START DAY: Powerview-Pine Falls, Manitoba

END DAY: Bissett, Manitoba – Northern Tier Base Camp

Roughly two hours after leaving Powerview-Pine Falls we arrived at the Northern Tier basecamp in Bissett Manitoba.

The day was a flurry of activity with meeting our interpreters, picking up assigned gear, packing and reviewing all personal gear, packing our food, learning how to load & carry a canoe, etc., and then heading to the map room to let each of our two treks select a canoe route with guidance from their interpreter. This was both rewarding to watch the boys take charge of the planning yet uncomfortable for me at the same time. I’ve been doing BWCA/Quetico trips since 1991 and have always had maps and routes planned many months in advance. The idea of picking out a route for a nine-day trip and then heading out the next morning on this route was completely foreign to me.

A memorable experience was visiting Wynne's Place for lunch with the Scouts. It was a most unusual experience as when we arrived, the owner looked at our group of 18 and said, “we’re busy, come back in 2 hours”. When we arrived back, the owner announced that we would not need menus as we would be eating hamburgers and French fries. Since this was the only place in town, we ate the burgers and fries and enjoyed them! Apparently, the sign hanging on the wall was not actually intended to be humorous.

“This is not BURGER KING. You Don’t get it your way. You take it my way or you don’t get the damn thing.”