News : Vinton Boy Scouts paddle for adventure

Local Boy Scouts recently completed a fishing/camping trip near the US/Canada border.

Boy Scout Troop 47 of Vinton has a very active outdoor program. We have an overnight campout every month of the year and we go on a week-long "high adventure" each July. For this years high adventure, we returned to one of our favorite places: the Boundary Waters Canoe Access Wilderness.

The BWCAW is part of the Superior National Forest which sits along the Minnesota - Ontario border. The wilderness area, along with the Quetico Provencial Park on the Canadian side, cover something around 2.2 million acres (approximately 3500 square miles) and contains several thousand lakes. No matter how many times we visit, each trip is unique. This year was no exception.

One Troop, two treks - This time around the Scouts decided they wanted more of a challenge so we planned two trips. Once we got to Minnesota, the group would split with part of us staying in the US and part of us paddling across the boarder to the Quetico.

As with any vacation, the days leading up to the trip are hectic: preparing to be away from work, last minute packing, getting the car serviced etc. This time, "hectic" took on a whole new meaning at 5am on Monday July 11th. The week was stressful but despite the damage, everything came together and we left on Saturday morning as planned. The drive was long and hot. One Scout got car sick, but once we got to camp outside Ely, MN things cooled off and settled down.

U.S. Crew– The U.S. group started our trek at Snowbank Lake. Snowbank is a large lake and can be very rough but on this morning the lake was calm and serene with light fog hanging over the water. What a great way to start the trip!

After Snowbank is a series of small lakes and short portages on the way to Ima Lake. We took our time and enjoyed the great weather. We did lots of swimming and caught a few fish. The stretch from Ima Lake to Thomas Lake is especially scenic with beaver dams to go over and lily pad-filled channels to glide through. The group was moving slower than we anticipated so instead of continuing on a route that took us through Kekekabic and Knife lakes, we backtracked through Ima then into Ensign Lake. Though the weather was beautiful, west winds had Ensign Lake whipped into whitecaps. We spent an extra day lounging in the sun (with more swimming and fishing) before heading to Moose Lake and the end of our journey.

Canada Crew– The Canada group had a bit more adventure…. They started their journey at Moose Lake, paddled a couple of hours to the border crossing then continued north. The weather was beautiful and the fishing was incredible! Unfortunately one of the adults was injured while setting up camp on the second evening. The group got up the next morning and headed back, taking a longer route to avoid having to portage (carry everything) from lake to lake.

The crew made it back to town and got medical attention for the injured adult. Since overnight-stay permits for the BWCAW are booked months in advance and only valid for a specific date, the group was unable to resume their original trek. They got a spot in a campground near Ely and made the most of the time they had left by taking day trips to several nearby lakes. Though the fishing was not very good, the weather and the scenery remained beautiful and they had a great time.

Homeward Bound– After a shower and a bite to eat at Ely’s Chocolate Moose, a Troop 47 tradition, we began the long drive home. The first couple of hours were spent sharing stories between the groups. After that was a lot of sleeping…. Though neither trek went as planned, the Scouts of both crews had fun and experienced an adventure that will stay with them for a long time.

Troop 47 is chartered to the Vinton Lions Club. We meet Mondays from 7:30-9:00pm at the Izaak Walton chapterhouse, two miles north of Vinton on highway 150. Visit us online at www.Troop47.com