Monticello Boy Scouts experience Boundary Waters

     A group of 15 Boy Scouts and adult leaders/chaperones spent a week at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness along Lake Superior and into Canada.

     The group left Monticello the weekend before the Fourth of July and arrived back the following weekend.

     “We spent the Fourth of July under a canoe,” shared Jaden Orcutt.

     The 15 members of Troop 66 split into two smaller groups. While on the water, they saw a storm coming in and fled for cover on land. One of the groups found the remains of an old trapper cabin. The foundation was all that remained, so they stacked logs on top of each other and threw their canoes over for cover.

     The Express recently visited with Orcutt and Keegan Freese, both members of Troop 66, along with Kirk Freese, about the adventure.

     “We were on the water for a total of six days,” shared Kirk.

     There were 11 Scouts and four adults who braved the elements with bare essentials to earn the 50-mile canoe patch. With the waterways connected throughout the Boundary Waters area, the Scouts could travel from one to the other for a continuous trip.

     “Each group covered over 50 miles,” said Kirk. “They had to canoe 50 consecutive miles.” Kirk said the 50-mile patch is not something that is handed out very often.

     “A lot of troops go up there (to the Boundary Waters) to earn the patch,” said Kirk. He said it can be hard to reach 50 miles of water in Iowa.

     The groups spent each night on shore camping.

     They were told to pack light, only bringing the essentials with them that they could carry on the canoe.

     Keegan said they packed fishing gear, a few pairs of clothes and toiletries. They washed their clothes the old fashioned way: in the lake water and hung them out to dry.

     Kirk added nylon clothing is key because it dries faster when wet.

     The boys didn’t use just any canoe you typically see around the rivers here in Iowa. The canoes they hit the Boundary Waters with were light (47 pounds) and made out of Kevlar, which is heat resistant. The canoes were provided by an outfitter who also supplied the group with freeze-dried food, tents, and cooking supplies.

     Entering and exiting the water several times a day, the Kevlar canoes made it easier to portage with.

     “We portaged nine times the first day,” said Orcutt.

     Each group had a goal of about 6-12 miles a day. Kirk said they traveled farther the first day on the water while everyone was pumped and fresh for the start of the trip.

     When bad weather hampered their daily plans, the Scouts got together to figure out alternative routes. Each group was equipped with maps because cell phone service was at a minimum while in the wilderness.

     Keegan and Orcutt said the best par of the trip was all the fishing they got to do and seeing so many waterfalls. Keegan most of the fishing was catch-and-release, but they kept some fish to cook for meals.

     “The scenery was neat too,” said Orcutt.

     “The water was just so clear,” added Keegan.

     Kirk said the wildlife along the Boundary Waters is something you just don’t see in when canoeing in Iowa.

     “It was absolutely beautiful,” he said.

     While out on the lakes, the boys said it was extremely windy.

     “There were white caps on the wanes,” said Keegan.

     Each morning on the trip, the Scouts planned to be in the water by 8 a.m. Two of the nights they spent camping on isolated islands.

     “We had the island all to ourselves,” said Kirk.

     The Scouts raised money to go on the trip. The can drop-off site at the Monticello Fire Station helps with events like this. The boys also clean up the fairgrounds every morning for a donation. Earlier this year, Troop 66 hosted a merit badge clinic, which also brought in some money.

     The adults leaders feel trips like this to the Boundary Waters helps build team leadership among the Scouts.

     “We saw them work together and communication with one another,” Kirk said of the planning for each day.

     He said this trip stripped the boys of their comforts they’re use to back at home, and he couldn’t be prouder of how they conducted themselves.