High Adventure - Northern Tier

Northern Tier High Adventure Base offers scouts the opportunity to participate in a canoeing trek in the boundary waters of US and Canada. Treks are 6 to 10 days and are geared to the goals and desires of the group. Northern Tier is a High Adventure experience in the world famous north woods "Canoe Country.

There are Three Bases at Northern Tier:

Charles L Sommers--- Ely Minnesota

Don Rogert ---Atikokan Ontario Canada

Northern Expeditions--- Bissett Manitoba Canada

This is a canoeing and camping experience and you have get through whatever Mother Nature throws at you and whatever difficulties you encounter! You will have to carry your canoe and all you gear from lake to lake. This is called a portage. There is an opportunity to experience some great fishing for northern pike, walleye, lake trout, and smallmouth bass. Most treks cover between 50 to 80 miles and crews have a chance to earn the BSA Fifty Miler Award.

Crew size is limited based on what your destination is in the boundary waters and is strictly enforced in accordance with Canadian and BSA Wilderness Use policies. There will be a minimum of two adults in each crew and crews can have the crew consist of half scouts and half leaders. Scouts must be 13 by date of arrival of the year attending. A staff member accompanies each crew through the entire trek who is called an Interpreter.

There have been no council wide organized contingents so far. Those who have attended the Northern Tier High Adventure Base in the Chattahoochee Council in the past have been a part of crews organized by individual scout units.

If your unit is interested in organizing their own trip to Northern Tier information can be found at their website at www.ntier.org

Currently there are five Chattahoochee Council sponsored crews attending Northern Tier July 16-27, 2009. Two crews from Troop 15 in Auburn led by Todd Sandt, two crews from Troop 169 in Columbus and led by Bill Storey, and a crew from Troop 107 led by Gene Hillhouse in Columbus.

If you are interested in helping organize a future Chattahoochee Council Contingent Northern Tier Trip please contact the Chattahoochee Council High Adventure Chairman, Todd Sandt at sandtt@omegatraining.com or call (334) 319-0999