Best Paddle And Portage Podcast Podcasts (2025)

1
The Triumphant Wisdom of Old Man Ed in the Boundary Waters 27:48

8d ago27:48

27:48

Old Man Ed is a fixture in the Boundary Waters. He's been following, in the literal sense, the Paddle and Portage Podcast team for years. Often, he crawls from the water's edge and provides wisdom and perspective to the folks who make this whole thing go. In this episode, Ed arrives on the great fishing opener weekend, which includes Mother's Day. …

1
The Open Road: George Stroumboulopoulos on Music, Motorcycles, Movies and Canada 1:24:26

4d ago1:24:26

1:24:26

“It's the reason why this Canadian Geographic thing means a lot to me. It’s about people and how they live and how we interact and celebrate how beautiful and natural this life can be.” We’ve got a new honorary RCGS Fellow on Explore today! George Stroumboulopoulos is one of Canada’s great interviewers and broadcasters. In the span of his 30-plus y…

1
Rick Slatten Talks History of Search and Rescue In and Around BWCA 1:13:51

16d ago1:13:51

1:13:51

Rick Slatten is the captain of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad. He recently spoke with Joe on the Paddle and Portage Podcast about the highly publicized incident from Curtain Falls in the BWCA in 2024, and other events associated with search and rescue in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This episode is supported by Drury Lane Books, Co…

1
Return to Ellesmere Island with Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely 43:45

18d ago43:45

43:45

"It was brutal again. There was a very good chance we wouldn't succeed. And if it's a foregone conclusion that you're going to be successful, is it really an adventure?" - Kevin Vallely RCGS Explorer-in-Residence Ray Zahab and his exploring partner and RCGS Fellow Kevin Vallely have just completed an extraordinary expedition – skiing 500 kilometres…

1
Michigan Trails Report- Memorial Day 2025 23:02

20d ago23:02

23:02

Hiker Trash, Trail of the month, what the hell is going on at REI?By Thomas Funke

1
The Status of the Forest Service as BWCA Paddling Season Begins 26:34

21d ago26:34

26:34

Resignations. Terminations. Confusion. Reductions. Limitations. These are all themes the U.S. Forest Service is seeing and facing on a routine basis as the 2025 paddling season arrives to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In this episode, we hear from Barb Soderberg. Soderberg's career with the Forest Service started in 1967 on Superior Na…

1
Hudson Bay Girls - The Beginning 42:11

25d ago42:11

42:11

The Hudson Bay Girls is an all-female canoe team paddling a historic Voyageur Fur Trading Route in 2025. The expedition will take them on a 1,200-mile journey from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay, Canada. Along the way, they will share their story to raise awareness about the importance of environmental stewardship, outdoor education, and gender equali…

1
Let the Big Ones Go: A Science Update 31:35

1M ago31:35

31:35

Most people come to the Boundary Waters to engage with wilderness. Solitude. Peace. Escape. These are sentiments commonly shared by the more than 125,000 people who come to the BWCA each year. And while some people come to fish, not everyone does. Regardless of one's interest in angling, this episode gets into the science (and ethics) of why it's g…

1
Singing Back the Buffalo with Tasha Hubbard 45:48

1M ago45:48

45:48

"Buffalo are renewal. We know that — it’s baked into who we are." This week on Explore, David McGuffin sits down with award-winning filmmaker, scholar, and advocate Tasha Hubbard to discuss her latest documentary, Singing Back the Buffalo. This powerful film delves into the deep, sacred relationship between buffalo and Indigenous Peoples, highlight…

1
Hungry Hunter: A Fishmonger's Tale 28:38

1M ago28:38

28:38

The Hungry Hunter YouTube channel features outdoor adventure from the Boundary Waters and other places in the Upper Midwest. In this episode of the podcast, we learn what makes the channel's founder and content creator, Tom, click. Hint: He worked as a fishmonger for most of his life. This episode is supported by Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and Cooke…

1
Million Steps: Recovering from someone elses hangover 20:43

1M ago20:43

20:43

7/27/98. Late start due to last nights druns & rendezvous with my sister.By Thomas Funke

1
Million Steps: Trapp Hills Pt 2 7/26/98 30:22

1M ago30:22

30:22

By Thomas Funke

1
Million Steps: Day 8 The Drunk Fisherman story 29:13

1M ago29:13

29:13

How three drunks almost ruined my tripBy Thomas Funke

1
Talking Paddling and News with Pete and Dave from Friends of the Boundary Waters 40:38

2M ago40:38

40:38

Pete Marshall and Dave Meier are friends of the Boundary Waters, and they happen to work for an organization named Friends of the Boundary Waters. In this interview, which was recorded at Canoecopia in Madison, Wisc., in spring 2025, Pete and Dave talk with Joe from the Paddle and Portage Podcast about paddling the BWCA, the political climate as it…

1
Million Steps: Trapp Hills pt 1 7/25/1998 26:56

2M ago26:56

26:56

My turn to kill my dadBy Thomas Funke

1
Dam proud: How the beaver has shaped Canada's environment 48:27

2M ago48:27

48:27

In this episode, Explore host David McGuffin is joined by Glynnis Hood, one of the world's leading beaver experts, to mark the 50th anniversary of the beaver as Canada’s national animal. This conversation focuses on this iconic Canadian animals significance in our country’s history. Hood shares her insights into the beaver's resilience, ability to …

1
Million Steps Road Walk M64 7/24/1998 20:45

2M ago20:45

20:45

My dad left me to die in the woodsBy Thomas Funke

1
Million Steps: Porcupine Mountains pt2 7/23/1998 22:08

2M ago22:08

22:08

Unprepared hikers & squatting in the woodsBy Thomas Funke

1
Spring Whitewater on the Wolf River: The Jordan Taylor Story 41:41

2M ago41:41

41:41

Whitewater is a powerful force. It's often destructive, drastically changing entire landscapes. It can also be a place of both play and healing. For Jordan Taylor, a 30-year whitewater paddling instructor, it has been both destructive and healing. Join the Paddle and Portage Podcast team as they travel to Wisconsin's Wolf River and beyond to tell t…

1
Logging Order with BWCA on the Map and Impact of Tariffs on Paddle Sports Industry 16:37

2M ago16:37

16:37

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is highlighted on a map of possible places for “increasing timber production” that was shared by federal officials in Washington D.C. last week. The order, signed April 3 by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, declares an emergency on more than 176,000 miles of national forest. The orde…

1
Elbows Up! Hockey, politics and patriotism with Roy MacGregor 27:53

2M ago27:53

27:53

In this special episode of the Explore Podcast, we delve into the current and unique intersection of hockey, politics, and patriotism in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war against Canada. Featuring an insightful discussion with Roy McGregor, award-winning Canadian journalist and author, this episode explores the politically charge…

1
Michigan Trails Report for April 19:57

2M ago19:57

19:57

Cougars, Michigan Trail Maps, and shitty weatherBy Thomas Funke

1
Winter Trip to Cache Bay - RABC Permits in Action 45:48

2M ago45:48

45:48

Canadian helicopters and drones are flying over the lakes of the Boundary Waters with greater frequency as the 2025 paddling season nears. From Lake Superior to the far western edge of the Boundary Waters near Ely, reports of sightings of drones and helicopters flying just above the tree line continue to reach the Paddle and Portage Podcast team. P…

1
Portages, Pathways, & Paddles: Huron to Grand River portage 16:05

2M ago16:05

16:05

Not the most ideal portageBy Thomas Funke

1
Maddy Frawley Talks Gunflint Trail Life and Next Chapter 48:00

2M ago48:00

48:00

Maddy Frawley is a fixture at the end of the Gunflint Trail. For the past decade, she's worked at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, including the past three as a manager on site. Maddy, along with her partner, Clay, won't be around this paddling season, as they are moving to the Twin Cities in the months ahead. Maddy stopped by the Paddle and Portage head…

1
50 UP Hikes: Tip Trail 8:42

2M ago8:42

8:42

The angst of Lake Superior & the peninsula effect.By Thomas Funke

1
Episode 100: Diving into the Darkness with Jill Heinerth 44:21

2M ago44:21

44:21

In this milestone 100th episode of the Explore Podcast, host David McGuffin welcomes back world-renowned cave diver and RCGS Explorer-in-Residence Jill Heinerth. This episode dives into Heinerth’s experiences, including her new, award-winning documentary Diving into the Darkness, her extraordinary career in underwater exploration and the risks and …

1
The Wilderness is the Work to Share 1:00:43

3M ago1:00:43

1:00:43

The Paddle and Portage team is constantly taking inspiration and motivation from wilderness. The act of regularly getting out not only inspires the work, but actually is the work itself. It is both the goal and the path to the goal. In this episode, we support this notion through the stories of Oregon Bill Busacker, Cousin Jeff Frawley, Emma Froh, …

1
Lewis & Cass Expedition: Mackinac Island to the Sault 28:16

3M ago28:16

28:16

Lewis Cass damn near starts a warBy Thomas Funke

1
Canoecopia 2025: Canada-U.S. Unity and Cliff Jacobson's Last Picture Show 34:41

3M ago34:41

34:41

Canoecopia 2025 found itself in the middle of a news story. As Canadian paddlers and businesses arrived to Madison, Wisc., for the world's largest paddling expo, talks of tariffs and political tension between the U.S. and Canada dominated news headlines across both nations. This simmering unfolded in multiple ways at Canoecopia, both ahead of and d…

1
50 Hikes on the NCT: #6 Mackinac State Fores south 14:39

3M ago14:39

14:39

Hiking south through Jordan River Pathway & south into the Pere Marquette State ForestBy Thomas Funke

1
Exploring the depths of sperm whale communication 47:36

3M ago47:36

47:36

In this episode of Explore, we dive deep with Canadian whale biologist Shane Gero, who shares his journey from a landlocked childhood in Ottawa to becoming a leading researcher in whale communication and conservation. Gero discusses how his early fascination with whales began, his fieldwork in Dominica and the intricate social structures of sperm w…

1
Michigan Trails Report for March! 20:58

3M ago20:58

20:58

Hiker Trash and Tom's Hot Take that may cause you to unsubscribe (please don't).By Thomas Funke

1
Minnesota Paddler Ventures West and Then Comes Back Home 34:43

3M ago34:43

34:43

Kelcy Huston grew up splashing in the creeks and rivers along Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior. She moved out West as a young adult, working a number of outdoor jobs for state and federal agencies. It was a job based near the Lochsa River in Idaho Huston discovered a passion for whitewater paddling. This passion would lead her to some some …

1
Gunflint Ranger Station Staffing and Ely Rally News Update 27:15

3M ago27:15

27:15

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 fo…

1
The core of the mountain with Alison Criscitiello 46:17

3M ago46:17

46:17

Few people have been to the summit of Mt. Logan, and even fewer people have been to the summit and stayed for more than 24 hours. But for the sake of science, RCGS Fellow and world-leading ice core scientist Alison Criscitiello and her team took 10 days to summit Canada’s highest peak, where they camped for 16 days. In her new documentary, For Wint…

1
Million Steps- Day 4- Enter the Porkies 7/22/98 22:36

3M ago22:36

22:36

Porcupine Mountains State ParkBy Thomas Funke

1
The Mystery of Ella Hall: A Boundary Waters Story 24:20

3M ago24:20

24:20

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 a…

1
Million Steps: Bear! 7/22/1998 29:02

4M ago29:02

29:02

Bear! Black River to Presque Isle RiverBy Thomas Funke

1
Ice Thickness Update From the Boundary Waters 18:35

4M ago18:35

18:35

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 po…

1
Portages, Pathways, Paddles: Shiawasee to Grand portage 11:16

4M ago11:16

11:16

A little know but very popular & well used portage routeBy Thomas Funke

1
BWCA Wild and Scottie Baldwin on Why the Boundary Waters Matters 39:52

4M ago39:52

39:52

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 …

1
Forest Service Cancels Public Meetings As Unique Challenges From Nation's Capital Continue 34:53

4M ago34:53

34:53

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, …

1
Journey of resilience: Jillian Brown on water, wilderness, and healing 55:28

4M ago55:28

55:28

Welcome back Explore listeners! We are thrilled to have award-winning photographer and explorer Jillian Brown as our first guest of 2025. Based in Squamish, B.C., Brown has an epic list of adventures. She was the first Canadian to paddle across the continental US, from Oregon to Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. Brown was also part of the first cre…

1
February 2025 Trails Report! 17:59

4M ago17:59

17:59

Hiker Trash, snow report, stupid ChromeBy Thomas Funke

1
Erin Walker Talks Survivor, Winter Camping, and Lost Lakes YouTube Channel 42:52

4M ago42:52

42:52

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 t…

1
Million Steps: Day 2 - 7/20/98 Black River Harbor 22:42

4M ago22:42

22:42

By Thomas Funke

1
50 UP Hikes: Bear Lake Trail 6:23

4M ago6:23

6:23

FJ McLain State Park, Keweenaw Peninsula.By Thomas Funke

1
Encore Presentation: Sugarcane — the Oscar-nominated documentary of St Joseph's Mission Residential School with Julian Brave NoiseCat 42:31

4M ago42:31

42:31

Oscar nominated! Congratulations to Canadian Geographic Contributing Editor Julian Brave NoiseCat for his and Emily Kassie's Best Documentary Academy Award nomination for their film Sugarcane. Please enjoy this encore presentation of NoiseCat's interview with Explore, which was originally posted in September, 2024. We're thrilled to welcome Julian …

1
Talking Paddling and Canoecopia with Darren Bush 59:16

4M ago59:16

59:16

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 Can…

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