Boy Scout Troop 477 has just completed a trip of a lifetime! Beginning on July 18 and ending on July 25 the scouts canoed over fifty miles of the Mississagi River on Queens Land in Ontario, Canada. The Mississagi River is one of the most picturesque rivers in Ontario and the scouts had their share of it. “Making memories” said Scoutmaster Jack Brigham regarding the trip, and that’s exactly what they did. They made memories that will last them a lifetime
The scouts began their trip in Thessalon, Ontario, a small town of about 3,000 people. There they stayed the night in the local church and were greeted warmly by the people of the town. The next afternoon, with winds from the south, the scouts began the adventure. As they made their way south on the river they encountered a forest so dense you could barely see the tree behind the first row and trees so desperate for sunlight they grew horizontally. On the first day the scouts only went three miles and stopped to make camp for the night.
On third day of the scouts’ week long excursion the scouts came across many rapids and plenty of cliffs that went straight up. Trees and other vegetation grew from the rocks. The area around the Mississagi River used to have a lot of logging and logs sticking out of the water was a constant danger for if you ran into one you may end up flipping the canoe.
On the fourth day the water was high and we paddled thirteen miles in only three hours. We made our camp at a place called Pig Pen Chutes. The Scouts had to climb steep rocks to reach the campsite. The scouts spent the afternoon going down the chutes and fishing. On the rocky shore the scouts could find a variety of different plants and trees. They stayed the night there and the next day there. On the second day at Pig Pen Chutes the scouts continued to fish, walk the rock shoreline, and canoe. That evening the scouts ventured across the river to the opposite shore to collect the blueberries that were plentiful in that area.
On the final day of canoeing the scouts paddled seventeen miles in only three hours. As they paddled across Tunnel Lake they observed several eagles in the sky. Once they had set up camp many of the scouts went fishing and caught bass, pike, and walleye in the river and the lake. That night there was the clearest sky that you could see. You could see hundreds of stars that you would not see in many places. The sky was clear enough that you could see the arms of the Milky Way and shooting stars were a frequent sight. The next morning we drove back to Thessalon and from there came home.
On trips like this you learn much about yourself and learn new skills and take on new challenges, maybe things you didn't think you'd ever do. And the memories you make in the process will be with you for a lifetime
Kevin C