New Grand Marais-based media company to provide one-stop virtual access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Jan 16, 2024 07:18AM ● By Content Editor
Photo: Joe Friedrichs, creator and founder of the new BWCAW media company Paddle and Portage, sits in the Paddle and Portage office in downtown Grand Marais. Photo provided.
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - A Boreal Community Media Exclusive - January 12, 2024
Over 150,000 people visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in an average year. Outdoor enthusiasts come from all over the United States and Canada to enjoy the relatively untouched landscape and participate in all sorts of recreational activities. Yet, there seemed to be a missing piece to accessing the area in the form of a one-stop virtual source of news, adventure, and storytelling. Until now.
Local journalist and author Joe Friedrichs came up with the idea for the new Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) media company Paddle and Portage, after discovering there were many sources sharing news about the BWCAW and Quetico, but not one that solely focused on that area in an easy to access, digital format.
In addition to the news stories one may expect to read from the Paddle and Portage founder and creator, a recent press release announced that Paddle and Portage will "Offer a unique perspective on the intersection of news, adventure, and storytelling from and about the Boundary Waters."
"The Boundary Waters is a unique area, and draws different types of people that I find so fascinating," Friedrichs told Boreal Community Media at the Paddle and Portage office in downtown Grand Marais.
Paddle and Portage offers three different ways to engage with its content: the website, a podcast (co-hosted with Bear Witness Media founder Matthew Baxley), and a digital magazine.
The website is the landing spot for news articles, the latest episodes of the podcast (which are released on the 10th of each month), and for those who want even more BWCAW content, the place to become a Paddle and Portage Member.
Members get access to the website (including additional content available to members only) and the monthly podcast episode, but they also receive a monthly digital magazine, which serves as a "virtual companion" for those interested in the area. "The digital magazine allows readers to dive deeper into exploring the people and stories that define the BWACW, Quetico, and other paddling destinations near the Boundary Waters and beyond". Readers will enjoy an issue released on the 20th of each month, which will contain stories, interviews, photography, and more, written by Friedrichs himself, as well as by those who know the area well.
In addition to the magazine, Paddle and Portage members will get access to behind-the-scenes audio, video footage, trip recaps (including seasonal conditions and of course, fishing reports), and more from Friedrichs and Baxley; basically, content that didn't make the cut for anything else. "We have so much content that had nowhere to live, but now, we can share it as much as we want." Friedrichs said.
According to a press release, Baxley and Friedrichs "created a podcast focused on the Boundary Waters for WTIP, the community radio station in Grand Marais." However, with the launch of the Paddle and Portage media company, the duo is "Shifting their efforts to the new Paddle and Portage Podcast. This new platform will allow for expanded storytelling, more voices from the community of paddlers, and the ability to travel deeper and capture more stories in the BWCA and Quetico."
The future of Paddle and Portage looks to bring many opportunities for storytelling, and connecting with others who love the BWCAW area as much as the Paddle and Portage team. Baxley and Friedrichs plan to attend the paddling expo Canoecopia in Madison, Wisc., in early March, and will be at other local events throughout the first part of the year. Friedrichs will also be celebrating the launch of his new book Last Entry Point, which will be released in May by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Book launch events will be taking place in the Twin Cities, Duluth, and at Drury Lane in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
“We believe that storytelling has the power to connect people with the wild in a real, tangible way. Paddle and Portage media is our endeavor to bridge the gap between adventure and narratives, inviting our audience to experience the magic of the Boundary Waters and Quetico through the eyes and ears of those who live here, visit the area, or are still waiting to make that first trip to the canoe-country wilderness,” Friedrichs said.
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - A Boreal Community Media Exclusive - January 12, 2024
Over 150,000 people visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in an average year. Outdoor enthusiasts come from all over the United States and Canada to enjoy the relatively untouched landscape and participate in all sorts of recreational activities. Yet, there seemed to be a missing piece to accessing the area in the form of a one-stop virtual source of news, adventure, and storytelling. Until now.
Local journalist and author Joe Friedrichs came up with the idea for the new Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) media company Paddle and Portage, after discovering there were many sources sharing news about the BWCAW and Quetico, but not one that solely focused on that area in an easy to access, digital format.
In addition to the news stories one may expect to read from the Paddle and Portage founder and creator, a recent press release announced that Paddle and Portage will "Offer a unique perspective on the intersection of news, adventure, and storytelling from and about the Boundary Waters."
"The Boundary Waters is a unique area, and draws different types of people that I find so fascinating," Friedrichs told Boreal Community Media at the Paddle and Portage office in downtown Grand Marais.
Paddle and Portage logo. Image provided.
Paddle and Portage offers three different ways to engage with its content: the website, a podcast (co-hosted with Bear Witness Media founder Matthew Baxley), and a digital magazine.
The website is the landing spot for news articles, the latest episodes of the podcast (which are released on the 10th of each month), and for those who want even more BWCAW content, the place to become a Paddle and Portage Member.
Members get access to the website (including additional content available to members only) and the monthly podcast episode, but they also receive a monthly digital magazine, which serves as a "virtual companion" for those interested in the area. "The digital magazine allows readers to dive deeper into exploring the people and stories that define the BWACW, Quetico, and other paddling destinations near the Boundary Waters and beyond". Readers will enjoy an issue released on the 20th of each month, which will contain stories, interviews, photography, and more, written by Friedrichs himself, as well as by those who know the area well.
In addition to the magazine, Paddle and Portage members will get access to behind-the-scenes audio, video footage, trip recaps (including seasonal conditions and of course, fishing reports), and more from Friedrichs and Baxley; basically, content that didn't make the cut for anything else. "We have so much content that had nowhere to live, but now, we can share it as much as we want." Friedrichs said.
According to a press release, Baxley and Friedrichs "created a podcast focused on the Boundary Waters for WTIP, the community radio station in Grand Marais." However, with the launch of the Paddle and Portage media company, the duo is "Shifting their efforts to the new Paddle and Portage Podcast. This new platform will allow for expanded storytelling, more voices from the community of paddlers, and the ability to travel deeper and capture more stories in the BWCA and Quetico."
The future of Paddle and Portage looks to bring many opportunities for storytelling, and connecting with others who love the BWCAW area as much as the Paddle and Portage team. Baxley and Friedrichs plan to attend the paddling expo Canoecopia in Madison, Wisc., in early March, and will be at other local events throughout the first part of the year. Friedrichs will also be celebrating the launch of his new book Last Entry Point, which will be released in May by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Book launch events will be taking place in the Twin Cities, Duluth, and at Drury Lane in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
“We believe that storytelling has the power to connect people with the wild in a real, tangible way. Paddle and Portage media is our endeavor to bridge the gap between adventure and narratives, inviting our audience to experience the magic of the Boundary Waters and Quetico through the eyes and ears of those who live here, visit the area, or are still waiting to make that first trip to the canoe-country wilderness,” Friedrichs said.
To learn more about Paddle and Portage, visit the website here. You can also find updates on the Paddle and Portage Facebook and Instagram page.
You can find the monthly Paddle and Portage podcast episodes on any major podcast streaming platform, or on the Paddle and Portage website.
If you know and love the BWCAW, Quetico, or other nearby paddling areas, the Paddle and Portage team is looking for writers, audio, or story ideas for consideration to be published. You can reach out to the Paddle and Portage team here.