High Adventure & Canoe Trips on ScoutmasterCG Archive

Seven Appalachian Trail Lessons Plus Three

Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

These Appalachian Trail Lessons come from Wade Bastian, one of two of my old Scouts hiking the 2200 mile trail. Wade and fellow Eagle Scout Bucky Kellorg started in February. As planned, Wade interrupted his hike to spend the summer employed as a peak steward in New York’s Adirondack mountains Bucky completed the trail in July, here he is on Katahdin with fellow hiker Brightside You can listen to Wade and Bucky from the trail on the Scoutmaster Podcast – 338 – Eagles on the Appalachian Trail 340 – On the Appalachian Trail Again 346 – Back on The Appalachian Trail Again I asked Wade to share what he learned on the trail, ( he also shares some great gear tips in this article ). Here’s a seven Appalachian Trail lessons I’ve learned from the first few months of my through hike – Hiking every day is hard, but not how you’d expect Sometimes you can’t eat enough Good Eats – Good Attitude Pace yourself, there’s no shame in zero Just because you can doesn’t mean you should Gear wears out fast Be Prepared; more than a motto Hiking every day is hard, but not how you’d expect.

What is Wilderness First Aid Training?

Sun, 28 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

What is Wilderness First Aid?

Wilderness First Aid expands on basic first aid training with advanced emergency management and assessment techniques.

During a Wilderness First Aid course Scouters and youth members over age 14 learn how to assess, treat, and manage emergencies so they can safely take their adventures into areas beyond the reach of rapid emergency response. When is Wilderness First Aid Training Required? At this writing training is only specifically required for programs at BSA high adventure bases, but is highly recommended and encouraged in any situation where Scouts are travelling to areas where emergency response will be delayed. At best polices and requirements can only supplement common sense.

Troop Based High Adventure Programs | Part 6

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Detailed preparation is the key to any successful high adventure program.

Place State, provincial or national parks are the most likely destinations. Each will have it’s own particular rules and procedures.

Information gleaned from the web is a good start.

Online trip reports and reviews can be quite informative. I’d suggest that once you have the information you think you need pick up the phone and call someone at your destination and confirm that the information you have is correct.

Troop Based High Adventure Programs | Part 5

Tue, 22 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The success of any high adventure program is more about the people you go with than the place you go . A prime trek in Philmont, the crown jewel of Scout Camps, under crystal blue skies in moderate temperatures with no bugs and five star meals becomes a slow death march with a dysfunctional, poorly prepared, poorly led crew.

Likewise a few days hiking in less inspiring environs as it rains day in and day out with a constant diet of instant ramen with a sharp crew who knows their stuff leads to lifelong golden memories. High adventure should take the crew to a new level of experience in the outdoors and in developing those things that are the aim of Scouting.

Troop Based High Adventure Programs | Part 4

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Training and skill development is important to the success of a Troop based high adventure program.

Adult Advisor and Youth Crew Chief Training – All trip leaders should take advantage of online courses offered by the BSA .

Youth protection and Weather Hazards is a good idea for any trip as well as activity-specific courses: Trek Safely, Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat and Climb on Safely. The online training is only available to registered adult leaders the information can be shared with youth leadership and crew members.

Troop Based High Adventure Programs | Part 2

Sun, 20 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Where to go and what to do for your high adventure program? The simple answer is just about anywhere and just about anything. It may be a week of backpacking, canoeing, touring, cycling, boating or the adventure of your choice. You don’t need to travel very far, look at nearby state and national parks, talk to your Scouting colleagues, check out council-based programs at local summer camps. Once you have an idea of a destination making the trip a reality requires four things: Vision and Leadership Someone has to say “let’s go!” and show others that it is actually possible. This can be more challenging than you may think, especially with the first Troop based trip.

Build Your Own High Adventure

Sat, 19 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

High Adventure trips are generally thought of as long-term camping experiences in remote or otherwise remarkable areas for experienced Scouts and Scouters.

There are three heavily promoted National High Adventure Bases – Florida Sea Base, Northern Tier (Minnesota), and Philmont Scout Ranch (New Mexico). In addition many Councils have established High Adventure Programs. The other option is developing and leading your own high adventure trips.

Inspired by other ‘home brewed’ high adventure trips our Troop is planning it’s fifth annual trip this summer. We will take eighteen Scouts and Leaders on an eight day canoe trip to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada.

Troop Based High Adventure Programs | Part 1

Sat, 19 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Philmont, Seabase and Northern Tier are the three most familiar national High Adventure Bases, there are dozens of other Council Based Programs.

Thousands of Scouts participate in and enjoy the big three high adventure bases each year.

I have colleagues in Scouting who recommend them highly. At the other end of the high- adventure spectrum are the Troop and Crew-based high adventure programs that explore less known territory. Our rationale for building our own high adventure program is based of a few logistic and philosophic criteria; Time and Money Most of the established programs involve air travel and substantial ground fees at the base itself. From our Mid-Atlantic location the cost of participating is over $1000.00. Each also requires twelve or fourteen days including travel time. In comparison our trips cost approximately half as much and run from early Friday to the following Saturday night – consuming only six vacation days.

Thorns and Roses

Sat, 18 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Dave Wortendyke, ASM of Troop 78 in Boulder, Colorado – Longs Peak Council — has to say about the value of “Thorns and Roses,” and how to do it… (from Ask Andy ) “While many Scout Troops/Venture Groups either attend National High Adventure Bases, or conduct their own long-term adventures, and almost all Scouts have a fantastic time on the trips, once in a while a dark cloud can occur to spoil the trip for one or more of the participants. The dark cloud is typically a personality problem or clash between two or more scouts and/or scout and leader. If there is potential for this to happen, we must have “bomb-proof” techniques for prevention. A cure on the trail is much harder than the prevention. Over the years at Philmont, they have experimented with training and programs to help the adult advisors insure that the crews will have a super time, become a smoothly functioning crew, and everyone go home happy and enriched. The “Thorns” are the bad experiences that happen daily, and the “Roses” are the good experiences. The best way for a crew to become a friendly, help-each-other, team is for everyone to learn about each other. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and these will become evident and exposed through open discussions and communications on a regular basis during the trip. The Philmont Trail Crew Guide Book states: “The Thorns and Roses program is an excellent way to have each person learn about the others. Each evening or night after dinner and before everyone retires for the night, make sure the entire crew debriefs the days events.

An Ontario Scouting Adventure

Sat, 30 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

John Wiebke Scoutmaster of Troop 358 in Zionsville, Indiana, shares his summer plans (and what great plans they are!) Nothing makes the winter pass quicker than looking forward to a great summer adventure!

Every other year our troop travels to Ontario, Canada, for summer camp at Haliburton Scout Reservation (three hours north of Toronto on Lake Kennabi) and a simultaneous high adventure trip just a little north of Haliburton at Algonquin Provincial Park.

Choosing a Backpacking Route

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Leading a good backpacking trip begins with tailoring the route to the ability of the group.

Mileage for mileage’s sake usually turns a good trip into an ordeal of endurance that Scouts may not want to repeat.

Better to have the Scouts eager to challenge a longer hike or a tougher trail than feel reluctant to try again.

Trail guides and maps for well-used trails are available from local equipment dealers, state agencies and libraries.

High Adventure and Wilderness First Aid Training

Sat, 23 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

I lead an annual high adventure trip to Algonquin Provincial Park .

I maintain a CPR, safety afloat and safe swim certification.

I note that this year(2008): “Philmont requires that a least one person, preferably two, (either an advisor or a youth participant) in each crew be currently certified in American Red Cross Wilderness First Aid or the equivalent* and CPR from the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross or the equivalent. The American Red Cross Wilderness First Aid is a sixteen-hour course designed to help in situations when help is not readily available.

Biting Off More than the Crew Can Chew

Sun, 06 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The first couple of times we went canoeing in Algonquin up in Ontario we bit off a little more than we could chew. My first trip I started out looking at really ambitious route but the outfitter waved me off of that (it was 60 miles or more and involved some complex travel that they warned me against).

I settled on another route that taxed our crew to the max, we had a wonderful time in retrospect, but it was very difficult and unpleasant for a couple of days. The result was that none of the Scouts or adults (other than me) who did that trip ever returned to try another. The next year we went back and it was somewhat better, but still pretty hard going for a day or two, harder than it should have been. Last summer was our ninth year in Algonquin with three crews (27 people total), hard lessons learned:

What is a Scout Vacation?

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

A Scout vacation doesn’t fit most people’s definition of a ‘vacation’. We were out walking uptown at our hometown art stroll last night talking to our friends (most of them present or past Scouts and Scouters). We chatted about the usual things; how the kids are doing, vacations, the weather. One couple was headed off on a Mediterranean cruise, some of our friends follow the annual migration to Disney world as reliably as the Canadian geese.

High Adventure Canoe Trip 3 - Portage Details

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Modern portage packs have an advanced suspension system that is much like a normal backpack. At the beginning of a high adventure canoe trip our portage packs our packs weigh about 60-70 pounds. This is quite a load for some of us but time has proven that even our smallest Scouts can handle them very well. As the trip progresses we eat our way light and by the last portage out the packs are about 20-30 pounds lighter.

High Adventure Canoe Trip 1 - Overview

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

For the last nine years every summer our Scouts pile into a van and drive north to Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park for a week-long high adventure canoe trip. Our crews typically cover 40-50 miles of paddling and portaging during our stay. Two years ago we started alternating these canoe trips with a trip to Kandersteg International Scout Center every third year. Here’s the background information on how we make this happen. In this first of three articles we’ll discuss the logistic concerns and planning. The Park Algonquin Provincial Park covers 4700 square miles in east-central Ontario accessed by 1200 miles of canoe routes. This magnificent wilderness is one of the premier canoe destinations in the world. Our trips are in the back country with canoe-in campsites and require reservations. Our routes are planned and reserved several months ahead of the trip.

High Adventure Canoe Trip 2 - Gear and Clothing

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Portage pack and day bag (the waist or lumbar pack) The canoe never gets lighter, but the packs do. Pack with paddles.

Triumph! The end of a five mile portage. Any high adventure canoe trip requires selecting the right gear and clothing.

I am pretty specific about what we carry on our trips because I know one thing for sure; in the case of where we are going: It’s All About Portaging In a place like Algonquin you’ll be traveling from lake to lake, and the lakes connect by trails called portages. When the crew arrives at a portage they empty the canoes of all their gear, carry the gear and the canoes over the portage to the next lake, re-pack the canoes, and continue paddling. A portage may be a few yards or a few miles, you may have one portage in a given day of travel or several.

High Adventure Canoe Trip 4 - The Kitchen

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

On our high adventure canoe trip each crew packs and cooks food for a group of five to nine Scouts. Our menu is a combination of freeze dried and grocery store food that keeps the cost reasonable while providing good nutrition and good eating.

After making adjustments to our menus and the kit we assembled to prepare it over two or three years we developed a pretty well tuned approach. Our cooking gear packs down into two basic packages – a cook box that we fondly call ‘Tidy Cats’ and a bag of cook pots. Tidy cats? That’s right, believe it or not. Our latter-day wanigan (an old Ojibwa word for a gear chest) is a miracle of recycling. For a couple of years we used a three gallon plastic bucket to contain our cooking gear until I walked by the neighbors recycling bin one day and found a rectangular plastic container that holds kitty litter (Tidy Cats brand) and had one of those eureka moments. The size and shape of the container fits quite nicely in a portage pack and the price was right. Tidy Cats holds cup, bowl and spoon for each of crew member 1 gallon plastic pitcher (the bowls and spoons are packed in the pitcher) a small gas stove, heavy insulated welding gloves (pot holders and working in and around the fire) utensil roll, dish washing kit (soap, scrubby and brush), Aquamira water treatment (a back up for our water filter ), matches, fire starters (cotton balls and petroleum jelly) and any other small stuff that can’t find a home elsewhere. The tidy cats container also makes a great camp stool and water bucket. We built our cook kit from components purchased at a restaurant supply store .

High Adventure, Friendship and Loyalty

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Troop 676 of Bozeman during their August 2012 traverse across Spanish Peaks in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness of Montana, standing atop Indian Ridge listening to our oldest Scout tell an animated story about another adventure from the past. (Photo from Ryan Jordan) Scouts need some structure and direction but they also need the opportunity (plenty of it) for the alchemy of friendship and loyalty to do its work. This is something that Scouters can’t control or manage; trying to make a plant grow is futile and frustrating. If we create the conditions conducive to growth we’ll see it happen. What are the conditions? Self-determination, challenge, time and autonomy. We create these conditions is guiding our youth leadership towards building them into their planning, steeping back, and watching them make it happen. Ryan Jordan touches on this vital aspect of Scouting connecting it with high adventure: Teenagers are social creatures. Why not let them enjoy each other on top of a 10,000 foot ridge instead of a bunk bed in a cabin down in the valley? When they earn and work and suffer together, they just might be more likely to stick together. As a Scoutmaster, I’ve heard this one a lot: “I just want to be with my friends.”

Scouts and Backpacking

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Our Scouts enthusiastically take on the challenge of preparing, launching and completing a backpacking trip. As a Scoutmaster I appreciate the Patrol and skill building opportunities but the real reason we go backpacking is the sheer joy (often achieved through great effort and discomfort) of the experience.

Backpacking requires an expanded set of skills and attention to detail. Here are some resources that help us prepare for successful trips: Naismith’s Rule Scotsman W.W.

Kandersteg International Scout Center

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Kandersteg is a picture postcard town in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland that is home to Kandersteg International Scout Center (KISC).

Surrounded by some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world KISC hosts thousands of visiting Scouts each summer.

After a year of planning, fundraising, meeting and researching our crew of fifteen experienced ten unforgettable days where we explored, made new friends and enjoyed the brotherhood (and sisterhood) of Scouting.

The Island Will be There Tommorrow

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Several years ago a local Scout Troop ( I swear it wasn’t us) suffered through a period of infamy they flipped several canoes while paddling in some heavy weather and had to be rescued. On this year’s trip to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada.

Eighteen Scouts and leaders in two crews chose a route to match the abilities of our most inexperienced paddlers.

During our third day of paddling we portaged into one of Algonquin’s larger lakes, Big Trout. The big lakes can kick up some good sized swells that make paddling difficult and dangerous. We entered Big Trout from a creek with the wind blowing towards us (some veterans of several canoe trips swear we always have the wind in our teeth no matter what our direction.) The rough conditions were clearly above the abilities of the paddlers. We headed immediately for the shelter of an island to regroup and consider our options. The first crew on the lake was an hour or so ahead. By radio we learned they had encountered very difficult paddling and swamped one canoe . They had wisely holed up in the nearest campsite about 3/4 of a mile away from us. As we sheltered on the island a storm front came running down on us from the northwest. We set up our tarp, sat on our PFD’s (to insulate us from a possible lightening strike) and waited out a violent thunderstorm. As soon as the storm abated we made the brief paddle to the other crew and joined them in their campsite.

High Adventure Plans

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

If you read and listen regularly you know I am a big promoter of High Adventure in Scouting. How are your plans for your next high adventure trip coming along? That’s right, you, how are the plans coming along? Here’s a few reasons why most of us don’t even get started: It’s too expensive. No, it’s not. A perfectly great high adventure trip doesn’t have to cost a lot – we’ve done backpacking trips of five days for less than $200.oo all inclusive.

High Adventure Facts and Myths

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Conversations of high adventure trips usually center on the B.S.A’s popular and heavily promoted big three – Philmont, Seabase and Northern Tier.

Council high adventure programs usua;;y focus on putting crews together for trips to these three destinations but there are hundreds (if not thousands) of other places for Scouts to experience a high adventure trip. With a little ingenuity, planning and vision every Scout can participate in a high adventure trip.

High Adventure Destinations

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We all know about the big three – Philmont, Seabase and Northern Tier – but how about the many other opportunities for our Scouts to participate in a high adventure experience?

Philmont, Seabase and Northern Tier are great places with great programs.

Their high profile and popularity also make getting reservations very competitive and (for many of us) the cost of traveling to these three can be a deal breaker. What many Scouters don’t know is that there are many lesser-known opportunities out there who offer great programs that may be less expensive, easier to reserve and closer to home. With this in mind I’ve set up a High Adventure Destinations page that will highlight high adventure programs all over the country and around the world. If you have a program, idea or experience to share complete the high adventure survey so I can add your information to this growing database. If you’d like to get a high adventure program off the ground for your Scouts I’ve written a five part article about Troop-based high adventure you’ll find helpful: Troop Based High Adventure Program Troop Based High Adventure – Vision and Leadership Troop Based High Adventure – Details, Details!

Managing Risk - Maintaining Program Integrity

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

At the end of a portage last summer I met a party of canoe trippers who were beating a hasty retreat. One of them wore a bloody bandage around his right ankle owing to an accident with an axe. This sent a shiver down my spine as I silently congratulated myself on the ’no axe or hatchet’ policy for our crews. Our decision not to carry axes or hatchets was not based on fear but the calculated management of risk. As a rule pushing a saw is quicker than swinging an axe, the saw is lighter than the axe and the saw is safer than the axe. The increased risk of the axe would not be offset by its utility. In a situation where we could be many hours of travel from medical attention managing risks like these is no small matter.

The Portage Lexicon

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Today 18 Scouts and adults are off to our annual high adventure trip to Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park.

Canoer Chris Lawson, in writing about his Bonnechere river trip in Algonquin, has developed a lexicon for some of the conditions he encountered while portaging: The Armadillo: wherein the clear line through the bush becomes suddenly a Car Wash , the portager curls head toward chest, tucks arms in, leans forward and stomps aggressively through obstructing branches. A move heralded by judges for its audacity in placing skin preservation ahead of the need to see where you’re going. Car Wash: undergrowth along a river, either where nature is reclaiming a trail or engulfing a river tends to be strong, right to the ground.

Keeping a Scoutmaster's Log

Tue, 09 May 2006 00:00:00 +0000

A couple of years ago on a Venture Canoe trip one of my fellow leaders kept a detailed log of the outing.

Every evening he recorded each participant’s most memorable moment of the day, notes on gear, conditions and possible improvements to our preparations, and a running commentary of the trip. At first I thought this was a little overblown, but it soon became something the crew honestly looked forward to and thought about. His log became a valuable record of our trip and a very important resource for future trips.

No Canoe Can Hold Me

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Had a fantastic week canoeing in Canada last month.

I had to laugh when I saw this article in The Onion.

Thankfully Dennis wasn’t with us. No Canoe Can Hold Me By Dennis Puttkamer The Onion March 29, 2006 | Issue 42•13 Care to take a relaxing, uneventful canoe trip down the lazy river, the sights and sounds of nature soothing you? Want the warm midday sun to bronze your shoulders as you calmly drift across the water? Well, you’d better call someone else to join you.