The crew from Troop 688 just returned from Northern Tier and it was very rewarding.  Flying into Minneapolis on Sunday and driving 5 hours to Ely was enjoyable and quickly got us acclimated to the conditions, or so we thought.  Upon arrival we met our guide Arik and started the in-processing.  After picking up tons of cold weather gear, we ate, went to a meeting then off to bed.

Next day we were off to Flash Lake, 1 hour trek, using sleds to pull our gear.  Once there we started our campsite prep and building Quinzhees (Quin zhee).These are very similar to igloos and are places for the scouts to sleep in.  After all-day construction some boys were disappointed because their hard work did not offer them the opportunity to sleep 2 to a Quinzhee.   After they made arrangements to sleep outside it was time for dinner and off to bed.  That night it got down to 16 below zero.    Next day we were up and off to our next campsite at Snow Bank Lake, a 1 hour trek.  No snow huts this time, just building shelters from the surrounding environment.  We spent 2 days there and hiked, cross-country skied, ice-fished, snowshoed and played games.    After 2 nights it was back to base camp and a good night's rest in a cabin.

All in all the Scouts learned to accept conditions that were not favorable and to deal with them.  The cold makes everything harder and slower but they rallied through a tough situation.  The food was great and I never slept so much in my life since the only warm place anywhere was in your sleeping bag.  If asked I would go back again just for the fact that you have an opportunity to push yourself to new limits.  Wait a little while before you ask the Scouts...they need to warm up.

Mr. Q

I would just like to re-emphasize some of what Mr. Q stated and add a little from my perspective.  Our trek to Okpik (Northern Tier) was truly a challenging and very rewarding experience.  I don't think any of us truly grasped the difficulty of extreme cold weather camping before the trip. We were all quite confident and a little naive.  When our assigned guide, Arek, examined our newly purchased and expensive gear, he recommended that we take some additional items from the post.  I thought his suggestions may have been a little overkill.  It turns out he was right on.  We needed everything he recommended and without his help and expertise, we would have encountered some serious problems.  Arek taught us all a lot about extreme cold weather camping and about the region of the country we were camping in.  He gave a history and geography lesson that captivated our entire crew.

I think that on our first night outside, we all wondered what we were doing there.  It was bitter cold, dark, and we felt isolated.  Our confidence grew after we woke up the next morning.  By the end of our outdoor portion, we all knew what it takes to survive and to have fun in extreme cold.  I was especially impressed with the scenery on this trip.  The frozen, snow covered lakes, the fields of evergreen trees, and the bright sun made for postcard perfect backdrops.  Sleeping outside with snow falling, wind blowing, and wolves howling in the distance was also a different feeling.  The entire group felt a sense of accomplishment after this trek and for some of the younger scouts it made them realize they can push harder and farther.  Scouting is about growth and maturation.  This trek allowed our scouts to grow and mature in trying conditions.  They all deserve to feel proud of their accomplishments.  It was also a great chance to bond with my two sons in a completely different way.  The three of us will never forget this trek.  I strongly encourage others to consider this trek next Winter.  Feel free to speak with me sometime if you would like more details.  If a scout wants to go above and beyond and challenge himself, this is an excellent opportunity and experience.  None of us really knows how far we can go until we push past our comfort zone.  This is a life experience none of us will forget.

Sincerely,

Mr. B