In July of 2022, Troop 581’s Viking Patrol traveled to Bissett, Canada located in the Manitoba Province for a week of canoeing in Canada’s Atikaki Provincial Park. Northern Tier Bissett is described as the “most extreme high adventure in Scouting” and is recommended only for the most seasoned Scouts. Viking Patrol is made up of the troop’s oldest Scouts and each member had at least two previous high adventure trips under their belts so they were ready for the challenge.
The trip to Bissett is not a short one and included an overnight stay in Winnipeg. The next day, the crew took a shuttle bus north to base camp. Unlike other high adventure base camps, Bissett is rather small and sparse. For most our time there, we were the only crew. That day, we met our guide Sam who, by coincidence, had been the guide for a crew Troop 581 sent to Northern Tier Atikokan the previous year. Sam helped the crew get outfitted with all the necessary gear and to plan the trek for the coming week.
The next morning, we hiked a short distance from base camp to the local lake to catch two float planes that would take us and our gear to Scout Lake (there is no way to get there by land). Once there, we loaded our four canoes and started paddling. Each day consisted of anywhere from 5 to 17 miles of paddling along the rivers, lakes and marshes of the Atikaki Park. The crew would stop along the shore for lunch, and then arrive at the night’s campsite. These were not developed campsites, but rather wild locations that the guides are familiar with that make for good camping.
Each day included several portages where crew members unloaded the canoes and moved canoes and gear over land. Sometimes it was to move from one body of water to another but often it was to go around a waterfall or other natural obstacle. Most portages at Bissett are incredibly challenging and involve traversing steep elevation changes, narrow passages, and slippery underwater obstacles. On one occasion, the crew accepted the challenge to re-open a portage called Billy Goat that had not been used for several years. The crew cleared 50 yards of overgrown trail to reach the base of a near vertical cliff. The narrow switchback path up the cliff also had be cleared. Then the crew had to carry all the gear and canoes up and over the cliff to reach the next lake. Our final portage was aptly called Heartbreak. The crew carried all the gear and pulled the canoes through half a mile of swamp that consisted of waist deep muck and quicksand, snakes and leeches. It is because of portages like this that only the strongest and most seasoned Scouts go to Bissett.
Each night’s campsite was different. At one spot, there was a big waterfall. Another day it was on an island. And yet another spot was on a cliff overlooking the river. In each case, the scenery was phenomenal. This was truly a backcountry adventure and most days, we never saw another person. Scouts busied themselves with getting water for camp, setting up tents and cooking dinner. Unlike Philmont there is no program of instruction at the campsites. Just enjoying the company and the view. There was plenty of time for fishing, napping or swimming. If there was one negative, it was the clouds of mosquitos. They were very aggressive and would bite right through your shirt. Copious amounts of insect repellent, rain gear and mosquito nets were the norm at camp.
After a week, we made it back to Scout Lake to catch our float planes and return to Base Camp where we cleaned and returned our gear, took well earned showers and got ready for the return trip home (to include a visit to the Bissett gift shop). The return trip was uneventful except for a cancelled return flight that caused us to spend an extra night in Toronto.
Our Bissett adventure proved to be an incredibly challenging yet rewarding trip. For Viking Patrol, it was a unique opportunity to experience a high adventure trip as a patrol and it served as their last big adventure in the troop as they start to age out of Boy Scouts. For us adult leaders that were part of the crew, it was a priceless opportunity. With the exception of Pete Stark, our High Adventure Coordinator, we are all father’s to Viking Patrol scouts and have watched them grow from first year Scouts and this was a special chance to share this opportunity with them as the reach the end of their Scouting careers. And it was clear to us that they met the challenge with flying colors and are truly ready for whatever challenges they will face in the future.
If you ever get the chance to go to Bissett, prepare yourself for the experience of a lifetime.