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Points North

Short: Sittin' On Top of the Bell Curve

By Points North | Stories from the Great Lakes,
Morgan Springer
Published October 13, 2026 at 5:57 AM EDT
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Darren Bush and his wife, Stephanie Bush at Day Lake State Natural Area in northern Wisconsin.
Darren Bush
Darren Bush and his wife, Stephanie Bush at Day Lake State Natural Area in northern Wisconsin.

Darren Bush has a rule about gifts. He won’t sell anything that was given to him. And at a time that will be made obvious, he will give that item to someone who is deserving. That item is a paddle, and that time comes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Darren Bush is a writer, hospice chaplain, avid paddler and owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Credits:
Host: Dan Wanschura
Editor/Producer: Morgan Springer
Senior Producer: Ellie Katz
Sonic ID: Nic M. Neves
Episode Art: Mikayla Kerba

Tags
Points North CanoePoints NorthDarren BushWisconsinGreat Lakespaddling
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Points North | Stories from the Great Lakes
Points North is a window into life in the Great Lakes. Each episode tells a story rooted here that ends up being about all of us. A smooth-talking stone skipper. A woman forced to sell her family sawmill. A scientist who stumbles on a tree that shouldn’t exist. We take you into the woods, onto the water, down a back road, or into the life of someone who calls this place home.
See stories by Points North | Stories from the Great Lakes
Morgan Springer
Morgan Springer is a contributing editor and producer at Interlochen Public Radio. She previously worked for the New England News Collaborative as the host/producer of NEXT, the weekly show which aired on six public radio station in the region.
See stories by Morgan Springer