PROGRAM OVERVIEWThe trek or “quest” is a 5-day and 4-night excursion that will follow the North Country National Scenic Trail with optional rendezvous with the Muskegon, Pere Marquette, Pine, or Manistee Rivers for day or overnight float trips. All treks will be accompanied by a trained Owasippe trail guide. Two of the above-mentioned rivers are “white-water” routes and should be traversed by experienced canoeists only.
There are three types of Treks to choose from:
BACKPACK – 5 days of Backpacking
BACKPACK/CANOE – 3 days of Backpacking & 2 days of Canoeing
CANOE — 5 days of canoeing
[mappress mapid=”7″] LOCATION DESCRIPTION
The forests of northern Michigan are rich in history. In the late 1800s logging was at its peak and these forests were quickly cut and cleared. The Manistee National Forest was formed in 1938. Working hand in hand with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and other partners, the Forest Service has changed the “lands that nobody wanted” to healthy forests again.
PROGRAM HISTORY
The Carlen High Adventure Base (CHAB) is a fully-staffed section camp at Owasippe Scout Reservation devoted solely to administering backpacking treks and canoe float trips through the Manistee National Forest just east or north of Owasippe via a program dubbed “The Manistee Quest”. From this base camp, older Scouts or Venturers will receive training in specific skills necessary for their selected trek, get detailed instructions regarding their gear and route, participate in a mini-trek prior to their departure, and enjoy some recreation activities before and after their trek. Crews will operate solely from CHAB rather than from any of the other reservation section camps that they can attend.
| Average Annual Participation | Average Individual Cost (excluding travel) | Program Season | Participants can sign up as | Specialized gear required? | Average Program length |
| >100 | $200-$300 | June-August | Either crews or individuals | Yes | 6 days |
PARTICIPANTS NEED
Personal backpacking equipment including good boots, backpack, rain gear, or other basic equipment. Tents, cooking gear, and other crew related gear can be provided by the camp.
CONTACT INFORMATIONWebsite
Email the Director Christian Townsend: christian.townsend AT scouting.orgContact the Chicago Area Council camping department at 312-421-8800 x 226