Wilderness Perspectives

Living and working on the edge of the Wilderness

Nov 9, 2026
Cassidy Ritter, Voyageur Canoe Outfitters
Voyageur Canoe Outfitters [o] Cassidy Ritter

I get to raise my three little girls at the end of the Gunflint Trail, just steps away from the Boundary Waters. It's a pretty incredible place to call home. Our days are filled with things that probably seem ordinary to us now, but I know are anything but. 

We're watching the seasons change on the water, hearing loons calling in the evening, packing up the canoe for an afternoon adventure, and watching our girls grow up surrounded by a wilderness that so many people travel across the country to experience. 

My husband and I own Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, and we've spent years helping people experience the Boundary Waters. We've watched first-time paddlers head out nervous and return with the biggest smiles. We've heard stories from families who have been coming here for generations. And we've seen firsthand how a few days in the wilderness can completely change someone's perspective. This place is so much more than a destination. It's our home. It's where we're raising our family. It's where we're building our future.

Cassidy and her daughter. [o] Cassidy Ritter
Cassidy and her daughter. [o] Cassidy Ritter
Matt Ritter and his daughter camping together. [o] Cassidy Ritter
Matt Ritter and his daughter camping together. [o] Cassidy Ritter

That's why the thought of it being under attack hits so close to home. The Boundary Waters is an extraordinary place, but its future isn't guaranteed. The threat of sulfide-ore copper mining near its watershed is real, and the decisions being made today could have consequences that last for generations. 

Scenic overlook of the Wilderness near Voyaguer Canoe Outfitters. [o] Cassidy Ritter
Scenic overlook of the Wilderness near Voyaguer Canoe Outfitters. [o] Cassidy Ritter
Matt relaxes by fishing near a Boundary Waters lake. [o] Cassidy Ritter
Matt relaxes by fishing near a Boundary Waters lake. [o] Cassidy Ritter

"I don't want my girls to grow up hearing stories about what the Boundary Waters used to be. I want them to grow up exploring it."

GIVE NOW

I want them to take their own families camping here someday. I want them to experience the same quiet mornings, the same clear water, and the same sense of wonder that so many of us have been lucky enough to know. 

And I want that for your families, too. That's why I'm asking you to join me this Give to the Max Day in supporting Save the Boundary Waters. And right now, your gift can go twice as far. Thanks to a generous matching gift, every donation will be DOUBLED, helping fuel the work to permanently protect this wilderness.

Their work to protect this wilderness matters, not just for those of us who live here, but for everyone who has ever fallen in love with this place, and everyone who hasn't had the chance to discover it yet. Whether you've visited the Boundary Waters a hundred times or are still dreaming about your first trip, you have a part to play in protecting its future. Someday, I hope my girls will understand just how lucky they were to grow up here. 

And I hope they'll know we did everything we could to protect it.  Thank you for caring about this place as much as we do.

For the wilderness, 
Cassidy Ritter 

The Wilderness is filled with scenic, pine-filled islands like this one. [o] Cassidy Ritter
The Wilderness is filled with scenic, pine-filled islands like this one. [o] Cassidy Ritter
A canoe sits ready near a portage trail. [o] Cassidy Ritter
A canoe sits ready near a portage trail. [o] Cassidy Ritter