# Scouting



## NorthernRedneck

So I've spent the past 3 years saying "I can't do this. I can't do that."  Well no more. I can do this and I will do this. It won't be easy and I already know that I'll have limitations but I decided last week that I can become a scout leader and I will succeed. 

All our kids are involved in the scouting program in some form. The younger ones are in beavers and cubs while the older two are in scouts. They do allot more camping backpacking canoeing etc. I won't be able to hike 3 miles with a pack on my back to get to a cabin but I can definitely bring my boat and get there that way. I can also use the side by side. So this weekend I'm heading out with the scout troop to a spring camp. We'll see how it goes. Looking forward to getting back to normal somewhat.


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## Jim_S RIP

NorthernRedneck said:


> So I've spent the past 3 years saying "I can't do this. I can't do that."  Well no more. I can do this and I will do this. It won't be easy and I already know that I'll have limitations but I decided last week that I can become a scout leader and I will succeed.
> 
> All our kids are involved in the scouting program in some form. The younger ones are in beavers and cubs while the older two are in scouts. They do allot more camping backpacking canoeing etc. I won't be able to hike 3 miles with a pack on my back to get to a cabin but I can definitely bring my boat and get there that way. I can also use the side by side. So this weekend I'm heading out with the scout troop to a spring camp. We'll see how it goes. Looking forward to getting back to normal somewhat.


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## pirate_girl

What you can do is the normal for you right now Brian.
God is blessing you one step at a time.
You're going to get there.


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## EastTexFrank

You sir, have my upmost respect.  

Let us know how it goes and please, don't overdo it.


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## NorthernRedneck

Thanks. I'll try not to overdo it but chances are I probably will. Lol. Just nice to be getting back out there. I may not be able to do allot of things since my accident but I'm determined to get out there and find stuff I can do.


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## NorthernRedneck

On Friday we arrived at the scout camp to set up. 9 kids and 3 leaders. Kids in the first cabin and leaders in the second.


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## NorthernRedneck

One tradition at scout camp is to keep a fire going from morning till night in the fire pit.


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## NorthernRedneck

On Saturday morning we hiked down the road to see a set of falls.


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## NorthernRedneck

During the hike we went to inspect an old scouting campsite that hadn't been used in many years. We plan on using it in june at an all sections camp where everyone will be in tents.


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## NorthernRedneck

The scout camp has a big open field they use to setup tents for larger gatherings. There's a main kitchen cabin that can be used as well as 5 sleeping cabins with bunks.


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## NorthernRedneck

In the afternoon we spent time teaching the kids how to start fires using various methods other than a lighter or matches. One is a flint stone and steel wool. Another method is with charred cloth and a magnifying glass.


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## NorthernRedneck

Even though the camp has a fully equipped kitchen we cooked outside using Coleman stoves and over the campfire.


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## pirate_girl

Wonderful!


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## NorthernRedneck

The next camp will be a city wide all unit camp at the same location in June. That means beavers, cubs, scouts, venturers, and rovers all set up in the same field. There are approximately 4 groups of each category in the city. So there should be over 100 kids there. 

We have 2 locations where we camp. The grey wolf camp (where we were this weekend) and the dog lake camp which is basically a log cabin 3 miles in from a dirt road. Our group is the only one left using that location.


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## Melensdad

Looks like you survived and had a lot of fun with the kids!  

Very nice.


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## NorthernRedneck

Yes. I survived. Not any more sore than I would be at home. This was a pretty relaxed camp though. The dog lake camp would be a different story. It's a 3 mile hike over a tight twisty trail to get there.


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## RNE228

Good job getting involved. I was adult leader the entire time my son was in Cub Scouts and Boys Scouts. Then spent some extra time helping a friends kid too(stayed on as adult leader).

I really enjoyed the time. Did lots of campouts, took the kids to cool places. Went to a number of Scout camps in Calif and Oregon(Camp Meriwether on the coast in Oregon is AWESOME! So is Fiesta Island in San Diego).

It really helps the kids to have active participating adult leaders. Even though it is Boy led, it helps to have supportive adults. 

Did the Scoutmaster merit badge at a few different camps; it's nice when they have adult activities. Did the Camp Meriwether Frontiersman award. Lot of fun. 

I'm a big supporter of Cub/Boy Scouts, 4H, Girl Scouts, and the those that help out in the programs. Some of those kids will be our next leaders, astronauts, civic leaders etc.

"I used to be a Buffalo, a good ole Buffalo too..." 
WE-47-08


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## NorthernRedneck

That's awesome. The scouts seem to be an organization that stands for pretty much everything I believe in. I'm normally an all or nothing guy. When I was in high school I was part of a program very similar to scouts. I loved it and always dreamed of sharing that with my children. Now I can. We were planning the next camp tonight and going through the gear. I've been voluntold to bring the side by side since it's going to be an area camp they will need a leader to run between the camps delivering snacks and water for the kids.


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## Jim_S RIP

NorthernRedneck said:


> That's awesome. The scouts seem to be an organization that stands for pretty much everything I believe in. I'm normally an all or nothing guy. When I was in high school I was part of a program very similar to scouts. I loved it and always dreamed of sharing that with my children. Now I can. We were planning the next camp tonight and going through the gear. I've been voluntold to bring the side by side since it's going to be an area camp they will need a leader to run between the camps delivering snacks and water for the kids.



Brian, looks like you have found your calling!


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## NorthernRedneck

Yes. I'm enjoying it so far. Since my accident I spent a lot of time looking back and mourning the things I couldn't do anymore. This is the year of change for me. I've got a whole different outlook on life. Being a new scout leader has shown me that I still have lots to offer. Even if I can't do it all.


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## Jim_S RIP

NorthernRedneck said:


> Yes. I'm enjoying it so far. Since my accident I spent a lot of time looking back and mourning the things I couldn't do anymore. This is the year of change for me. I've got a whole different outlook on life. Being a new scout leader has shown me that I still have lots to offer. Even if I can't do it all.



You’re improving the lives of those around you. Can’t ask you to do more than that.


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## RNE228

I forgot to mention, one of the cool trips we did in both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts was trips to the USS Hornet, and one to the USS Pampanito. 

I am unsure of Canada, but in the US there are a number of battleships, submarines, and aircraft carriers that have overnight programs for youth groups. In the case of the Pack and Troop my son was in in N. Calif, the Hornet and Pampanito were withing a 2 hour drive. 

For Cub Scouts, on the USS Hornet, you board the ship at 5pm, do a safety orientation, stow your gear, and then explore the ship and programs till dinner time. After dinner in the galley, they have continued tours and activities till lights Out. In the morning, they have breakfast, and then can leave, or are free to explore the ship as part of the normal museum activity.

For Boy Scouts, they do the same, but also have the opportunity to show up in the morning, and then earn merit badges. My son did Ham Radio, Aviation, and Space Exploration merit badges on USS Hornet. 

When we went the kids and adults both enjoyed the programs.


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## NorthernRedneck

That sounds cool. So many great opportunities for the kids. 

Two of the leaders in our troop are currently in the navy. And the main leader is ex army. We try to arrange a tour whenever a military ship is in port here. We've also toured our local naval base.


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## Danang Sailor

NorthernRedneck said:


> Yes. I'm enjoying it so far. Since my accident I spent a lot of time looking back and mourning the things I couldn't do anymore. This is the year of change for me. I've got a whole different outlook on life. *Being a new scout leader has shown me that I still have lots to offer. Even if I can't do it all.*



None of us can do it all now; the odds are we never could.  But we can do our best with what we still have even if it is a mere shadow of our former best.  There are a lot, and I mean a *LOT* of things the 71 year old me can't manage that the 21 year old me could do and never raise a sweat!  We need to focus on doing our best at the things we _can_ do now.

You're still a relative youngster and it has to chafe to look back and see what you can no longer accomplish but you're still looking at the grass from the green side and that means you still have a chance to live a good life and do many amazing things.  Hang in there!


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## NorthernRedneck

Exactly. I've been too busy focusing on what I can't do that I've probably missed out on what I can do.


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## NorthernRedneck

We took the kids outside tonight to pick up trash around the church we use for the meetings.  Afterwards we went on a walk to explore some of the local history nearby.  On the walk, we still picked up trash as we went.  It's good exposure for the group to be seen in public in our uniforms picking up trash.

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## NorthernRedneck

Tonight's meeting was great. We met at our cascades hiking trails for a hike. A long time scout leader from England joined us. He's considering bringing his scout troop over for two weeks next year. Anyways, here's a few pictures from the hike.


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## pirate_girl

Looks fun!
Nice pics too.


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## NorthernRedneck

It was fun. About half of the trails were paved so I could use the scooter to get as far as I could which was about 100ft from the falls. 

One of the "fun" things we did was a scouts baptism. Lol. Two of the leaders held a scout upside down by the ankles and dunked them head first into the river.


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## NorthernRedneck

I'm at our annual scout all sections camp. We've been doing activities all day with the kids. In total there are roughly 120 people here.


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## NorthernRedneck

I worked one of the stations yesterday using ridge poles and lashings to make a watch tower. It wasn't about how it looked but rather to show the kids how to properly tie things together to create a strong structure. Once we were done, they were able to climb up on it one at a time.


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## NorthernRedneck

There goes our troop off to our final muster call. They took off arm in arm strolling to the wizard of oz tune. We joined everyone else at the traditional chapel area first for a time of reflection then over to the field area for the lowering of the flag. Before the flag was lowered, our group leader called me forward in front of all 120 people there to invest me into the group and present me with my neckerchief (official scout scarf).  I  was rather surprised to be invested so soon. Others have taken up to 6 months to be officially invested. I did it in less than 2.


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## OhioTC18 RIP

That's great Brian. Sounds like fun was had by all.


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## NorthernRedneck

Yes. The weather was perfect all weekend. We had I believe 6 different groups. Enough food to feed 150 people. The kids all had fun. We used parts of the camp that haven't been used in years. The camp was built back in the early 60s.


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## Jim_S RIP

> .   I was rather surprised to be invested so soon. Others have taken up to 6 months to be officially invested. I did it in less than 2.



Easy to explain. You’ve done 6 months work in 2 months!

You need to slow down a little. You’re making the rest of us look bad.


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## NorthernRedneck

Lol. I'm an all or nothing guy. I always dive in with both feet.


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## Jim_S RIP

NorthernRedneck said:


> Lol. I'm an all or nothing guy. I always dive in with both feet.


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## NorthernRedneck

So tonight is the second last meeting before breaking for the summer. And with next week being a big wind up bbq, the idea at first was to take the kids for a hike around a local man made lake on a walking trail. Then the other leader said he'd bring his 3 kayaks for the kids to try. I chimed in and said I'd bring in our 3. Somehow we ended up with 9 kayaks so the hike was scrapped and we spent the evening teaching the kids about kayaking. It was a great time.


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## NorthernRedneck

Scouts started up tonight. We went for a 4km hike. We have a couple of new members.  This is the first time since my accident that I walked that far. I did great. My new medication is really making a difference. I've done more in the past 3 weeks than I have in 3 years.


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## NorthernRedneck

We did our first camp last weekend. It was cold and raining. We still had fun working on basic outdoor skills like camp stoves, knife handling, fire lighting, compass work etc.


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## NorthernRedneck

Now that we have the first camp out of the way and the kids know what to expect, we're going out this evening on a more challenging camp. We'll have to canoe across a small lake, portage over a short land crossing, then fight the wind on a large open lake to get to our cabin. The kids are all sleeping in tents while I get the cozy cabin with another leader.


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## NorthernRedneck

We headed out at 6pm. 6 canoes in total.  It was a short paddle to a short portage then across a bay to the cabin. The kids slept in tents while we had the cabin. Beautiful cold fall morning. The scouts are making breakfast now.


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## NorthernRedneck

Good day everyone. Yesterday was cold and snowing and raining and windy which cancelled a lot of our plans for the day. We had originally planned to head out in the canoes for a bit. Instead, the 12 of us huddled in the cabin around the stove telling stories and singing campfire songs. This morning after a long sleepless night of snoring in the cabin, we packed up, made a yummy breakfast of couscous and various dried fruits and spices, then headed out on the water to our the portage taking us from one lake to another then had a 15 minute paddle to the landing. Despite the weather, we managed to teach the kids valuable lessons to survive in the outdoors.


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## pirate_girl

Nice Brian, but what is that last photo?
It's hard to make out on the phone.


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## NorthernRedneck

That last photo is a black fox that was watching me as I walked to get the truck. First time I've seen a black fox


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## pirate_girl

Oh ok, I see it now.
The first one looked like a cat with curved horns lmao


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## NorthernRedneck

Just a side note. Back in the early 90s, I was in a high school program similar to scouts. We did canoe trips in the fall and spring, winter trips, orienteering in the Bush etc. I've been wanting to get back out in the woods on a canoe trip since I was 19. Being involved with scouts has finally allowed me to do it.


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## Jim_S RIP

NorthernRedneck said:


> Just a side note. Back in the early 90s, I was in a high school program similar to scouts. We did canoe trips in the fall and spring, winter trips, orienteering in the Bush etc. I've been wanting to get back out in the woods on a canoe trip since I was 19. Being involved with scouts has finally allowed me to do it.


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## NorthernRedneck

Scouts campfire blanket. 

For a scout, the campfire blanket is a great place to display all the badges they collect. One of the other leaders in our troop has one dating back to when he was a child. They are also something that can be passed down from generation to generation. I just recently started making mine. Since I have a collection of 50+ badges to attach, there has to be an easier way to do it.  I plan on trying some spray on adhesive.


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## NorthernRedneck

Some scouts choose to make a vest instead of a blanket. At one of the fall camps, it was announced that a long time scout had passed away and it was his request that his scouting memorabilia be passed down. Everyone at the camp entered their name into a hat and they drew names passing on all his things. I was selected to inherit the vest.


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## NorthernRedneck

We went to a local pool a couple weeks ago to work on aquatic skills with and without lifejackets. Last week we weren't at the meeting but they baked cookies. 

Last night, we were out Christmas caroling door to door collecting food donations for a food bank. We did good. 4 boxes of food and $117 in cash donations. Not bad for a couple hours out there going door to door singing Christmas songs.


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## pirate_girl

This scouting stuff you do brings back a lot of memories of myself, their Dad and my boys.

You do good, Brian.


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## NorthernRedneck

[emoji3]  thanks. I just want to give back wherever I can. This Friday might be another story however. We are doing a huge slumber party at the church we meet at every meeting. Not just the 16 scouts we have in our troop but also the 18 Cubs and 13 beavers. Should be a wild time. The kids are already talking about an all nighter  staying awake party. [emoji848][emoji849][emoji31][emoji31][emoji31]


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## bczoom

NorthernRedneck said:


> Last night, we were out Christmas caroling door to door collecting food donations for a food bank. We did good. 4 boxes of food and $117 in cash donations. Not bad for a couple hours out there going door to door singing Christmas songs.


Is this your routine for food donations and caroling?  If you're open to ideas, this is what we did and it worked out well.

For food donations, our Scouts would set up stands in front of the grocery store with signs saying they're collecting for a food bank.  We would literally fill 5-6 truck beds with food during a 8-hour day.

For caroling, instead of house-to-house, we would go to retirement homes.  Those folks don't have many visitors and really appreciated our visits.  _It was also more comfortable for the Scouts as they were indoors instead of caroling outside in the nasty weather._


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## NorthernRedneck

Great ideas. We will have to discuss them with the troop to see if that's an option. We also do popcorn orders as a troop fundraiser and order extra with the shipment. When they come in, we take a couple weekends at a retail store and set up a table raising money for the troop.


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## NorthernRedneck

We had a sleepover last night at the church we meet at regularly. The scouts, Cubs, and beavers were all there. I slept on a cott in a tiny room next to a photocopier. It was all you can eat homemade pizza and movies all night. I packed it in shortly after 11 though. We had a bunch of tired grumpy kids this morning. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

We've been quite busy this winter meeting every week. We did a couple weeks volunteering at our local food bank. Had a swimming night. Last week we built model rockets to be flown today out at our dog lake cabin. Some of the younger kids are only going for the day today while the leaders and senior scouts are staying overnight. It's a 3km trip across a small lake and over a portage to get to the cabin.   We start out at the south end of that smaller lake and work our way to the pin drop. The kids will be snowshoeing in while myself and another leader take snowmobiles. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

I just got back from an overnight camp at the cabin. Lots of snow out there. We launched the model rockets on the ice. Those things fly 1500 ft high. The kids had mre army rations for lunch in the cabin then walked back to the road to be picked up. The rest of us went back to the cabin by snowmobile to have supper, relax, cut some firewood. 

Last night was a little cool in the cabin as outside temperatures dropped to -25 celcius. That cabin is very basic and has lots of gaps in the walls and ceiling. It does have a wood stove that is too small in my opinion as it holds barely 3 15" long pieces of wood and needs to be restoked every 2-3 hours. This made for a long sleepless night. I was warm though as I picked up a 3 in one military sleeping system sleeping bag that's good for -50. 















Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

Back in high school, I was part of an outdoors group called outers. We used to go out to a similar cabin almost every weekend. I loved it. We would hike in 7 miles to the cabin then spend 2 nights. On the second day we'd practice and perform orienteering quinzee building or similar activities including survival. 

This past weekend overnight camp marked a milestone for me. Actually, more than one. But I'll get to that later. I had been wanting to go to a cabin in the woods and spend the night since high school but never got the chance. Until now that is. 

That brings me to my second milestone. I grew up snowmobiling. Passionate about it  putting on 2000+ miles on my sled every winter. As well as the trail grooming I used to do. Back in 2008, I had been forced so to speak to sell my snowmobile. I hadn't even sat on one since. 

Well, one of the other scout leaders out there had an older snowmobile to use along with a newer one. The rest of the scouts hiked in while we rode snowmobiles hauling gear in. I was taken back to a sport I was passionate about and discovered that I can still ride. That I still love to ride. That I miss it. So next year I may have to buy one again. And make use of the summer camp. 

And knowing me, I will become involved in the snowmobile club in some form. Hmmmm......[emoji848]  They do have 2 br 180s here. [emoji6]

Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

So here's a project that I've been working on since the fall. Part of the scouts badges  includes a sailing badge. I don't sail. None of the other leaders sail. But.....my physiotherapist sails and is part of a yacht club that does sailing races every Wednesday during the summer. I've been talking to him about taking us out sailing one night. That manifested into something bigger. He will come and give a talk to the kids one meeting then the following meeting, we are trying to get 4-5 sailboats out to take everyone on a mock race in the harbor. If we can pull it off this will be a great way to end off the scouting year before breaking for the summer. 

Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

So a side note from scouting. 

Back in high school I was part of a camping group called outers. We started the year with 4 separate 3 day canoe trips covering lakes and rivers in the geraldton area. 

In the winter, we snowshoed in 7 km with heavy backpacks over a rough twisty trail to a log cabin where we would do activities like orienteering, quinzee building, winter survival. 

In the spring, we would end off the year with a 2 week long canoe trip. Every year would be a different route. We did lakes rivers rapids and portages camping in 12 man prospector tents. They weighed around 100lbs to carry. 

One of the trips I did was the steel lake trip. Another was the steel river trip. We would start off in longlac and work our way down through the various lakes in the area to access the steel system. The lake and river both paralleled each other starting at eaglecrest lake about halfway from longlac to terrace bay. There was some of the most beautiful untouched areas in north America on the route with 300 ft cliffs lining the shores of the rivers and lakes. 

I found a blog online of someone else who did the lower part of this trip starting in Santoy lake and going over the infamous diablo portage that starts with a steep 300 ft climb to access the portage. 

Here's the link to the blog that details the lower part of the trip. I traveled this area back in the early 90s. 

https://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=trip.report_view&sel_trp_id=5247&sel_trp_part_id=2

Here's a map showing the basic route I traveled on the steel system. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




Canadian eh!!!


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## luvs

man, & i thought brownies/girl scouts wasn't easy--
 our thin mints were !!


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## NorthernRedneck

Heading out to a camp this weekend again with the scouts. We're sleeping in heated cabins with hydro. 

Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

So that storm that came through yesterday dropped a bit of snow. It should be a muddy mess getting out tomorrow as it's supposed to be +10 celcius. It's-3 now. The troop was busy making breakfast this morning on coleman stoves. French toast and fried spam. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

We just baked brownies on a Coleman stove. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

Tonight, we went to a local park area to clear old scrap metal. We have been working on this for 3 years. 

The story goes that back in the 30s and 40s, place was a fox farm where they raised and slaughtered foxes for the fur for coats. In the 60s, the place closed and the land was donated to be used as a park area. So they came in and bulldozed the building and fox cages over the edge of a hill. Then they built a mini train that travels over a mile long track. Hauling people around. There's a replica logging camp from the 40s. A petting zoo with a few horses. 

But the old scrap metal from the slaughter house and fox cages is still sitting there. A lot covered in moss and overgrowth. The scouts have been going in annually and cleaning up scrap metal. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

This weekend is the annual spring all sections camp. We have scouts Cubs and beavers from 5 different groups all camping in a field. There's a full day of activities planned for tomorrow. 

Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

This weekend is the annual city wide camp. We have 5 local troops along with a group that traveled 10 hours from neenah Wisconsin to join us. The kids are enjoying making pool noodle rockets, seeing exotic animals, making tshirt hand bags, and making stress balls. This afternoon they will be learning about various science experiments from another group. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	
















Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

More pictures. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	
















Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

Talk about ending the season with a bang. Big camp out on the weekend. Get home last night and go sailing today.

First let me explain something. We went into this not knowing what to expect. None of us ever being on a sailboat. We had 16 scouts and 3 leaders attend. I've been working on this for 6 months. My first solo project for the troop where I was in charge.   

So we get to the meeting spot where a leader of the yacht club is waiting for us. He breaks us up into groups based on the number of people each boat could handle. So we all split up and slowly one by one the   skippers for each boat arrive and grab a group and head off to their ships dock. Cool. I look out and beside us a boat was already heading out. This is the north shore of lake superior where the water temperature is only 2 degrees Celsius. One by one the boats head out. 

Cool! I thought. We're going to cruise around for a bit. Then the skipper lists off a course we are going to follow then barks off commands to his crew of 4 women. Apparently they normally have a crew of ten when they sail. They spring into action hoisting sails and making adjustments to the ropes. The skipper looks at me and says "we're in a race!"

Our scouts got to experience first hand what it's like to be in a sailboat race. It was all good. The sailboat I was on was 43' long. A nice looking boat. We were out for 3 hrs sailing back and forth across the harbor. Sometimes it was calm then they made a turn around a buoy and it would spring into life and take off leaning right over. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




























Canadian eh!!!


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## Doc

Wow, what an great day!!!!!!!   Thanks for sharing the pics!!


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## NorthernRedneck

Not a problem. It was a great experience. They may be open to having us back again in the fall. I love loved it. 

Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

Our final event until September. We joined the Cubs and beavers at a provincial park for a weekend of hiking biking and swimming. This was a very relaxed camp at sleeping giant national park. There are plenty of hiking and biking trails. The sleeping giant is a natural land formation that looks like the name. The view from the city can be seen in the last picture. From the city it looks like an island but in reality it's a peninsula that you can drive to. We're camped just behind the head of the giant on the left. This is on the northwestern shore of lake superior. 

We are working on an extra event in August  when a group of scouts from England is coming here for a week. We may spend a couple nights with them. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



















Canadian eh!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

It's a balmy 2 degrees above freezing and we're sleeping in tents in the woods tonight. There's 18 in our group and roughly 60 people in total at this camp. Thank God for arctic sleeping bags. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




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## NorthernRedneck

Today was a good day despite an injury that saw me rushing one of the scouts to emerg this morning. 

After my unplanned trip to the hospital, I returned to camp where we went on a 5 mile hike. This evening we participated in a traditional scout campfire of songs and skits followed by deep fried goblin ears over the fire. 

Now for the injury. One of the senior scouts was splitting firewood and somehow nailed his thumb with the axe taking a nice chunk of skin and meat off.  















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## NorthernRedneck

We're flirting with disaster this weekend. Sort of pushing the envelope so to speak. We have an overnight camp planned for Saturday night out at our small log cabin about an hour drive north of here. 

This time of year, the weather is unpredictable. We could have temperatures in the mid teens (celcius) during the day and below freezing at night. 

The cabin is a 3 km hike to get to by trail or a paddle across a small lake followed by a 300 yard portage and another short paddle. 

We're planning on going in Saturday morning,  half of the group hiking the trail and the rest of us canoeing in and doing the Portage. But, it could rain snow. There could be ice on the lake. It's an unknown. So I will be heading up there tomorrow to check out the conditions. If there's ice and snow, that means that the cabin is inaccessible until about mid December when we have enough ice to safely hike across the ice. 

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## NorthernRedneck

I went out to check the conditions where we're going this weekend. There's a light dusting of snow on the ground but no ice on the lake yet. We had a bad wind storm last Saturday that took down trees all over the road. It's passable but the kids have a 3km hike down a twisty rocky trail to get to the cabin. So it may be slow going for them. I have advised that they bring a chainsaw.

I will be part of a 3 canoe convoy carrying most of the tents and gear over to the cabin. We have to cross a lake. Then a 250 yard portage followed by another paddle across a bay to get to the cabin. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










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## NorthernRedneck

So I have a process to prepare for a scout trip. Summer and winter, I bring pretty much the same items except for winter outer gear and a few minor changes in clothing choices. 

When I prepare for a trip, my pack is already sitting there ready to go. After the trip, I immediately unpack everything. Hang out the sleeping bag to dry. Wash and repack any clothes that I used. My daypack is all ready as well. I can be ready to go in 10 minutes notice. I pack everything in waterproof dry sacks that can be compressed to remove the air in order to save space. 

My sleeping bag is a military sleep system that works great in any temperature. It's a summer bag inside a winter bag. When I use them combined, I can sleep nice and warm at -30 celcius. I have a 3" thick self inflating air mattress that rolls up nice and small to fit in my pack. 

In the wintertime, we typically don't hike in more than 3 kms. This makes it a challenge to pack light but still have the means to survive. 

My daypack carries a small first aid kit, a small camp stove that folds up small enough to fit in my hand, spare socks hat and gloves, and a roll of toilet paper. (Because using leaves or pinecones just sucks) I also carry a box of matches and some kindling to start a fire even when it's wet. 

So a while back, I discovered a great fire starter idea that will light in any condition and stay burning long enough to catch the wood on fire. Very simple. Take an old pot and melt a candle in it. Take a few of those cotton facial wipes and immerse in the wax. Remove and let dry. The cotton acts as a wick and will burn for a long time. Perfect for lighting a fire in the cold winter snow. 

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## NorthernRedneck

All loaded up and ready to head out at first light. Temperatures are at the freezing mark but it's supposed to be warming up this afternoon. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




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## NorthernRedneck

We arrived at the trail head at 9am. 6 of us canoed in with the tents and most of the gear while the rest hiked in 3km. 

For those of us who canoed in, it was a 10 minute paddle across a small lake then a 250 yard portage followed by a 20 minute paddle to get to the cabin. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	













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## NorthernRedneck

By 11am we had all arrived at the cabin and began setting up the tents. The kids all slept in tents. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



















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## NorthernRedneck

The kids all worked in patrols preparing their meals learning to use single burner stoves. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










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## NorthernRedneck

After supper, we held an investment ceremony to welcome 3 new scouts into the troop. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	













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## NorthernRedneck

After the investment ceremony we settled in around the fire for a few hours. The wind was very strong which limited our ability to do much else. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










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## NorthernRedneck

This morning we awoke at 8am and began with tearing down camp then proceeded out to the trail head to meet up with parents who were there to pick up their kids. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










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## NorthernRedneck

It's been a while since we've been able to get the kids out at a camp. This weekend we're at a winter lodge at a provincial park. It's quite nice. Newly renovated. Separate rooms for sleeping with regular single beds. A big dining room. 2 new kitchens. Wifi. Quite nice for a scouts camp. 

This morning we had the kids out on the lake ice fishing. Nobody caught anything. We used manual augers with a 4 ft cutting blade and were down to the handle before breaking through to the water. 

The plans for this afternoon are snowshoeing and cross country skiing.


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## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> It's been a while since we've been able to get the kids out at a camp. This weekend we're at a winter lodge at a provincial park. It's quite nice. Newly renovated. Separate rooms for sleeping with regular single beds. A big dining room. 2 new kitchens. Wifi. Quite nice for a scouts camp.
> 
> This morning we had the kids out on the lake ice fishing. Nobody caught anything. We used manual augers with a 4 ft cutting blade and were down to the handle before breaking through to the water.
> 
> The plans for this afternoon are snowshoeing and cross country skiing.



Thats a stroll down memory lane. Marty


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## NorthernRedneck

This afternoon I took a group of kids out snowshoeing for a couple hours. We walked along the edge of the lake for a few hundred feet so they could get comfortable with walking with snowshoes. Since the lake was pretty much hard packed, we almost didn't need the shoes so I kept them in close to shore where it was deeper and softer. 

Then we headed inland on the opposite shore from the camp where the snow was deeper and they could understand the purpose of having snowshoes. I had one of the kids take off a snowshoe and try to walk. Of course he sunk down about 2 feet. We explained the difference between the various types of snowshoes available and the benefits and disadvantages of each. It was a great day but I'm feeling it now. Lol. Used muscles I haven't used in years. But I push myself to do it as I try to instill to them that no matter how hard they think things are to do, to push themselves to do it.


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## NorthernRedneck

So where were we this weekend?   

Sleeping giant provincial park located on the back side of the sleeping giant near thunder bay Ontario on the northwestern shore of lake superior. It looks like an island from the city but it's actually a peninsula. It takes an hour to get there from the city.


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## NorthernRedneck

This weekend, we're taking our 3 senior venturers out to the dog lake cabin where they will work on various more advanced outdoor skills badges. It's a 3km hike over the lake and a Portage. So we went out on Sunday to check on ice conditions. Lots of ice. The cabin was in good shape. It's left unlocked and other people use it throughout the winter.


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## NorthernRedneck

Here's a few pictures from the weekend. The last one is when we were working on the bunks inside the cabin while the kids were on an unsupervised 6 hour hike on the lake.


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## NorthernRedneck

Here's the inside of the cabin. We had a couple of cots layed out as there was 6 of us and the top bunks weren't ready yet.


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## NorthernRedneck

Here's another thing covid messed up. We were actually out in the woods at a scout camp at a remote log cabin in the woods when news came down that everything was shutting down on march 16th. We were back in town March 15th.  That's seems so long ago.

Fast forward 2 years. We've been meeting regularly since February and were recently allowed to plan our first overnight camping trip. 

We set the ball in motion planning to camp june 3-5th at our main scouts property and camp. Then we discovered that covid dealt us another blow. Our camp has been run for years as basically an offgrid camp aside from hydro. No running water. No permanent bathrooms. All was fine until covid hit. Then as things began to re-open, scouts Canada was scared to make the call to re-open the camps and instead referred everyone to their local health unit.  That opened a can of worms as they came in and put in a bunch of restrictions which must be met before it could be re-opened. In a nutshell, we're at risk of losing the camp now and couldn't even use the grounds to camp in tents. I decided that since we hadn't camped in 2 years, they could camp on the back 3 acres of my property. Our property backs onto a large piece of land owned by the fairgrounds. I approached them and secured permission for the scouts to use the property for various activities. 

I spent the past week clearing out a suitable campsite for 7 tents, a firepit area, and a kitchen area. I even installed a temporary outhouse.


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## NorthernRedneck

This is what we started with.


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## NorthernRedneck

We set up a kitchen area, firepit area, and room for 6 tents. There was room for more. 







The firepit area


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## NorthernRedneck

The kids learned about axe safety and various fire starting techniques.


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## NorthernRedneck

I set up an orienteering course on the fairgrounds property behind our place where they were taken to a starting spot and the was a baggie with a clue and a compass bearing. Once they thought they had the right Landmark, they could verify using a compass. When they arrived at that location there'd be another clue and bearing in a baggie they had to look for. I had 9 locations in all. The kids all enjoyed it. 

We finished off the night by having a relaxing pallet fire at my big firepit. 





This is our first time camping since covid hit. A good way for the kids to get back into the swing of things and if we forgot any gear, we could run back to the house to get a replacement. Speaking of houses, I had the camp set up far enough back that you couldn't see the house or garage so it was just like camping 60 miles out in the woods.


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## NorthernRedneck

We had our last big adventure of the spring season until we resume in September. 

My physiotherapist has a sailboat and is part of the local yacht club. We did this three years ago but had to wait until now to do it again due to covid restrictions. We began planning our second sailing night with the kids back in January. He came out 2 weeks ago and gave a safety talk about sailing. We were supposed to go last week but the weather was not cooperating. 

The weather was just about perfect for sailing this past Monday so we headed to the marina (12 of us in all) and were split into 3 groups then headed down to our boats and headed out for 40 minutes of practice followed by a timed start for a sailboat race. There were 10 boats in all racing. The boat I was on started last and finished first. It was a great time. 









What would sailing on the northshore of lake superior be without a picture of the sleeping giant?


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## NorthernRedneck

We've been meeting every week since September but haven't been able to get to a camp until this weekend. The other leaders and I worked our way in to the cabin over the trail two weeks ago as nobody had used the trail in 2 years and there was chainsaw work needed. 

Due to illness, over half the scouts canceled but we went ahead with 3 leaders and 3 scouts. We hiked the 2 miles in over the rocky hilly trail to the cabin and basically lit a couple fires when we got there and kept them going all day to burn off brush from fallen trees around the cabin. We dropped a big poplar when we were there last. We got the idea to replace the old rotting log benches with new ones and cut a length of the truck in two. In the first picture, the fire on the right is in an ancient woodstove that was in the original cabin in that location built in the 1920s. The current cabin was built in the 60s to replace the original one which burned down after the roof caved in.


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