Scouts from Troop 103 of St. Joseph Parish, Hanover, visited the mountainous trails of Camp Tuckahoe in mid-February to put their knowledge of outdoor survival skills to work during the annual Winter Klondike.
This event, designed to replicate the historic Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1800s in Alaska, provided opportunities for scouts to mimic that journey. They pulled a specially designed sled packed with necessary supplies and gear to rotate through stations designed to challenge their survival and problem solving skills.
These skills included the use of lashings to make a ladder high enough to retrieve a flag at the top of a pavilion, using their knowledge of first aid to save a simulated avalanche victim, and utilizing teamwork and problem solving skills to complete a variety of other tasks throughout the day.
While Troop 103 did not earn the fastest time, they were winners in other ways. They reaped the benefits of working together and encouraging each other to keep going all the way through to the finish line. They earned a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing they worked hard, strengthened their skills, and learned something new while having a lot of fun in the process.