Our Summer Wilderness Canoe Trips Application Window is Now Open!

We couldn’t be more excited to officially launch these trips in June! Years of planning, buying gear, and last summer’s successful test trip have us READY!

Please read the info below and then apply HERE. We’ll accept applications until Dec. 31st. If you know of a young man who could benefit from this amazing experience, please tell them about it! We need Adult Mentors too!

Location: Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area (Ely, Minnesota)

Trip Overview: Boundary Waters is a 1.2 million-acre wilderness area on the Canada/Minnesota border, with over 1,000 pristine lakes. With no roads, structures, or motors allowed, its clear waters, solitude, and wildlife make it a canoeing paradise. The fishing is outstanding! Participants will spend the first two nights at a rented house in Ely, learning the wilderness skills they’ll use in Boundary Waters. They’ll spend five nights canoeing, fishing, camping and exploring, with the final night at the rented house in Ely. Throughout the experience, everyone will participate in Campfire Talks; these are biblically-based discussions on Christian manhood (more info below).

Dates:

TRIP 1: Participants arrive at noon on Saturday, June 8th and depart the morning of Sunday, June 16th.

TRIP 2: Participants arrive at noon on Saturday, June 22nd and depart the morning of Sunday, June 30th.

Trip Composition: Boundary Waters rules limit groups to a max of 9 people. Each group of 9 will have a Lead Guide, Assistant Guide, 5 youth and 2 Adult Mentors. Each trip will have 2 groups running simultaneously: we have a total of 20 youth and 8 Mentor slots available

Who’s Eligible/Requirements:

Youth: Young men ages 12-18 at the time of the trip (exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis). No canoeing/outdoor experience is necessary. Youth without a father figure in their life will have priority; if we have room, however, we’ll take young men who do have a father figure in their life.

Adults Mentors: These are adult men who are Believers with a heart for Christ. They must have canoeing/camping/fishing experience, as they will assist the young men as needed. Mentors may be the father/relative of a young man on the trip, but it’s not required.

Cost/What We Provide: Of Mountains & Men provides nearly everything for this life-shaping experience. All equipment is provided: canoes, tents, sleeping bags, fishing gear, etc. All main meals are provided, and we cover the cost of youth fishing licenses. Transportation costs to/from Ely are a participant’s responsibility. Participants need only bring their clothing/personal gear/snacks. A detailed packing list will be sent to all participants.

How To Apply: Applications will be accepted Dec. 1-31, 2023 through our website. Applicants will be notified in the January 2024 timeframe as to if they’ve been selected or are on our standby list.

Safety: Safety is stressed throughout the trip. Life jackets must be worn by all participants when on the water and ample first-aid kits are provided. The guides are highly-experienced canoers and Head Guides are intimately familiar with the lakes and portages. All guides are CPR-certified. Teams are equipped with GPS’s capable of instant communication with emergency-response personnel.

What Youths Will Gain From This Experience: OMM’s Mission is to “Guide Teens Into Christian Manhood.” This trip will help the young men on their journey in 2 ways:

Confidence-Producing Skills: A critical component of manhood is possessing confidence. Confidence is gained through learning valuable skills, particularly wilderness skills. Through this trip, the young men will gain the following skills:

Canoeing

Fishing

Navigating With Map & Compass

Fire starting

Water Purification

First Aid

Camp Operations – Tents, cooking, etc.

Field Hygiene

Campfire Talks: Throughout the trip, everyone participates in our Campfire Talks. These are biblically-based discussions centered on the book ‘Wild At Heart’ by John Eldredge. They’ll help the young men begin to answer four questions:

What does it mean to be a man?

How do I become one?

How do I understand what a girl/woman really is?

How do I become truly alive?

During the final Campfire Talk, each young man will receive a knife engraved with their name as a symbol of their developing manhood.

Check out the description/photos from our 2023 Test Trip HERE!

Have Questions? Email us at omm.ministry@gmail.com