Sandy Bridges Program Center (part II)

One of the things I never got around to was showing off a little bit more of the Sandy Bridges Program Center. So in a fit of nostalgia for Up North, here's some more information about it (at least as it was at the end of the summer).

The front of SBPC

Out front is really nice (at least in the summer). I personally think that the large stones give a nice touch. Scouts could probably throw around a ball or Frisbee on the lawn after getting off water too. "The Boy Scout" statue also gives the area a nice little touch.

"The Boy Scout"

"The Boy Scout" (click to enlarge)

Main entrance

The main entrance leads directly to the mess hall. Interpreters and leaders do official check-in (getting permits, checking paperwork, etc.) in an office directly by the entrance too.

All the goodies are upstairs. There is the porch, which is absolutely great for sitting with a Dorthy Malter's Root Beer, hanging out with a crew after a trip, or just relaxing anytime. The trading post and snack stand both see a lot of business.

The new trading post

I love the new trading post. It is so much more spacious and could almost completely outfit a scout who wasn't prepared. There's not EVERYTHING (I don't think they have sleeping bags or pads), but there's certainly a lot. Need an Otterbox for your camera? Got it. Want a fashionable Northern Tier belt? Sure! Loved Hudson Bay Bread so much you want to make it at home? We've got mix. Want to read up on all the best fishing techniques? There are guide books. Loved your trip so much that you want start planning your own back home? You can even buy the the same (but new) packs you used on trail.

For a more complete list of what is offered at the Trading Post, go to their website: http://northerntiertradingpost.org/

I didn't spend nearly as much time in the snack shop, though it has some good stuff too (the root beer floats are great). Ice cream, candy, root beer, and slushies are some of the things they offer.

For most visitors, that's all there is upstairs. There's a sink and place to make coffee and a couple of conference rooms, but when I was there they weren't for crew use. I would guess that they'll be used more for training and official conferences.

All and all, having the new Sandy Bridges Program Center this last summer was fantastic. It's a great addition to the base.

An End and a Beginning

There's a lot I can say about this summer, but if there is one thing that sums it up more than anything else, it was that this summer was absolutely AMAZING. I loved the people I met this summer, whether it was the people I worked with or the crews that I guided. You all made my summer great.

Unfortunately, it was so great I did not get enough time to finish all the blogs I wanted: my last couple of trips, another on the new Sandy Bridges Program center, one on Leave No Trace. Hopefully I'll get around to writing them eventually, but for the moment I have a new adventure: studying abroad in Germany.

Thank you everyone for the fantastic summer.

To end, I have this poem from Sam Cook:

“Up North is a certain way the wind feels on your face and the way an old wool shirt feels on your back. It’s the peace that comes over you when you sit down to read one of your old trip journals, or the anticipation that bubbles inside when you start sorting through your tackle box in the early spring.

Up north is the smell of the Duluth pack hanging in your basement and the sound of pots clinking across the lake. It’s a raindrop clinging to a pine needle and the dancing light of a campfire on the faces of friends.

Up north is a lone set of cross-country ski tracks across a wilderness lake and wood smoke rising from a cabin chimney. It’s bunchberries in June, blueberries in July and wild rice in September.

Each of us has an up north. It’s a time and place far from the here and now. It’s a map on the wall, a dream in the making, a tugging at one’s soul. For those who feel the tug, who make the dream happen, who put the map in the packsack and go, the world is never quite the same again.

We have been Up North. And part of us always will be.”

-Sam Cook as quoted from his book "Up North."

3rd Trip - Horse River I

So I am finally getting around to writing this blog. As I mentioned in my last post, I was unable to take pictures on this trip. It's been a while and I have had 2 trips in between, so I may have forgotten some of the finer details of the trip as well.

In summary, my crew (who were a lot of fun) paddled for 5 days for a total of 75 miles. I only did 65 of those miles because I stayed in camp for the other 10. We had Alumacraft canoes.

Day 1: Moose Lake (Base) to Pipestone Bay (Basswood) via Hoist Bay

Our first day we left base and quickly hit the portages in and out of Wind Lake. Both portages are about a half-mile long and can be rough for new crews. We had a floating lunch after getting passed Wind Bay. From there we pushed down through Hoist Bay, up Back Bay, and across into Pipestone Bay, where we made camp. The campsite we had is one of the biggest I've seen in the BWCA, which was nice. That night I tried making apple pie (with apples saved from lunch) for the first time. It was delicious.

Day 2: Pipestone Bay (Basswood) to Basswood River via Horse Lake

We pushed hard our second day. From Pipestone Bay, we portaged into Jackfish, paddled a creek, went through Sandpit Lake, Tin Can Mike Lake, Horse Lake, and up the Horse River. All told we had 8 portages and 4 or 5 river walks that day. We had lunch on Horse Lake and camped on a peninsula between Lower Basswood Falls and Wheelbarrow Falls.

Day 3: Basswood River to Basswood Lake

Day three was short. Before loading the canoes, we went west past Lower Basswood Falls to visit the pictographs on Crooked Lake. We ate breakfast at the falls. We then pushed back east up the Basswood River through the Horse Portage to our campsite, which wasn't far.

Day 4:

We were hoping to do a dawn paddle down the length of Basswood, but unfortunately the wind was still kicking when I woke up at 3:00 AM. We delayed wake up a while and still ended up getting on the water early. We saw a large group of bald eagles rounding United States Points: 3 or 4 mature and 7 or 8 immature eagles (immature eagles do not yet have the white head or tail feathers). Unfortunately, the campsites that I had hoped to stay at were taken by motor boater campers, so my crew decided to push on to Horseshoe Island in Newfound Lake. It was a good long day. The campsite on Horseshoe I. is great for swimming, so we took advantage of that.

Day 5:

Our last day we slept in (a little) before having oatmeal and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. My crew did the necessary laps around the island to push them up to 75 miles for the trip and we headed off to Scout Island and base.

For their skit the, the did a rewrite of "In the Jungle, the lion sleeps tonight." If any of you are reading this, I want the lyrics.

Although I'm generally not a fan of short trips, the crew was great, the trip was great, and I would have loved to make it longer.

A Beautiful Night

It was a beautiful night... A purple sunset, a rising full moon, and ice cream from the OA.

Going on trail tomorrow on a Horse River Loop.