Episode 125 is a conversation with Emma Brackett and Olivia Bledsoe - half of the team of paddlers known as the Hudson Bay Girls. In 2025 this group of four women successfully paddled and portaged their canoes over 1,300 miles, from Grand Portage on Lake Superior all the way to York Factory on Hudson Bay.

The journey took them 80 days and followed the historic fur trade route along the Border Country to Lake of the Woods, and then north to Lake Winnipeg, the Hayes River and on to the Arctic Ocean.

Emma and Olivia share their insights about 12 hour portages, team travel, navigating high water and low water, tackling the Grand Portage, Manitoba and Ontario wildfires, and how trust in teamwork got them through the many challenges of their journey.

To learn more about Hudson Bay Girls visit: www.hudsonbaygirls.com

Andy McDonnell of Tuscarora Lodge and Outfitters shares his observations about current ice conditions in the Round Lake area, 47 miles up the Gunflint Trail. He also talks about ice safety and preparing for early-winter travel in the BWCAW.

Rox and Reese Richards set out to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a 50 day trip in the Boundary Waters. This is the story of their trip, and what Rox calls "the misadventure before the adventure." Within the first nine days they encountered high water, a canoe wreck leading to an unplanned night on the river bank, and an abrupt departure from the wilderness. In spite of what many people would consider to be a major setback, the couple decided to start again, ultimately reaching their goal of 50 contiguous days in the BWCAW. It's an inspiring story of love and adventure in the Wilderness!

In this segment of "Keep it Wild" Kit and Sig Shirley from Sawbill Canoe Outfitters share "Leave No Trace" tips and strategies for Wilderness travelers of all ages. They also share a few animal stories from Summer 2025 canoe trips in the BWCAW.

To learn more about "Leave No Trace" principles and other rules related to BWCAW travel, visit:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/wilderness/boundary-waters-canoe-area-wilderness-rules-and-regulations

Life-long wilderness traveler Peter Komendowski completed three solo canoe trips in the Boundary Waters over the last 13 months. In Part Two of this two-part conversation Peter has reached day ten of his 14+ day journey, where he finds himself in a state of wandering and on a "rest day," processes past trauma and joyful memories from his life, at the age of 70. He tells the tale of meeting a fellow solo traveler in a surprising way, and shares his insight about the many ways that "nature puts its footstep on you," long after you return home from the Wilderness.

We first met Peter Komendowski at Canoecopia. A life-long wilderness traveler originally from Chicago, and now living in Iowa, Peter completed three solo canoe trips over the last 13 months. In Part One of this two-part conversation we hear about his most recent trip, a 14 day paddle of the Lady Chain, Alton Lake, Kelso and Sawbill. Early in the trip, he gets drenched, sustains a mild injury and reframes the way he approaches portaging. An advocate of "detoxing" from technology, Peter describes how his solo Wilderness trips lead to a deep exploration of aging and what he refers to as the transition between "an objective world to a subjective world."

In this segment of Keep it Wild, we talk to Sarah Bransford from Friends of the Boundary Waters, an organization that is collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service and other partners on a series of live streams for youth and educators across the United States.

The discussion centers around Live Stream #3: Water as Home, which focuses on "Leave No Trace" techniques and camping skills related to water and resource preservation, as well as living with wildlife in a wilderness setting. We also learn more about "No Boundaries to the Boundary Waters," and other youth initiatives created by the Friends of the Boundary Waters.

(Photo by Sydney Robinson)

Jim Wiinanen is an avid canoeist and history buff who has been documenting the modern, human history of Seagull Lake prior to the establishment of Wilderness Canoe Base in 1957. A BWCAW lake with three zones, Seagull is a popular entry point for many Wilderness travelers. Before the 1978 Wilderness Act, it was the site of early resort development on the Gunflint Trail. As Jim recounts, a full history of Seagull Lake includes the resort families who first arrived on the Gunflint Trail in the late 1920s. Beginning around 1922, the lake was the focus of two different schools of thought--those advocating for unlimited access and business development vs. those who wanted to preserve the area for canoe travel. These competing interests shaped how travelers experience the lake today.

Steve Stumpf talks about his wilderness mentor Robert Thomas, a life-long friend who served in the Vietnam War. Steve also tells some humorous tales about introducing his own 10 kids to wilderness travel (7 are adopted), and how he now enjoys paddling trips with his grandchildren and partner Roberta.

Fern and Shelby are two of the interns embedded with US Forest Service Wilderness crews this summer as part of the ongoing partnership between the Superior National Forest and the Student Conservation Association (SCA).

In this fun conversation, they are both returning from work trips into the Boundary Waters Wilderness, and share what they typically do to help maintain campsites and portages in the BWCAW.

Founded in 1957, the SCA's mission focuses on equitable access to nature, providing green job opportunities for young people and teaching crew members how to become environmental stewards. To learn more visit thesca.org.

Keep it Wild is a regular feature of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast