Mona Gauthier led her first trip to the BWCA in August 1983. At that time, she was a recent college graduate with limited resources and made do with gear and equipment that was available. Inspired by the peace, beauty, adventure and challenge of the BWCA, she vowed to return. And return she did.

In 2025, Mona completed a 200-mile solo trip across the border lakes of the Boundary Waters. It was her first solo adventure after completing nearly 70 trips to the BWCA. 

In this episode, we share Mona's story of her first solo trip, and how it intersects with decades of introducing others to wilderness paddling. 

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. 

Tim Bates met his wife on the Gunflint Trail. For decades, he paddled and portaged a canoe past 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. 

Sometimes the hardest part of wilderness travel – be it a winter trip to the Boundary Waters or a canoe trip to Quetico – isn’t the actual adventure 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.

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. 

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. 

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 as a music teacher, 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. 

Erin Walker is a frequent contributor to Paddle and Portage media. She also appears regularly on The Lost Lakes YouTube channel. In this interview, Erin talks with Jon, the founder Lost Lakes about how the channel came to be, what trips are on the books for 2026, and what industry trends mean for the channel.

It's worth noting that Erin and Jon are married and share some of their adventures on YouTube. Take a look behind the scenes of the Lost Lakes in this P&P exclusive.

This episode is support by Loons Nest Coffee on the Gunflint Trail. 

Buck Benson is 74 years old. Born and raised in Grand Marais, he still lives near his hometown on Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior.

Buck doesn't think much about his age. He certainly doesn't let it slow him down. On a recent winter day near Lake Superior, Buck and a friend skied on the frozen Cascade River, covering many miles on their journey.

More recently, Buck told the crew from the Paddle & Portage Podcast that he wanted to catch some lake trout in the Boundary Waters. We were happy to oblige.

As we traveled across the frozen lakes and snow-covered portages, it came as no surprise that Buck traveled with great ease, even as he pulled a sled full of gear up a steep hillside. And that was after he bagged a few trout on the remote wilderness lake, of course.

In this episode, we share the story of Buck Benson. Thanks for the inspiration, Buck.

This episode is sponsored by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Ely Outfitting Company.

Canoecopia is the largest paddling expo in North America. The annual event takes place March 13-15 in Madison, Wisc. Paddle and Portage Podcast host Joe Friedrichs spoke with Darren Bush of Canoecopia to discuss the possible sale of Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison, the future of Canoecopia, as well as what to expect in 2026. 

Also shared in this episode of the podcast, M Baxley and Joe discuss the continuation of the food storage order in the BWCA, and some rule changes coming to Minnesota in 2027 for walleye anglers. 

Make sure to check out the original tune at the end of the episode. Hint: John Prine.

Ginny Nelson is a co-owner and manager for Spirit of the Wilderness outfitters in Ely, Minnesota. In this video podcast, Ginny talks with Joe Friedrichs from the Paddle and Portage Podcast about the "go live" day for BWCA permits in 2026. The annual day to start obtaining permits for the upcoming quota season is Jan. 28. The permits become available at 9 a.m. (Central Time) this year in 2026. 

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.