The basics:
2009 Northern Tier High Adventure Trip to the Bissett (Manitoba, Canada) base

Depart from Atlanta:  Thursday June 18, 2009 mid-day
      arrive to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on 18th
                     stay over night then drive to Bissett the following day (4 hour drive, need to arrive by 13.00 at base)
                     we will be on the water from the 20th through the 27th of June
      depart Bissett base at 9.00am on 28th, drive to Winnipeg
Arrive in Atlanta: Sunday June 28, 2009 late evening, night

This place is not easy to get to. There is no direct flight (one layover). Additionally, due to arrival time requirement we will be staying overnight in a hotel in Winnipeg on the night of the 18th June. We will hit the water after about an hour long float plane ride on the 20th and our last full day on the water will be the 26th. We will be leaving the base early morning on Sunday the 28th to travel home, which should take the entire day.

The other important notes:
Requirements: A scout must be age 13 or older by the departure day (June 18th 2009). There is a minimum weight requirement as well of 100lbs, scouts do grow fast and overall fitness should be considered. Both scouts and adult leaders participating in any high adventure must pass a prescribed medical exam before the trip as well as a BSA swim test (more info will be provided later). Secondary requirement for adult leaders is background check (in anticipation of one being conducted by the Canadian immigration authorities at border crossing) and at least one adult leader per crew with the BSA BALOO training and Wilderness First Aid training.

Cost: most high adventure trips cost roughly $1,000, however this one due to the complicated travel and exciting float plane ride to and from the base on the Manitoba lakes is more expensive. Our initial best estimate is $1,300 to $1,500 per person cost. This cost estimate is all inclusive, meaning transportation, hotel, meals and the outfitter fees are covered. The following is a payment schedule of the estimated fees; the troop pays the costs on behalf of the crew while each participant bears equal portion of the total cost.
      1st payment of $500--September 16, 2008
      2nd payment of $500--November 18, 2008
      3rd payment of $500--February 17, 2009

Camperships are available for scouts. They are usually worth about $200 to $300 which does greatly help with offsetting the cost of the trip. I will provide more information on campership at the next meeting after sign-up (in November). Secondly, if the crew wants to they can plan and run a special fundraising event to raise additional funds to cover a portion of the cost of the trip. Please let me or any other adult troop leader know if you are interested in organizing a special Norther Tier fundraiser.

The crew(s): currently we have one crew of size 11 counting both scouts and adult leaders. I am trying to us go as two crews of 7 each (total of 14), if I am successful I will let you know. Having two crews is actually better when it comes to logistics on the ground. The travel itinerary to and from the base would be exactly the same, however the canoeing itineraries would be different.
UPDATE on crews: we have two crews of 6 each, which is the minimum number of participants!

Sign-up: to sign up please bring a deposit of $500 (serves as first payment) to the troop meeting on September 16th. I would anticipate that this trip will fill up quick so you may not want to wait until Court of Honour (as a reminder that is on the 23rd). Should there be more interest than we currently have spaces we will have a waiting list (never know if I will be able to get us split to two crews accommodating more). Please note that with the first payment one makes a full commitment to this trip. Should one for any reason not be able to participate one is still responsible for (1) finding a replacement (this is easy if there is a waiting list) or (2) the full cost (share of cost) of the trip. Those on the waiting list are still responsible for the deposit/first payment, however it is refundable. In case of overwhelming interest the crew nominations of scouts and adults is the responsibility of our scoutmaster (note that character bucket interviews may be conducted by your scoutmaster).

Meetings, training, and other preparation: we will have initially less meetings as a group (of those signed up) but they will get more frequent as we approach the trip date. Roughly speaking we will have one more meeting before the end of this year, one February and then likely meetings every other or every third week starting mid to late March leading up to the trip. During these meeting we would be going over how to pack and prepare for the trip, including some additional trips on the weekends to either train core strength or canoeing skills, and swim test. Additional information about travel arrangements and medical forms will be distributed well in advance to those signed up for the high adventure.

Items that will be provided at the next meeting (subject to availability from Northern Tier):
campership application (please contact me before submitting any campership application)
route planning
additional passport information (all scouts and adults must have a valid passport is the bottom line)

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone.

Mike Spetko