikers are heading into April 2020 uncertain of travel plans or even if the wilderness will be open for the upcoming season. In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, hosts Matthew Baxley, Joe Friedrichs and Chelsea Lloyd put that notion itself on hold and focus on community, paddling and storytelling. Matthew talks with longtime BWCA paddler John Oberholtzer about his experiences in the Boundary Waters. Also in today’s episode Chelsea talks with Rachael Romnek and her unique and deeply meaningful visits to the wilderness area. Please note: In short tracks coming soon, the podcast team will be relaying specific information about the impacts of COVID-19 and how that could impact the 2020 paddling season.

The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team was all set to return to Canoecopia 2020 in Madison, Wisc. However, the event – scheduled for March 13-15 – was canceled due to concerns about COVID-19, the coronavirus capturing headlines across the planet. With their plans cancelled, WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast hosts Matthew Baxley, Joe Friedrichs and Chelsea Lloyd brainstormed on what to do instead. It took nothing more than a few seconds of planning before it was agreed upon where they should go instead: The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In this episode, join the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team as they go winter camping in the BWCA on the weekend that Canoecopia 2020 was scheduled to take place. Stopping by their camp near the Canadian border were other patrons who had their sights set on being at Canoecopia as well. It’s the 2020 ‘Canoecopia in the BWCA’ episode. Be certain to listen all the way to the end, as there is a surprise guest who makes an unplanned appearance.

Winter still has its firm grip on the Boundary Waters as anxious paddlers start to think about the upcoming canoe season. However, something known as the ‘Death March Portage’ in Quetico Provincial Park could make the slow trudge across a frozen lake sound delightful by comparison. In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear from the father/daughter duo Scott and Emilie Burditt. Scott and Emilie are Wisconsin residents who make an annual trip to Quetico Provincial Park. They share their stories about a love for the outdoors and paddling in canoe country, and how this bond keeps them connected throughout the year. We previously heard from them on episode 16 of the podcast. Speaking of traveling across a frozen lake, in part two of this episode we hear from longtime Cook County resident Jeff Nemitz about building your own pulk sled. Nemitz is the engineer at WTIP in Grand Marais and an avid ice angler who has enjoyed many winter BWCA camping trips. After years of hauling ice fishing and camping gear by a sled with a rope attached to it, Jeff built his own pulk sled in the winter of 2019-20 specifically for Boundary Waters adventuring. With a few simple items from the hardware store, Jeff explains how you can build a pulk sled too.

It’s the start of season three on the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast! The new season comes out in style, as it’s the first ever live recording of an episode of the original Boundary Waters podcast! The entire episode was recorded live at the Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race on the Gunflint Trail. The episode was broadcast live on WTIP Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, from the race headquarters near Trailcenter Restaurant on the Gunflint Trail. Featured in the episode are some familiar voices to the podcast and WTIP airwaves. Up first, host Matthew Baxley talks with Gaby and Werner Würth from Germany. Gaby and Werner are frequent visitors to the Boundary Waters. They have appeared on the first episode of each new season on the podcast. Also in today’s episode, host Chelsea Lloyd talks with a newcomer to the Boundary Waters region, Anastasia Gill. Anastasia quit her job as an accountant in Houston in 2019 and found her way up to Moetown Kennels off the Arrowhead Trail on the edge of the BWCA. She is working as a dog handler and getting involved with the local mushing scene in northeastern Minnesota. Anastasia is also hosting a new podcast for WTIP called “Sled Dogs, Cold Toes and Gal from Texas.” Chelsea learns more about Anastasia’s journey to northern Minnesota, and it all started with a canoe trip to the Boundary Waters.

It’s the last episode of season two for the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast! Many great things are already in the works for season three starting in 2020, but this year ends with both a look back and a look forward in episode 24 of the podcast. Host Chelsea Lloyd talks with Nashville-based musician Jerry Vandiver about his love of the Boundary Waters. Jerry is a singer-songwriter who has done a number of songs about paddling over the years, including songs specific to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Jerry is also a regular attendee and performer at the annual Canoecopia event in Madison, Wisc. To wrap up this episode, Matthew Baxley from the podcast team talks with Darren Bush about the 2020 Canoecopia extravaganza. Darren is a key player and organizer of the annual paddling and gear expo. In this episode he talks about what to expect in 2020 and some of his favorite paddling memories from the Boundary Waters.

The canoeing season is officially over for 2019 in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. For some, a new chapter is welcomed with open arms as winter travel begins and the lakes freeze up. In this episode, hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs take you along for their final canoe trip of the season. The duo retrace their route featured in episode two of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. That journey took them across the ice to Winchell Lake. This time, a canoe serves as the transport vessel and a return to Winchell is the trip's primary objective. Rain, snow, storytelling and a visit from a unique character make their expedition one to remember. Also featured in episode 23, Podcaster Chelsea Lloyd talks with Grand Marais resident Kjersa Anderson about her experience paddling in the Boundary Waters. Chelsea and Kjersa share some of their personal stories from the wilderness, including how experiences in the Boundary Waters provides confidence throughout many aspects of their lives.

There are a variety of reasons for both why and how people fall in love with the Boundary Waters. In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, Siddeeqah Shabazz and Stephe Stovall share their story of love for the woods, water and how this natural treasure opened so many opportunities for them personally and professionally. It’s a love story with deep connections both for and from the wilderness. Also in episode 22, Podcaster Chelsea Lloyd talks with Douglas Wood, a longtime wilderness guide, who is also a prolific author, perhaps best known for his first book, “Old Turtle.” In 2017 Wood released a memoir about the mysteries of the natural world, “Deep Woods, Wild Waters.” It’s October in the Boundary Waters, let episode 22 be your guide into the new season.

There’s a certain magic that unfolds on a first trip to the Boundary Waters. Memories are made, experience gained, and often the trip ends with some stating the following: “When do we get to come back?” In episode 21 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear from Minnesota resident Sarah Kermode and her friend Joe Schille, who is also from the land of 10,000 lakes. Sarah and her husband Andy took the lead on a summer trip in 2019 with four of their friends, including Joe, who was making his first trip. We hear about their trip that started at an entry point off of the Gunflint Trail. To kick things off on this episode, however, new Boundary Waters Podcast Host Chelsea Lloyd shares an interview with well-known (who are we kidding… famous!) paddler Becky Mason. Becky is an artist, canoe instructor and the daughter of paddling legend Bill Mason. Chelsea traveled across Canada to interview Becky for this episode, and it was well worth the journey to hear from this paddling icon, literally at her kitchen table. It’s September in the Boundary Waters! Bring on the new season…

The tables get turned on WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs in episode 20. A fan of the podcast and BWCA enthusiast Chelsea Lloyd stopped through Grand Marias after a summer 2019 paddling trip. Joe and Matthew met Chelsea at the Midwest Mountaineering Expo in Minneapolis in April and struck up a conversation about podcasting and paddling. When Chelsea stopped by WTIP to record an interview on the podcast about her summer trip, she flipped the script and started to interview Joe and Matthew. Low and behold, it was a significant moment in the history of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. In fact…WTIP is pleased to announced that Chelsea Lloyd is now a host on the Boundary Waters Podcast! Episode 20 is Chelsea’s first interview, and there are many more to come on upcoming episodes. Also featured in episode 20 is Danny Warnock, a musician and software engineer who loves exploring the BWCA. While canoe camping, Danny prefers to sleep in a hammock. He enjoys it so much, in fact, he started his own company that specializes in backcountry hammock camping. Superior Hammock is the company, and Matthew finds out more about its products and Danny’s paddling experiences. August is an amazing time in the Boundary Waters. We dive right into the goodness on this episode.

It’s easy to imagine the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as a sunny place where things never go wrong and plans fall perfectly into place on every trip. This line of thinking, however, is a recipe for, at the very least disappointment, and perhaps far worse. The reality of traveling in canoe country is that the weather is often a challenging element of most trips and the best-laid plans don’t materialize the way they were envisioned at home. In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, host Joe Friedrichs explores this notion firsthand. Joe and Minnesota resident Kevin “The K-man” Kramer share audio recorded during a 2019 summer trip. The duo entered at Brule Lake and found that indeed plans on a BWCA trip don’t always go exactly as they were put down on paper. Also in this episode, podcaster Matthew Baxley talks with North Shore resident and Boundary Waters enthusiast Chel Anderson. Chel is a botanist and plant ecologist who has lived and worked on the North Shore since 1974. Matthew and Chel talk about a hot topic in the BWCA during the summer months: insects. There’s been no shortage of winged critters spending time at campsites and becoming acquainted with paddlers in the BWCA in 2019. It’s summer in the Boundary Waters… shared firsthand on this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.

The wilderness, and the Boundary Waters in particular, are widely considered a place for personal reflection. Certainly there are many aspects that appeal to recreational enthusiasts who visit the Boundary Waters, including fishing, camping, paddling, hiking and simply the notion of ‘getting away from it all.’ At the heart of wilderness, however, lies something deeper. In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear the story of Erik Dickes from Omaha, Nebraska. Erik made plans with his father in 2018 to paddle in the BWCA. It was to be the first and long-anticipated trip to the Boundary Waters for both of them. After losing a battle with cancer in the fall of 2018, Erik’s father never made it to Minnesota and put his paddle in a Boundary Waters lake. Determined to follow through on a trip to canoe country, Erik and his friend Johnny completed a week-long trip to the BWCA in May 2019. With his father in the forefront of his mind, Erik recorded part of his trip in an audio diary that is shared on this episode of the podcast. Also featured in this episode is an interview with outdoor writer and journalist Stephanie Pearson. Stephanie is a contributing editor to Outside magazine. Her stories have also appeared in The New York Times Magazine and other publications. In May 2019, Stephanie published an article in Outside titled “The Uncertain Future of the Boundary Waters.” She discusses the focus of this article on the podcast, as well as her personal connections and history in the Boundary Waters. At the end of episode 18, a supporter and listener of the podcast, Chelsea Lloyd, shares a musical gift by covering Ian Tamblyn’s “Campfire Light.” Tamblyn’s tune is the theme song of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.