Alissa Johnson 
When it comes to the topic of mining in northern Minnesota, there’s often a familiar pattern to the discussion: people are for it or against it. And if they’re arguing for environmental protections, they’re probably against it. “There’s a false dichotomy that you’re either pro-mining or anti-mining…”
Across canoe country, the next generation is taking over outfitting businesses or starting new ones. These outfitters offer a fresh take on what it means to introduce people to the wilderness today.
Imagine boating in Voyageurs National Park and seeing what appears to be an island on the move. It is over six acres in size, composed primarily of cattails and pockmarked by shrubs and small trees. Unanchored, this vegetative mass moves freely—a navigational hazard, a danger to docks and property, and spreading invasive species.
“There is a measurable amount of growth with every trip and every person I take out… And it really is empowering, especially for mature women who think that, physically, they aren’t capable anymore,” wilderness guide Peta Barrett says.
This week, Ely Outfitting Company announced the winner of its first annual Boundary Waters Teen Essay Contest. Julia Ruelle, the 16-year-old winner, was one of more than 70 entries. Her prize? She and up to three teenage friends will go on a fully outfitted, self-guided trip—five days in the wilderness without parents and without a guide.
Imagine a wolf kill, and the remains of an ungulate—a hoofed animal like a moose—probably come to mind. Yet scientists have known for some time that wolves also eat smaller prey, like deer fawns and beavers. This is particularly true during summer, when wolf packs primarily hunt and travel as individuals or pairs.
We catch up with Becky Rom, she has been heavily involved in the fight against sulfide-ore copper mining near the Boundary Waters and offered some key insights into the current political landscape.
One winter day in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, an otter ran across the path of a dogsled team on Basswood Lake. Excited, the dogs picked up the pace, then Amy saw something else out on the ice: wolves…
Canoe builder Ken Koscik points to a canoe hanging in the rafters and says, “We’re going to build that.” Some students shake their heads. Some don’t believe it. He reassures them: it’s easy. “I have told hundreds of people that if you can tie your shoes, you can build this canoe. And that is the truth,” he says.
In 1994, Nashville singer-songwriter Jerry Vandiver, whose song “It Doesn’t Get Any Countrier Than This” had just been recorded by Tim McGraw, portaged a behemoth of an aluminum canoe across a rocky and root-filled portage. He was no stranger to paddling; he’d moved that canoe from his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, to Nashville when he set out to see if he could make it in the country music business. But this was his first trip to Quetico Provincial Park, and lugging that canoe over such a challenging portage inspired him
There is an outfitter at the end of the Sawbill Trail where customers and staff return year after year, a network of people connected to the place and the family at its center. The Hansens, and now the Shirleys, have been running Sawbill Canoe Outfitters since 1957, where annual traditions, lifelong friendships and marriages have been born.
The YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities Boys & Girls Outdoor Leadership Program uses canoe tripping and wilderness settings, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, to teach youth to work together, whatever the differences between them.
In Grand Marais, Minnesota, gateway to the Gunflint Trail and canoe country, there is a place where the traditional crafts of the north are celebrated. From timber framing and boat building, to basketry and knitting, craftsmen and women gather to share their knowledge and skills—often using traditional resources like birch bark.
In May 2007 an out of control campfire off the Gunflint Trail grew into a wildfire that burned 75,851 acres. Ten years later, the forest is at a turning point…
In a new series, Wilderness News dives into climate change as it relates to northern Minnesota and the Quetico Superior Region.
Evaluating Minnesota’s water sulfate standard for wild rice. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is reviewing its standards for protecting wild rice in Minnesota. With funding from the Minnesota State Legislature, the agency conducted a two-year study to determine how sulfate—the presence of which in water has been linked to an absence of wild rice—and other chemicals affect the health of wild rice.
Barry Johnson has canoed the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for 24 years. That’s 24 years of portaging, windy lakes, buggy nights and lots of memories–essentially, 24 years of stories. Johnson …
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park will both get added protection from haze under a new ruling from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to the EPA, …
How’s this for a little Friday fun: A time capsule being buried in Ely, MN will include a note from President Obama expressing his hope that balance can be struck between …
Moose hunting in Minnesota has been canceled indefinitely. The decision comes after the state’s moose population has dropped by more than half since 2010, and 35 percent since last year. …