NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
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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Scouting
- Thread starter NorthernRedneck
- Start date
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
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.
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
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.
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.
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
This is what we started with.
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
We set up a kitchen area, firepit area, and room for 6 tents. There was room for more.
The firepit area
The firepit area
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
The kids learned about axe safety and various fire starting techniques.
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
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.
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
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?
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?
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
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.
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.
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
We were back at the Dog lake cabin with a group of 8 kids ages 11-17 for an overnight trip. We paddled in by canoe which involved a 15 minute paddle across 1 lake then a Portage into dog lake. We had 5 canoes. The kids all slept in tents set up throughout the woods. Temperatures were hovering around freezing.
Yes. That's ice starting to form along the shoreline. Brrrr.
Yes. That's ice starting to form along the shoreline. Brrrr.
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
I haven't kept up with this thread lately but we've been busy every week doing a whole bunch of different things. A few weeks ago, we went to do archery. This week, we had an introductory fencing class. The youth started out knowing nothing about it but by the end of a 3 hour class, were having little bouts.
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
For our last camp of the year until September, we took our scouts troop to kakabeka falls provincial park. (Only a 10 minute drive from my house). We are staying with the younger cubs and beavers this weekend. The older kids went on an 18km bike ride yesterday while I stayed with the younger kids and went for a hike around the falls. The rain held off despite a big storm just south of us.
NorthernRedneck
Well-known member
Time for an update I guess. We had our first meeting tonight. We typically plan a hike the first night. We were originally supposed to cover 7k from one park to another via a trail system. But an incoming storm predicted to start around 8pm forced us to shorten the mtg to an hour. The storm hit us earlier than expected. But we improvised showing the kids how to make a quick emergency tarp shelter.
"Be Prepared"