Quetico Park Revisited: Paddling in From the South
Quetico Park Revisited – Paddling in From the South
As we’ve reported in a recent episode of the podcast, access to Quetico Provincial Park from the Cache Bay and Prairie Portage ranger stations is once again an option for many paddlers. This development comes as the RABC Program winds down in September. A new telephone reporting system went live at both ranger stations June 8, and the response from paddlers has been upbeat on the new method to clear customs and enter Canada for a trip to Quetico.
In this episode, we hear from Cache Bay Rangers Peter and Stacey about their time working on the remote island where the ranger station is located. We also head up the Moose Chain near Ely with Blayne Hall from Williams & Hall Outfitters to check out the Prairie Portage entrance into Quetico.
This episode is supported by City Cast Twin Cities, Friends of the BWCA, and Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center.
The Rising Cost to Cancel a BWCA Permit
The Rising Cost to Cancel a BWCA Permit
The cost to cancel a permit to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is likely on the rise.
The U.S. Forest Service, in an attempt to reduce the number of BWCA permits canceled each year, is planning to make it more expensive to take such action.
We break it down with Ginny Nelson, a co-owner of Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters in Ely.
Submit your comments to the U.S. Forest Service on this topic to this email: sm.fs.bwcawsurvey@usda.gov
Other ideas on this topic, as discussed in the episode: https://paddleandportage.com/2025/01/13/bwca-wilderness-permit-reservation-system-opening-day-analysis/
This episode is supported by Borderland Lodge and Voyageur Canoe Outfitters.
Quetico Telephone Reporting and BWCA Film Policy – News Track
Quetico and BWCA Updates – News Track
We share the latest on access to Quetico Provincial Park now that telephone reporting is replacing the RABC Program. Hear a firsthand account of how the new telephone reporting system to access Quetico works. Spoiler alert: It works great!
Also in this episode, we hear from Bryan Hansel, a photographer who lives near Grand Marais about the public’s right to film, take photos, or make sound recordings in the BWCA and other wilderness areas across the country. It’s been a long road, and finally there’s clarity on what is allowed.
This news track is supported by City Cast Twin Cities and Northstar Canoes.
Paddling a Lake Superior Estuary Near Duluth
The St. Louis River and Duluth Paddling Scene
The St. Louis River Estuary is the confluence of the St. Louis River with Lake Superior. At 12,000 acres, the St. Louis River Estuary is the largest freshwater estuary in North America and is considered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to be the headwaters of the Great Lakes.
Over the past 150 years, industry and other human activity disrupted and altered natural habitats at this estuary, as shorelines and near shore areas were dredged and developed, and chemical contamination impacted the waters, according to the DNR.
People recognized that legacy sediment contaminants needed to be remediated and damaged habitat needed to be restored. This work started decades ago and continues today.
The Paddle & Portage Podcast team recently traveled to the estuary for a paddle trip. Joining the podcast duo were staff from the Lake Superior Reserve and the St. Louis River Alliance.
This episode is supported by our listener-members, and by Cooke Custom Sewing, Loons Nest Coffee, and Friends of the Boundary Waters.
Video to support the podcast below.
The Magazine Story That Brought an Ohio Kid to the Boundary Waters
The Magazine Story That Brought an Ohio Kid to the Boundary Waters
Don Beans first heard about the Boundary Waters when he was a kid growing up in Ohio. And he did so via a magazine, and through the words of longtime Ely resident Bob Cary, a local author, journalist, artist, and wilderness guide.
About 10 years after reading one of Bob Cary’s articles, Don left Ohio and headed north. The year was 1983. His destination: Ely.
In this episode, we hear the story of Don Beans and his journey to the Boundary Waters. Special thanks to Cindy Smyka and the Jasper Company, a multigenerational family business dedicated to hospitality, for their contributions to this episode.
This episode is supported by you, our listener-members. Support also comes from Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles and Ely Outfitting Company.
Flying Over the Boundary Waters – Airplanes and a Helicopter
Above the Boundary Waters – New Book From Gunflint Trail Resident
In this two-part episode, we hear of a helicopter rescue from May 2026 when two paddlers capsized in the BWCA near Ely. The podcast duo break down the situation, including the public’s response to the incident.
We also hear from Gunflint Trail resident JT McMillion in the episode. JT is a retired pilot who recently wrote and released a book about his experiences in the sky, “Arctic Circle Dreams.” JT got his start in the outdoor industry at Gunflint Lodge in the 1970s. He shares his story on the podcast, while also taking us up above the Gunflint in his plane.
This episode is supported by Loons Nest Coffee and Ely Outfitting Company.
Watch the video podcast on YouTube:
Cold, Snow, Ice, and Untimely Death Mark Another BWCA Fishing Opener
Untimely Death Marks Another BWCA Fishing Opener
It snowed across most of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness during the 2026 Fishing Opener. Indeed, Saturday, May 9 was marked by cold, snow and lingering ice across most of the eastern side of the wilderness.
Nonetheless, the team from Paddle & Portage traveled into the BWCA once again for the fishing opener. Lake trout were caught. As were walleye. Despite numerous snow squalls, relentless gusts of wind, and cold temperatures, the trip was by all accounts a wonderful experience.
After departing the BWCA on the Monday after the fishing opener, we were informed that Scott Stahnke, 73, had passed away. Scott was the owner of Ugly Baby Bait and Boats on the Gunflint Trail. The day before the opener, we’d featured Scott in a P&P article.
Travel with us for all of this in this episode of the podcast, which is supported by Sawtooth Outfitters, Borderland Lodge, and Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles.
Gunflint Trail Coffee and BWCA Paddling with Bob from Loons Nest
Coffee and BWCA Paddling Stories From the Gunflint Trail
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.