Member Profile for Riley Smith

I started taking trips to the BWCA as a kid with my dad and a group of friends of ours. We took a trip each year for a few years after that and I was completely infatuated with the place. The wilderness, the crystal clear lakes, the giant trees, and the quiet serenity that reverberated into my soul all called me back to the hallowed Northland. After graduating high school I took a trip with some of the same friends into the Quetico. We journeyed to places I had only dreamed of seeing in person. On that trip, I was hooked for good. It was no longer the fantastical imaginings of my childhood, but it truly became my wilderness sanctuary: a place that called me back no matter how far I roamed. After college, I ended up finding my way back to the BWCA for the summer, this time as a guide, to lead groups into the magical land I loved so very much. Those three months forever solidified a place in my heart for the BWCA/Quetico. It was no longer just a place of my childhood dreams or a magical destination for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, but it was home. No matter whatever career I found myself in, or wherever I lived, nearly every day my soul longed for my wilderness sanctuary. I guided again in 2019, worked for an outfitter in 2020, and guided again in 2021. In 2022, I moved up to Ely full-time and married the love of my life who I met guiding for the same outfit. Together, we get to spend our lives enjoying and sharing this place that changed both of our lives for the better!