Every year, Canoecopia in Madison hosts thousands of paddlers for a weekend of presentations, gear sales, and socializing in Madison, WI. The coronavirus pandemic forced organizers to cancel the 2020 festival, the day before it was to begin. This year, Rutabaga Paddlesports is bringing it back in online form, promising an engaging and immersive experience.
“We hope this helps to start the 2021 season with optimism and hope,” festival organizers say. “It’ll be different, but we’re confident you’ll love what we’ve done, along with our amazing exhibitors and presenters.”
This year’s lineup of more than 80 presentations includes many on topics connected to the Boundary Waters and surrounding region. Others cover basic paddle skills, and destinations around the globe.
One notable presentation on the schedule is Tom McCann’s recounting of the Circle Tour Expedition, which Quetico-Superior Wilderness News covered in November. Wilderness News contributor Rob Kesselring will speak about ultralight canoeing methods. Representatives from the Friends of the Boundary Waters and Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, including Dave and Amy Freeman, will present about the threat of pollution from proposed copper-nickel mines near the wilderness.
Highlights:
25 Tips for A More Unique Boundary Waters Trip
Carved by glaciers and sculpted by water, there are countless reasons why the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) is the most popular Wilderness Area in the United States. The BWCA contains more than 1,100 lakes, 1,200 miles of canoe routes, a dozen rugged hiking trails, and endless opportunities to explore. Join us for a presentation on how to create a better, more unique Boundary Waters adventure. From route planning tips to gear selection to seeing wildlife, veteran paddler Pete Marshall will share his expert advice from years of visiting and teaching about the BWCA.
Adventure Forward: Women in the BWCA
Do you love adventure, paddling, camping and fun with women friends? In this session you will discover wonderful opportunities in the BWCA designed to empower women to explore their strength and joy in the outdoors. Learn about some great routes through the BWCA, as well as tips and tricks that help women succeed on wilderness trips. Lori Vogel & LuAnn Buechler give pointers about transporting canoes, portaging gear, staying safe, and choosing quality food. Discover what clothing works best to stay dry, warm, and comfortable.
Dad, Daughter, and Quetico’s Death March Portage
Would you plan a canoe trip with your daughter around a 4.2-mile portage called Death March? Find out why Scott & Emilie Burditt made crossing this portage, located in the middle of Ontario’s 1.2 million-acre Quetico Park, the focus of their vacation. Hear about their preparation, how they arrived at the portage, and the obstacles they encountered while crossing. Perhaps most interesting to any dads and daughters out there, hear what they expected to gain and what they learned about each other.
History Repeats Itself: 100 Years By Paddle and Portage
Join former US Forest Service cartographer, Tom McCann, as he celebrates the legacy of Arthur H. Carhart and retraces the steps and strokes that helped to preserve the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Nearly 100 years ago, Carhart successfully demonstrated how an extensive system of water trails could substitute for the proposed recreational road network in the Superior National Forest. His research led him to paddle a 94-mile canoe circle route that started and ended at Silver Rapids near Ely, MN. In 2020, McCann and a crew of seasoned paddlers re-visited the nearly obscure “Circle Tour” and uncovered more than just Carhart’s legacy.
Tips & Tricks for First-time BWCA Travelers
The Boundary Waters is a place that many canoeists will claim calls them to return many times. Steven & Kathy Nelson know you may have heard the calling, but don’t know where to start your plans. Learn tips and tricks that non-experienced wilderness travelers need to know to have a successful adventure.
Ultralight Canoe Camping in the Boundary Waters
Paddling light does not mean deprivation. Just the opposite, Rob Kesselring shares proven strategies that will make your canoe trips easier, more fulfilling and more fun. Less is more! An entertaining, information-packed session from one of the most experienced canoe guides in North America.
Unique BWCA Sites You should Visit
Enhance your Boundary Waters adventure with historic, cultural and geologic sites as well as other points of interest that most people paddle right past. This is a popular seminar for BWCA travelers with Steven Nelson. Map locations, background details and photos of sites will be provided that will spark your imagination.
Two Mines, One Threat: Sulfide Mining’s Threat to Clean Water
With Scott Beauchamp. Foreign corporations are trying to open copper sulfide mines in Minnesota, which threaten to pollute some of the cleanest water in the country. PolyMet, a copper sulfide mine proposed by Swiss conglomerate Glencore, would be an ecological disaster for Lake Superior. Twin Metals, a mine proposed by Chilean conglomerate Antofagasta, would pollute the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This type of mining has a perfect track record of pollution. In this presentation, you’ll learn about the threat that this type of mining poses to Minnesota and the Great Lakes, and what you can do help protect clean water.
What Would a Sulfide-Ore Copper Mine on the Edge of the Boundary Waters Look Like?
At the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, we inspire Americans to defend the most unique lakeland canoe-area wilderness in the country from the threat of proposed sulfide-ore copper mining. For this presentation we’ll be taking folks on a narrated tour of the proposed Twin Metals mine site. Viewers will join explorers Dave and Amy Freeman and Save the Boundary Waters, Northeast Regional Organizer Levi Lexvold as they explore from the air, land, and water to give viewers a better understanding of what is at stake if the Twin Metals mine moves forward.
Canoe Country Walleyes: The Fish for All Seasons
Craig Zarley is the popular presenter of “Catching Canoe Country Walleyes” at past Canoecopias. After more than 50 years of canoe country walleye fishing, he’s still learning new tricks. He’ll explain seasonal walleye patterns and show you where and how to catch walleyes in spring, summer, and fall without using electronic gadgets or expensive tackle. And he’ll reveal his pre-trip planning strategies to help you increase your walleye fishing success.
Keynote Species of Northern Waters
With John Bates: we return again and again to particular lakes and rivers because of their beauty, and ultimately what we feel as their spirit. While each of us experiences a place differently according to our individual perceptions, there are certain species that seem to speak to all of us, and which in many ways define the spirit of wild places. Come celebrate an array of northern keynote species, from plants to animals, that seem to universally evoke our strongest connections and our deepest connections.
Loons in our Northern Waters
An icon and sentinel species of our northern lakes, the common loon family captivates our hearts as we watch them develop from chick to adult. The loon is a sentinel species – a living symbol of clean water, good fisheries, and an indicator of healthy aquatic ecosystems. Since 1978, LoonWatch has been protecting common loons and their aquatic habitats through education, monitoring, and research.
Waltzing with Bears
Andrew and Ethan Elkins take pride in having a spotless record not feeding wilderness bears. Chipmunks and mice are a different story. They hope that after their presentation you can share their success and gain valuable tips on keeping your food safe in bear country. They’ll show various bear barrels, food hanging systems, bear deterrents, and other techniques to keep your food safe while camping. Matt Gross, a DNR wildlife biologist will talk about bear behaviors and what you should do if you have an unwanted bear encounter.
Planning a Successful BWCA Adventure
Planning a Boundary Waters canoe trip? Do you know what you need to pack? Join Ginny Nelson, a seasoned outfitter, wilderness traveler and guide, as she walks you through when to start your plans, reserving a permit, what you really need to pack, and what not to take on your next adventure.
Live Q&A with Cliff Jacobson
Cliff Jacobson is one of North America’s most respected outdoors writers and wilderness guides. He is a professional canoe guide and outfitter, a wilderness canoeing and camping consultant and the author of over a dozen top-selling books on camping and canoeing.
Some programs will be prerecorded, and some streamed live. There are also several live question-and-answer sessions. All the presentations will be available for viewing at least 60 days after the event.
“Now, a virtual Canoecopia isn’t anyone’s first choice, but it is a good choice,” writes Darren Bush, owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports, organizer of the event. “For years we’ve had speaker rooms where people couldn’t enter due to crowding. Guess what? No crowds, and you can see every single presentation anytime you want.”
Exhibitors will also offer virtual “booths.” Nonprofits, canoe makers and many other outdoor businesses will provide information and deals on gear through an interactive format.
MORE INFORMATION
Canoecopia: March 12-14. Details and tickets are available on the Canoecopia website.