Klondike Derby a golden opportunity

ATHOL — After an intense session of lashing together wooden poles, Boy Scouts of Troop 228 Coeur d'Alene stood them up and steadied them as Scout Carter Waldon climbed to reach a hanging target suspended in the trees.

"We have to lash the poles together using rope, different kinds of lashings that there are, and if they're done right, everything should hold fine," said Carter, 15. "But if they're done wrong, you'll slide, fall, come off, so you got to make sure you're doing it right."

Carter and his patrol mates made it through the lashing station without a hitch during the Northern Tier Klondike Derby on Saturday. They showed off bags of "gold" nuggets they earned at previous stations to illustrate just how knowledgeable their troop is when it comes to Scouting.

"It's pretty awesome," Carter said. "It’s fun to help teach the younger Scouts how to do Scout skills, getting out in the forest and doing what is really helpful in life for when you're camping and stuff."

"I like camping and all the things we do in camping," said Troop 228 member Tim Biggs, 12. "We do interesting stuff in Scouts."

Carter said it makes for a sense of fun and adventure. Fellow Scout Zach McGee said that's especially true in the snow.

"I think it's fun to learn some winter survival skills, and also just being together with your friends," said Zach, 11.

More than 400 Boy Scouts of the Inland Northwest Council made their way to 16 activity stations as they earned those nuggets of gold and winter wisdom during the annual Klondike Derby, which was held in Farragut State Park for the first time in 12 years.

"We have a lot of history here," said district executive Tim Williams. "It's the 50th anniversary of the national jamboree."

The Scouts pushed, pulled and carried their handmade sleds filled with all of their necessities around the 2.9-mile loop as they stopped at Klondike Gold Rush-themed stations like Juneau, Nome and Circle City to shoot BB guns, start fires, manage simulated nuclear waste situations, practice first aid and howl their patrol cheers for judges.

"We are what we eat, and we eat squirrels," said grinning Troop 279 Post Falls Boy Scout Gavin Calkins, 14, as he shared his patrol's chant.

Gavin has been a Scout for three years and attended Klondike derbies in the past.

"It's fun to just walk around and do a ton of events," he said.

The derby began Friday night with a snow campout and ends today. A $100 gift card for new gear will be awarded to the patrol with the most "gold" nuggets.

Williams said it was exciting to have the Klondike at Farragut because it was a new experience for most of the Scouts.

"It's a great challenge for the Scouts," he said. "It gets them in elements that people aren't usually out in to test their skills and their knowledge and really to have a lot of fellowship and competitiveness.”