In Summer 2005, Troop 164 traveled to Alaska on Tundra Trek. Scouts spent a week in Fairbanks, Denali and several small state parks in Alaska. The trip began with a hike alongside a glacier. While the scouts really enjoyed spending time near the glacier, the highlight of this stop was the “ice fishing.” After returning from the hike, several scouts discovered that the river that flowed through our campsite was full of ice floating down from the glacier above.  The scouts spent early into the next morning figuring out ways to catch the ice floating down the river.

    Traveling north in an intimidating caravan of 5 minivans, the next stop on Tundra Trek was a boat tour of several area glaciers. The scouts saw many beautiful mountains, glaciers and sights, and enjoyed seeing otters playing in the water near the boat. After returning to the campsite, scouts continued to enjoy the wonderful nature of Alaska, as most were kept up all night by the terrifying call of the Pacific Loon that had wandered down the road from our campsite.

    The highlight of Tundra Trek was two nights spent in Denali National Park, home of Mt. McKinley. The troop took an eight-hour bus ride tour of the park (the only way to get into the park), with stops to see bears, mountain goats, and Mt. McKinley. The scouts took a hike to climb a mountain deep within the park and spent some time longing on the Tundra. This trip through one of America’s most remote and untouched natural parks was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these scouts and everyone had a great time.
Submitted by Ryan Carey