He first paddled on Seagull Lake. It didn't go well. A fishing boat had to rescue him. A few days later, he drove a transport tow. In a blizzard. 

Graham Schatz is working at Seagull Canoe Outfitters this summer. He is not a typical "Trail Kid," those who lug canoes and clean cabins at the resorts on the Gunflint Trail each summer. Graham is an actor who has been attending acting school in Los Angeles. This summer, when he came to the Gunflint, it was his first time experiencing the Boundary Waters. 

Graham's story illustrates something about the BWCA: The power of this place to transform knows no boundaries. 

Music on this episode from the Upstream Drifters and the Blue Dot Sessions. 

This episode is supported by Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center and Borderland Lodge.