First-Year Trip

Each summer, eight crews venture north into Canada. A crew is comprised of seven or eight participants and one or two trained guides. The crews are split into two sessions.

Basic requirements and process

  • The minimum age of participants is men and women who have completed the tenth grade (current sophomores - seniors).

  • Any interested young men or women are required to complete a lengthy application form which is supplemented with essay questions to give the applicant a more realistic view of his or her particular motivations, needs, deficiencies, assets, etc. Crews are formed which include a diversity of talents and personalities.

  • Parents are required to attend an informational meeting that provides them with a comprehensive understanding of the program. Their role as supportive resources is clarified and emphasized.

  • Once a crew has been formed, it will meet on a regular basis (usually from April through the expedition) to plan each facet of the expedition.

  • During the pre-trip program, each young person will be exposed to a wide variety of new experiences. Canoeing, confidence challenges, camping skills, and a host of logistic skills required of a successful expedition. Each crew is given a “blank sheet of paper” on which virtually every detail must be planned. The menu is planned and food purchased, processed, packaged, and dehydrated. Routes are researched in detail to coincide with crew objectives and goals.

  • The focal point of all of our activity is a 28-day expedition into remote areas of Manitoba and/or Ontario, Canada. The expedition phase has proven to be the pivotal point in the lives of many young people. Since 1971, over 3000 participants have “grown up” as a result of this wilderness experience. Each crew paddles and portages from 250 to 450 miles through the rugged and untraveled wilderness.

 

Far North (Second Year Program)

Basic requirements and process

  • The Far North program was created as an advanced experience for participants who have already completed the first-year trip.

  • Far North crews will plan all aspects of their route and their trip. Crews can choose between a route already traveled by previous Far North crews, or they can create a route of their own. Route locations have included the Arctic, Sub Arctic, and Hudson Bay.

  • Once a crew has been formed and the route decided, it will meet on a regular basis (usually from April through the expedition) to plan each facet of the expedition.

  • The Far North Program is defined by additional development of skills and character by:

    • Psychological and Physical Challenges

    • Increased Involvement in Planning

    • Increased Leadership Opportunity

    • Another Fun, Exciting, and Safe Wilderness Adventure

    • Learn Advanced Wilderness Camping Skills

    • Experience a New Crew

    • More Extreme Conditions

Timeline

December:     Information meetings begin.
January:          Information meetings continue; applications are turned in.
February:       Applications processed. Guides are hired.
March:            Crews are assigned.
April:               Parent Meeting and crew meetings may begin.
May:                Crew meetings underway. Guide training and medical training.
June:               Food packing day, beef jerky day, First Session departs.
July:                Second Session departs, First Session arrives home.
August:          Second Session arrives home.

Session 1:    Mid June - Mid July
Session 2:    Mid July - Mid August