TWO ISLAND LAKE – Darrell Knecht went fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness last summer.

“We didn’t do too well,” he said. “Still had fun.”

Darrell shared some of his experiences from the 2025 paddle trip to Brule Lake in the BWCA Wilderness while standing at his post near Ball Club Road and the Two Island Lake campground here on Superior National Forest. For about the past decade, Darrell’s been the person in charge of this remote crossing for mushers participating in the 300-mile marathon portion of the annual John Beargrease sled dog race. The race starts near Duluth and ends a few days later in Grand Portage near the Canadian border.

Darrell drives up from Iowa every year for the race, participating as a volunteer at the quiet crossing surrounded by timber and frozen lakes. Darrell’s modest headquarters makes even the Sawbill checkpoint, known for its low-key atmosphere, seem like a bustling metropolis. And it’s here that Darrell goes about his work, keeping the road safe for the mushers to cross as they turn north toward the Trail Center check point, located some 12 miles away. Darrell waves to the musher to confirm the road is clear and safe. Moments after they pass, he uses a CB-style radio and calls into a command center to let them know what musher passed by and the exact time they did. That information is all logged into a database and shared with the public. It takes a village to make this race flow, and Darrell is one of many such volunteers who help out every winter during the Beargrease.

Darrell’s volunteer vest. Photo by Joe Friedrichs

Darrell checks in with the Beargrease command center. Photo by Joe Friedrichs

A resident of the small Iowa town of Elma, Darrell says he and his family love the North Shore, from Duluth up to the Boundary Waters. Darrell is retired, so he’s able to spend more time volunteering these days. He worked as the emergency management coordinator for Howard County, Iowa, for 20 years. In 2021, not long before he retired, Darrell was named the emergency manager of the year for the state of Iowa. He’s a retired fire chief back in his small Iowa town and he’s worked on many nonprofit boards and committees across the Midwest, including for the Beargrease. Helping out is just the way Darrell does business.

“My goal is to help any way I can with any experience and skills I have to help keep the Beargrease a great race and continuing to grow,” he said.

Darrell took over as the lead at the Two Island crossing following the passing of an icon for the race, a fellow named Billy Berry. Many who follow the Beargrease knew Berry as “Penguin Billy.” Each year Berry would decorate the crossing and his nearby campsite with penguins. He also posted signage offering free hugs to tired mushers.

Musher Thomas Bauer crosses the Two Island Road crossing during the 2026 Beargrease. Photo by Joe Friedrichs

Darrell brings his own charm to the remote crossing, an eagle statue now adorning the section of forest near the clearing where the mushers enter the forest after crossing the road. There’s a thermometer under the eagle, and it read minus 4 degrees Jan. 26, Darrell’s busiest day during this year’s Beargrease. A small fire burning nearby helps out, as does Darrell’s FM radio, set to an oldies station. “Leaving on a Jet Plane” comes over the airwaves just another musher comes down the hill from the Two Island Campground to the crossing.

“We’ve got another one coming in,” Darrell says. “Time to get back to work.”

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