Boundary Waters Adventure
Part 1.
The Journey Begins
The Journey BeginsThe decade of the 90's has seen Troop 299 of Sparta, NC regularly on the road. There have been two trips to the National Jamboree at Fort AP Hill, treks in Philmont Scout Ranch in 1991 and 1997, Eagle Scout skiing trips to Montana and Wyoming, hiking and camping at the base of the Grand Canyon, annual summer camps to Old Hickory Council's Raven Knob, whitewater rafting, and over 500 miles of backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. Because of the rural nature of our community and the Scouts who live in it, we decided that the high adventure summer trip in 1999 would be wilderness canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) of Minnesota.
To allow for maximum freedom and route choice, we elected to use a commercial outfitter halfway between Grand Marais, Minnesota and the jumping off point of the BWCA. Training and planning consisted of the typical struggle to fund the trip, but also involved whitewater trips to the Nantahala River in North Carolina and annual river clean-up trips on the wild and scenic New River close to home. Additional preparation assured that each crew of nine would have adequate two-deep leadership and a certified BSA lifeguard. The rigorous miles on the Appalachian Trail and at Philmont served to prove to ourselves our ability to pack and portage the equipment and canoes over the BWCA. As July approached, a final shakedown confirmed that we were ready.
On the evening of July 2nd, the Troop descended on Charlotte, NC to await our morning flight. It was much hotter and muggier in Charlotte than in our mountain town and we openly wished for a cooler climate. Little did we know that our requests would be soon answered! On July 3rd at 7:00 am, all twenty-seven boys and leaders in Class A uniforms arrived at the airport. The airlines were helpful, but we were adamant that our fishing gear be transported safely. We received many questions and comments relative to our upcoming adventure from airline personnel and other passengers.
