With South Carolina experiencing mild winter temperatures, a group of Scouts from Troop 11 in Mt. Pleasant headed north to test their skills at winter weather camping. Northern Tier, just 16 miles from the Canadian border in Ely, Minnesota, offers year round high adventure experiences, but their winter weather camp is unlike most Scouting opportunities. With temperatures dipping well below zero degrees and the ground covered in snow, the Scouts were fully outfitted with gear to survive the wilderness and stay warm in an environment vastly different from home. A staff member, called an interpreter, helped them pack their gear onto sleds, called "pulks", that they pulled as they hiked to a frozen lake. There they traded their snowshoes for skis and had a lesson in cross-country skiing before getting some time to explore the serene area. They learned to set up a campsite and cook meals at these cold temperatures, and even slept outdoors using a bundled sleep system to stay warm in the near -20 degree temperature. They crossed frozen lakes, played games, visited the Scout Lodge Museum, cross-country skied and warmed up in a "quinzee", a hollowed out snow shelter. The highlight of the trip, however, was visiting the sled dogs and going for a ride with the trained mushers. If you are looking for a great opportunity to try something different, look no further than Northern Tier in the winter!
-Lisa Graham
