Longtime northwoods journalist Sam Cook announces retirement
After 38 years full of stories ranging from Duluth to the Arctic, the well-known scribe is closing out his career.
Inspiration
Wilderness Voices: Layne Kennedy
“There are many reasons why this pristine wilderness along the shared border of Minnesota/Ontario is important. A close encounter with nature can turn into a tremendous learning experience. The fair price for wilderness travel is awareness…”
Sharing the wilderness with women—of any age
“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.
Teen heading to the “greatest place on earth” after winning Boundary Waters essay contest
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.
Grand Marais radio station launches Boundary Waters podcast
WTIP’s new online program features in-depth reporting on the people, experiences, and practices of canoe country.
Photo Gallery: Winter in the Quetico Superior
The uncommon beauty of winter, photographs from Voyageurs to Lake Superior, Boundary Waters to Quetico, from frozen lake to snow-laden trees…
Minnesota’s Arrowhead region has notably dark night skies
Cook County encourages visitors to come see the Milky Way and the northern lights in its pitch black sky.
Paddlesongs: How one country songwriter married his love of music and canoeing
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
Sawbill Canoe Outfitters: The family behind the legacy
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.
BOLD & GOLD: How a YMCA program brings diversity to wilderness tripping
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.
North House Folk School: Crafting a Lifestyle and Community Along the North Shore of Lake Superior
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.
Video: Atikokan high school students experience ‘rite of passage’ on Quetico trips
For five decades, the groundbreaking program has provided a coming-of-age tradition in the Ontario town.
Thirteen Miles of Lake Superior Shoreline Protected in Canada
Nature Conservancy acquires 2,500 acres of rugged North Shore landscapes and will protect it from development pressures.
Watch: Three Months Alone in the Boundary Waters
Adventurer spends November to January in the wilderness, surviving solitude and harsh winter conditions.
Interview: Artist David Luke Shows the Boundary Waters’ Warm, Dry Future
New collection of images illustrates how scientists say climate change will affect canoe country.
Watch: Short Film Documents Freemans’ Year in the Boundary Waters
‘Bear Witness” visits the adventurers throughout their journey to share and protect canoe country wilderness.
Plugged In
Dave and Amy Freeman spent a year in the Boundary Waters, using social media to inspire others to protect the wilderness.
Morning Light – A Canoe Built by Campers at Ogiche Daa Kwe
There is something delicate about the look of a skin-on frame canoe. In the sunlight, the wooden frame shows through its skin, as do the shadows of paddlers. Looking down into the boat, the line where water meets air is visible. Yet it is a seaworthy craft, light enough for the youngest and oldest of paddlers to carry, and, at girls’ wilderness camp Ogiche Daa Kwe, a perfect metaphor for community. Last summer, campers and staff at the Rainy Lake camp built a 17.5-foot wilderness traveler skin-on frame canoe.
Watch: Gorgeous Northern Lights and Fall Colors at Voyageurs National Park
New video captures beautiful skies and lakes on the Canadian border.
Voyageurs—A Must Visit National Park
The National Park of Minnesota’s north woods celebrates the Park Service’s Centennial. One hundred years ago this August 25th, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the National Park Service. For the …