Boy Scouts paddle marine trail from Lakeside to Polson

A group of Kalispell Boy Scouts didn’t anticipate having to battle 2-foot waves, 30 mph winds and gusts up to 50 mph on their paddling excursion from Lakeside to Polson in mid-July, but they’re scouts so they persevered.

The jaunt from Cedar Island to Rollins that windy day should have taken 45 minutes. Instead, they paddled for two and a half hours.

“The great thing is nobody lost their cool. They demonstrated courage and great paddling skills,” Troop 1933 Scoutmaster Jim Vance said.

He started July 19 with 10 boys ages 11 to 17 and former Scoutmaster Gene Thomas, using three canoes and five kayaks. When they arrived in Polson five days later they were down to five boys. One youth got severely sunburned and dropped out; others were too fatigued to continue.

Vance, who was the swimming director at the Boy Scout camp on Melita Island for three years, guided the troop members along the Flathead Lake Marine Trail with the idea of creating more interest in the marine route and giving the boys an opportunity for a real aquatic adventure. It was the first long-distance paddle he had guided.

In the past, the troop completed a 68-mile float on the Missouri River, but “floating and being on the lake are two different things,” Vance noted.

The scouts stayed at state parks a couple of nights and spent one night on Bird Island. After the afternoon of wind and waves, the exhausted group opted to set up their tents and sleep on the lawn of Vance’s friend, Shane Barfoot. The group had planned to restock supplies at Rollins.

Thomas accompanied Vance and the boys for the first three days of the trip; then Vance’s wife, Mariah, came along the last two days.

The trip whet Vance’s appetite for more adventure next year. He’s contemplating a virtual Boy Scout camp on the water next year, possibly staying on a houseboat.

“The idea for next year is to have more support on the water; go to specific locations where we can talk about nature and the biology of the lake,” Vance said.

It would be an opportunity to teach more comprehensive boating skills, he added.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.