Sugarloaf Mountain Hike

Our August pre-season warm up hike was lovely.

The temperature was warm enough to allow us all to generate a healthy glow but not too warm to cause discomfort.

After the park gates opened at 8 a.m. the small, but perfectly formed team headed up Sugarloaf Mountain to the East parking lot. Our route was to take us up and over the mountain, around the backside a little bit and back to the parking lot about 6.5 miles. Simple, right?

Well, despite the moderate length, this little hike definitely packed a punch or two. There were some very insistent ups and equally rude downs. On leaving the parking lot all smiles and giggles were more or less immediately wiped out by a vertical climb that made scaling the north face of the Eiger seem like a stroll to the corner shop to pick up a pint of milk and kitkat!

After much huffing and puffing we reached the top and got that all important payoff. A view west over the Dickerson power plant and into good old Northern Virginia. We wondered around the mountain on a mix of trails that either tested old ankles as we passed over rock fields or soothed them as we walked on beautifully maintained sandy paths that reminded us of fluffy kitchens.

During lunch (at the wrong spot!) someone bored the group with tales of quartzite and the Appalachian orogeny which I found fascinating! Once we found the White Rocks overlook we headed back to the parking lot and completed a very nice (but challenging) walk in the woods.

Next up, our first 10 miler of the season in September.

If you want to see the photos from the hike, click here.

Powhatan Summer Camp 2019

Camp Powhatan surprised all of the Troops with evening activities and events every night. The meals at camp were surprisingly good, and had all of the nutrition needed to power our bodies. However, if you were not satisfied with the food they had to offer, you could head to the Trading Post to pick up some nachos or some mozzarella sticks.

As Scouts finished up their merit badges, they were looking forward to seeing if they had earned the badge, or just a partial. Typically, if you had followed the directions in camp, and had finished the pre-requisites, you would get the badge. Powhatan offered tons of badges to acquire, like Medicine, Sports, Geocaching, and even Swimming (but you had to go to a different camp to do water sports).

The lake was probably the least favorite part about the trip, as it wasn’t filled due to the dam breaking during the winter. Even though we had a huge thunderstorm one of the nights, it still wasn’t swimmable by the end of the week.

Before we knew it, Friday was upon us, and we were doing the very last requirements for our Merit Badges, and saying our goodbyes to our counselors. We had a “cookout” on the last night with pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and brownies. It was the tastiest meal that week. Powhatan hosted the closing campfire, in which the staff performed funny skits.

Saturday morning was very early, as we packed up our trunks, and made our way down the hill to wait for our transportation to the turnaround point for our charter bus. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication with the school bus driver and we waited almost an hour for him to show up. We got onto the bus, drove to the turnaround point, got onto the charter bus, and drove 4 and a half hours back to McLean.

Overall, the camp was amazing, and we only have good things to say about Camp Powhatan. (except for the lake :) )

If you want to see the photos, click here.

Assateague island Beach Campout

The Troop’s annual trip to the beach is a favorite of many Scouts because it takes place right after the end of the school year. There is no worry about what homework is lurking at home and no rush to be at the beach at a specific time because the beach and the ocean will be there all weekend.

This year’s trip had a few twists. First, the destination was Assateague State Park in Maryland, rather than Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware. One of Assateague State Park’s main attractions is that the beach is just a short walk over the dune from the youth camping area. This meant that little quality time was devoted to walking from the campsite to the beach and then back again.

Second, the weather was absolutely gorgeous, with clear skies and unseasonably mild temperatures. These conditions made it much easier to cope with the sun and the lack of shade trees in the campsite.

Third, thanks to a departure time on Friday morning, most of the crew was able to spend two nights at the park and make three leisurely trips to the beach and swim in the ocean, play in the sand, watch the airshow taking place in Ocean City, or spy the occasional dolphin splashing in the distance.

As usual, the food was really good. Grubmasters Adam, Adem, Christopher, and Rohan prepared a variety of dishes, ranging from Troop standards, such as pasta with marinara sauce, sandwiches with cheese and luncheon meat, and walking tacos, to food not usually served on our outings, such as jambalaya, grilled cheese sandwiches, kabobs, and cookies and biscuits baked at home. Fruit and vegetables were even part of some meals.

Three BSA Units were our neighbors at the youth camping area—including Troop 2119, the Troop of female Scouts chartered by the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. This was Troop 2119’s first overnight beach campout, and we look forward to several joint trips with them in the coming Scouting Year.

Many thanks to Anna Fernau for organizing this year’s beach campout. Our plan is to return to Assateague State Park next year, and we have already reserved the entire youth camping area for Troops 1916 and 2119 for the first weekend of summer vacation in 2020.

If you want to see the photos, click here.

Big Schloss Multi-option Hike

A 6 a.m. meet up is early in anyone’s book. But because of the 20 miles to be hiked this was necessary. Yesterday involved two options for the hikers, a 15-mile loop and an extended 20-mile loop. That’s a long way in case you’re wonderin’.

The team met at Total Wine and then headed west on 66 to 81 for a meet up at the Exxon at exit 283. Coffee was replenished, and I got myself a very nice (it turns out) locally made strawberry and rhubarb fried pie as a post-hike treat. We then headed towards the hills for about 20 minutes and parked up.

Once all gear was in packs and boots on the scouts went through the usual pre-game ballet of orienting maps and doing various impressions of a Saturday Night Fever dance when asked to point in the direction that they think we will be leaving the parking lot. As always, by chance 25% of them got it right, but not knowing who they are or why, it didn’t help expedite our departure. After we told them (for the 20th time) to turn the map over and read the first line, “head up the fire road” that gave most, but not all, the information they needed.

We eventually headed off at 8:20 and began a lazy meander to the base of Big Schloss. The climb up was a definite conversation killer and with the rising temps causing little salty rivulets to begin running down faces and other parts of the body we certainly realized we were in for a good days work. Once at the top we headed south towards Big Schloss (in order to make the various hike distances a couple of out-and-backs were added on) where there were some great views. Because of all the rain parts of the trail were pretty overgrown with lush green vegetation and with the temperature now hitting the mid-80s, in the exposed parts is was quite steamy.

It was a pretty relaxed walk north along the ridge where at times your feet straddled the VA/WVA border. Distant rumbles let us know something was coming our way. We stopped at a spring for lunch and that’s when the storm hit. Luckily or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, the rain only lasted a few minutes, but it was enough to cool us down. Water bottles were refilled from the spring (using a filter of course) and then we saddled up for the rest of the day.

About a mile later we reached the intersection where the 15 milers would head home and the 20 milers would do a 5 mile out-and-back to Half Moon Overlook. If you ever get a chance to go to this overlook, please do, it’s amazing.

The 15 milers headed back down to the parking lot and were comfortably in their cars by 4:15 p.m. and going home, a job well done. The scouts were Brandon P, Teddy W, Brandon C, Jordon C, Jack C, Jackson F and James R.

About 2 ½ hours later the 20 milers rolled into the parking lot. Tired but happy. This was not an easy route but thankfully they had some pretty cool payoffs with the views from the top of Big Schloss and the Half Moon Overlook and managed a very respectable 2 mile an hour average. The scouts who completed this hike were Odin M, Helen F, Luke F and Jonathan R.

The old people joining the scouts today were Shelly, Lauren, Clay, Mike, David and me.

Click here to access the pictures.

2019 Projectoree Summary

Last weekend, Troop 1916 participated in the annual Chain Bridge Projectoree, where local troops compete on scouting skills. Fifty-one scouts from our troop participated in total, some staffing and others competing. The weather forecast suggested dry conditions for most of the early part of the weekend, turning into more wet conditions towards Sunday.

Troop 1916 left from the Redeemer Church at 4:45 PM on Friday afternoon. After a quick drive to Lorton, many Scouts stopped by at Chipotle and Shoppers food mart to stock up on dinner items and snacks. We drove the rest of the way and set up camp before building a fire and settling in for the night. It rained a little bit on the first night, however, the temperatures were great for sleeping outdoors.

The day started bright and early, with T-shirts handed out and water being distributed to Scouts. Breakfast was quick and tasty, with Kitchen Patrol not much of a problem. The opening ceremony was festive, (our flag had the most awards tied to the top :), and the Scouts transitioned to their first games.

There was a variety of games this year in the Projectoree, ranging from Canteen Pour to Hot Lava and fire building. Not surprisingly, Troop 1916 did extremely well in all of the games, with the Lumberjacks 1st in the whole Projectoree. The Yetis came in 6th place and the Bulldogs 7th.

The Scoutmaster chariot race was also won by 1916. The whole troop was assigned to build the chariot with pipes and rope, followed by a run across the field to the other side, disassemble the chariot, and run back with the pieces. Our troop performed extremely well, with no difficulties, earning the first place easily.

Back at camp, all of the patrols got dinner preparation started. Meals prepared by all of the patrols looked amazing. The dutch oven desserts were also delicious. The dreaded rain started, so all Scouts proceeded to seek shelter from the rain.

Overall, the entire trip went well and we were proud of our excellent performance overall. AllScouts and parents had fun on the trip and enjoyed the games, outdoors, and the fun of Scouting. Pretty soon, after two nights in the woods, the troop climbed back into cars and drove back home.

You can enjoy the some of the trip memories that captured over here.

Old Rag 10 Mile Hike

Old Rag on a cloudy, drizzly and blowy Sunday morning. Couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.

The great thing about the weather conditions yesterday was that we were pretty much on our own on the mountain. Which, for those of you that have climbed Old Rag will know, meant very little waiting around at the tight, twisty, climby bits. The downside of the weather was that those same tight, twisty and climby bits were very slick and added a certain level of sportiness to the whole adventure.

Due to the aforementioned climate conditions, we were a light crew of seven hikers, with the girls troop out numbering the boys troop. Ian F. was the sole member of the boys troop (c’mon guys, I know it’s spring break and the weather was yucky, but this was Old Rag!!!!) with Freya M. and Helen F. making up the girls contingent. The four old people comprised 2 Forrers, one Milbury and an old Salt.

We met up in the lower parking lot, saddled up with wet weather gear, gave the old boot laces one final tug and away we went. Four miles up! The first section of the mountain is a pretty standard affair of switchbacks and the occasional overlook (can you guess what the views were like?). Even with the drizzle layers started to be peeled early on and the chatter slowed as we reached the base of the scramble. After 2 hours we’d covered three miles, one more mile to go to the top (another two hours).

Climbing Old Rag is a team event and thank goodness the team was willing to push and pull a certain English lump up the hill. My right knee had done Old Rag four times before, but for the left this was its first adventure up this particular mountain and my gosh did its lack of flexibility and youthful disobedience affect me! I was completely spent by the time we stopped at the top (nearly the top) for lunch and can’t thank my many pushers and pullers enough for their help.

Old Rag is a special place on any given day, but for one young couple we met it will hold a place in their hearts for ever. As they passed us we asked what they were doing out on such a yucky day and he replied “I just proposed to her half an hour ago!!!!”. Wow!

Our lunch stop also offered Mike and I an opportunity to run a boiling test between his brand new Jetboil sporting the Flash pot and my three year old version sporting the Mini Mo pot (yes, this stuff does actually make us happy and is of absolutely no interest to the ladies). 16oz of water were added and after an initial gas cannister malfunction on my part the boil test began. The result confirmed the online write up that the Flash is quicker! Now we just need to work out why, but that conversation can’t wait until the next hike.

Once at the top, pictures taken and views not seen, we headed down to the fire road and the nice gentle four miles back to the parking lot. A great day to be out and when you’ve done Old Rag you certainly know you’ve put a shift in and have a nice warm feeling of accomplishment. What better way to reward yourself than an ice cream from the little hut in Sperryville.

Next up in May we’ll be attempting two hike lengths on the same day. For the merit badge you need one five miler, three 10 milers, one 15 and one 20 miler. The May hike(s) will offer people the chance to do either a 15 or 20 miler. Details to follow soonish.

Enjoy the break and see you at the trailhead in May. In the mean while, enjoy this hike pictures over here.

Signal Knob Hike

Last Sunday, we did our March hike to Signal Knob. We've all seen that mountain while driving west on I66. It's the northernmost part of Massanutten Mountain, with the antennae on top, just before you get to I81. So it was great to actually go climb it.

As we left McLean, there were drizzles and clouds. But once again, the weather shined on us upon arrival at the trailhead--temps in 50s with a mix of blue skies and high clouds.

We had 8 Scouts with us for the hike: Ethan A., Brayden T., Daniel H., Azad L., Brandon C., Jordan C., Andre G., and Helen F. Special Kudos to Azad, who completed his first 10-miler with us.

Starting in the east, the hike followed a counter-clockwise loop climbing and descending the ridge first heading west then heading back east. The view (looking north) from the top of the first climb was quite impressive--probably 270 degrees of sweep with the hills of Maryland in the distance. This was the spot in the Civil War where the two sides took turns posting Signal Corps.

The return trip over the ridge followed the same route as part of the Mudhole Gap hike. I quite enjoyed seeing how the two hikes fit together. (And I'm thinking we should do the big loop -- northern part of Signal Knob and southern part of Mudhole Gap as a ~15 miler in future years).

Commodore Salt had to miss our hike last week. But had he attended, he surely would have waxed poetic about the synclinal ridge that forms Massanutten Mountain. The surface rock in the valleys is much older than all of the ridges (even the rock beneath the ridges). What is now a ridge was a valley not that long ago (measured geologically). Crazy.

About the number of hikers last weekend....of course there are benefits to having a smaller sized group sometimes. But of the 43 Scouts and parents who plan to go to Philmont in 2020, only 7 attended the Signal Knob hike. The Sunday hikes are not the only way to prepare for Philmont. But I'm certainly hoping for higher turnout from the Philmonters starting with Old Rag. (BTW, Old Rag is a lot easier to climb than the Tooth of Time or Mt. Baldy).

Speaking of Old Rag--we're doing it Next Weekend (Sunday April 14th)!! It is an absolute classic. It requires more upper body strength than most of our walks. And you'll want sturdy gloves when using hands for balance in the more technical sections. But if you've finished strong on other 10-milers with us, you should be fine for this one. The Old Rag SUG will be out shortly.

Check out the hike pictures over here.

Sportrock Lock-in 3/23-3/24

Two Saturdays ago, Troop 1916 tried something new and did an overnight "campout" at Sportrock Climbing Gym in Alexandria, Virginia. 31 Scouts attended the outing that evening, climbing the massive walls, and bouldering on shorter walls. 12 of the Scouts participated in the Climbing Merit Badge, taught by the manager of the gym. The night went great with everyone having fun on the walls.

The Climbing Merit Badge started at 6:45 PM, so, the Scouts doing it had to arrive at the facility 15 minutes before everyone else. The staff assisted in teaching crucial knots for climbing like the Retraced Figure 8 knot and the backup knot with it. After a thorough lesson on safety and belaying, the Scouts were able to tie into the rope, as well as belay a partner as they were climbing the wall.

The Merit Badge also had a requirement where you needed to rappel down 3 routes to complete the badge. You started by climbing up the wall, and when at the top, you would transfer to your ATC (belay device), and belay yourself down the wall at a controlled pace. After everyone was informed with the safety precautions of climbing, they were able to proceed to climb any route they wanted (see photo of massive walls).

When climbing on the big walls, you always needed a belayer and a “safety officer” who checked your knots before you climbed, as well as holding onto the rope in case of an emergency. Scouts climbed until about midnight when they closed the big walls and only left the bouldering walls open.

When bouldering, you could choose your routes on rocks and walls placed around the gym. There was double padding so you didn’t need a harness when doing it. The walls for bouldering were very enjoyable because you could set your own pace, and take your time, strategizing every move.

Following midnight, many of the boys decided to go to sleep and brought their sleeping bags on the mats surrounding the walls. The rest of the night was quiet, except for the occasional “thump” from someone falling off of a bouldering wall and hitting the mats under the walls. The bouldering walls were open all night so you could go on them at any time.

As the night grew to morning, a couple of “all-nighter” Scouts bouldered on the walls with the employees, with one Scout ordering Uber Eats from IHOPS at 2:30 in the morning, which was pretty amusing. The morning was fast, a quick police line across the building, with roses, buds, and thorns, and we all were out of there and back in Falls Church by 9:00 am. Overall, this trip was super easy to pull off and very fun to do, (as well as no injuries) and I believe that many of the scouts would definitely love to do the trip again!

Please check out the pictures over here.

Kepler Backpacking Summary

We had a plan...we'll do a backpacking trip in March. We'll be able to pack much lighter than we do for the annual December trip. We'll see the early signs of spring (birds returning to the area, buds on trees, all the good stuff). We'll have FUN (with a capital F)!!!

Well .... the best laid plans....Our actual trip this past weekend had temps in the low 30s, (almost) no view from the top, 4+ inches of snow on the ground, freezing rain, and high winds blowing ice from the trees.

But you know what? It was still fun (okay, maybe with a little f).

We met at Redeemer at the quite reasonable hour of 11AM on Saturday to set carpools and head west. After a quick rendezvous at the Pilot, we parked cars at the trailhead and were moving uphill by 2:30PM.

It was hard not to notice the snow on the way in (tires were a bit slippy). That was our first clue that spring hadn't yet sprung at Kepler.

The water at the main stream crossing was substantial, but not too challenging. And the Scouts up front did a fine job of pausing on the way up to count-off. We pulled-into camp a little after 4PM.

We stomped down the snow, pitched tents, and coaxed two fires to life. The view from the overlook was decidedly underwhelming in the evening light. But once it got dark, we could suddenly see the lights in the valley floor--giving us a much better sense of being far above it all.

We all tucked-in early Saturday night. And the real precipitation didn't start until 9PM.

Sunday morning took a bit of effort to get going. We certainly had many varieties of moisture -- rain, freezing rain, falling ice (from trees), and slushy snow. Scouts learned some things about matches in wet conditions (the magnesium and steel still worked like a champ). But we all managed just fine.

And really, the tricks you learn in conditions like those are invaluable. It doesn't get much more challenging than that in Virginia. And 15 minutes after leaving camp with packs on, kids were shedding layers again.

We had 17 Scouts and 9 adults make the trip. At least 5 of those Scouts were on their first backpacking trip with our troop. And two our adults were college kids on break (thanks Aaron and Preston!!)

You can enjoy this trip pictures over here.

Indian Grave Ridge 10 Mile Hike

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken up on a hiking day, looked out the window and thought the best option is to stay inside, get the Sunday paper and enjoy a lazy day slothing around the house. But alas, that option is available. I’ve signed up and so need to go. And 99% of the time I couldn’t be happier.

Our last hike, the Indian Grave Ridge 10 miler (gratefully chosen for us by Brandon C.), was one of those days. The rain was hammering down and the clouds low in the valleys as we drove out to Front Royal and then shimmied down the valley to the trail head. A lively group of 11 scouts (including two ladies, Freya and Alicia, from the newly formed troop) were joined by a gaggle of parents. As we were preparing to set off the rain eased, and blue sky began to show (enough to make a pair of Dutchman’s trousers as my mother would say).

The temperature was perfect for hiking and the sky was now nearly completely cloudless, so we headed off on our loop hike. Simple plan, go along the road, then turn left and up to the ridge, go a long the ridge, turn left and descend until we hit the road and back to the cars. Both the up and the down were a tad trickier than normal because of the rain. Both trails had in part turned into muddy, leafy muck pits which simply added to the fun (or not).

Once we got on to the ridge the view was beautiful. It was a really narrow trail and so, because of the time of year and lack of leaves (on the trees not on the trail!), you could see clearly into both valleys. Now I’m not going to bore you here with all the details, but this is a really interesting geological area and I spent a few moments telling the boys what was going on. And I am sure they were really really interested as a ribbled on and on about sandstones, back arc basins, shores lines moving in and out etc. I could tell the loved it!!!!!

We continued along the ridge until we came to a lovely lookout spot ideal for our lunch break. After sandwiches and coffee, we headed back basking in amazing February weather until we needed to descend. And my oh my did it drop off. Obviously the geologically enthused scouts skipped happily down the trail whilst one or two of the older fellas used some apt geological terms such as schist, more times than considered normal.

Once back on the road a fleeting rain shower doused us kindly with much appreciated cooling water and then eased as we approached the cars. Another good new hike completed and off to Spelunker’s in Front Royal for a well-earned burger.

Next hike is set for March 31st and we’re heading back to Signal Knob. Look out for a Sign-up that will be coming out soon.

Check out the Indian Grave Ridge Hike pix over here.

Timberline Ski Trip

On Friday afternoon, February 1st, the schools were closed due to snow and cold temperatures, giving a jump start for the Scout Troop 1916’s annual skiing trip. While the conditions were ideal for skiing, the roads were icy and treacherous, thus the drive from Tysons to Timberline took about 4 hours even without traffic. Altogether 37 scouts and quite a few family members gradually arrived at the Timberline ski resort at dusk. Despite the long and tedious drive, everyone was excited to be at the resort and to get ready for the next day’s snow adventure.

The start of the first night in the bunkhouse was restless, as the Scouts were occasionally awakened by their upstairs neighbors. After a while, however, everyone was fast asleep and able to get a sufficient amount of rest. The bunkhouses were crowded, but they were warm and much more comfortable than our regular outing accommodations, such as tents and tarp shelters. Early the next morning, we rushed to get our skis, snowboards, and boots ready in time to get breakfast and to get the beginner skiers to their lessons.

Due to the 5 inches of fresh snow throughout the past week, the skiing conditions were GREAT. Instead of the typical icy East-coast conditions, the slopes were filled with fresh, powdery snow, making an ideal environment for effortless skiing. There were no clouds in the sky and the sun was shining brightly. The Scouts enjoyed skiing the blue and green slopes until the main lift broke for a short while. After a little break, the lift was working again and off we went to the slopes again.

There were four scouts from Troop 1916 and two from Troop 2119 that earned the Snow Sports Merit Badge offered by Timberline. Congratulations to Jayden L. Jaidan S., Jonathan R., Keenan P., Helen F., and Grace Z.

The rest of the day went by without any incidents and the scouts got plenty of skiing experience. Some ski enthusiasts continued skiing well into the night and crashed into bed around 10 PM with no difficulty falling asleep.

The food at the lodge was quite good. The package included breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. After every meal, people left the canteen with their stomach full and content.

As expected, Saturday’s sunshine had an adverse impact on Sunday’s snow conditions. But Sunday’s weather was again stellar. And with the big football game Sunday evening, we had Timberline to ourselves all day.

The whole group seemed to be pleased with this exciting event. We are very grateful for Mr. Bonanno for managing the complex logistics of this Scout outing in the wild and wonderful beauty of West Virginia!

View some great ski shots over here.

Mudhole Gap River Crossing Extravaganza!!

According to Hiking Upward the Mudhole Gap 11.5 mile loop “can feel like a nice long walk in the woods”. And did it just.

The crew met at 7 a.m. in McLean with the welcome return of Mr. and Mrs. B (always a good thing). The trailhead was just a quick shimmy west and then south of Front Royal. It was a chilly morning but pretty close to ideal hiking weather. The loop started off well, walking on an old fire road for about 3.5 miles and our pace was a pretty respectable 3 miles per hour. Then things came to a screeching halt as we turned to head up the actual Mudhole Gap. According to the instructions there were 5 river crossings on this stretch of the hike.

You may have noticed recently that there has been some snow and an awful lot of rain. That leads to rivers being a tad higher than normal. Add the low temperatures and possibly usable rocks and logs that help you traverse the streams being covered in ice and or under water, and the day became sporty!

The guys initially tried to cross without boots and socks coming off. The result? Not good. Many wet boots were now added to end of many scout’s legs and one clever chap decided to go one step further and end up in the drink. Far from ideal at 28 degrees! Once everyone was back in dry clothes, we carried on.

After the initial crossing, boots and socks off became mandatory. This certainly slowed our progress and at one point one of the parents watched with tears in her eyes as one of her socks went on its merry way done stream!

When we emerged from the gap and headed up the fire road a quick pace was adopted to help warm us up. Hot chocolate and coffee were had at the reservoir at our lunch stop and we were joined, albeit briefly, by six horses and riders out for a lovely Sunday stroll!

One major obstacle remained. The hike up and over the ridge. This was definitely lumpy and kept the chatter to a minimum. Once at the top it was a gentle 3 miles down the trail back to the cars.

Once we ensured all were present, we hopped in our cars, put the heat on full and headed home for a really welcome hot shower. This hike had some challenges but it was really pretty with some lovely views. Thanks Brandon C. for picking this one out.

You can view scenic pix of this hike over here.

Lock-In Summary

Troop 1916 just had its annual lock-in at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Scouts arrived at 10 am. To set up their gear and get a little football in before the service project. This outing is a bit easier than other outings due to the shelter of the gym and the accessibility of a professional grade kitchen to cook in that the church lends us.

Lunch was pizza, around 25 boxes was enough for the scouts that attended the lock-in. While others retreated back to their devices, others helped split and carry wood to the dumpster in the early afternoon snow. The use of a wheelbarrow made the process a lot faster.

Later that afternoon, Scouts helped to load bags and bags of winter clothes and toiletries into vehicles. Scouts rode with parents to the Patrick Henry Family Shelter to drop off the supplies to people in need.

The snow was really falling. The forecast called for around 10 inches of thick, white powder. Dinner was great, provided by some high-schooler scouts in the kitchen. Scouts ate while watching people playing games on the projector.

The troop made full use of Redeemer’s kitchen over the weekend. We had the cook top, both ovens (after some pilot lighting), the industrial food disposal, and the commercial dishwasher hood all going. The Patrol Leaders and high school scouts were on the hook for KP. So they were thrilled about the dishwasher.

Before going to bed Saturday evening, the Scouts (mostly) agreed to a 6:30am wake-up. We discussed the need to pack gear (no tents!), practice some semblance of hygiene, put on Class A uniforms, eat & cleanup breakfast (bagels), and get out shoveling before the 8:30am church service. The Scouts actually pulled this off quite well (perhaps apart from the hygiene item ;). And with 30 Scouts in the pews, we easily accounted for two thirds of all attending the service.

Overall, the outing was very successful. Scouts learned the importance of shelter especially when it snowed 10 inches during the night. And a big thank you goes out to Ms. Noggle for organizing the weekend.

Lock-in pix can be viewed over here.

Catoctin Mountain Hike

Weather forecasts are potentially a reflection of what your day will look like. What they aren’t is a reflection of what your day can be. The forecast for today was awful, rain, low cloud and lowish temperatures. Not on the face of it a great day to be outside. But Lordy, was I glad we hiked.

The team met at 7 a.m. at Total Wine and head up 270 and then on to 15 to the Cactoctin Mountain Park visitors center. It was a pretty grim drive with windshield wipers moving and grey, damp, low skies all around. We met at the trail head, questioned our decision making (not the safety of the trip, just the concept of hiking in the rain!) and headed off on our loop around the park.

The initial footing wasn’t great and when we headed “up” to Chimney Rock the talking stopped and it was at the higher end of lumpy (i.e. steep). At the top we got a great view of low, wispy clouds and not much else, but it was still pretty in its own way. We headed off, more up, to Wolf Rock, a lovely quartzite escarpment. The rain was holding off enough not to be much of an issue. We pottered off for another mile and ended up at the Thurmont Vista for lunch. Define vista in your mind and that was not what we saw! We ate our sarnies and as we prepared to move, the cloud lifted enough for us to see the valley floor, just.
We headed around the north side of the park to the Blue Ridge Summit Overlook (not much to see here folks) and then headed back down towards Cunningham Falls.

Why was this hike great? Well, it’s hard to explain. The weather was miserable, but we got to see the park in a different light. At the top of the mountain, because of the rain, there were lots of little streams babbling down to the swollen river below. They didn’t affect our hike, just added to the experience and the noise. Constant water running which was in its own way was very therapeutic, and naturally beautiful.
A special moment.

When we got down to the road at the bottom, we headed the 0.2 miles up the wooded walkway to look at the Cunningham Falls … now they were great to see, flowing aggressively and worth the photo op taken.
After that we headed back to the parking lot, a tad damp, some soggy socks, but hopefully happy to have been out.

As your scoutmaster says, some of this scouting stuff we do is outdoor and with that comes the chance of rain, cold, wind and anything else mother nature can throw at you. I assure you we take safety very seriously and will NEVER do anything reckless, but we will go out in sub-optimal conditions. Scouting is meant to get the boys prepared for life … and I assure you at some time in their lives, it will rain!
This hike reminds me why we do this. Beautiful!

Our next hike in January is set, thanks to Brandon for choosing, and a sign-up will come out in the next couple of days … I bet you’re jelly you didn’t join us today!

You can find the photos of this hike over here.

-Matt Salt

Duncan Knob Hollow Backpacking

As we wrapped up the Duncan Knob Hollow backpacking trip last Sunday afternoon, I think James summed it up perfectly when he said, "this is the smoothest backpacking outing we've ever done."

A crew of 24 scouts and 9 scouters assembled at Redeemer for a very civilized 10am departure time and re-convened at our usual provisioning depot (gas station mini-mart with attached Subway). After a quick lunch and some final candy/coffee reloads, we made our way to the trailhead to find Mr. Salt eagerly awaiting our arrival. Despite overnight forecasts in the low-20s, warnings of multiple stream crossings in our water shoes, and extensive bear bag training, the scouts cheerfully bounded down the Massanutten Trail as the adults wobbled their way behind along the rocky path.

Imagine the serene winter forest in its deafening silence, fallen leaves carpeting the ground and crisp December air motionless throughout the valley. Then imagine Troop 1916 stomping through the fallen leaves, piercing the calm with tales of Fortnite and recounts of Bohemian Rhapsody echoing through the valley.

The trail follows the valley along Little Passage Creek the entire way, so navigation was a piece of cake. The only major obstacle was the first stream crossing, which some scrambled across on the few rocks that were there and others opted for their water shoes. After a slow recovery from the crossing, repacking shoes and shedding excess layers, we were back on our way.

The grade of the trail was fairly shallow for most of the afternoon, but the sun and the temperatures began to drop just as we approached the first large campsite on the trail and just as some of the scouts started slowing down - about 3 miles into the hike and shortly before the next major stream crossing. While we certainly could make the next site before dark, it was probably a smaller site than the first one and the last mile to the third site at the saddle would be pretty tough. So we opted to just settle in to the first site to give everyone plenty of time to set up camp and get plenty of fire wood for the evening and everyone was very happy with our decision.

With tents pitched, bear bags pre-staged, and campfires started, the meal preparation began and this was easily the biggest variety of backpacking food we've seen. In addition to the usual ramen and freeze-dried backpacking meals, we saw a smorgasbord of soups, sandwiches, and stews, not to mention the Ross Family's epic cornish game hens wrapped in bacon with a side of buttered potatoes, all cooked over the hot coals.

With dinner wrapped up at the late hour of about 5:30, most everyone migrated towards the sprawling fire to soak in the heat as the temperature dropped quickly. Daniel brought Hanukkah candles and fashioned a menorah out of aluminum foil so several people enjoyed watching and learning about the celebration. Some played cards and others just enjoyed hanging by the fire until we got to the end of the firewood we had prepared. Patrol leaders finished hoisting all the smellables in their bear bags and everyone filled their pots with water so they wouldn't have to fight with frozen water bottles in the morning, and then tucked in for a calm night with no wind and the only sounds were from the creek next to our site.

With temperatures in the 20's, not many were eager to leave their sleeping bags, but eventually the camp stoves fired up and a new campfire was lit which coaxed everyone out. Since we didn't make it to the summit on Saturday, a smaller group (8 scouts and 5 scouters) headed out to climb the last mile to Duncan Knob while others enjoyed taking their time eating and packing up their gear. The stream crossing was much easier than our last visit, but the climb was just as steep as everyone remembered. We scoped out the campsite at the saddle for our next trip, then scrambled the last 200 yards to the top for breathtaking views of the surrounding valleys before heading back to camp.

When we returned to the campsite everyone else was ready to go, so the climbers joined in the police line to clean the site, grabbed the rest of their gear, and we all set out for a gentle downhill hike back to the trailhead. Other than marvelling at the `frost flowers` (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frost_flower) , the trip back was uneventful and enjoyable with more perfect hiking weather. A quick round of Roses, Buds, and Thorns to debrief the trip and we were on our way, just as a few snowflakes began to fall.

Thanks to all the scouts who enjoyed the trip: Ian, James, Jonathan, Teddy, Patrick, Nick, Cy, Chris, Daniel, Graham, Helen, Brayden Brandon, Jordan, Kalen, Jack C, Jack T, Ethan, Mateo, Noah, Scott, Luke, Owen, and George. And to the scouters who helped get them all there and make it a safe and fun outing for all: David, Ed, Mike, Ben, Matt, Jason, Kate, Phubinh, and Mitch.

Echoing James' comment, this was a great trip and will certainly be on our repeat list!

Enjoy the pix over here.

-Mike Touse

Overall Run Winter 10mile Hike

Wow, was that a surprise!

Our hike yesterday was a beauty. My expectation was for sloppy conditions as the recent snows melted. I couldn’t have been more wrong. 10 miles of snow and ice, just under 2,000 feet of elevation gain, bear tracks in the snow and swollen rivers to cross!

The crew met at Total Wine and headed west on 66, turned left at Front Royal, left again at Bentonville and then shimmied to the trailhead just on the outside of the SNP.

The lollipop hike started up a narrow trail that was more stream than trail and the sides were more ice than snow. It made for an interesting start to our day. When we turned left to head up the valley the snow took over and we had a lovely walk besides the babbling brook. It became apparent at our first crossing that this was going to be a tad trickier than we thought. Once all were across several of the team had either one or two rather soggy socks, and some of the smiling faces decided to go away.

At the base of the climb up to the falls, we de-layered and then headed up. And up it was. About 1,500 feet up in just under two miles. Whatever your personal lumpiness scale is, that is steep. As we approached the falls rather large bear tracks were noticed so we upped the noise and kept together as a group.

Lunch was had at the top and then the lovely walk back down the ridge began. Because the snow was there it actually made hiking much easier than normal and we showed pretty good giddy up on the way down. We shared the trail with few other hikers and also three people on horseback. At one point it was suggested that “penguining” down the trail would be fun. Then it was decided that there were still rocks and pointy things that might hurt, so double-decker penguining was considered. Not surprisingly there were no volunteers for being the base penguin!

Once we got back to the cars all definitely realized they’d been out for the day and should be really proud of getting round this hike. It was one of the hardest we do and the conditions led to a little extra effort needed.

Congrats to Jonathan R., Brandon and Erin Pak who completed their first 10-miler. Others attending were Ian F., James R, Helen F. and Cy Mueller. Of the old people there were two Fs, one S., one M., and two Ps.

Our next hike will be Dec. 16 to Catoctin Mountain. This is a lovely 10 mile loop and not to tricky.

Check out the hike pix over here.

-Matt Salt

Sandy Spring Climbing & Camping

A bit of wind, some frost, and finally some sunny November climbing.

After wrapping-up Scouting for Food on Saturday morning, the troop headed to Sandy Spring, MD for our November overnighter. The theme was bring a friend camping and climbing. We had 52 Scouts, 10 friends, and 10 adults in camp--plus several more who came climbing on Sunday. A big thanks to Anya Kim for all the logistics in preparation for the weekend.

Shortly after our noon arrival Saturday, the Scouts sorted-out camping areas and commenced with lunch. The campsites were in small grassy clearings surrounded by trees--which gave some much-appreciated protection from the wind on Saturday. But unlike our usual car camping, the campsite was well over 150 yards from the troop trailer. So the scouts had to do some planning to avoid walking back and forth all weekend.

Something strange happens each year at this time. Somehow 30 degree temps for November car camping have a bigger impact than 20 degree (and colder) temps for December backpacking. At Sandy Spring, we had a fair number of scouts who appeared to be quite chilly on Saturday afternoon. Hope springs eternal for the wearing of more layers on future November trips.

With the recent return to Standard Time, darkness came in a hurry Saturday afternoon. But hot dinners by campfire light were enjoyed by all; and most topped that off with warm desserts. And the adults smiled as teenagers politely pleaded to go to bed at 9PM, retiring to the comfort of warm sleeping bags.

Overnight, the temperature continued to drop--to about 28 degrees. The moisture from recent rain combined with cold air made a substantial layer of frost everywhere by Sunday morning. Most things left unattended on the not-level picnic tables soon found their way to the earth (food packages, water bottles, cooking utensils, etc). And many reported bits of frost falling like snow inside the tents overnight. The weather is quite good at creating interesting problems for scouts to solve. (As for the adults, these things just make the coffee taste better ;)

The scouts worked their way through camp break-down, breakfast prep, and clean-up. Our goal was to be completely packed-up and getting fitted for climbing gear by 9:30AM. Luckily, no one's annual bonus is tied to such objectives. (Another big thanks to Anya for smoothing-over our tardiness with the climbing staff).

Once we actually started climbing, the morning glory came-on full force. It was a thing to behold--an array of green sweatshirts and smiling faces scattered among the trees with a big, bright sun getting warmer every minute. It was a great way to end the weekend.

Check out the activity pix over here.

-Mike Forrer

2018 SFF & RAH

Every November, our troop joins scout units all over the country to collect non-perishable foods for local food banks. We had more than 30 kids each weekend out working the neighborhoods--and lots of drivers, too.

In addition to Scouting for Food, we also support the massive Rise Against Hunger food packaging drive at Redeemer each November. We had a great showing of scouts and scout families working our Saturday session alongside a few hundred other community members (Redeemer parishioners, nearby church members, other scouting units, etc). And we also helped with setup on Friday (just beating the rain) and take-down on Sunday. Every year, the RAH event at Redeemer sends 300,000 meals to families in need.

Thanks to all who helped with the November service efforts.

You can find this activity pix over here.

Kennedy Peak 10 mile Hike done and dusted

First 10-miler of the season in the bag.

The weather for our late October hike could not have been better. The Kennedy Peak hike (the longer version) is just under 10 miles and has a lumpy quotient of relatively high (about 1,600 feet in elevation gain).

As usual everyone met at Total Wine at around 7 a.m. and hit 66 west around 7:20. The ride out to the trailhead was about 1 hr 40 mins and when everyone arrived, we got packs on, boots on and we’re ready to head north east up Stephens trail. Clearly the heading north east was our first minor issue. ALL scouts seem to struggle with the concept of direction (both verbal and physical) and if it’s the last thing I do, I will get 100% of them to stare into the sun at noon and all tell me they’re looking south! I predict failure but there has to be hope in life or we may as well give up now!

The first part of the trail meanders gently up the side of the ridge and then very rudely takes a sharpish turn to the right and for about half an American mile goes up at an alarmingly steep incline until conversations are stopped, lungs are fully open and heart rates are close to if not exceeding maximum beats per minute.

Once we all got to the top there is a lovely walk along the ridge to the base of Kennedy Peak. To get to the peak there is a relatively steep, but short trot up to the top where you are rewarded with some of the best views of any hike in the area. Lunch was had and Mr. Forrer fired up the old faithful alcohol stove for hot chocolate and coffee.
Much appreciated.

After everyone was fed and watered we headed down. The walk back to the parking lot is not too strenuous but a few of the younger fellas on their first 10-miler started to feel the pain. But to a man they made it back to the parking lot and now know they can do it, so the next one won’t be as bad.

The scouts completing their first 10-miler were Adem H, Alicia M, Brayden T, Grace Z, Prashim R and Rohan M. Other scouts attending were Andre G, Braden B, Brandon C, Connor C, Cy M, Daniel H, George C, Helen F, Ian F, Jack C, Jack T, Jordon C, Noah C, Owen C and Teddy W.

Scouter attending were Sarah and Ryan M, Mike T, Paul Z, Manjula M and 2/3 of the FOMs.

As you should have noticed three of those attending were young ladies. As we start to roll out the girls troop you will hopefully see more and more girls attending our events.

Our next hike is set for Nov. 18. We will get details and a sign up out soon.

Check out the pix of this hike over here.

-Matt Salt

Summary of the Cub Friendly

Troop 1916 just had another great fall outing. Around 25 Boy Scouts (and lots of Cubs) launched small pumpkins with bamboo, making for a very fun weekend.

Three weeks ago, the weather was in the 80’s. Now, in going outdoors to camp, we could definitely feel the change of seasons.

Saturday was a blast! Scouts constructed their own shelters using tarps and rope, built patrol catapults, and tasted amazing food during meal times thanks to our grub masters.

When we arrived, there was a problem with Lake Fairfax Park Authority having assigned us the wrong campsite. Apparently, we were assigned to a campsite that another group was using that same weekend. When that was resolved, the Scouts attempted to pitch their tarps near the sparse amount of trees in the area. Many of the patrols were assigned spaces that were on a slope and had to make due with what was provided.

Now, to return to the catapults -- we had 6 or 7 teams of Boy Scouts (4-5 scouts each) and one team of Cub Scouts. We constructed one line of catapults at each end of the field (a 70-yard meadow). Each catapult had 7 bamboo pieces, a throwing arm, and 6 square lashings. The pumpkins were thrown from T-shirt baskets attached to the end of the throwing arm. The scouts used sweatshirts, water bottles, and sticks in place of pumpkins to test capabilities and make final adjustments to their creations. Some of the teams managed fairly remarkable distances when they threw their pumpkins. There was always a line of cub scouts running to the remains of smashed pumpkins after they collided with the ground.

After catapults, all Scouts went back to camp for dinner. We burned all of the old bamboo from last year’s pumpkin event. (The fire got so big that we were debating whether to put it out). Many of the older Scouts enjoyed smashing open the old bamboo chambers before the burning, as well as the rather loud explosion of missed bamboo chambers by the fire when they were not broken open.

We all ate extremely well thanks to our grub masters. KP was a little longer than expected due to the dutch ovens and pots not being cleaned thoroughly the first time.

The whole evening was like magic; as soon as everyone got into their tarps, the wind started. It rumbled and whooshed so much that some of the scouts had to re-stake their shelters to avoid losing them. The wind chill added to the cold weather causing Scouts to dig through their gear to find more layers of clothing.

Sunday morning was a very early morning. There were pleasant aromas around all of the picnic tables. Tarps came down, and after no time, we were back in McLean and Falls Church.

You can check out the pix over here.

- Sebastian