YMCA Camp Menogyn held its annual pancake breakfast fundraiser on Sunday, May 26th. It was a gorgeous late spring day as camp alumni, supporters and volunteers traveled by canoe or pontoon across West Bearskin Lake to enjoy some pancakes, see old friends and meet new ones, and raise funds for the one hundred and two-year-old non-profit organization. WTIP spoke with Forrest Ahrens, a lifelong member of the Menogyn family who recently stepped into the role of interim executive director after the recently-announced retirement of longtime executive director Meghan Cosgrove.

YMCA Camp Director Forrest Ahrens

This podcast is all about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It is a place to hear stories from the people who visit this amazing outdoor playground. On this podcast, we invite you to join the adventures as well.

Episode 1 WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

The WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast goes for the trifecta in this episode. Three topics are covered, including a conversation with Julia and Linda Ruelle from the Twin Cities area. Julia, a high school student in Minnetonka, won an essay contest in 2018 from the Ely Outfitting Company that brought her and three friends to the Boundary Waters for a week. Julia was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer during the winter of 2017-18 and completed chemotherapy in February. The trip to the Boundary Waters was largely a celebration of Julia’s return to good health. 

Also in episode seven, we hear from Tim Barton, a guide for Piragis Northwoods Company based in Ely. Barton shares his thoughts on the best footwear for navigating the Boundary Waters. 

And the trifecta that is episode seven wraps up with a journal-style reading from Beth Gaede. Beth is a book editor who lives in Hudson, Wisc.

Episode 7 WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

If there is concern about the number of young people visiting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, you won't hear it in episode eight of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast.  

Ada Igoe from Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail joins the podcast team for this episode. Her segment features a group of middle school students who travel to the BWCA each summer from Indiana. It's another example of the good times people of all ages can have in canoe country. 

Also in episode eight, we hear from Natalie Kundel at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais. Natalie shares her expertise on choosing the perfect canoe paddle for your trip to the BWCA.

Episode 8 WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

It’s the ‘All Ontario Episode’ of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast! Join Podcasters Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs as they paddle to the Cache Bay Ranger Station in Quetico Provincial Park. Interior Ranger Janice Matichuk has worked at the station in Cache Bay for the past 34 seasons, and she shares her story on the podcast. 

Also in this episode, we hear from Canadian musician Ian Tamblyn. A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Tamblyn has shared his music on every episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. He visited Grand Marais and WTIP recently and shares his passion for paddling and writing music with a focus on wilderness and water.

Episode 9 WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

More than a century of combined paddling between just two people is celebrated in episode 10 of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast. 

Bob O’Hara is among the most recognized and accomplished adventurers to dip his paddle into the Boundary Waters annually, something he has done for the past 60 years without missing a season. 

Likewise, Ken Koscik is no stranger to canoe country. Ken hit the 50-year mark for consecutive years to Quetico Provincial Park and the Boundary Waters in 2018. A guest instructor at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Ken teaches a course on building cedar-strip canoes and kayaks. 

Podcasters Matthew Baxley and Joe Friedrichs learn what it takes to make it back to the Boundary Waters every year for at least 50 years in this episode of the Boundary Waters Podcast.

Episode 10 WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

Many people who visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness leave with a parting sentiment: We don’t want to go home quite yet. 

In this episode of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, we hear from an individual who takes this concept to the next level. Known as the 800-Day Paddler, Mark Zimmer shares his story of essentially living in the Boundary Waters from May until fall. 

Speaking of changing seasons, November is a time of transition in the Boundary Waters. With lakes starting to freeze and cold ushered in by strong winds, November is one of the lowest-traffic months of the year in the BWCA. But there are those who remain in contact with the land, including Clare and Dan Shirley, the owners of Sawbill Canoe Outfitters. They share their stories of November in the Boundary Waters in part two of this episode.

Episode 11 WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

The holiday season has arrived in the Boundary Waters. In this episode, we hear from two voices often associated with spending significant amounts of time in the BWCA: Dave and Amy Freeman. 

In the winter of 2015-16, Dave and Amy spent their holidays in the BWCA as a part of their Year in the Wilderness. Podcaster Matthew Baxley talks with the Freemans to hear what Christmas Day and conditions are like in the Boundary Waters in December. Dave and Amy also share an update on their ongoing efforts to protect the BWCA. 

In keeping with the holiday spirit, Baxley and co-host Joe Friedrichs discuss their holiday wish lists, with all the items being tools of the trade for recreation in the Boundary Waters.

Episode 12 WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

Doug Kennedy Roadhouse 20181228

They’re….back!!! Exactly one year since episode one of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast dropped, guests Gaby and Werner from Germany return for the first episode of the new season. This time, host Joe Friedrichs takes them out for their first ice fishing trip in the Boundary Waters.

Also featured in this episode is a conversation podcaster Matthew Baxley has with David Hoole from Frost River outdoor equipment in Duluth about keeping your hands warm during the winter months in the BWCA. 

It’s the first episode of 2019… as the adventure rolls on with the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast!

Episode 13 WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast

In the Boundary Waters, it can happen in an instant. No matter how experienced a paddler is starting a trip, tipping a canoe and falling into the frigid waters can happen to anyone through a variety of ways. In late fall 2018, Jacob Leingang, Rachel Nethercut and their dog Lathan experienced the very real dangers that play out when a canoe tips in the Boundary Waters. In this episode, Podcaster Matthew Baxley hears their harrowing story.

Also featured in episode 14 is a conversation with Greg Gaskin, an instructor with the Wilderness Medicine Institute and National Outdoor Leadership School. Podcast host Joe Friedrichs talks with Gaskin about Rachel and Jake’s story of survival and his own reflections on the importance of wilderness medicine and safety.

YMCA Camp Director Forrest Ahrens

WTIP Community Radio

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