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.
RABC Update and Fireside Chat with Erin Walker
RABC Update and Fireside Chat with Erin Walker
The future of the Remote Area Border Crossing Program (RABC) remains unknown, with Canadian officials telling Paddle and Portage this week, once again, they don’t have any new information to share. The permits all expire Dec. 31, 2025.
We spoke with Ginny Nelson from Spirit of the Wilderness outfitters in Ely about what this continued uncertainty means for people and operations near the Boundary Waters.
Also in the episode, we talk with frequent P&P contributor Erin Walker. Erin traveled from Canada to help burn some piles of downed timber near Lake Superior and the BWCA. Erin discusses her 2025 paddling season, plans for the upcoming winter, and the benefits of splitting and burning firewood.
This episode is sponsored by Save the Boundary Waters.
Watch the full video podcast with Erin Walker on YouTube.
The Search After the Search: When People Remain Missing Near the Boundary Waters
Searching For People Missing Near the BWCA
The Return of Winter: First Ice Arrives to the Boundary Waters
Winter and Ice Return to the Boundary Waters
Snow. Freezing temps. This was a theme across Minnesota during the final week of November. And with it, came the first ice to the Boundary Waters.
The first ice of the season can mean a lot of things. In this episode, we learn what it means for the Paddle & Portage Podcast duo as they venture onto the frozen water. Joining them on the first outing of the season was their old pal, “Omaha” Erik Dickes.
This episode is sponsored by Sawtooth Outfitters and Loons Nest Coffee.