The Call to Paddle North: Solitude of Four
The Call to Paddle North: Solitude of Four
Four paddlers and canoe guides from Wilderness Canoe Base on Seagull Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail are paddling north this summer. Leaving Seagull May 31, the group, paddling under the name Solitude of Four, are on a 1,250 mile canoe journey from our camp to Hudson Bay, Canada. It is a 2.5 month expedition through some of North America’s most remote waterways.
Why are they doing this?
We spoke with Ryan Mohr, Kathleen Grube, Maren Johnson, and Timea Vrabcová about what led them to embark on this journey north. Also sharing insight on the pull to paddle north is Bob O’Hara, an iconic paddler who has been exploring the Far North for decades.
This episode is supported by Borderland Lodge, Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center, Solbakken Resort on Superior.
Paddling Veteran Embraces the Penguin and Viking Within
The Penguin Viking Talks Restorative Paddling
Nathaniel Gueltzau (AKA The Penguin Viking) is a long-distance paddler and military veteran.
After returning from Afghanistan, paddling became more than just a sport-it became a way to process emotions, navigate personal experiences, and find new purpose.
At the heart of Nate’s paddling journey is a philosophy of survival and resilience. Whether working through emotions, physical obstacles, or mental challenges, paddling represents the idea of moving forward-one stroke at a time. “Moving forward is progress,” Nate says.
This episode is supported by Cooke Custom Sewing, Ely Outfitting Company, Women’s Wilderness Discovery, Loons Nest Coffee, and Canoecopia.
The Labor of Trail in the Boundary Waters
The Labor of Trail in the Boundary Waters
The Border Route Trail on the eastern side of the BWCA continues to grow in popularity and use. The trail is 65-miles long and follows the international border between Minnesota and Ontario. It is the first long-distance, wilderness backpacking and hiking trail in Minnesota planned and constructed by volunteers. In the spring of 2025, just as the ice was leaving many of the lakes across the Boundary Waters, the P&P team met up with a group of volunteers to learn more about the history, current status, and future of the Border Route Trail.
The BRT crew are looking for volunteers, specifically younger folks, to help keep this trail open and available for public use. These are public lands, so it’s important we all do our part to keep these trails accessible. Learn more here.
This episode is supported by Northstar Canoes, Bending Branches, Borderland Lodge, and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
Boundary Waters Conversation with the Barefoot Paddler
Boundary Waters Conversation with the Barefoot Paddler
Mark Zimmer, more commonly referred to as the ‘Barefoot Paddler,’ spoke with the Paddle and Portage Podcast before the start of his 2025 paddling season.
Zimmer is starting his 13th year exploring the BWCA. Mark typically spends late April or early May through October in the Boundary Waters. He catches walleye, lake trout, and pike. He forages wild edibles, including mushrooms, roots, and various fruits and vegetables that grow in the woods here. Zimmer paddles a solo canoe and sleeps in a hammock. And he prefers to spend his time in the Boundary Waters without shoes.
Zimmer has created a downloadable digital map of every portage in the Boundary Waters, having literally walked them all. Find out more about Zimmer’s portage map and learn more about Zimmer on his website.
We met up with Zimmer near the Fernberg Trail about 10 miles from Ely just as the 2025 paddling season was taking form.
This episode is supported by Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Sawtooth Outfitters, Bent Paddle Brewing Company.
Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube.
The Triumphant Wisdom of Old Man Ed in the Boundary Waters
The Triumphant Wisdom of Old Man Ed in the Boundary Waters
Old Man Ed is a fixture in the Boundary Waters. He’s been following, in the literal sense, the Paddle and Portage Podcast team for years. Often, he crawls from the water’s edge and provides wisdom and perspective to the folks who make this whole thing go.
In this episode, Ed arrives on the great fishing opener weekend, which includes Mother’s Day.
Music on this episode is shared, with permission, from the album Crooked Step, Open Gate, by Upstream Drifters. The duo features P&P writer and dear good friend, Aubrey Helmuth Miller. Joining Aubrey to complete the Upstream Drifters is musician Craig Mast.
This episode supported by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, Loons Nest Coffee, Solbakken Resort on Superior.
Rick Slatten Talks History of Search and Rescue In and Around BWCA
Rick Slatten Talks History of Search & Rescue in BWCA
Rick Slatten is the captain of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad. He recently spoke with Joe on the Paddle and Portage Podcast about the highly publicized incident from Curtain Falls in the BWCA in 2024, and other events associated with search and rescue in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
This episode is supported by Drury Lane Books, Cooke Custom Sewing, Northern Goods, and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
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The Status of the Forest Service as BWCA Paddling Season Begins
The Status of the Forest Service as BWCA Paddling Season Begins
Resignations. Terminations. Confusion. Reductions. Limitations.
These are all themes the U.S. Forest Service is seeing and facing on a routine basis as the 2025 paddling season arrives to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
In this episode, we hear from Barb Soderberg. Soderberg’s career with the Forest Service started in 1967 on Superior National Forest, and she was intricately involved with crafting the 1978 BWCA Wilderness Act. She retired for the Forest Service in 2007. Soderberg is speaking out for what she views as the dismantling of the Forest Service at this time. She spoke with P&P Podcast team in Ely, and again at a rally in Duluth May 9 outside the Forest Supervisor’s office and the Superior National Forest headquarters. We also hear from former Superior National Forest Supervisors Connie Cummins and Brenda Halter, who were also present at the rally in Duluth.
This episode details what staffing cuts, budget woes, and other challenges facing the Forest Service will mean for the upcoming paddling season in the BWCA.
This episode is made possible with generous support from all of our sponsors. They include: Bent Paddle Brewing Company, Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters, Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, North Country Canoe Outfitters, Northstar Canoes, Cascade Vacation Rentals, Save the Boundary Waters, Bending Branches, Solbakken Resort on Superior, Sawtooth Outfitters, Borderland Lodge, Voyageurs Canoe Outfitters, Northern Goods, Women’s Wilderness Discovery, Cooke Custom Sewing, Loons Nest, Ely Outfitting Company, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center.
Hudson Bay Girls – The Beginning
Hudson Bay Girls – It Begins
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