Twenty-five scouts and 10 parents enjoyed a pretty Saturday and Sunday morning in northern Maryland.
The backpacking format for this trip gave every scout a chance to plan a menu and prepare his own meals.
We learned from a Park Ranger this morning that a mama bear and cub have been seen in the park. But we were already taking precautions (no food in tents, all 'smellables' in the bear bags, etc). Our only wildlife siting was when one of the parents was up in the night and a fox bolted through the campsite.
This trip was a nice warm-up for more adventuresome backpacking trips we look forward to doing in the future. We had a one-mile hike from the parking lot to the site. And the site had picnic tables, potable water, and a latrine.
I think the boys all did very well on the trip. I know we had at least 3 boys who had never been backpacking before. And very few have done it more than a handful of times. So it was great to see them all being successful.
Regarding upcoming events, this Tuesday is the PLC (scouts in leadership positions and senior guys). I believe today is the last day to sign-up for the Taney trip (in January). And we have the Lock-In in December.
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.
Mr. Forrer (AKA Ian's dad)