>> Eric: LAST ENTRY POINT, STORIES OF DANGER AND DEATH IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS IS A NEW BOOK ABOUT NORTHERN MINNESOTA'S BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA WILDERNESS.

COMMON KALES STORIES OF TRAVELERS OF TRIP OUTCOMES THEY DID NOT PLAN.

AUTHOR JOE FREDERICKS LIVES NEAR THE BOUNDARY WATERS, HE RECENTLY LEFT HIS GIG AS A REPORTER ON WT IP RADIO TO COFOUND PADDLING PORTAGE, ADVENTURE ACROSS NORTH AMERICA AND THE BOUNDARY WATERS AND ONTARIO.

NICE TO SEE YOU.

THANKS FOR COMING DOWN.

>> GREAT TO BE HERE.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE MISSION STATEMENT HERE?

>> WITH THE BOOK?

>> Eric: YEAH.

>> THE IDEA ABOUT IT IS NOT TO FREAK PEOPLE OUT, NOT TO SCARE YOU ABOUT GOING TO THE BOUNDARY WATERS BUT EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT CANOE COUNTRY, THAT PEOPLE DIE, PEOPLE GET INJURED THERE OCCASIONALLY.

IT'S PART OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT HAS PROBABLY HAPPENED TO MORE GROUPS THAN PROBABLY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT.

AND IN MY TIME AT THE RADIO STATION WHEN SOMEBODY DIES A NEWS RELEASE WOULD COME IN, READ IT, SOMEBODY DIED ON WINCHILL LAKE, NOW THE WEATHER FROM LUTSEN, THERE WASN'T A LOT OF INFORMATION, NO STORY BEHIND IT.

AND AFTER TEN YEARS, EIGHT YEARS WHEN I STARTED IT, WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

WHAT ARE THE STORIES?

WHAT'S THE EMOTIONAL COMPONENT HERE?

AND STARTED TO LOOK INTO IT AND THE STORIES JUST STARTED TO COME AFTER THAT.

>> Cathy: I HEAR YOU TALKED TO SURVIVORS F SOME OF THING VICTIMS, THAT HAD TO BE PRETTY TOUGH.

>> YEAH, IT WAS, BUT I DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS WITH TRUST WITH THEM ABOUT WHY I WAS WRITING THE BOOK WHICH ISN'T FREAK THEM OUT OR OTHER PEOPLE OUT, IT'S TO EDUCATE WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LOSS OF YOUR LOVED ONE AND TAKE HIS TRAGEDY AND USE IT AS AN EDUCATIONAL INSTRUMENT TO BRING SAFETY TO OTHER PEOPLE'S GROUPS AND THEN PEOPLE REALLY STARTED TO OPEN UP IN AN HONEST WAY.

>> Eric: I DIRECT YOU TO CHAPTER 5.

OPENS WITH THIS SENTENCE: JORDAN -- GRIDDERS?

JORDAN GRIDDER'S SKULL IS STILL OUT THERE.

HIS STORY, PLEASE.

WHERE IS IT OUT THERE?

>> IT'S OUT IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS.

I ACTUALLY WENT WITH A CONSERVATION OFFICERFOR THE D.N.R.

IN ELY, SHAWN WILLIAMS.

WE DIDN'T GO LOOKING FOR HIS SKULL BUT WE WENT TO THE CAMPSITE WHERE HE WAS EATEN BY WOL EAVES IN THE ELY AREA OFF THE ECHO TRAIL.

AND HE LIKELY HAD BEEN INJURED FIRST AND THEN WAS EATEN BY WOLVES, NO DISPUTE ABOUT THAT.

ALL THAT WAS RECOVERED WERE 13 BONES OF HIS, NOT THE SKULL.

AND JORDAN'S STORY IS REALLY ONE THAT IMPACTED ME A LOT WRITING THIS BOOK.

HE WAS FROM NEW MEXICO, 29 YEARS OLD AND HAD KIND OF HAD A ROUGH LIFE AND VAGABONDED AROUND THE UNITED STATES.

AND ENDED UP IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS TRYING TO SPEND THE WINTER THERE AND LASTED TWO NIGHTS FROM WHAT THEY CAN FIGURE.

AND THEN LIKE I SAID GOT INJURED AND THEN EATEN BY WOLVES.

>> Eric: THIS IS NOT THE THING THAT THE ELY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WOULD PUT OUT.

ARE YOU DISCOURAGING PEOPLE FROM GOING UP THERE?

>> Cathy: LIKE HE SAID, THOUGH, HE DOESN'T WANT TO FREAK PEOPLE OUT.

I'M A LITTLE FREAKED OUT, THOUGH, JOE.

>> Eric: THE SKULL HERE.

>> AND GRIDDER'S TORY IS DIFFERENT FROM MOST OF THE OTHERS IN THE BOOK.

HE WASN'T ON A CANOE TRIP, WASN'T AT A DESIGNATED CAMPSITE.

KIND OF A CHRIS MCCANNEDLESS-TYPE.

IT'S ONE THAT IMPACTED ME, I GOT TO MEET HIS PARENTS IN NEW MEXICO, I WENT TO HIS HOUSE WHERE HE GREW UP AND I WAS SO CURIOUS ABOUT HIM AND OW HE ENDED UP THERE AND DIED IN THIS GRUESOME WAY.

BUT IT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER STORIES THAT ARE IN THE BOOK.

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF EDUCATION BEHIND GRIDDER OTHER THAN IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO SPEND THE WINTER IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS, BE PREPARED, HAVE AN EMERGENCY BEACON, THESE THINGS HE DIDN'T HAVE.

>> Cathy: WHAT'S THE MOST COMMON ISSUE PEOPLE RUN INTO IN THE BWCA?

>> COLD WATER DROWNINGS IS THE ONE THAT SCARES MOST OF THE OUTFITTERS, SCARES ME.

THIS TIME OF YEAR STARTING THE QUOTA SEASON, FISHING OPENER COMING UP, THOSE INSTANCES WHERE SOMEBODY CAPSIZES, FALLS OUT OF A CANOE EVEN WITH A LIFE JACKET ON CAN STILL BE LIFE THREATENING, THE WATER IS SO COLD THAT YOU SUFFOCATE.

YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED IF YOU'RE IN A CANOE AND CROSSING BIG WATER YOU CAN END UP IN THE WATER AND THAT'S A DISASTROUS SITUATION.

>> Cathy: I WAS A LITTLEFREAKED OUT THAT YOU HAD YOUR OWN NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE THAT ALMOST WAS THE ENDING TO THIS BOOK.

>> RIGHT.

THE MANUSCRIPT HAD BEEN SUBMITTED AT THAT POINT WHEN I ALMOST DIED IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS LAST MAY.

THERE WAS A REVISION THAT TOOK PLACE.

WE CAPSIZED AND WENT DOWN A STRETCH OF RAPIDS AND I GOT PINNED ON A WHITE PINE THAT WAS SUBMERGED THAT WE CAN'T SEE, AND IT WAS -- I INTERVIEWED RICK SLATTEN FROM THE ST. LOUIS COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD, ONE OF THE KEY FIGURES IN THE BOOK AND HE SAID, POINT BLANK, YOU'RE A HAIR'S BREADTH FROM DEWY DYING.

>> Eric: JEEZ.

ARE THERE MORE PEOPLE COMING FORWARD NOW AND SAYING, HEY, JOE, I GOT A STORY?

>> THEY ARE ACTUALLY.

AND ALSO PEOPLE SAYING, HEY, I'M LEARNING FROM YOUR BOOK.

TECHNICALLY COMES OUT NEXT WEEK BUT IT'S ON THE SHELVES AROUND MINNESOTA SOMEWHERE.

BUT THEY'RE SAYING THAT, YES.

>> Eric: WHERE ARE YOU SIGNING AND READING?

>> DRURY LANE AT THE BOOK STORE IN GRAND MARAIS.

ELY.

>> Eric: LAST ENTRY POINT, MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESS.

PERFECT FOR HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING.

[ LAUGHTER