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Northern Tier Canoe Base ExpeditionJuly 10 - July 20, 2002Tuesday, July 9, 2002
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We met at DFW International Airport at 6:00 AM. For weeks I had been fretting over all the paperwork that was required for our trip. Airline tickets, float plane reservations, parental permission slips, passports, birth certificates, medical forms, swim test documentation, crew roster, national tour permit, contact phone numbers in Winnipeg, shuttle bus reservations for two adults and nine scouts were all ensconced in a portfolio in my carry on day pack. What critical document had I forgotten that was going to ruin the trip for the whole crew? I knew the question was going to nag at me until we had boarded the last flight for home. Before we could get on the water, we first had to fly to Chicago, connect on a different airline to Winnipeg, clear customs into Canada, meet with our hosts, take a shuttle bus to Bissett, process our medical forms and other documents at base camp, and fly on the float plane to Scout Lake. At any juncture, not having the proper documents could scuttle the trip. I was a wreck. We said goodbye to and hugged our families after a dozen last photographs, and we were off, almost. Apparently being last the clear airport security earns one the privilege of being screened, scanned, wanded, and being allowed to unlace and remove one's hiking boots for inspection. I guess the uniform made me look suspicious, or perhaps it was assumed that anyone who would knowingly and voluntarily undertake such a journey in the company of nine healthy adolescent male humans not related to him must be insane. The scene was to be repeated in Chicago, when one of the gate security guards mistakenly thought that one of our guys was trying to re-enter the terminal area through the same gate that the rest of us were using to board the flight to Winnipeg. We arrived in Winnipeg without further incident where we were greeted by members of the 53rd Winnipeg Scout Group, our hosts for the rest of the day and evening. In planning the trip I had inquired of the scout office in Winnipeg regarding possibilities for low cost accommodations for the night, since we would not be due in Bissett until the next day. What resulted was not one, but two different scout organizations vying with each other for the privilege of not only putting us up for the night at no cost, but also of feeding us and providing transportation to and from the airport. It was finally decided that one group would host us at the beginning of our trip and the other, at the end. We were humbled and very grateful for the outpouring of scout spirit from both of these groups. Adults from the 53rd Winnipeg Group met us at the airport and drove us to the local scout shop where we got to visit with the folks and also purchase Canadian Scouting memorabilia. Later, one of the adults from the 53rd shared with me that the folks at the scout shop had been most complimentary of our guys and their friendly courtesy. While we were loading our gear into their vehicles at the airport, through a coincidence we met the staffer who was to be our instructor and interpreter during our trek. He had accompanied his previous crew, also from Texas, to the airport. We were to stay at the building of the Charleswood United Church, who sponsors the 53rd. On to the way our hosts kindly allowed us to stop at the ubiquitous WalMart for some last minute provisions, including fuel for the camp stoves we would be using on the trek. At the church building we were welcomed by more adults and by uniformed scouts who were proudly displaying the group's various scouting flags. That evening we were treated to a wonderful meal and lots of fun. We learned a most wonderful way to tie a knot, thanks to "Knot Boy", and generally spent the rest of the evening getting to know and visiting with our new Canadian friends. Lesson learned: Don't send Mr. Clarkson out to rent a movie without specifying which movie is to be rented. We bedded down for the night. |
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