Paddle and Portage Podcast

Mining near the Boundary Waters is in the political spotlight this month as a pair of political forums take place in Ely. The first took place Wednesday, Sept. 2 on the college campus in Ely. It featured state Sen. Grant Hauschild and Republican challenger Andrea Zupancich, a realtor in the Ely area and the current mayor of nearby Babbitt. Also participating in the forum was incumbent state Rep. Roger Skraba and DFL challenger Aaron Kania, a former U.S. Forest Service district ranger in Ely. A separate event featuring candidates running for the Ely City Council will take place next week at the same venue. That event is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10. In this issue of the podcast, we narrow the complexity of the political landscape near the Boundary Waters, including the local level in Ely. Featured in this episode are Skraba and Kania, along with Ely City Council candidates Heidi Omerza and Emily Roose. Omerza and Roose are running for mayor this year and are both currently on the council, with Omerza serving as the current mayor of Ely. Also featured in the episode is city council candidate Abby Dare, as well as Ely business owner Sarah Vogl. This episode is supported by Tex’s Riverways and Borderland Lodge.

The Paddle & Portage Podcast duo share updates on some recent BWCA and Lake Superior adventures, and Erin Walker drops in to share the details of her upcoming series about women who paddle and adventure outdoors.  Erin also shares the recap of her and Jon's recent encounter with a grizzly bear while canoeing in the Northwest Territories.  Also featured is a cameo by an old friend of the podcast, one we know by name.  This episode of the podcast is supported by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Borderland Lodge. 

A mine in the BWCA...The mere mention of such a thing in 2026 sends fear up the spine of many paddlers.  That being the case, there is an old mine in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In this episode, Duluth writer Ryan Rodgers and the podcast team take you there.  Go here to learn more about the history of the old mine in the BWCA: paddleandportage.com This episode is supported by Loons Nest Coffee, Bending Branches Canoe & Kayak Paddles, and Williams & Hall Outfitters.  Listen to this story from a previous adventure with Rodgers: 

After weeks of disruption and uncertainty, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is in the process of reopening.  Large swaths of the BWCA, including the entire Gunflint and significant portions of the wilderness on the Ely side, will be reopening for overnight paddling and other access during the first week of August.  The BWCA Wilderness was shut down entirely July 14 due to numerous wildfires.  The reopening is welcomed news for paddlers and outfitters. In this episode, we share stories about the reopening of the BWCA, and how people came together during the closure.  This episode is supported by Tex's Riverways, Ely Outfitting Company, and Friends of the Boundary Waters. 

Paddlers from Northern Tier High Adventure, a Scout organization with strong ties to the Ely area, were among those evacuated from the Boundary Waters in July 2026.  In this episode, we hear their firsthand accounts of getting out from deep in the BWCA and Quetico during the evacuation. Towboats played a role, as did a series of critical decisions made along the way. The stories were recorded near Ely soon after the Scouts were evacuated.  Special thanks to Jake Hway from Chilly Dogs Sled Dog Trips for first reaching out with news of this story. Thanks, too, to Pam Wright from Soka Outdoors for recording some of the audio used in this podcast.  This episode is sponsored by Borderland Lodge, Sawtooth Outfitters, and City Cast Twin Cities.