Points North: Back to the Boundary Waters

By Daniel Wanschura

Points North is a biweekly podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.

This episode was shared here with permission from Interlochen Public Radio.

---

Erik Grams was 12 years old when he first went camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. Ever since that trip, he’s been coming back again and again. It’s his favorite place in the world.

“I really feel – when I’m in the Boundary Waters – that I’m in my element,” said Erik. “I get to get a whole different perspective again.”

In May 2024, Erik was leading a guys fishing trip there, when there was a fatal canoeing accident.

“It was such a shock and so hard to believe. … like this doesn’t happen to me, this doesn’t happen to us,” Erik says.

Since the accident, Erik’s had to wrestle with his feelings about this place he’s loved for decades.

Credits: 
Host / Producer: Dan Wanschura
Editor: Morgan Springer
Additional Editing: Peter Payette, Ellie Katz, Michael Livingston
Sound Design / Mixing: Matthew Mikkelsen
Music: Blue Dot Sessions

Transcript:
ERIK GRAMS:  I think it would be an absolute tragedy if our families stopped going up to the Boundary Waters and … that experience with nature and camping and the outdoors.

I don’t want to live in fear and don’t want anyone else to live in fear. And I think that with this situation, it was an accident and it was nature. And so, I don’t have any resentments towards nature, or I’m not bitter … towards anything really. I just want to overcome it.

DAN WANSCHURA, BYLINE: This is Points North. A podcast about the land, water, and inhabitants of the Great Lakes. I’m Dan Wanschura. This is a story about a man falling in love with a place. And how that place changes forever after an accident.

(sounds of the Boundary Waters)

WANSCHURA: In northern Minnesota, there’s this area of remote wilderness. It’s more than a million acres and stretches along the Canadian border. This is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

GRAMS:  Basically, you’re on your own. And the only thing that can break down is you.

WANSCHURA: Erik Grams was 12 when he first went on a trip here.He was with his dad and two uncles.

ERIK GRAMS: It wasn’t an immediate love because I remember crying through probably my second or third portage wondering when we’re going to make it to the lake and do some fishing.

WANSCHURA: Thick boreal forest is divided up by streams and rivers and over a thousand glacial lakes.

GRAMS: I just remember just how rugged the terrain was and … kind of an incredible experience for someone who’s never been off into the woods that far.

WANSCHURA: Eventually, they made it to their campsite. It’s right next to a lake.

GRAMS: And, basically … my uncles ordered me to dig a trench around the tent, so that way if it rains heavy, it’ll capture the water before it rushes under your tent. And I think they gave me that task just to keep me busy. (laughs)WANSCHURA: After Erik dug the trench, he got to fishing.Right away, his bobber went down and he landed a 10-pound northern pike.

GRAMS: If you’ve ever caught a northern pike, they fight really well. And, 10 pounds is right around that 30-inch, 32-inch mark.  And so, for a 12 year old, it was pretty amazing. 

WANSCHURA: The rest of the trip, Erik just remembers catching so many fish.

GRAMS:  I have a picture of us four with a log, and we’re holding it up on our shoulders and across it is our northern pike strung up on it. And, you know, incredible first experience when you catch that many fish.

WANSCHURA: The fish weren’t the only ones hooked that trip. Erik got hooked on the Boundary Waters, and he’s been coming back ever since.

GRAMS:  I really feel when I’m in the Boundary Waters that I’m in my element. I get to get a whole different perspective again. And when I come back, at least for a short period of time, I don’t take everything for granted. And you really enjoy the comfortable seat in your truck or enjoy driving 30 miles per hour … with just the push of your foot. You know, enjoy a McDonald’s burger again. So, you kind of appreciate the things you went up there to get away from. 

WANSCHURA: Last May, Erik, his younger brother Reis, and some friends head to the Boundary Waters for a guys fishing trip. Their destination is Curtain Falls, a 30-foot waterfall right on the Minnesota – Canada border. It’s Erik’s favorite spot up there. It’s where he proposed to his wife.

The guys load up their gear, and then all pile into a truck for the four and a half hour drive north. It’s on these drives that any stress Erik is dealing with from work or whatever – fades away.

GRAMS:  Because I am heading into my favorite place in the world and I know I’m very prepared, and I’ve done it for over 30 years.

WANSCHURA: But this trip is different.

GRAMS:  There was a different feeling of anxiety, which for some reason I just couldn’t shake.

WANSCHURA: I’m wondering if you can … put words to that anxiety.

GRAMS:  The anxiety felt like there’s something looming that you have to do and you don’t want to do it, and you feel like you are on a path that you can’t change, or you’re trapped in a situation. I just couldn’t shake it.

WANSCHURA: It’s day two of the camping trip. After about 20 miles of canoeing and portaging, the guys make it to the Curtain Falls area. Erik says the weather is beautiful. Partly cloudy and in the 60’s.

GRAMS:  We had our lunch and then Reis and I rushed into our canoe and threw our fishing gear and took off first to go fishing.

WANSCHURA: Erik, Reis, and two of the other guys – Kyle Sellers and Jesse Haugen – fish the lake above the waterfall.

GRAMS:  Reis and I were getting into a lot of the 24-inch walleyes and, and there’s a couple of moments where we each had a 24-inch walleye on at the same time. 

WANSCHURA: But fishing in a lake that feeds into a waterfall can be risky.

GRAMS:  The danger is if you’re caught up or distracted by the fishing … you can lose track of where you’re at … relative to the falls.

WANSCHURA: Erik isn’t too worried though. He’s fished this spot with Reis and Jesse before.

GRAMS:  On a typical day, the area around the falls is a bay, and it holds the water in there pretty well, where it is not a current that is pulling you towards the falls until you get to the point where you’re way too close, and there’s a point of no return.

After an hour and a half of fishing, the guys take a quick shore break. Then head out one more time.

GRAMS: We fished for another 15, 20 minutes or so. And then we decided, you know what? We got everything we need for dinner. And we could start heading back towards camp now. Let’s give it one more minute.

 And it wasn’t more than 20 seconds later that we realized that Kyle and Jesse were parallel to the falls … they had gotten really close to the edge. 

WANSCHURA: Kyle and Jesse are both distracted tying their fishing lines at the same time. And their canoe drifts right to the edge of the waterfall.

GRAMS: They attempted to paddle out of the area and ended up tipping their canoe.

WANSCHURA: As the canoe tips, Kyle Sellers gets washed over Curtain Falls.

GRAMS: And I’ll never forget that moment because that’s when the horror and absolute disbelief and shock kicks in immediately.

WANSCHURA: But the other guy, Jesse Haugen, doesn’t go over. Somehow he’s able to plant his feet on some rocks and brace himself in chest-high water just before the waterfall. And he’s reaching out his hand for Erik and Reis to help him.

GRAMS:  When we saw Jesse in the circumstance he was in … deep down inside I just knew that there was no good way to save him.

WANSCHURA: But that doesn’t stop the brothers from trying. They’re about fifty feet away.

GRAMS:  And with the front of the canoe facing Jesse, I’m able to do some miniature backstrokes to just kind of slow our speed and make sure we’re really creeping in very slowly and not getting past the point of no return. And as we get there, really close, we’re only a couple feet away from Jesse.

The front of our canoe is just past his outstretched arm. And that’s the point where Reis tells him, “Hey, you got to swim for us now.”

WANSCHURA: Jesse lunges forward and grabs the canoe.

GRAMS: And then instantaneously as soon as he made contact with us, you can immediately … feel the pull, and we just immediately started getting pulled over. There wasn’t any going back from there.

WANSCHURA: Erik says he remembers every part of the whole trip … except for what happens next – the moment he actually goes over the 30-foot waterfall.

GRAMS:  The next memory I have is I’m 10 feet under the water, and I can look up and see the daylight still. And while I was under the water I was already thinking that these guys aren’t going to make it. Already grieving for the loss under the water and already devastated before I reached the surface.

WANSCHURA: When he makes it to the surface, Erik sees Jesse pop up next to him and get a gasp of air. Then, they both get pulled under again.

GRAMS:  The second time I was submerged was the most difficult because I wasn’t expecting to get pulled under instantly after … swimming to the surface. Just felt like I was getting shot through a waterpark tunnel.

WANSCHURA: Erik is getting rocketed through a long section of rapids after the waterfall.

GRAMS: The thought crossed my mind that I might not make it.

WANSCHURA: But Erik fights his way to the surface again. He takes another quick breath of air and then gets pulled under for a third time.

GRAMS:  I just kind of reacted and did the best I could without panicking and just kind of went where the water took me, but at the same time was fighting to get to the surface.

WANSCHURA: This time, Erik is able to pull himself onto the Canadian shoreline. His shoes have been sucked off his feet, and his hip is badly injured.

GRAMS:  The first words out of my mouth when I got on land was just screaming, “No,” you know, as loud as I could, “No,” you know? And then, “What the f— were you guys doing?” You know, “What the f—? No.”

I was angry initially at Kyle and Jesse, cause I just don’t understand how it happened. I was angry that Jesse was able to stand on that submerged rock and keep himself in that position. And I was, I’m upset at myself because I’m in charge of the group. I’m the leader.

WANSCHURA: Erik begins yelling for Jesse, Kyle, and his younger brother Reis.  

GRAMS: Just kept yelling and yelling and and traversing that shoreline. And the anger starts to fade and then it’s trying to find anything, any sign of these guys. 

WANSCHURA: But there are no signs.

GRAMS: It was such a shock and so hard to believe. And I just felt … like this doesn’t happen to me, this doesn’t happen to us.

WANSCHURA: Erik continues yelling. And then, he gets a response. Someone is yelling back from a small island between two sections of rapids. But Erik can’t make out who it is.

GRAMS:  I was just hoping it was my brother. Don’t want to lose anyone, but, you know, I was selfishly hoping that it was Reis that we’d find.

WANSCHURA: It’s not Reis, though. It’s his friend Kyle – the guy who went over Curtain Falls first.

GRAMS: Kyle  was pretty severely injured. He was shaking violently … and so I was asking him, “What’s wrong?” And he just said, “I’m in shock.”

He had a long treacherous swim himself and went through a similar experience to me and his body went through so many rocks and … through the tumble, and he was in the water longer than I was. 

WANSCHURA: A couple other campers find Erik and Kyle and they contact emergency services with a satellite device. Hours later, a rescue helicopter comes and takes Kyle up first. He’s borderline hypothermic and has a broken leg. Then the helicopter comes back for Erik. His pelvis is fractured in three places.

GRAMS:   I didn’t want to leave the Boundary Waters or leave my brother … and Jesse, but I knew there wasn’t anything I could do anymore once I really got a sense of my injury.

WANSCHURA: An entire week goes by. That’s around the time Erik’s busted up canoe is found. But still no sign of Reis or Jesse.

GRAMS:  I didn’t want to diminish anyone’s hope for a miracle ’cause, you know, I always wanna hope for that. But, you know, at the same time, I knew when I was in the water that this was really bad and most likely, you know, these guys didn’t make it.

WANSCHURA: Rescue crews continue their search but heavy spring rains, high water levels, and cold temperatures don’t help. Finally, 13 days after the accident, Jesse Haugen’s body is recovered west of Curtain Falls on the Canadian border. Three days after that, crews are able to find the body of Reis Grams. It’s directly under Curtain Falls in about 30 feet of water. The cause of death for both guys is drowning. For Erik and his family, it’s relief.

GRAMS: It was just to the point where we as a family needed closure.

WANSCHURA: In the following weeks, Erik replays the accident over and over again in his mind. He even prays to God asking for one more shot.

GRAMS:  Put me back in that canoe. Right as it happens. Let me try one more time. You know, let me give it another try. Just let’s try it one more time.

WANSCHURA: He doesn’t know everything he’d do differently. But one thing he’d do is wear lifejackets. Even with all the what ifs and second chances he wishes he had, Erik isn’t blaming anyone for the tragedy at Curtain Falls. Including Kyle Sellers, who was in the canoe that drifted too close to the waterfall. After Kyle got out of the hospital, Erik made a point to go see him.

GRAMS: “This isn’t your fault, you know.” And I just wanted to make sure that he knew that this isn’t something that I’m going to hold against him or be upset about long term. I’m very grateful he’s alive, and I’m not going to hang on to any negatives out of it. And it doesn’t really matter how it happened. It’s not healthy to think that way.

WANSCHURA: When Reis Grams died, he left behind a wife and two young boys. And they had an annual camping trip planned for the Boundary Waters later that summer. So, as Erik healed from his injuries he was determined to help make that trip still happen.

WANSCHURA:  I’m trying to put myself in somebody’s shoes who went through what you did, and like, yeah, I might not want to go back right away, but you’re going back tomorrow.  Why is that? Do you have any conflicting emotions about going back to the boundary waters after this happened?

GRAMS: I have had some thoughts where it’s like, “Well, maybe this is stupid. Maybe we shouldn’t go back up there,” you know?  “Maybe I should do something different in life.” And, “Maybe the more you bring up the story and talk about it, maybe it’s just bringing up these emotions again, which I’m starting to maybe recover from.”

WANSCHURA: But Erik says that’s him just questioning himself.

GRAMS: It’s really important to keep Reis’ memory alive and Jesse’s alive and … going back up there was really important to everyone and really important to my nephews to not take away the opportunity for them to experience what the Boundary Waters is like and what the outdoors is. And I think with nature you have to have that respect for it, because it is- there is an element of danger to it, and I think to avoid it though would be more detrimental than to kind of get back on the horse, and to get back at it.

WANSCHURA: So, just three months after the accident, Erik Grams once again loads up his truck with camping gear, and drives north to the Boundary Waters.

GRAMS:  The most difficult, emotional part of the experience was the drive on the way up, and then the drive on the way home. We just have so many memories driving up together, and it’s just the sadness of that. 

WANSCHURA: He drove past Duluth, where he and Reis both ran a marathon. Then outside Two Harbors, past the place where Reis got married and Erik gave the best man speech.

GRAMS:  I was by myself too, so it was okay for me to grieve without anyone seeing me.

WANSCHURA: The trip went off without a hitch. It was at a spot Erik hadn’t been to before. He busied himself doing everything Reis would have – setting up camp, helping the boys fish.

GRAMS: The kids were having such a good time. They’re swimming and enjoying themselves. It was in August. The waters are warm, it’s safe.

WANSCHURA: As for Curtain Falls, Erik’s got one more trip planned there. But it’s not a fishing trip. Instead he’s taking a bunch of friends and family members back to the spot on the anniversary of the accident. To remember the guys who passed away.

GRAMS:  I think that is part of the closure process. And I think it’s important for family members to have the opportunity.

WANSCHURA: Erik says after that trip, he’ll focus on new areas he wants to explore in the Boundary Waters.

GRAMS:  I think avoiding it would be would be harder, I think giving up that would almost make me want to give up other things in life then to like, give up the business then.

WANSCHURA: The business he owned with his brother Reis.

GRAMS: I mean, and then where do you stop? I can’t crawl in a hole because this happened, you know. I still have a family and life and nephews, and I still have a huge future ahead of me. And I know that Reis would want me to continue on doing the things that we loved, and I don’t think it would be very honorable for me to just disappear.

WANSCHURA: So, Erik will keep coming back to the Boundary Waters. It’s still his favorite place in the world.

---

Catch more news at Great Lakes Now:

Points North: A Sticky Solution for Microplastics

Points North: Big Abe’s Net

---

Featured image: Curtain Falls in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. (credit: Pete Kramer / St Louis County Rescue Squad)