This podcast is produced by people who live near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park. It is the source for storytelling, news, and information about the canoe-country wilderness and other paddling destinations across North America.
…
continue reading
Join Tom Funke, author of 50 Hikes in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula & 50 Hikes on the North Country Trail as he explores Michigan through the eyes of a hiker & backpackpacker. Join us every Monday for the Michigan Trails Report, a weekly podcast about Michigan Trails, its history, the people, and the travel routes. In addition, he is currently putting both his books into a podcast format. The books and bonus content are typically published on Thursdays.
…
continue reading
Erin Walker and Jon Kelly are the duo behind the Lost Lakes YouTube channel. They live on an inland lake not far from the Canadian shores of Lake Superior. This summer, Erin and Jon embarked on a three-week, 280-mile (450-kilometer) canoe trip into the subarctic barrens. It was a journey of many firsts: their first time in Nunavut, their first enco…
…
continue reading
1
Episode 15: Traveling Sober in the BWCA Wilderness
36:53
36:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
36:53
Booze or a dry run? Opinions vary about bringing alcohol on a trip to the Boundary Waters. Many enjoy sipping whiskey or wine around the campfire. Others prefer no alcohol at all. And then there are those who tip back and glug until the bottle is gone. In this episode, we hear from a group of five paddlers who chose to paddle the BWCA Wilderness wi…
…
continue reading
1
Hiking the NCT in the LP: Mackinac Bridge to Wilderness State Park
7:04
7:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
7:04
Lost the trail, again.By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
Day 1& 2: MI/WI state line to Chequamegon NF NCT trailheadBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
Don't do this, Butane Stoves, Dragon TrailBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
Portages, Paths, Paddles: The Demise of the Portage
15:19
15:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:19
By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
0.5:miles, wooded dune & swaleBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
Episode 14: Celebration of Life for a Vietnam Veteran in the Boundary Waters
33:33
33:33
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:33
Herb Koenig and Jim Crigler loved to paddle in the Boundary Waters. It was the one place where they felt comfortable talking about their experiences serving as helicopter pilots during the Vietnam War. In this episode, we hear about why the Boundary Waters opened the door for reflection, communication, and adventure for these two veterans. And we d…
…
continue reading
0.2 to 2+ miles, your choice. Waterfall.By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
Hiawatha NF from Brevoort to bridgeBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
0.4 miles, waterfall, flowers, birds, visitor centerBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
In this episode, Tim and his daughter Sylvie embark on the trip of a lifetime. The crossing of the BWCA from west to east along the voyageur highway is abruptly interrupted by a tragic slip on the Granite River. What unfolds next is a skillful evacuation by fellow paddlers that redeems everyone's belief in the power of human kindness.This episode i…
…
continue reading
4.5 miles, waterfall, beachBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
Michigan Trails Report for September 2024
18:20
18:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:20
Hiker Trash, Bear Spray, What is ADIHEX?By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
A Letter From Cache Bay: Featured Short Track
8:04
8:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:04
Janice Matichuk first set foot on her island in Quetico Provincial Park in 1985. Located near the end of Minnesota’s iconic Gunflint Trail, this remote park is the heart of North America’s “canoe country.” Decades later, and enduring beyond her untimely passing in the summer of 2020, Matichuk’s legacy includes being the longest serving interior ran…
…
continue reading
22.3 miles ,swamps , rivers, geologyBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
2.4 miles out and backBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
Episode 12: The Dan Cooke Tribute Paddle and Stories About a Legend
41:13
41:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
41:13
Dan Cooke was a "mentor's mentor" when it comes to the paddling scene in North America, particularly around the Boundary Waters region. The longtime owner of Cooke Custom Sewing, Dan passed away July 1. A paddle parade was held on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis August 10 to honor the life of Dan Cooke. Stories were shared about Dan’s love of paddling,…
…
continue reading
An interpretive trail in The Ottawa National ForestBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
Hiker Trash, bugs, VHF radios, and old stoves.By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
Lewis Cass Expedition of 1820: An Introduction
15:54
15:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:54
A quick summary of our upcoming min-series on the expedition.By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
In life, people tend to get consumed by the concept of how something can be done, without giving thought as to why something should be done. When the Paddle and Portage Podcast first heard about the Boundary Waters paddle known as the Ely Challenge, we were guilty of this notion. We became fixated on the how. The idea for the Ely Challenge is simpl…
…
continue reading
Roadwalk to Laughing WhitefishBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
Lewis Cass Expedition of 1820: An Introduction
15:51
15:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:51
An introduction to the expedition. This will be a series of future podcasts about the travels of Lewis Cass & Henry Schoolcraft.By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
50 UP Hikes #45 : Miners Castle to Miners Beach
8:38
8:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:38
By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
19.8 miles through a patchwork of forestry & habitatsBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
Emma Froh is an architect from the Twin Cities. She recently spent a week on Mallard Island, the former home of wilderness advocate and Boundary Waters paddler Ernest Oberholtzer. Emma and two of her colleagues, Mary Springer and Natalya Egon, were staying in what’s known as the Cedarbark House at Mallard Island. The structure used to be a floating…
…
continue reading
From the Compass & Kamal to GPS & AI, the tools that keep us found.By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
0.4 miles, views, a chance to do something really dumbBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
Michigan Trails Report: Michigan’s Wilderness Areas
16:24
16:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:24
Federal & State Wilderness areasBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
Million Steps: Day 1 - Ironwood to Narrows Camp
17:13
17:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:13
First day of my 500 mile hike across Michigan's Upper Peninsula using as much of the North Country Trail I can find.By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
Episode Nine: Summer Storms Bring BWCA Community Together
28:39
28:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:39
Rain. It’s marked the start to the paddling season this year across the Boundary Waters. There was so much rain, in fact, that many portages and waterways across the BWCA flooded in late June. Roads near the Boundary Waters, from the Echo Trail to Highway 61, also flooded and were damaged by the heavy rain. In one area of the BWCA, a community form…
…
continue reading
By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
NCT Hike#46: Tahquamenon Rivermouth to Soldier Lake
11:13
11:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:13
22.5 miles, roads, wet footing, national forest shenanigansBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
50 NCT Hikes #45: 2-heart to Upper Tahquamenon Falls
12:08
12:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:08
21.2 miles through a forest regenerating from a forest fire, bogs, giant pinesBy Thomas Funke
…
continue reading
1
Episode Eight: Experienced Introduction To The Boundary Waters
30:49
30:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:49
We all have to start somewhere. Even Sigurd Olson had to be shown how to paddle and portage a canoe at some point. We share stories in this episode about people taking their first trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We hear from Bob Carlson, who took a group of young paddlers on the Frost River in the BWCA this spring during a multi-…
…
continue reading
Bring these & know how to use them.By Thomas Funke
…
continue reading