WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

Twenty years ago this summer, the Boundary Waters and other parts of northern Minnesota were impacted by what is forever known as the Boundary Waters Blowdown storm. On July 4, 1999, the storm roared through the region, impacting the wilderness area and lives of many thousands of people. WTIP, the community radio station in Grand Marais, is looking back on the Blowdown storm in a series of commemorative features and interviews with those who experienced the Blowdown storm firsthand. We are sharing part of this series as a short track on the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. In part one of this WTIP original series, we hear from Grand Marias resident Cindy Carpenter Straub. Cindy was camped on Pine Lake on the eastern side of the BWCA during the Blowdown storm. And we hear from Mike Stewart, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service who was working the afternoon of the Blowdown.

Introduction to the Boundary Waters region can arrive through many channels. Some learn of the waters and portage trails through family or friends. Others find videos or audio online, the descriptions and images of canoe country ultimately leading them to make that first trip to the wilderness. For many, the discovery of the Boundary Waters comes at an early age through one of the many wilderness camps for youth that surround the BWCA and Quetico. In this episode, camp attendees turned camp staffers, Ashley Bredemus and Victor Pilon from Camp Birchwood for Boys, share their stories about the value of camps near the Boundary Waters. And being that it’s May, anglers will once again take to the Boundary Waters in pursuit of walleye, pike, lake trout and smallmouth. And while many stick to crankbaits or live bait, Podcaster Matthew Baxley talks with Duluth resident Jeremy Kershaw about fly fishing in the Boundary Waters.

Anthea Grasley and her family are big fans of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In the summer of 2018, they made their first family trip to the BWCA and traveled to Ely from their home in Rockton, Illinois. In this short track of the podcast, Matthew Baxley talks with Anthea about their family trip to the Boundary Waters.

There is a sense of community when it comes to paddlers who frequent the Boundary Waters. In episode 16 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs take this notion a step further and explore the dynamics of families who paddle together in the Boundary Waters. In this episode 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 also hear from outdoor explorers and adventurers Maura and Bobby Marko. After becoming parents, Maura and Bobby knew that passing on a love and respect for the wilderness would be a major priority for their family. In 2017, the couple, along with their two young children, completed what they call 'The Arrowhead Traverse' paddling inside the BWCA from Moose Lake to Saganaga Lake and then hiking a section on the Border Route Trail.

Welcome to Canoecopia! The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team take to the road for episode 15, with all the content coming directly from the paddling and outdoor gear expo held March 8-10 in Madison, Wisc. In this episode, podcasters Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs speak with a variety of attendees who traveled from all across the country to attend the 2019 Canoecopia extravaganza. Guests include Joe Robinet, whose videos of camping in northwest Ontario have garnered him worldwide attention. Robinet has more than 1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. Also featured in this episode is Aubrey Helmuth Miller of Redbudsuds, a soap company based in Canton, Ohio. Aubrey has a direct connection to the Boundary Waters, as does her business. Music in this episode, which was also recorded at Canoecopia, features tunes from Jerry Vandiver, Lacie Carpenter, Ashleigh Caudill and Aubrey Helmuth Miller.

In the Boundary Waters, it can happen in an instant. No matter how experienced a paddler is starting a trip, tipping a canoe and falling into the frigid waters can happen to anyone through a variety of ways. In late fall 2018, Jacob Leingang, Rachel Nethercut and their dog Lathan experienced the very real dangers that play out when a canoe tips in the Boundary Waters. In this episode, Podcaster Matthew Baxley hears their harrowing story. Also featured in episode 14 is a conversation with Greg Gaskin, an instructor with the Wilderness Medicine Institute and National Outdoor Leadership School. Podcast host Joe Friedrichs talks with Gaskin about Rachel and Jake’s story of survival and his own reflections on the importance of wilderness medicine and safety.

They’re….back!!! Exactly one year since episode one of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast dropped, guests Gaby and Werner from Germany return for the first episode of the new season. This time, host Joe Friedrichs takes them out for their first ice fishing trip in the Boundary Waters. Also featured in this episode is a conversation podcaster Matthew Baxley has with David Hoole from Frost River outdoor equipment in Duluth about keeping your hands warm during the winter months in the BWCA. It’s the first episode of 2019… as the adventure rolls on with the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast!

The holiday season has arrived in the Boundary Waters. In this episode, we hear from two voices often associated with spending significant amounts of time in the BWCA: Dave and Amy Freeman. In the winter of 2015-16, Dave and Amy spent their holidays in the BWCA as a part of their Year in the Wilderness. Podcaster Matthew Baxley talks with the Freemans to hear what Christmas Day and conditions are like in the Boundary Waters in December. Dave and Amy also share an update on their ongoing efforts to protect the BWCA. In keeping with the holiday spirit, Baxley and co-host Joe Friedrichs discuss their holiday wish lists, with all the items being tools of the trade for recreation in the Boundary Waters.

Many people who visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness leave with a parting sentiment: We don’t want to go home quite yet. In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear from an individual who takes this concept to the next level. Known as the 800-Day Paddler, Mark Zimmer shares his story of essentially living in the Boundary Waters from May until fall. Speaking of changing seasons, November is a time of transition in the Boundary Waters. With lakes starting to freeze and cold ushered in by strong winds, November is one of the lowest-traffic months of the year in the BWCA. But there are those who remain in contact with the land, including Clare and Dan Shirley, the owners of Sawbill Canoe Outfitters. They share their stories of November in the Boundary Waters in part two of this episode.

More than a century of combined paddling between just two people is celebrated in episode 10 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. Bob O’Hara is among the most recognized and accomplished adventurers to dip his paddle into the Boundary Waters annually, something he has done for the past 60 years without missing a season. Likewise, Ken Koscik is no stranger to canoe country. Ken hit the 50-year mark for consecutive years to Quetico Provincial Park and the Boundary Waters in 2018. A guest instructor at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Ken teaches a course on building cedar-strip canoes and kayaks. Podcasters Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs learn what it takes to make it back to the Boundary Waters every year for at least 50 years in this episode of the Boundary Waters Podcast.

It’s the ‘All Ontario Episode’ of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast! Join Podcasters Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs as they paddle to the Cache Bay Ranger Station in Quetico Provincial Park. Interior Ranger Janice Matichuk has worked at the station in Cache Bay for the past 34 seasons, and she shares her story on the podcast. Also in this episode, we hear from Canadian musician Ian Tamblyn. A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Tamblyn has shared his music on every episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. He visited Grand Marais and WTIP recently and shares his passion for paddling and writing music with a focus on wilderness and water.

If there is concern about the number of young people visiting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, you won't hear it in episode eight of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. Ada Igoe from Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail joins the podcast team for this episode. Her segment features a group of middle school students who travel to the BWCA each summer from Indiana. It's another example of the good times people of all ages can have in canoe country. Also in episode eight, we hear from Natalie Kundel at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais. Natalie shares her expertise on choosing the perfect canoe paddle for your trip to the BWCA.

The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast goes for the trifecta in this episode. Three topics are covered, including a conversation with Julia and Linda Ruelle from the Twin Cities area. Julia, a high school student in Minnetonka, won an essay contest in 2018 from the Ely Outfitting Company that brought her and three friends to the Boundary Waters for a week. Julia was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer during the winter of 2017-18 and completed chemotherapy in February. The trip to the Boundary Waters was largely a celebration of Julia’s return to good health. Also in episode seven, we hear from Tim Barton, a guide for Piragis Northwoods Company based in Ely. Barton shares his thoughts on the best footwear for navigating the Boundary Waters. And the trifecta that is episode seven wraps up with a journal-style reading from Beth Gaede. Beth is a book editor who lives in Hudson, Wisc.

June is often the gateway for trips that can last for weeks in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Ann and Steve Holtz take that theme to a different level, including a 100-day trip they completed without a resupply of gear or food. Heading into the 2018 paddling season, Ann and Steve have spent some 775 days camping in the Boundary Waters. In this episode, we hear their stories and love of the wilderness. In part two, we hear about a new lightweight camp stove that was created at a campsite in the Boundary Waters. Now officially called the Voyageur Stove, we hear from Joe Fleming, the mastermind behind the stove, about the product and his passion for the Boundary Waters.

The month of May is a prime month for fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In this episode of the podcast, we hear from two names often associated with outdoor gear and fishing in the Boundary Waters: Tom Sega, the owner of Duluth Pack; and Stu Osthoff, the publisher of the Boundary Waters Journal.