A dedication of the new Boy Scout camp at Mount Riley is set for noon Saturday, Oct. 13.
Organizer Sean Gaffney said the event will include a hot dog cookout, horseshoes and other games. Great Alaska Council Executive Director Clifford Crissmore of Anchorage will attend.
The dedication marks the completion of the property’s shower and bathroom facility. The improvements to the property, which is owned by the Alaska Boy Scouts, are part of a larger effort to market the camp as the “Chilkoot High Adventure Base,” in order to draw scouting groups to Haines for camping excursions.
Gaffney said the improved facility is the result of effort from volunteers in Haines. “Many people have supported it to make it happen.” He credited state Rep. Bill Thomas for securing a $140,000 legislative grant for the bathroom work. A previous $100,000 appropriation funded the well and septic work on the property.
The facility can accommodate up to 40 scouts a day, and Gaffney expects as many as two groups a week to use the camp as a base for other outings in the area. The Boy Scouts have partnered with the International Wilderness School, which Gaffney co-owns, to arrange climbing, boating and camping courses for traveling scout groups. He said four groups participated in courses this summer.
A local scouting trust, funded by John and Erma Schnabel, supports scouting in Haines and could help with future maintenance of the facility, said Gaffney.
The celebration will take place outdoors at the camp located at 2.75 Mile Mud Bay Road. Participants are advised to dress for the weather. There will be a campfire in the covered pavilion.