Many of the lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness became ice free during the third full week of April 2021. To investigate the early ice-out situation, the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast team ventured into the wilderness on a cold but sunny Sunday morning.

The plan was to enter the BWCA in the mid-Gunflint Trail area, navigating snowy portages and ice free lakes before floating out of the wilderness on the upper reaches of the Brule River. The headwaters of the river are on Horseshoe Lake, a well-known BWCA destination south of Poplar Lake.

It was not an easy trip, including the fact hosts Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs had to repair their damaged Royalex canoe with peanut butter and mud.

Follow Matthew and Joe on this short track of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.