Kevin Kinney: Behind the Wool and Canvas
Kevin Kinney: Behind the Wool and Fabric
Kevin Kinney, owner of Empire Wool and Canvas Company, celebrates the natural world. He does so without apologies. A direct, straightforward creator, Kevin is a generous creator of fabric, though he doesn’t need your approval to know his work is being done the right way. He knows it. And most everyone who has some of his product knows it too.
Kevin has built small batches of garments near Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters for more than 20 years. He runs his business the same way he always has: Old school. Customers order direct. No waitlists. Manufacturer to customer. No B.S.
In this episode of the podcast, we learn about the journey of Kevin Kinney.
This episode is sponsored by Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles and Borderland Lodge.
Duluth Author’s New Book Showcases BWCA and Canadian Barrens
Ryan Rodgers – Where the Green Light Shines
Minnesota author and frequent Paddle & Portage contributor Ryan Rodgers has a new book about paddling canoes. “Where the Green Light Shines” will be available in summer 2026.
The book takes readers from Minnesota’s Boundary Waters into the Canadian barrens, a region rarely seen by most BWCA paddlers. The book tells the pull this area had on one of Minnesota’s most accomplished paddlers, Bob O’Hara.
Rodgers recently met up with Joe Friedrichs on the shore of Lake Superior in Grand Marais to discuss the book and other topics relevant to the Boundary Waters.
This episode is sponsored by Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters and Ely Outfitting Company.
Solo Trip Across the Border Lakes – Mona’s Story
A Solo Trip Across the Border Lakes – Mona’s Story
Mona Gauthier completed a 200-mile solo trip last summer across the border lakes of the Boundary Waters. It was her first solo adventure after completing nearly 70 trips to the BWCA.
In a new episode of the Paddle and Portage Podcast we share Mona’s story, including the highs and lows of her first solo trip and how it intersects with decades of introducing others to wilderness paddling.
Mona, who first traveled to the BWCA in 1983, will be presenting this weekend (March 13-15) at Canoecopia. Be sure to catch her presentation on Saturday afternoon. And swing by the P&P booth and say hello if you’re at the expo this weekend!
This episode is sponsored by Loons Nest Coffee and Sawtooth Outfitters.
Special thanks to Mike Gauthier, Sue Sullivan, Paula & Fred Furlich, Lisa DeLaney, Joanie Ouellette, Ruthie Davis, and Kevin Kenow for supporting Mona’s trip and helping to make this episode possible.
Watch a video of Mona’s trip on YouTube channel.
Tim Bates: An Unsung Hero of the Boundary Waters
Tim Bates: An Unsung Hero of the Boundary Waters
Tim Bates met his wife on the Gunflint Trail. For decades, he paddled and portaged a canoe by thousands of BWCA visitors, though most never knew his name. A gifted paddler and wilderness enthusiast, Tim passed away in December 2025 after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 60.
Tim worked at the University of Minnesota Duluth outdoor education program. He was also a co-founder of the Duluth Folk School. He was a certified canoe instructor who introduced the Boundary Waters to many people during the past 30 years.
In this episode, we hear the story of Tim Bates, a quiet legend of the Boundary Waters.
This episode is supported by Bent Paddle Brewing Company and Friends of the Boundary Waters.
Special thanks to Julie Bates, Kelly Bates, Ken Gilbertson, and Pat Kohlin for making this episode possible.
Paddling North: How Stories Inspire Adventure
Paddling North: Inspired by Stories
Sometimes, the hardest part of wilderness trips – be it a winter trip to the Boundary Waters or a canoe trip to Quetico – isn’t the actual trip itself that is the most taxing. What can be the most challenging is simply getting back home and adjusting back to “regular life.”
Four Minnesotans spent most of last summer paddling from the end of the Gunflint Trail to Hudson Bay, going north across a large section of Canada along the way. Paddling under the name Solitude of Four, the group traveled more than 1,250 miles over the course of the 2.5-month expedition through some of North America’s most remote waterways.
We followed their journey last summer on the podcast, and featured it before, during, and after their trip. We’ve also been in contact with the group since they completed their journey in mid-August. The names of the four paddlers are Ryan, Kathleen, Maren, and Timea.
They’ve all settled back into the post Hudson Bay trip differently. We wanted to learn what it’s like settling back into society after being immersed in the routine of a canoe trip for more than two months.
Also featured in this episode is Zach Fritz. Zach is well known in many paddling circles across the Upper Midwest, including an epic paddle trip he made from Minnesota to the Arctic Ocean in 2024. Zach was in communication with the Solitude of Four before their trip, offering suggestions for the paddle north.
This episode is sponsored by Ely Outfitting Company.
BWCA News Track: Politics and Mining in an Election Year
BWCA News Track: Politics and Mining in an Election Year
The BWCA is making national headlines in early 2026, with a proposed mine near the edge of the wilderness being the primary news item drawing attention to the region. A vote to reverse a mining ban on Superior National Forest is likely happening soon in the U.S. Senate, though any such vote was delayed this week.
The podcast duo of M Baxley and Joe Friedrichs discuss the latest and what it means for the Boundary Waters in this news track. Other topics discussed include the consumption of BWCA permits following “Go Live Day” in late January, a conversation with Forest Supervisor Tom Hall about management plans for the BWCA, and what the 2026 election year could mean for the Boundary Waters.
BWCA Winter Camping: Mind Games
Winter Camping in the Boundary Waters – The Mind & The Body
The core Paddle & Portage team spent a combined 24 nights in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in January.
Many miles were covered over the course of multiple trips. Lake trout were sought after and caught. Camps were made, refined, rebuilt, and torn down again.
In this episode, we hear about one of the numerous P&P trips to start the winter of 2026. During this adventure, nearly a foot of snow made an exit from the wilderness physically exhausting. The mind-game entered the equation. You can’t think your way out of the Boundary Waters once you’re in. Or can you?
Featured guests are ‘Oregon Bill’ Busacker and The Great Josh Dix.
Music in this episode courtesy of the Upstream Drifters.
This episode is sponsored by Friends of the Boundary Waters.
The Paddler’s Symphony: A Minnesota Music Teacher’s Opus
A Paddler’s Symphony: A Minnesota Music Teacher’s Opus
Sarah Kremer is a music teacher and musician who lives in Minnesota. She’s also a paddler. Her first trip was a 30-day epic to Woodland Caribou. She was a teenager on that first trip. The next summer, she paddled to Hudson’s Bay.
Sarah is 31 years old now and working as a music teacher for multiple schools near St. Cloud. On top of her work, Sarah’s also been busy writing music. In fact, she wrote a symphony. And it’s about paddling. It will be performed for the first time in front of a live audience March 1 in the small town of Buffalo, Minn., which is about an hour northwest of Minneapolis. The musical composition is called “A Paddler’s Symphony.”
In this episode of the podcast, Sarah shares her story of music, paddling, and why she wrote this symphony.
This episode is sponsored by Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters and Borderland Lodge on the Gunflint Trail.