The Lost Lakes Deep Dive with Jon and Erin
The Lost Lakes Interview – Bringing It All Back Home
Erin Walker is a frequent contributor to Paddle and Portage media. She also appears regularly on The Lost Lakes YouTube channel. In this interview, Erin talks with Jon, the founder of Lost Lakes, about how the channel came to be, what trips are on the books for 2026, and what industry trends mean for the channel.
It’s worth noting that Erin and Jon are married and share some of their adventures on YouTube. Take a look behind the scenes of the Lost Lakes in this P&P exclusive.
This episode is support by Loons Nest Coffee on the Gunflint Trail.
Finding Inspiration in the Boundary Waters with Buck Benson
Finding Inspiration in the BWCA with Buck Benson
Buck Benson is 74 years old. Born and raised in Grand Marais, he still lives near his hometown on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior.
Buck doesn’t think much about his age. He certainly doesn’t let it slow him down. On a recent winter day near Lake Superior, Buck and a friend skied on the frozen Cascade River, covering many miles on their journey. More recently, Buck told the crew from the Paddle & Portage Podcast that he wanted to catch some lake trout in the Boundary Waters. We were happy to oblige.
As we traveled across the frozen lakes and snow-covered portages, it came as no surprise that Buck traveled with great ease, even as he pulled a sled full of gear up a steep hillside. And that was after he bagged a few trout on the remote wilderness lake, of course.
In this episode, we share the story of Buck Benson. Thanks for the inspiration, Buck.
This episode is sponsored by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Ely Outfitting Company.
Canoecopia Nears and BWCA News Update
Canoecopia Nears and BWCA News Update
Canoecopia is the largest paddling expo in North America. The annual event takes place March 13-15 in Madison, Wisc. Paddle and Portage Podcast host Joe Friedrichs spoke with Darren Bush of Canoecopia to discuss the possible sale of Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison, the future of Canoecopia, as well as what to expect in 2026.
Also shared in this episode of the podcast, M Baxley and Joe discuss the continuation of the food storage order in the BWCA, and some rule changes coming to Minnesota in 2027 for walleye anglers.
Make sure to check out the original tune at the end of the episode. Hint: John Prine.
Photo courtesy of Rutabaga and Canoecopia.
Go Live Day for BWCA Permits – Ginny Nelson from Spirit of the Wilderness in Ely
Go Live Permit Day Preview – Ginny From Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters in Ely
Go live day is both celebrated and jarring for outfitters and and BWCA paddlers and other users of the wilderness. Ginny and Joe break it all down in this video, which was recorded inside Spirit of the Wilderness in Ely.
This episode is sponsored by Sawtooth Outfitters and Voyageur Canoe Outfitters.
Watch the conversation from Ely in the YouTube video below.
Ely District Ranger Retires, Lake Trout News, and RABC Update
Ely Ranger Retires, Lake Trout Fishing, and RABC Update
Aaron Kania recently retired from his post as the district ranger for the Kawishiwi Ranger District on Superior National Forest. The district is headquartered out of Ely. Kania arrived to Ely to the lead the district in May 2020. He spoke with Joe Friedrichs about why he is retiring now, what he’s proud of during his tenure here, and what comes next for him personally and professionally.
Also discussed in the news track are possible changes to the start date for lake trout fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, as well as an update on RABC permits.
This news track update is sponsored by Loons Nest Coffee.
Fire, Logging, and Healthy Forests Near the Boundary Waters
Fire, Logging, and Healthy Forests Near the Boundary Waters
The Greenwood Fire in 2021 led, in part, to the complete closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness during the peak of the paddling season. Some of the burn area, about 12,000 acres located outside the BWCA Wilderness, was purchased in 2025 by the Nature Conservancy.
Fire is an essential component of a healthy forest, both inside and outside the BWCA Wilderness. If fire is not allowed to burn, some form of timber management is needed in order to prevent the forest from becoming a tinder box. This has led to complications inside the BWCA, where large stands of blowdown and dead balsam from an infestation of spruce budworm in recent years has large swaths of the forest ready to burn.
The land purchased by the Nature Conservancy will be managed for a healthy forest, which could include prescribed fire and logging, according to two foresters the Paddle and Portage Podcast duo met up with in the winter of 2025-26. Joe Friedrichs from the podcast spoke with Laura Slavsky, a resilience forester for the Nature Conservancy, and Chris Dunham, the resilience forestry director for the same organization. The discussion focused on the land purchase, and how timber management will be a centerpiece to the health of this land. This stands in contrast to the current management plans for the BWCA Wilderness, where logging is strictly prohibited and most wildfires are put out via aggressive suppression tactics.
In addition to this comprehensive audio report, watch this video to learn more: https://youtu.be/8Oe0K3jUAkA
This episode is sponsored by Borderland Lodge, Friends of the Boundary Waters, and Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters.
How to Build a Boundary Waters Wood Stove for Winter Camping
Building a Wood Stove for BWCA Winter Camping
The Paddle and Portage team traveled to Duluth to spend a (brutally) cold winter’s day in the shop of Brian “Muskrat” Maruska. The purpose of the site visit was to build a winter camping wood stove from scratch. “Muskrat,” having built upwards of 50 stoves over the years, was eager to share what he has learned with the P&P community.
Special thanks to Chad Nelson for organizing the meetup and donating a solo winter camping tent to the P&P arsenal of gear. Expect to see and hear more winter camping stories with both Chad and Brian in the years ahead. Video produced by M Baxley of @bearwitnessmedia and the P&P Team.
Birding Near the Boundary Waters
Birding Near the Boundary Waters
Tanya Piatz says she comes to the Boundary Waters for birding and to develop a deeper understanding of the connection between wildlife and the land. She also does this to reconnect with nature and get away from the hustle of everyday life.
For the first time in her birding adventures, Tanya participated in an official bird count this year. The event she chose was in Grand Marais on Dec. 14. The 2025 Grand Marais Audubon Christmas Bird Count was a successful event once again this year, with more than a dozen birders seeing a combined 1,400 individual birds across an area from Lake Superior and up toward the Cascade River and inland toward Devil Track Lake, found near the start of the Gunflint Trail.
The next morning, the day after the official count, the Paddle and Portage Podcast crew traveled approximately 40 miles up the Gunflint Trail with Tanya for some additional birding. In this episode, we invite you to join us.
This episode is sponsored by Loons Nest Coffee, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, and Borderland Lodge.