In 1896, a group of five people discovered gold deposits along the Klondike River in Canada’s Yukon Territory, sparking the famous Klondike Gold Rush.

Although there likely aren’t any gold deposits in Suffolk and Isle of Wight County, a group of brave Boy Scouts embarked on the Klondike Derby Saturday as a test of their skills, endurance and teamwork.

“It’s a fun way to let the boys compete in scout skills,” said Dan Williamson, Scoutmaster of Troop 36 in Carrollton.

Several Suffolk troops participated in the frigid fun, which included a campout on Friday night, the Klondike Derby all day Saturday, the Order of the Arrow call-out Saturday night, and was expected to wrap up this morning. The event was held on the property of Isle of Wight Materials, on U.S. Route 10 north of Chuckatuck.

The Klondike Derby is a Boy Scout tradition that started in this area at least 10 years ago, Williamson said. For the Klondike Derby, individual troops built sleds, stocked them with 15 required items, and competed in 16 different stations, each one testing them on scout skills such as knot-tying, fire-building, first aid, orienteering (using a map and compass), and other skills such as leadership, teamwork and problem-solving.

The Scouts earned points at each station for completing the task, as well as additional points for things such as spirit and teamwork.

The boys lined up with their sleds, with boys instead of a dog team, and were off at the sound of a rifle shot. Scout leaders from each troop were at each station to lead the boys in the station’s requirements.

At one station, scouts earned one point for each push-up and sit-up they could do. At another, they simulated a water rescue by crawling across the freezing, wet ground, holding a pole to hold onto if they broke through the “ice.”

At yet another station, scouts had to start a fire with flint and steel, and build it high enough to burn a string stretched across the fire pit. Scouts built up their confidence in one another at a station where they competed in a wheelbarrow race – with the driver blindfolded and the rider giving the commands.

Other stations challenged the boys to hit targets with tomahawks, practice first aid, tie different kinds of knots, lift a bucket of cement over a cliff, and more. The most important challenge of the race, though, was safely carrying a “vaccine,” otherwise known as a raw egg, safely to the end of the course. The scouts received extra points if the egg was unbroken by the end of the derby.

“In the end, it’s worth it,” said Bobby Locke, a Boy Scout.

Several of the scouts and helpers insisted it wasn’t “that cold,” although temperatures hovered just above freezing during the first hours of the derby.

“I love the troop, and I like what we stand for,” said Nathan Mason, who was participating in his third Klondike Derby. “You never know what’s gonna happen.”

Russel Sanchez, 14, helped at one of the stations.

“I’ve done this two times,” he said, in between telling younger scouts which kind of knot to tie at the water rescue station. “I thought it would be fun.”

At the end of the derby, awards were given to first, second and third place sled teams, as well as the first, second and third place novice teams, participating in their first derby. Scouts then got to use the golden nuggets they had earned along the trail in an auction.

At the end of the night came the Order of the Arrow call-out. During the solemn, campfire-lit ceremony, several scouts were asked to join the Order of the Arrow, the prestigious Boy Scout honor society.

Sunday morning, the boys were scheduled to have a church service and clear the property, the use of which was donated by Isle of Wight Materials Co.

“They’ve been very gracious about it,” said Roxann Williams, the Klondike Derby chairwoman.

The event was hosted by Troop 36 in Carrollton, but troops from throughout Suffolk, Isle of Wight County, Surry County, Hampton, Newport News and Gloucester participated.

“It’s really good for boys to do this,” Williamson said.