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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Ken Hupila recounts his years as a BWCA guide

Marshall Helmberger
Posted 2/15/23

REGIONAL— After more than three decades as a wilderness guide in the Boundary Waters, Ken Hupila has more than a few stories and thoughts to share, and you can get a taste in his most recent …

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Ken Hupila recounts his years as a BWCA guide

Posted

REGIONAL— After more than three decades as a wilderness guide in the Boundary Waters, Ken Hupila has more than a few stories and thoughts to share, and you can get a taste in his most recent book, “Shore Lunch, Adventures of a guide in the BWCA,” recently published by the Ely Echo.
Wilderness guiding is a long, long tradition, notes Hupila in his introduction. Long before European settlement, fur traders used native guides to make their way through the labyrinth of lakes and rivers that make up the Canadian Shield. Hupila dedicates the book to his father, who worked summers as a Boundary Waters guide himself back in the 1930s and 40s, leading guests from his own father’s resort. For the younger Hupila, following in his father’s footsteps just came naturally.
Hupila leaves little doubt but that summers spent guiding in the wilderness offer plenty of variety, including getting up close and personal with people from everywhere and all walks of life. And 95 percent of them were great people, according to Hupila, including the ones he had doubts about at the beginning.
Hupila presents his stories in short vignettes, usually accompanied by a few color photos. Hupila, who spent his professional career as an educator at the Ely High School, took up photography in a serious way back in 2001 and he’s shown a talent for it over the years.
Anyone with an interest in exploring the canoe country and who has ever wondered what the life of a wilderness guide might be like, it’s worth looking for “Shore Lunch” next time you find yourself in Ely. We couldn’t find a price listed anywhere in the book, but it’s a paperback so odds are you can afford it.