Northern Tier

Scouting For Adventure

Canoe Trek Gear

Here is all of the gear I took on our canoe trek through Canada.  We followed the participant guide suggested gear list.  The boots are supposed to be water proof or as water proof as possible when stepping in water ankle deep or deeper.  Our crew decided on 2 long sleeve trek shirts to wear at base camp and on the trek.  All gear for the actual trek was supposed to fit into a 25-30 liter water proof stuff sack that would go in a canoe.  All other gear would be left behind in a duffle bag locked up at base camp.

We met at the church so we could carpool to the airport.  The young man lying on his side was photo shopped in the picture.  His parents drove him straight to the airport.  I hate pictures of myself.  I always look so stiff, forced, and unnatural when I am told to smile... Ugh!...  

 

Relaxing and catching a few winks on the plane ride to Minnesota

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

A little sight seeing on our way to Ely, MN.  We stopped at the U.S. hockey hall of fame in Eveleth,MN

We got to Minnesota a day early and stayed the night at Giant's Ridge ski resort in Gilbert, MN  The lodge offers all sorts of outdoor recreation for the different seasons: two golf courses, a ski area with 34 downhill runs, terrain park, cross country trails and mountain bike trails.

 

We finally made it to Base Camp!  Northern Tier has three canoe bases: Charles L. Sommers, MN; Aitkokan,ON;  and Bissett, MB.  The trek was out of the Charles L. Sommers canoe base. 

Before embarking on our trek we had to do a little advance planning like where do we want to go and what do we want to see.

Picking up our paddle and protective flotation device (PFD)

A little instruction and practice on how to pick up and carry a canoe when portaging.

Finally loading up and getting out on the water.  Our canoe trek begins!

On our way to Canada.  In the canoe, there are 3 seat positions: bowman-the person in front (me), duffer-middle, and sternman-the person in back

The view from behind the bowman

Welcome to Canada!

One of the nicer gentler portages

Mother Nature....

Stopping for the day and setting up camp for the night.

The best part of the trek was when we had to get out and walk the canoes through modest rapids.  We all were laughing and squeeling while trying to find solid footing in the water making sure we didn't slip or trip and end up totally or partially submerged in cold water.

Checking out ancient Indian pictographs

I have never seen a beaver dam that big

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Our entire trek that covered over 60 miles.  We started in the bottom right and made a big loop

Here were the high's and low's of the trip:

Positives:

• The gear recommended in the participant guide was spot on.  All of it got used at one time or another.
• Got to see a part of the country that I have never seen before.
• There were not as many scouts in base camp at one time.  It felt more cozier being smaller. 
• The food on the trek was better than Philmont
• The iodine based water purification made the water relatively odorless with no after taste. I did hear if you drink iodine based water over a long period of time it can affect your kidneys but we were not there long enough nor did we drink enough of the purified water to have any affect on us.
• I liked the fact we got to pick our own trek.  It could be adjusted along the way at any time to fit our needs and desires.
• There were no set stopping points.  We knew from the maps where the camp sites were but we got to choose when and where we stopped for meals and for the night.
• The weather.  It was warm and humid but not so bad to make each day miserable.  Plus you could dip any or all of your body into the water to cool off if needed.

Negatives:

• The MOSQUITOS!  - Whenever you hear about Northern Tier, one of the first things you hear about is how bad the mosquitoes are.  Based on my experience, none of what I heard previously was an exaggeration and was all true.  They are the most worthless creatures known to man.  I heard break dancing originated in that part of the country.  The movements come from and are based on killing mosquitoes.  I wore a bandanna the whole time not only to keep the sun off my neck but also to kill mosquitoes.  Each night when I ran into my tent (so as not let as many in), I spent the next 10 minutes killing the little buggers before they had a chance to bite me.
• Probably the best piece of gear was the mosquito netting worn over our heads.  I bought one that had repellent sprayed into it.  Sometimes I would forget I was wearing it and would attempt to put something in my mouth.  After a while my tongue began to feel slightly numb from licking the repellent laced netting.
• At times it was a little boring riding in the canoe since there was nowhere to go.  It really got boring riding in the duffer (position) because the paddling is usually done by both the bowman and sternman.  When I rode in the middle, I would help paddle to give me something to do.
• Did I say how bad the mosquitoes were?  Our interpreter would do thorns and roses each night after dinner.  One of his rules is you could not mention mosquitoes as your  thorn.
• The camp sites in Canada were all primitive so when it came time to do number 2, you had to go out in the woods and dig a hole.  I thought maybe I could hold it because I could not bear to think about being bit by a mosquito in the most sensitive parts that don't normally see the light of day.  I was wrong about trying to hold it and at one point during the trek the mosquitoes were not that bad at our camp site so  I dashed off into the woods with a shovel and toilet paper in hand.  I quickly did my business and was done!  I felt relieved in more ways than one.
• Ticks can also be a problem.  I remember at one camp in the middle of our trek when I was putting on a different shirt one morning inside my tent and noticed a tick on my belly above my belly button.  I don't know where he came from but our resident nurse was able to dislodge him with tweezers before he dug in.  I had clothes hanging on a clothesline between two trees overnight so I am thinking that is where the tick came from.  After that I was sure to check the inside of my tent and my clothes carefully each day.
• The CANPASS was a rip-off.  Each person on the trek had to pay $35.00 for the privilege to go into Canada.  In addition, we had to pay camping fees based on the number of nights camped.  Each of the campsites we stayed at in Canada had no infrastructure to speak of except for a fire ring made of rocks.  I am not sure what the camping fees paid for.