Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases

Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases
Owner	Boy Scouts of America
Location	Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Quetico Provincial Park Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park
Country	United States and Canada
Founded	1923[1]
Attendance	5,923 (2006)[2]
Website http://www.ntier.org/index.html
Scouting portal

The Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases are a collection of high adventure bases run by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) of Minnesota, Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park, Manitoba's Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park and points beyond. It is the oldest of the three National High Adventure Bases operated by the Boy Scouts of America. Its counterparts are the Philmont Scout Ranch and the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base.

Northern Tier offers wilderness canoe trips. There are no lodgings along the trail, and aircraft and motorboats are restricted. Typical treks may cover 50 to 150 miles and take 6 to 10 days. With each crew is an instructor called an "Interpreter" who is sometimes called a "Charlie Guide."

Programs and Bases

Northern Tier consists of the following bases:

• Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base in Ely, Minnesota which offers canoe trips to BWCAW and Quetico. Sommers offers the Okpik cold weather camping program in the winter months, which covers such activities as cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snow shoeing, ice fishing, expedition travel, and shelter building, and more.

• Don Rogert Canoe Base in Atikokan, Ontario, Canada which offers canoe trips in Quetico and areas north.

• Northern Expeditions Base in Bissett, Manitoba, which offers fly-in canoeing in Manitoba east of Lake Winnipeg.

The National Cold-Weather Camping Development Center is located at the Northern Tier Base at Ely, Minnesota. The center provides materials for, and specializes in problems associated with, cold-weather camping for councils and other organizations.

There is also the OA Wilderness Voyage, organized by the Order of the Arrow to do work on the portage trails in the Boundary Waters area.^[3]

History

The Northern Tier programs began in 1923 with canoe trips organized by the Hibbing, Minnesota Council, and was called the Region X Canoe Trails. This was later changed to the Region X Wilderness Canoe Trips. In the early days, there were no permanent structures, and Winton was the launch point. In the winter of 1941-1942, a log lodge was built as a base of operations. Soon after, it became the permanent base of operations and was named the Charles L. Sommers Wilderness Canoe Base, taking the name of a great scouter who was the first Chairman of Region X. Mr. Sommers was an avid Base supporter, canoe trip organizer and participant. The name stuck until 1972 when BSA consolidated regions and the base became part of the National High Adventure Program. The name was then changed to the Charles L. Sommers National High Adventure Base, BSA. With expansion of the program, Sommers is now part of the Northern Tier High Adventure programs.

The program has a long history with the Ely, Minnesota area. Such famous authors as Sigurd Olson counted themselves as friends of the program.

Northern Tier Experience

Check In

Similar to other BSA high adventure bases, an incoming crew will be assigned an interpreter to help them get ready for their expedition. Upon arrival at the base camp, the crew will meet their interpreter while their leaders check in. After that, the crew will be issued their food and gear. Personal gear is carried in two or three Granite Gear three person "gray whale/elephant/hippo/hefalump" packs. Food and cooking equipment are carried in boxes in specially made packs by Kondos Outdoors in Ely, MN. Tents, paddles, pfds, and other safety equipment are also issued, and their use is explained by the interpreter or the outfitting staff. Included in the gear is a radio or satellite phone used for emergency communication with base while on the trek. With the help of their interpreter, the crew plans their course on a large map displayed on the wall. Unlike treks at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, there are no pre-assigned routes. Crews are then assigned a cabin in which to spend its first night. The crew enjoys their dinner in the dining hall, participates in the evening program, and can visit the trading post if time permits.

On the Trail

For a crew that is leaving the Sommers base and entering the Quetico Provencial Park, the first three hours of paddling are the most crucial. The Canadian customs office closes for an hour at lunch (noon-1:00pm). It is advisable to paddle fast as to not get there during the lunch break.

In the month of July, the sun comes up at 5:30am and doesn't go down until about 9:30pm. Long days are not too uncommon, but a typical schedule could look something like this:

Time	Activity
6:00am	Wake Up
6:15-7:00	Eat hearty breakfast, break down camp
7:20	Depart camp
7:20-11:30	Paddle and Portage
11:30-12:30	Eat Lunch, Rest
12:30-3:00	Paddle and Portage
3:00-3:45	Set up camp
3:45-5:30	Goof off; relax
5:30-7:30	Prepare, eat, and clean up dinner
7:30-8:00	Relax, have a "Thorns, Roses, and Buds" Reflection
8:00-10:00	Warm up; stay at campfire and tell stories
10:00-6:00	Lights out

BWCAW vs. Quetico

While both areas are designated wilderness areas, Quetico Provincial Park is typically considered, by trail staff at least, to be more wild and considerably more challenging than the Boundary Waters. There are far more people in the Boundary Waters than in Quetico by fivefold. It is not unusual for crews not to see another person for several days in Quetico. Whereas the Boundary Waters' portage trails are maintained rather meticulously, Quetico's trails are generally unmaintained. This means that in Quetico there are no boardwalks as there are in the BWCAW in and around swampy portages, fewer park wardens clearing the trails of fallen timber, etc.

Likewise, the campsites are rather different between the two wilderness areas. Boundary Waters' campsites have designated fire grates in the fire ring and a small fiberglass latrine called a "grumper". Quetico's campsites are far less used than BWCAW and many are not marked on Fisher maps. The sites themselves do not have a latrine (participants must dig a cat-hole 6"x6"x6" at least 150 feet away from water and camp; nor do they have a fire grate.

In short, if your crew is looking for an easier trek as far as portaging and paddling and camp set-up are concerned, the BWCAW is the way to go. This is good for younger crews. If your crew seeks a challenging trip, solitude and many beautiful sites are the rewards Quetico offers.

The Return

When crews return, they can shower for the first time in several days, and eat a dinner that they don't have to prepare themselves. They clean their equipment, and spend their last evening in a cabin.

Wilderness Grace

Participants recite an adapted version of the Wilderness Grace:

For food, for raiment,
For life and opportunity,
For sun and rain,
For water and portage trails,
For friendship and fellowship,
We thank thee, O Lord.
Amen.

See also

• Order of the Arrow High Adventure
• Scouting in Minnesota

References

1. ^ Felton, Gene (1998). A Diamond in the North. North Stream Publishing. ISBN 0966030923. 
2. ^ "2006 BSA Year in Review". Boy Scouts of America. http://marketing.scouting.org/research/demog/02-030.pdf. Retrieved 2008-01-05. 
3. ^ Northern Tier website

Staff, Northern Tier