Date: September 8th – 10th
Location: Camp Highroad, Frontier Campsite
Description: Scouts of all ages will be working together as a team across various team-building activities, which will have fun games that will teach the scout how to lead a team and be a team member. Additionally, scouts will have opportunities to work on any miscellaneous camping requirements they need to get done.
On Friday the 28th of October, we went on our backpacking campout in Front Royal. We had 2 groups, one on the ~ 10-mile trail to Signal Knob and the other on the ~ 6-mile Mudhole Gap Trail. (Round trip: 16 miles for Signal Knob and 12 miles for Mudhole Gap)
During our weekly troop meetings, we talked about what was needed for a successful adventure on the trip. For example, we talked about how we would need bear bags and need portable meals that wouldn’t go bad. We also had demonstrations using dehydrated meals as a low-effort and low-weight way of preparing food.
On Friday night we stayed at a campsite around a mile along the trail. Then the next morning, Saturday, we split up. One group went to Signal Knob and one went to Mudhole Gap. Then the first crew met up with the Mudhole Gap crew on Saturday night at the campsite we were staying at for the night. On Sunday, we hiked back down to the parking lot on a trail th at was around 6 miles long and got into cars to ride home.
On this campout, our scouts learned important skills such as learning to pack lightly and to only bring the gear necessary. They also learned how to find out where we were on the trail using tools such as a map and compass. They also learned how to appropriately meal-plan for eating on the go.
Learning to pack lightly can go a long way in helping you save money by not buying unnecessary things and to help you from spending too much time thinking about what to pack. (it will also save you some weight that you have to carry, lessening pain). Learning to use a map and compass is really useful because it can help you when you are on a hike by yourself and you need to find out what trail to take or if you are lost in the woods, it can help you find out where you are. Appropriate meal planning is very important because you don’t want to bring food that you can’t make to a campout. That would just be a waste of money. In the case of this campout, our adult leaders helped us with vetoing options and helping us brainstorm ideas about what food to bring.
We will be going on an exciting backpacking trip where we will be going to the backcountry. We will have 2 options for this trip where one option is a easier trek for first time backpackers and for experienced a longer trip that will get you ready for high adventure trips such as Philmont. We will use the techniques we learned at troop meetings leading up to the event.
One of the 10 essentials is a map! Get your trail map for Signal Knob here. Get your trail map for Mudhole Gap here.
Here is the route for Signal Knob:
Here’s what you might see on the hike: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/virginia/signal-knob-loop-trail/photos.
For mudhole gap crew, here’s a map of where we will headed.
For getting prepared for the trip, HikerDirect is a great resource for beginner camping gear. Just remember that scout’s must be prepared to carry all of their gear. Weight and size are key considerations. If you don’t have a backpack, stop by REI to get fitted.
To get Troop 761’s recommendations for gear so that you are prepared, go to our backpacking tips link under Resources. Need ideas for good meals, we’ve got you covered under Resource -> Recipes!
Sign-up on Teamsnap to book your spot!
Boardwalk extension at dog walking trail for FOHA.org (Aldie, VA) providing a safe walk path usually riddled with puddles and slippery conditions during rains.
One of our scouts, Ved Pande, had his eagle scout project where he built a boardwalk for Friends of Homeless Animals. (FOHA). This event took place on the 29th of October, the 12th, and the 13th of November 2022. The place he built the project for needed a boardwalk so they could walk their dogs easier. FOHA is a charity/ adoption center that specializes in rehabilitating animals and getting them ready for domestic life. They take care of dogs and cats in their shelter. If you would like to support them, please go to FOHA.org.
We will be camping at Artillery Ridge campground on Nov. 18-20 and hiking thru the battlefield and visitor center. We will learn about this battle, leadership decisions that were made, what would you do situations, and how this was a pivotal point in the war.
Overview: We went to Gettysburg for a campout to learn about the town’s history as a battlefield and how it was instrumental in helping the north win the civil war. We hiked around the town to visit the museums and the battlefield where the battle took place.
How we prepared: We talked about how long the hike would be and told people to dress appropriately for the weather. We also talked about the importance of having a sleeping bag that could withstand the temperatures and keep you warm at night
On Friday night we arrived at the campsite where we spent the night. In the morning, we had breakfast and pre-prepared lunch to eat on the go. We then left to go visit Gettysburg. We visited the museum, battlefield, and more as we walked around Gettysburg (totaling around 9 miles). After this, we went back to the campsite where we did activities and had dinner. After this, we went to bed and awoke Sunday morning to head back home.
What we learned: We learned the importance of packing well for a cold-weather camping trip and we learned about how Gettysburg affected the American Civil War through museums and by visiting major landmarks in the area.
Why these lessons are important: Packing appropriately is very important for cold weather camping, especially because if you don’t pack appropriately, you might have to endure higher consequences than you would have to otherwise have to endure in other seasons. Learning from our past is a great way of learning how to change the future and help the most people in the future and how we can better our lives and the lives of people around us.
We will be hosting a bake sale on Oct 22nd to raise funds for Troop 761’s new trailer. If you haven’t already, please sign up at:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0b4da9af2aabfc1-bake
We will also be selling bottled water and helping clean-up the grounds during the event. Looking forward to seeing you there and talking about scouting and enjoying a good cookie!
