From left, Connor Ahrens, Jake Werner, Aidan Cooley, Richard Thompson, Taran Cooley, Josh Mike and Zachary Beck. Photo by Pete Werner
TROOP 22 News:
Boy Scouts from Troop 22 in Los Alamos recreated the Klondike Gold Rush at their annual winter campout Feb. 12-14 at Camp Elliott Barker near Angel Fire.
In the late 1890’s, 100,000 gold prospectors traveled the frigid reaches of Alaska and Canada by dog sleds to reach the gold fields of the Klondike. They braved all kinds of winter weather, and therefore, needed great survival skills.
Scouts from Troop 22 and other regional Troops recreated this awesome trek using their heads, scouting skills, and teamwork. Scouts built their own sleds and pulled them through a race course lined with challenges that involved winter first aid, fire building in the snow, winter rescue, snowshoeing, map reading, orienteering, and animal track identification.
The Spirit of the Klondike Gold Rush lives on today in the Boy Scout Klondike Challenge. Troop 22 in Los Alamos is one of the oldest continuously chartered Troop in the United States, and can trace its roots back to the Boy’s Ranch School, which predated the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos. In 2018, the Troop will celebrate its 100th Anniversary.
The Troop meets at 7 p.m. every Wednesday at the Knights of Columbus building, 401 Trinity Dr., in Los Alamos, and boys interested in the program are always welcome to attend.
For more information about Troop 22, email Scoutmaster James Kuropatwinski at t22scoutmaster@gmail.com or call 505.412.8027. To visit the Troop’s website, click here.
