Mike F 10 Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 We have two crews leaving for Ely on Tuesday and everybody is really pumped. Can't wait to get the guys on something besides Houston area bayous! We're working through North Country Canoe Outfitters, John Schiefelbein, thanks to the reference from this group. So far they have been outstanding! I'll let you know how it goes. Link to post Share on other sites
Eagledad 2777 Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Hey Mike Where are you stopping thru the first night? Anywhere near OKC? Boundary Waters is one of our favorite treks. Using an outfitter are ya? Must be using kevlar. Barry Link to post Share on other sites
eagle90 125 Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Mike - Good luck on your trip! Bring plenty of mosquito repellent!! North Country does a very professional job in outfitting. Please do me a favor and pass along regards to John and his wife Kathy from Dale in LaGrange Park IL. We are planning a trip there in 2004. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike F 10 Posted July 7, 2003 Author Share Posted July 7, 2003 Eagledad/Barry - we're flying, or I'd be asking about bedding down in your scout hut or backyard! Got some good rates on Frontier - $265 round trip to Minneapolis, then rental vans from there. eagle90/Dale - I'll do that - just put note in envelope with check, so I won't forget. And I'll let him know you were the first to recommend NCCO (but not the only -- the word's out). Do you get a finders fee? I'm bringing a book of Robert Service poems -- boys are gonna get some culture while I've got 'em where they can't run! Link to post Share on other sites
mk9750 11 Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 Mike, Have a great time! I like your idea about the culture. We do something similiar. We don't allow walkmans, etc. in the car, as we instill in the boys a sense that this is a trip for a group, not individuals. But we do allow them to bring their CD cases. Starting with the youngest boy in the car, they each have an oppurtunity to play one CD in the car stereo. Yeah, the adults have to listen to "I beat my mom over the head with a shovel, it left an impression on her brain" being screamed from the top of some punk rocker's lungs, but when it's the adults turn, they all get a chance to listen to classical, folk (my son just LOVES Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie!), the Beatles and lot's of other stuff that you'd never find in their collections. Read em' the good stuff. They'll complain, I'll bet, but at least one will thank you for it at their Eagle CoH, I gaurantee! At summer camp last year, I was reading the Illiad. Two teenagers asked to borrow it when I was done. They'll suprise you sometimes if you let them! Mark Link to post Share on other sites
red feather 10 Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Leaving tommorow for the boundary waters, taking two crews and using Cliff Wold as outfitter. Let you all know about the trip when we get back. yis Link to post Share on other sites
EagleWB 10 Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Mike and Red Feather, I was wondering if there was some reason you didn't use the Scout Base when you went to Boundary Waters. I know all of the Boundary Waters is a great place. I love the area. Link to post Share on other sites
OneHour 11 Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Hey Mike, Houston bayous aren't that bad! As a matter of fact, you can virtually canoe down the neighborhoods surrounding the bayous every time it rains hard and some of those even resembles white waters, especially during a storm like Allison . Let me know how it went. I would love to take our troop to a similar outing! 1Hour Link to post Share on other sites
eagle90 125 Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 eagleWB- I have used both the Scout Base and private outfitters in the Boundary Waters and have found that the private outfitters have better equipment, better food, better facilities, more variety in program, and you have more input as to what type of trip you want. You do pay a little more per day, but I have found it is well worth while. I have found that you are treated a little nicer by the private outfitters, who rely on your repeat business to earn a living. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike F 10 Posted July 19, 2003 Author Share Posted July 19, 2003 We're back! Outstanding trip!! Mosquitoes weren't much of an issue until the last few evenings due to low rainfall earlier in summer. We did get a bit of rain every day and one spectacular thunderstorm/hail storm which interrupted a big fish fry (had 16 walleye, sm mouth bass, and pike) -- only got to eat about half of it, but our neighborhood bald eagle was delighted at the offerings left on a rock the next morning. Only significant injury was some pretty good slashes when an enthusiastic angler discovered a Leatherman tool isn't quite long enough to extract a Daredevil lure from deep in the throat of a 27" pike. As for question about why the outfitter -- we were forced to -- by the time our plans started coming together, Sommers was full. Absolutely no regrets. Cost was comparable - we saved 15% by starting and ending in mid-week. Equipment and food was good. Service was outstanding. Before heading up, I talked to outfitter about the make up and interests of our crews. When we got there, he had maps ready with lots of extra info on primo campsites and fishing locations marked. We launched from public ramp about 50 yards from Sommers -- once you're in the water, you're in the same wilderness, so no issue there. We had experienced Boundary Waters members on both teams, so felt fairly confident we could pull this off without guides taking the place of a boy on each crew. It's true that a guide could have helped answer a few questions and help us improve efficiency on portages, etc., but it was a great feeling to accomplish the adventure on our own -- just our guys and our resources. (And with a rented satellite phone in the bottom on the pack -- just in case...) Eagle90/Dale -- John says Hi and is looking forward to seeing you next summer. OneHour -- are you in the Houston area? I'm planning to put together a slide show and some info for Roundtables, Chapter meetings, etc. I'm also compiling some of our Lessons Learned for next time. (There will definitely be a next time!) -mike Link to post Share on other sites
red feather 10 Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 Had a great time in the boundary waters. Both crews did well. Bugs were not a major issue, gnats in one location, flys in another. The Minnesota state bird, the mosquito, did not bother us much at all. Combination of deet and sulfur worked well and most of the time sulfur dusted on worked by itself. Beautiful scenery and water, found some portages that will be noted on our troop map to avoid during future treks. Hope everyone has a chance to go! Wonderful trip. yis Link to post Share on other sites
eagle90 125 Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 Mike - Glad to hear you had a great trip at North Country. I'd be interested in reading some of your Lessons Learned. It's been about 6 years since I was up there! Dale Link to post Share on other sites
Mike F 10 Posted July 31, 2003 Author Share Posted July 31, 2003 red feather -- can you tell us more about how you used the sulfer powder? (I've heard about dusting it around ankles to stop ticks, but never more general use.) Good idea about keeping a Troop map with notes for the future!! Dale -- Lessons Learned in work -- I'll get them to you! -mike Link to post Share on other sites
red feather 10 Posted August 1, 2003 Share Posted August 1, 2003 Crushed the sulfur into a powder and put a couple of handfulls in a tube sock with a tennis ball. When bugs started up, beat the sock against my arms, legs and hands. Spread the sulfur on my hands onto my neck, ears and hat. Worked pretty well unless the bugs got really thick or I was too tired to be patient. Only happened a couple of times tho. Also used the sulfur around sleeping bag opening seemed to help.? yis Link to post Share on other sites
LauraT7 13 Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 any chance of a sneak preview of those 'lessons learned'? our troop is heading off in two weeks for it's first (in my experience with this troop) canoe trip weekend, camping out on the sandbars of the Wisconsin river. We could use any tips and suggestions anyone was willing to share. laura Link to post Share on other sites
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