Paddle and Portage

06/05/2026

Laura Powell shares memories from her time growing up on the Canadian side of Saganaga Lake, on the edge of the BWCA and Quetico.

Hear more of her stories in this P&P video: https://paddleandportage.com/2026/06/04/growing-up-on-the-edge-of-the-bwca/

06/04/2026

CAMPFIRE BAN IN BWCA WILDERNESS:

Campfires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will temporarily be banned starting Saturday, June 6.

The campfire ban is scheduled to be in place until June 30.

There’s been an uptick in wildfire activity in and around the BWCA Wilderness in recent weeks, including a fire this week burning near Ely on the shores of Burntside Lake, and a fire on the North Shore near Two Harbors in late May.

Campfire will remain legal on the rest of Superior National Forest outside of the BWCA Wilderness.

This is the first campfire ban in the BWCA Wilderness this paddling season. It is the start of peak bug season in the Boundary Waters region. Black flies and mosquitoes are abundant. And fierce.

Full story here: https://paddleandportage.com/2026/06/04/forest-service-enacts-campfire-ban-in-bwca-wilderness-starting-june-6/

Forest Service Enacts Campfire Ban in BWCA Wilderness Starting June 6 by Joe Friedrichs | Jun 4, 2026 | News | 0 comments A campfire ban for the BWCA Wilderness goes into effect June 6. Photo by Erik Dickes Forest Service Enacts Campfire Ban in BWCA Wilderness Starting June 6 By Joe Friedrichs June....

06/04/2026

Laura Powell shares her story of growing up on the Canadian side of Saganaga Lake. Commonly known as “Sag,” it is one of the largest lakes inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Learn about her story growing up at Chippewa Inn, Inc. Saganaga Lake in this video: https://paddleandportage.com/2026/06/04/growing-up-on-the-edge-of-the-bwca/

Laura is a trapper and artist who now lives in Grand Marais, Minn. Her artwork will be on display starting in June 2026 at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center, which is located at the end of the Gunflint Trail.

Chik-Wauk has a new Anishinaabe exhibit opening this summer. Laura and her aunt, the late Tempest Powell, are both featured in the exhibit, which shares the history, culture, and experiences of the native people of the border lakes region, including the Powell family.

Watch the full video featuring Laura and her cousin, Andi, in this P&P original: https://paddleandportage.com/2026/06/04/growing-up-on-the-edge-of-the-bwca/

06/01/2026

NEW PODCAST EPISODE:

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.

https://paddleandportage.com/2026/06/01/the-magazine-story-that-brought-an-ohio-kid-to-the-boundary-waters/

In this episode, we hear the story of Don Beans and his journey to the Boundary Waters. Special thanks to Cindy Smyka, The Resort on Jasper Lake and Northern Grounds for their contributions to this episode.

This episode is supported by you, our listener-members. Support also comes from Bending Branches and Ely Outfitting Company.

Find the episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or directly in the link below:

https://paddleandportage.com/2026/06/01/the-magazine-story-that-brought-an-ohio-kid-to-the-boundary-waters/

05/29/2026

Have you ever been to Ely?

It's a two newspaper kind of town, with a dash of Gonzo.

05/28/2026

Hudson Ledeen is a conservation officer for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources based in Cook County.

Part of his coverage area is located in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Hudson meet with Joe Friedrichs from Paddle & Portage media in late May 2026 to discuss the start of the paddling and fishing season in the BWCA.

In this clip, Hudson talks about a recent encounter with a BWCA angler involving a fish hook ending up where it shouldn't.

Follow this link for the full interview and a BWCA fishing update in this Paddle & Portage original: https://paddleandportage.com/2026/05/28/bwca-fishing-report-conditions-update/

05/27/2026

Khadija Omar Said is a Kenyan and a doctoral researcher at Penn State University.

Through her research, she is interested in advancing AI and automation to predict and prevent mining disasters.

She spoke with Joe Friedrichs from Paddle & Portage media about what AI technologies could mean for the future of the mining industry.

Find the full video podcast here: https://paddleandportage.com/2026/05/27/ai-technology-and-a-proposed-mine-near-the-boundary-waters/

05/26/2026

A BWCA & QUETICO PODCAST

The Paddle & Portage Podcast is the source for news, information, and stories from and about the Boundary Waters region. In the summer of 2026, we have stories planned or in the works from the Gunflint Trail, Echo Trail, Ely, Sawbill Trail, St. Louis River Estuary, Cache Bay, and Isle Royale.

Find the Paddle & Portage Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

Support our work here: https://paddleandportage.com/product/membership-and-donations/

This is listener supported journalism and storytelling from the BWCA and beyond.

Bring on the summer!

05/24/2026

JT McMillion first arrived to the Gunflint Trail in the mid 1970s. He hauled canoes around the Boundary Waters to start out, eventually moving up to being a fishing guide at Gunflint Lodge and Outfitters.

These days, JT is a retired pilot who recently wrote and released a book about his experiences in the sky, "Arctic Circle Dreams."

During his years flying across the wilds of Minnesota and Alaska, JT worked with scientist and wolf researcher David Mech, Justine Kerfoot, Chuck Yeager, and others. He shares his story on the podcast, while also taking us up above the Gunflint in his plane.

Find the full episode here: https://paddleandportage.com/2026/05/24/flying-over-the-boundary-waters-airplanes-and-a-helicopter/

This episode is supported by Loons Nest Coffee and Ely Outfitting Company.

05/22/2026

RABC NEWS FOR Quetico:

https://paddleandportage.com/2026/05/21/no-rabc-permit-no-problem-telephone-reporting-sites-go-live-in-quetico-in-june/

Paddlers will be able to enter Quetico Provincial Park at the Prairie Portage and Cache Bay ranger stations next month using the new telephone reporting sites.

The telephone reporting is set to replace RABC permits.

The telephone reporting rollout for June 8 applies only to Quetico Park, according to officials from CBSA. Anyone else entering Canada from a border lake needs an active Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) permit.

Paddle & Portage media spoke to officials from Quetico and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) this week, with both agencies confirming June 8 as the expected start date for the new program.

Get the full story here: https://paddleandportage.com/2026/05/21/no-rabc-permit-no-problem-telephone-reporting-sites-go-live-in-quetico-in-june/

No RABC Permit, No Problem: Telephone Reporting Sites Go Live in Quetico in June by Joe Friedrichs | May 21, 2026 | News, The Magazine | 0 comments Quetico entrance at Cache Bay. Photo by Joe Friedrichs No RABC Permit, No Problem: Telephone Reporting Sites Go Live in Quetico in June By Joe Friedrich...