In late June, Steve and Trevor went on an adventure of a lifetime. They joined 13 other members of Troop 482 to travel to Northern Tier High Adventure Camp. Located in Minnesota's Boundary Waters, it is one of Scouting America's four national High Adventure Camps.
On Saturday, June 22 the group took a very early morning flight to Minneapolis, then traveled a short distance to Base Camp.
They spent the afternoon at Mall of America before returning to Base Camp, where they were able to participate in a wide variety of program activities. Check out this facility- archery, rock climbing, gaga ball, a ropes course, pickleball, and so much more! Wow!
After spending the night at Base Camp, they boarded the bus for a 5-hour drive to Northern Tier, located near the small town of Ely. Along the way, they stopped for lunch at Gordy's Hi-Hat in Cloquet. They report that it was fabulous. No surprise - it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives! Every place we've eaten that Guy Fieri has recommended has been outstanding.
At the Voyagers' Cabin at Northern Tier, the troop divided into two crews and met their interpreters.
This is Steve and Trevor's crew. The group included three adults (Steve, Tom, and Trevor, who had turned 18 two weeks earlier), five youth (Logan, Spencer, Julien, Rourke, and Connor), and one interpreter (Stephen).
Both crews spent the rest of the day preparing their gear and planning their routes for a 50-mile, 6-day canoe trip. The crews planned different routes based on their specific goals.
At sunset, Tom and Steve took a brief walk to explore the area, then rested up for the big adventure.
On Monday morning, it was time to head out!
The crew had to carry everything they would need for the 6-day trip.
Notice the mosquito nets? Minnesota's mosquitos, and insects in general, are no joke.
The crew of nine rode in three canoes (the two dads and interpreter in one canoe, then the five youth plus Trevor split between the other two). The person in the front provides the power, the person in the center navigates, and the person in the back steers.
After paddling for awhile, it was time for the first two (of four) portages they took that week. Those portages, called the Demoralizers, meant carrying everything uphill for half a mile.
That's Trevor on the left. Look how much he's carrying.
The amount of paddling they did each day varied significantly, but in each case they finished the day at a campsite. There, they hoisted a rainfly, pitched their tents, and raised the bear bag before doing anything else.
Then they hung their wet clothes and started cooking. Most of their cooking was over camp stoves, but they malfunctioned on the first night and last morning so they cooked over a campfire.
The food was hearty, cooked with a mix of dehydrated and fresh ingredients.
This is the latrine, called a grumper. Enough said.
Over the course of the six-day trek, there were some beautiful days with great weather...
... and days where it felt like the rain would never end.
One such day was when the crew popped over to the Canada side of Boundary Waters, Quetico Provincial Park. They chatted with the ranger about their favorite parts of their trip so far.
One of the highlights of the trip was the night paddle. The group went to sleep at 6:00 pm, got up at midnight, and were on the water by 2:00 am.
By happy coincidence, this was the only night it didn't rain. They had a clear, starry night for paddling.
At 4:30 am, they saw the sun rise on the water and it was spectacular.
They were back in camp by 6:00 am, which was normally the time they were leaving camp.
Another highlight was checking out this waterfall.
Over the course of the trip, they saw snapping turtles, painted turtles, loons, ducks, geese, bald eagles, otters, fish, and (of course) mosquitoes. Steve saw fireflies for the first time.
Everyone agreed that Minnesota's Boundary Waters is gorgeous. Storm clouds make for a beautiful sunset.
All good things must come to an end. Here, Trevor and Steve's crew is arriving back at Northern Tier's landing. The other crew from the troop had already arrived. This was the first time in a week since they'd been together, as you are never allowed to have more than 9 people or 4 canoes in the wilderness.
With the two crews back together, they had a great time sharing stories and hearing about each others' adventures.
That night, the staff recognized Jackson's birthday with a unique ice cream sandwich cake.
The trek concluded with a closing ceremonies called Rendezvous. It was a fun way to wrap up a memorable trip.
They spent the night there, then the next morning they boarded the bus for the 5-hour drive to the airport. They arrived home late on Sunday, June 30, exhausted but happy.
This is the route they took:
The troop is already talking about their next High Adventure. They're hoping to do Sea Base in 2026. I don't know if Steve or Trevor will be able to participate, so I'm glad they had the opportunity to do at least one of the Scouting America High Adventure Camps.
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