Bob Carlson is a co-owner of Loons Nest Coffee on the Gunflint Trail. He’s also a lifelong paddler in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Bob went on his first BWCA when he was 3-years-old.

These days, Bob is busy running Carlson Roasting Company and Loons Nest Coffee. He still enjoys paddling in the BWCA with his family. Chasing lake trout and walleye are part of the experience on a Carlson-family adventure, but it’s more about sharing a passion for the canoe country with the next generation of paddlers, as Bob shares in this video episode of the podcast.

Watch the video podcast with Bob Carlson here.

This episode was recorded at Canoecopia 2026 in Madison, Wisc.

Support for the episode comes from Canoecopia, Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, and Friends of the Boundary Waters.