Zip-lining the world's longest zip-wire course

For its May outing, Troop 50 headed to Georgia for an overnight campout and day of zip-lining and other outdoor activities at Historic Banning Mills, near Carrollton. The zip line course features nine zip segments, along with a sky bridge and tower. Although the troop only completed a portion of the facility's zip-line course, the entire course, which extends more than 39,127 feet in combined length, has remained since 2012 the world's longest zip-wire course, according to the Guinness World Records. Consisting of 135 ziplines, the entire course would take more than 12 hours to complete.

The rain the area experienced shortly before the troop’s arrival Friday evening resulted in a damp evening of overnight camping. After a leisurely morning of cooking breakfast and packing up gear, the troop enjoyed several activities at the facility, which included a round of miniature golf and a nature hike. The hike took Scouts and leaders past the enclosure where Liberty, a bald eagle billed as the newest member of the Banning Mills staff, now lives. Liberty coincidentally once resided at Auburn University's Southeastern Raptor Center (we'll forgive Banning Mills for the War "Eagles" reference!). Unfortunately, Liberty was shy during our visit and didn't come out for pictures.

Michael readies for the first leg of the zip-line course.

The troop reassembled for lunch, which was followed by a rousing round of “Happy Birthday” sung in honor of Jake’s 12th birthday — complete with celebratory Krispy Kreme donuts! The troop then headed over for the 90-minute zip-lining experience, which included a very detailed safety briefing and demonstration before Scouts and leaders took to the trees for some zip-lining fun — and even a little screaming here and there!

Thanks to the Banning Mills staff, there are numerous photos of the troop’s zip-lining experience available in the troop’s online photo album for download. And, thanks to Gideon, one of our Scouts, we have a Gideon's-eye view of the course from his helmet-mounted GoPro camera!

Our Gideon's-eye view of one of the initial zip-line segments
(as an aside, the staff member who receives him at the end of the segment is an Eagle Scout!)

Gideon makes his final descent at the end of the zip-line course.

The troop took Monday, May 20 off from its regular troop meeting, as well as Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day. At its next meeting on Monday, June 3, the troop will conduct leadership elections to fill troop positions for the second half of 2019, as well as elections for Order of the Arrow membership. It will conclude its 2018-19 troop year with a court of honor on Monday, June 10, and its summer camp trip the week of June 23 at Camp Rainey Mountain in Clayton, Georgia.

A hiking we will go...

Troop 50 headed north to the Anniston/Delta, Alabama area the weekend of April 21 to camp at the Greater Alabama Council's Camp Sequoyah and to day-hike a portion of the Pinhoti Trail in Cheaha State Park. The 339-mile Pinhoti Trail meanders through Alabama and Georgia, with 172 of those miles located in Alabama. It starts at Flagg Mountain, cuts through the Talladega National Forest, and ends in Northeast Georgia at the Benton MacKaye Trail. The Benton MacKaye Trail connects into the Appalachian Trail. The troop originally backpacked this section of the Pinhoti Trail in November 2013. This campout, however, marked the first time the troop was able to benefit from one of the small buses loaned by Auburn United Methodist Church, who began partnering with the troop in addition to the troop's sponsorship by the Auburn Rotary Club.

The troop sets out Saturday morning from the Cheaha Trail Head.

The trail-proven members of the troop's Philmont contingent.

The troop used the day-hike as a training opportunity for many members of the troop who will form the contingent for June's backpacking expedition to Philmont Scout Ranch, which will be led by Scoutmaster Andrew Baird. Those attending Philmont, including guest camper Sam from Auburn's Troop 11, donned full backpacks instead of day packs for the full training experience. The troop's six-hour excursion totaled more than 8.4 miles over rocky terrain, through trail obstacles and past scenic vistas.

Miles, Tyson and Joe enjoy lunch and a scenic expanse while on the trail.

Scouts examine the remains of one of the more famous
Pinhoti Trail plane crashes.

Although rocks, trees and other elements of nature are expected when hiking in a national forest, the remains of a plane crash are not as common. Unfortunately, the higher elevations and sometimes treacherous weather of North Alabama have resulted in several airplane crashes on and around the Pinhoti Trail. One such incident that has gained notoriety occurred in 1972 at McDill point, and since it is logistically impossible to remove many of the remains of these crashes, the remains of that crash still exist.

Rusty's birthday made him the
troop's "king of the day."

One of the best parts of a campout is the opportunity to fellowship and celebrate the milestones that occur within the troop — especially birthdays. Upon the return to the campsite following the day of hiking, the busload of Scouts and leaders burst into song to celebrate Rusty's 14th birthday. Ironically, the troop's last trip to the Pinhoti also included a birthday celebration: Scoutmaster Andrew Baird's!

The troop awoke to a wet morning Sunday after evening rains began around 10 p.m. the night before. After a very organized effort to pack up camp and ready for the return trip home, the troop gathered for its traditional Sunday morning devotional service. Chartered Organization Representative Michael Tullier led a discussion of equipping ourselves with the armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18, and how preparing ourselves for the daily challenges of life is not much different than how our Scout uniforms serve functional purposes on campouts and at other Scouting gatherings.

At its Monday evening Patrol Leaders Council meeting, the troop's youth leadership commended everyone on the troop's overall efficiency during the campout, from pacing on the trail to packing up gear on Sunday despite dealing with rain and wet tents. They thought the availability of AUMC's bus helped greatly, and gave everyone time to socialize as a group. The youth leaders also noted that the overall quality of menu planning has been improving greatly, and several in each patrol are demonstrating budding culinary skills.

For more photos from the hiking trip, visit the troop's online photo album.

Scouts enjoy activies during free time (Camp Woodruff Day Five Summary)

After a very busy day at camp the day before, the Scouts enjoyed some free time in the afternoon on Thursday. We all awoke at 6:30 a.m. to get ready for the flag raising and breakfast. We enjoyed waffles, sausage, cereal, milk, and juice to get us going for the day.  Several boys got seconds today. The meal started with the troop singing "Happy Birthday" to Mr. Stanford. It was his 39th birthday.

Josh at Archery merit badge

After breakfast, everyone headed in their familiar directions to merit badge classes or Mountain Man. Less things were forgotten today, so it seems the Scouts are learning to bring the important gear with them. After the classes, we met back up for lunch where we enjoyed chicken sandwiches. Very unlike our favorite Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, they were just okay. They were accompanied by french fries, corn, and ice cream.

Several items including some care packages arrived at camp the day before, but while we were out rafting. Those items were delivered to the Scouts today. Then when the mail came in today, many more letters appeared for the Scouts. These letters brought about mixed emotions ranging from sadness because they miss home to happiness because they got something from a loved one.

After lunch, the troop went in several different directions during free time.  Clayton and Jason went fishing and Clayton was successful in catching a few brim. Jason was close many times — including when he almost caught a snapping turtle. Mr. Pendleton took Ethan, Joe, and Mark to the Davis Inn, which is a homestead from the 1920s where there was tomahawk throwing, sling shots, chickens, a garden, a blacksmith that brands leather, and more. This is a neat area and also a really nice hike to get there.  It's a beautiful part of the Appalachian mountains.

Michael showing his master rappelling skills

Mr. Stanford rappelling on his birthday!

 Several other Scouts had to take care of some items for merit badges during this afternoon free time. Mr. Stanford led a group to go climbing and rappelling. Mr. Stanford along with Andrew, John, Robert, and Will had rappelled before and enjoyed getting back on the tower. It's exciting that we now have three more Scouts who can add rappelling to their resume. Creighton, Michael, and Rusty nervously attached themselves to the rope and leaned out over the 65-foot tower. They enjoyed it enough that they each went about two or three more times, if not more!

Aidan climbing on the wall

Andy, Aidan, Liam and others also tried out the rock climbing wall, the chimney climb, and some bouldering. It was nice to see the Scouts challenging themselves to try new things. Speaking of trying new things — Andrew and John decided it would be fun to rappel "Australian style", which is face first. Things like this activity is why moms don't come to Boy Scout camp!

Andrew rappelling "Aussie" style

John rappelling "Aussie" style

After all of this excitement, we all relaxed a bit before heading to the flag lowering and dinner. Scouts ate dinner on their own while Mr. Pendleton and Mr. Stanford went to the Scoutmasters' dinner. The leaders enjoyed a grilled steak, baked potato, salad and roll. And for dessert, there was cheesecake and a few speakers.  The main speaker was Alvin Townley, an acclaimed author and Eagle Scout from Atlanta. He shared some of his Scouting experiences and how he sees the importance of Scouting in society. He also promoted his new book. He also gave out a few books and Mr. Stanford was lucky enough to win Legacy of Honor on his birthday.  He won it by virtue of earning his rank of Eagle closest to his 18th birthday of any other leaders present.

Alvin Townley speaking about the importance of scouting

After dinner, the troop broke up into three main groups. The troop had signed up to go mountain biking, so most of the troop went and did that activity and had a great time! Except for a few equipment issues and some erratic riding, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Another group of Scouts went on a scavenger hunt around camp to help the troop earn an Honor Troop Award. Andy, Liam, Jason, and Mark helped our troop secure enough scavenger hunt items to qualify for that portion of the award!

The final group of Scouts stuck around the dining hall after dinner to help clean up. This has been a common occurrence for several Scouts after meals throughout the week and this time they stayed until after 9:30 p.m.! This is great service by our boys and it's nice to see them giving back to the camp when there is a need.

Before bedtime, we invited the other troop in our campsite (Troop 46 of Turin, Georgia) to join us for a cracker barrel (food, drink, and social time). Some Scouts weren't too interested in meeting others, but there was enough interaction to make this a fun time. Besides, who doesn't enjoy some snacks and drinks?

Scouts got a shower and headed to bed with only one more full day ahead of them! It was a fun day with lots of happenings. I'm sure Friday will have lots of tales to tell.

For more Day Five pictures, be sure to visit our online photo album.

Boy Scout boot camp

Anyone driving by or roaming the halls of First Presbyterian Church last night may have thought Scouts were practicing drills for basic training, as our newest Scouts logged their first efforts toward completing requirements for the Tenderfoot rank through a variety of physical skill assessments. Requirement 10 of the Tenderfoot rank requires Scouts to record their best efforts, then in 30 days show improvement, in physical tests such as...

...the long jump...

...sit-ups....

...pushups...

...and pull-ups.

Scouts working toward the Scout and Tenderfoot ranks met with Scoutmaster Baird and Troop Guide Davis to review progress toward completing those requirements. The troop also discussed plans for the setting up a model campsite and reprising its trebuchet demonstration at ScoutFest, part of the City of Auburn CityFest, on Saturday, Apr. 26. Having burned a few calories at the start of the meeting, the troop gladly partook in birthday cake and ice cream at the end of the meeting to celebrate Davis' birthday.

Pack it in, pack it out

The troop gathered at the gate to the Cheaha Trailhead.

Troop 50 conducted its first backpacking expedition Nov. 23-24 on the Pinhoti Trail System in North Alabama. Eight Scouts and three leaders started at the Cheaha Trailhead adjacent to Cheaha State Park and snaked through portions of the Cheaha Wilderness and Talladega National Forest. Subscribing to the "pack-in, pack-out" philosophy, each Scout and leader carried his own personal gear and food, as well as a portion of tenting, cooking, water filtration, and other troop gear that had been divided among the 11 backpackers.

The birthday boy:
Scoutmaster Baird

In a year of firsts as a new troop, the outing was more than the first backpacking trip the troop took. It was also the first chance it had to celebrate its scoutmaster's birthday — which coincidentally was on the Saturday of the campout. While Mr. Baird was adorned in festive hat wear, the troop serenaded him with a quick round of "Happy Birthday" in the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church before departing.

With a mist still hanging in the air from overnight and morning rains, the group set out from the Cheaha Trailhead around 9:30 a.m. They connected with the Pinhoti Trail and, after passing McDill Point and the remaining wreckage of a 1972 plane crash, the group stopped at an overlook for lunch around 12:45 p.m. For lunch, everyone enjoyed a trail lunch of items that included crackers, peanut butter, trail mix, and other snacks that were sure to boost energy and fill bellies.

The troop at the transition point to Cave Creek Trail.

SPL Andrew leads efforts
to siphon, filter and
purify water for personal
use and cooking from
a creek along the trail.

About an hour and a half after returning to the trail, the troop transitioned to the Cave Creek Trail. At the creek, everyone stopped to refill water bottles with water filtered from the creek. With a little more than five miles and seven hours logged on the trail, the troop arrived at its campsite. With the sun setting, and wind gusts and colder temperatures settling in, fire and shelter seemed to be the highest priorities. Once tents were pitched and the fire blazing, Scouts unpacked cooking equipment and food to prepare the evening's dinner.

Scouts Louie and Mark, assisted by Scoutmaster Baird, prepared a chicken and rice meal using the backpacking stoves and pots that had been packed in with other troop gear. A variety of snacks and other trail food rounded out the meal, and when everyone realized they had eaten by 6 p.m. and were ready for bed, a number of Scouts joked about eating and going to bed early like "old people" (which, because it was the scoutmaster's birthday, was met with more than a raised eyebrow!). However, with the dropping temperatures, everyone being in their tents by 8:30 p.m. didn't seem like a joking matter.

Soaking up the last little bit of warmth before hitting the sack!

The contents of several
water bottles froze
overnight!

Waking up to temperatures in the low 30s — a little colder with the wind chill — Scouts went straight for warm oatmeal for breakfast. Once the troop finished breakfast and packed up the gear, it gathered around a stoked campfire for a devotional focused on service. Scouts discussed the troop's mission of servant leadership and Jesus' call in Matthew 20 to be a servant to others by seeking to serve and not to be served. In a small recognition of this idea, the Scouts gathered a pile of firewood to leave for the next campers who use the site. Shortly thereafter, the troop hit the trail for the homestretch, adding roughly another 90 minutes and two miles to their backpacking adventure.

In the troop's monthly Patrol Leaders' Council meeting the following Monday evening, the troop's youth leaders spoke enthusiastically about the experience. While the group included both first-time backpackers and Philmont veterans, it was noted that everyone did their part and worked well together. The veterans were able to teach new camping skills, such as filtering water, hanging a bear bag, digging a sump, and cooking with the Whisperlite stoves. The new Scouts absorbed their lessons well and are now ready for more backpacking adventures. In discussing the positive aspects of the campout, the PLC members even spoke fondly of the singing ability of the troop's own "Pandora" radio. In reflecting on lessons learned to improve future campouts, it was noted that having proper personal equipment is very important, especially in regard to the weather. The overall positive assessment of the trip came from the SPL, who noted that "the only bad thing is, it was cold."     

For more photos, check out the troop's online photo album.