There was a report from the Star Tribune this week that the Gunflint Ranger Station in Grand Marais “has no employees.” The Paddle and Portage Podcast team went to the office Feb. 20 and found it was open and there were people at the front desk.

In this news update on the podcast, we talk about Trump administration’s deferred resignation program for federal employees. The offer, commonly referred to as “Fork in the Road,” has now expired. Following its expiration, multiple Forest Service employees who work on Superior National Forest were let go, sources confirmed with Paddle and Portage. The podcast team attended a community rally in Ely Feb. 15 that was, at least in part, to show support for the Forest Service employees.

Also discussed in this episode are tangible impacts happening now in the BWCA as a result of the staff reductions. One noticeable impact is a lack of day-use/non-quota season permits being available at kiosks on the Gunflint Trail. Not having a permit while a person is in the BWCA Wilderness is against the law. Though, who is accountable if there are no permits in the kiosks? All of this and more discussed on this news update on the podcast.

Ella Hall is buried in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. A grave on a small island located on a lake bearing her name is not something most BWCA paddlers are aware of, let alone come across. 

In this episode, we share the story of Ella Hall. We do so with the help of the late Mike Hillman, an iconic storyteller who lived for many years in and around Ely. Known locally as “Iron Mike,” he wrote and published many stories about the Boundary Waters region. One of the stories he wrote was titled “Legend of the Lost Girl: A Boundary Waters Story.” In his story, which was never published, Mike Hillman writes about life and death of Ella Hall. Thanks to White Raven Productions and Allison Hillman, Mike's daughter, for making this episode possible. 

This episode is sponsored by Cascade Vacation Rentals.

It's been a cold winter across the Boundary Waters region. Damn cold, in fact. 

Temperatures hit -30 Fahrenheit from the Gunflint Trail to areas near Ely in the middle of February. Double-digit negative temperatures have become something of the norm this winter, dating back to the Jan. 1 trout opener in the BWCA Wilderness. 

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about what ice thickness means for anglers and winter campers for the remainder of the season. One consideration is that auger extensions will become essential in many cases, as Chad Kieper from Gunflint Wilderness Guide Service shares with the podcast team. 

This episode is supported by Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters

Sometimes you end up in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

In this episode of the podcast, the bulk of which was recorded in the Minnesota capital, we hear from Dan Johnson, the founder of BWCA Wild. Dan films the portages in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. As of February 2025, he's about a third of the way done filming all of the portages. We met up with Dan to talk about his trip reports, videos, and travels in the Boundary Waters. 

Joining the conversation is Scottie Baldwin. Scottie is a sound engineer. He's worked with artists ranging from Prince to the biggest pop starts in China. Through it all, the Boundary Waters has been a place of solace for Scottie. As has our podcast. In the episode, Scottie shares why he didn't book a single permit on "go live" day this year. Hint: It's because of a story he heard on this podcast. 

This episode is sponsored by:

Borderland Lodge

Canoecopia

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness 

The U.S. Forest Service planned to host two meetings this week that would have allowed the public to provide feedback and learn more about a largescale project aimed to restore "ecological balance" to an area near Ely and the Boundary Waters.

Those meetings, scheduled for Feb. 4 and 5, were cancelled. 

The cancellations were tied, at least in part, to ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to shrink various parts of the federal government, including the U.S. Forest Service. 

In this episode of the podcast, we analyze recent reporting we've done about ongoing efforts to get federal employees to resign in an attempt to shrink the size of government. We also hear from WaterLegacy Executive Director Paula Maccabee about environmental issues and the regulatory industry in the revisited era of Trump, as well as the Walz administration in Minnesota.

This episode of the podcast is supported by Ely Outfitting Company. 

Photo courtesy of Superior National Forest. 

Erin Walker and her husband, Jon, have been hot tent winter camping for the past six winters together, often documenting their adventures on the Lost Lakes YouTube channel. In her most recent article for Paddle and Portage, Erin shares insight on how to select a campsite in the winter months, and what it's like sleeping in an igloo on the ice.

In this episode of the podcast, Erin talks about her upcoming Canoecopia presentation with the Paddle and Portage Podcast team, her love of winter, and her audition tape for Survivor.

This episode is supported by the SavetheBoundaryWaters and SawtoothOutfitters ​

Canoecopia is the largest paddling expo in North America. The annual event takes place March 7-9 in 2025 in Madison, Wisc. Paddle and Portage Podcast host Joe Friedrichs sat down with Darren Bush, the founder of Canoecopia, to discuss the history and future of the event, as well as what to expect in 2025.

This episode is sponsored by:

Voyageurs Canoe Outfitters

Loons Nest Coffee

Ely Outfitting Company 

More people canceled a permit to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in 2023 than ever before, according to a recent report from the U.S. Forest Service.

“Cancellations have more than doubled in five years, suggesting that BWCAW visitors continue to reserve more permits than they can use,” the report states.

Some outfitters and paddlers say the process the Forest Service uses for people to book permits is to blame, at least in part, for the record number of cancellations.

The quota permit season runs from May 1 to Sept. 30. The permits are required for overnight trips only. Day-use permits do not need to be booked in advance.

The permits are available in late January each year for the quota season ahead. Permits go live at 9 a.m. on Jan. 29 this year, for example. Most visitors to the BWCA Wilderness book their early reservations online.

In this episode of the podcast, we hear from John Schiefelbein at North Country Outfitters near Ely about his take on the “go live” format for opening day of permit availability. John submitted a document to the Forest Service in 2023 making suggestions on how to potentially improve the rollout and distribution of permits for the nation’s most visited wilderness.

This episode is sponsored by:

Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

Borderland Lodge

The idea came to Robert Barrett after skiing up the Gunflint Trail, just days after the passing of former President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29. 

There are two Caribou lakes near the Gunflint Trail. One near Clearwater Lake, another near Poplar Lake. Both are in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and found in the Mid-Gunflint Trail area. 

Given their proximity, why not rename one of the lakes to honor Carter? It was Carter, after all, who signed the 1978 BWCA Wilderness Act into law. Barrett had this idea and sent it to the team at Paddle and Portage. It turns out, the notion is not without precedent. And there is a process to change a lake name in Minnesota. Listen to this episode to find out the details. 

This episode is sponsored by: Sawbill Canoe Outfitters

Amy and Dave Freeman are widely recognized for their dedication and passion for the Boundary Waters, including their book "A Year in the Wilderness."

Amy and Dave have a new book, "North American Odyssey." 

To kick off Season Two of the Paddle and Portage Podcast, we hear from Amy and Dave about how their travels across the continent continue to be anchored, in part, in the Boundary Waters. 

This episode is sponsored by:

Cascade Vacation Rentals

Canoecopia

Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters