Okpik, (

Inuit language The Inuit languages are a closely related group of indigenous American languages traditionally spoken across the North American Arctic and adjacent subarctic, reaching farthest south in Labrador. The related Yupik languages (spoken in western ...

for

snowy owl The snowy owl (''Bubo scandiacus''), also known as the polar owl, the white owl and the Arctic owl, is a large, white owl of the true owl family. Snowy owls are native to the Arctic regions of both North America and the Palearctic, breeding mos ...

) pronounced as (OOk' pick) is the

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...

cold-weather adventure program created by their

Northern Tier High Adventure Northern Tier High Adventure is a collection of high adventure bases run by the Boy Scouts of America in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of Minnesota, Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park and Canadian Crown Lands, Manitoba's Atikaki Prov ...

Bases at the Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base in

Ely, Minnesota Ely ( ) is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,268 at the 2020 census. Located on the Vermilion iron range, Ely once had several iron ore mines. It is an entry point for campers and canoers into the Bou ...

. As the result of Northern Tier's Cold Weather Training program that teaches leaders to develop their own cold-weather program there are similar programs named after and based on Okpik offered by Boy Scout councils nationally. For example, Tahosa High Adventure Base located near

Ward, Colorado Ward is a home rule municipality in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The population was 150 at the 2010 census. The town is a former mining settlement founded in 1860 in the wake of the discovery of gold at nearby Gold Hill. Once one ...

offers a program similar to Okpik; Camp William Hinds in

Raymond, Maine Raymond is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,536 at the 2020 census. It is a summer recreation area and is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. Ra ...

offers a popular Okpik program as well.

Philmont Scout Ranch Philmont Scout Ranch is a ranch located in Colfax County, New Mexico, near the village of Cimarron; it covers of wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the east side of the Cimarron Range of the Rocky Mountains. Donated by oil baro ...

, another National High Adventure Base, offers a similar cold weather camping program called Kanik. Several local councils of the BSA have named their own local winter camping programs under the Okpik name, using the ''Okpik: Cold-Weather Camping'' manual, such as ones in Michigan, Buffalo, New York, the Blackhawk Area Council in Illinois and the

Greater St. Louis Area Council The Greater Saint Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America was formed in 1911 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri. The council serves Scouts in the St. Louis Metro area, southeast Missouri, and southern and central Illinois. History It i ...

in Missouri and the Potawatomi Area Council in Wisconsin.

History

Since the early 1970s, the Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base has provided training in cold-weather camping and winter survival, while providing a place for cross-country skiing, ice-fishing, and other activities in the snow. In the early days, the Okpik program was teamed up with the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

who used the base during the week for cold weather survival training. On weekends, the Scouts would come to the base for a three-day camping experience.

Programs

Cold weather training

From January 8 to 13, older Scouts and leaders interested in learning how to develop and run a winter program for their unit or council can attend a five-day Cold Weather Training Course. The Okpik staff trains participants in the skills of safe cold weather camping and the sharing of resources among participants, with emphasis on leadership and working with young people in a cold weather environment. Winter logistics and the safety of all participants are points of emphasis.

Weekends

The weekend program is the oldest Okpik program. From Friday evening through Sunday, participating groups receive instruction in the basic skills of winter camping and have the opportunity to practice them on an overnight campout. Training in cold weather dress, first-aid, menu and equipment are included in indoor sessions. Opportunities are also available for activities in winter ecology,

igloo An igloo (Inuit languages: , Inuktitut syllabics (plural: )), also known as a snow house or snow hut, is a type of shelter built of suitable snow. Although igloos are often associated with all Inuit, they were traditionally used only b ...

building, and other cold weather activities. Extra days can be added for school planning days and the

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monda ...

holiday.

Holiday stay

Between

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

and

New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...

Scouts and Venturers from further away can expand their outdoor program into the north woods winter. With the extensive outfitting capabilities of the program along with instruction, even novice groups have the opportunity to enjoy the skiing, snowshoeing, and other activities.

Musher Camp

Those attending Musher Camp learn about

dog sledding Mushing is a sport or transport method powered by dogs. It includes carting, pulka, dog scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled, most commonly ...

. Participants stay in heated Musher Camp "yurts" located next to the dog yard at Okpik base camp. Staying in a

quinzhee A quinzhee or quinzee is a Canadian snow shelter made from a large pile of loose snow that is shaped, then hollowed. This is in contrast to an igloo, which is built up from blocks of hard snow, and a snow cave, constructed by digging into the s ...

(snow dome) is an option. Participants learn how to train, care for, harness, and run

sled dog A sled dog is a dog trained and used to pull a land vehicle in Dog harness, harness, most commonly a Dog sled, sled over snow. Sled dogs have been used in the Arctic for at least 8,000 years and, along with watercraft, were the only transport ...

s. Participants have the opportunity to mush his or her own team on wilderness day trips or by visiting other Okpik crews and sharing their expertise at dog sledding. Musher Camp programs are limited to at least a three-day trek.

Skiing, snowshoeing, and dog sled treks

Participants ski, snowshoe, or have a

dog sled A dog sled or dog sleigh is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing. Traditionally in Greenland and the e ...

transport their gear while they ski along to a distant backcountry site. These programs are for older (14-years old by the day of arrival) Scouts who can spend at least two nights on the trail.

Cabin stay

This program is for younger Scouts that are accompanying a group of older Scouts, or visiting Okpik on their own. This program includes skiing, snowshoeing, dog sled rides, and other winter activities. The group will stay in heated cabins and cook their meals outside. This program is open to any registered Scout youth member.

External links

*{{Official website, http://ntier.org/OKPIK.aspx
Okpik (OOk’ pick) - Blackhawk Area Council
at

Blackhawk Area Council (Northern Illinois) Scouting in Illinois has served youth since 1909. The state was the home of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) founder, William D. Boyce. Early history (1910–1950) In 1946, the National Order of the Arrow Lodge Meeting was held at Chanute Field. ...

Okpik Cold Weather Camping Course
at

Denver Area Council Scouting in Colorado has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day. Early history (1910–1950) Scouting got a brisk start in Colorado. The Denver Council was founded in 1915, and in 1926 changed its name to the Denver Area Council, whic ...

Okpik Cold Weather Camping Course
at

Boy Scouts of America