Polar bears & pickle juice (CDB Day 5)

Scouts before the plunge

Thursday started a little earlier and more abrupt for some.  Eight of our scouts (Jason, Connor, Gideon, Jake, Harrison, George, Benson, and Tyson) accompanied by Mr. Chism rose early and headed to the lake for the Polar Bear Plunge.  As if Lake Allen wasn't cold enough, these brave souls competed to get a greased watermelon in the frigid lake at 6:30 this morning!  Why do this you ask?  Bragging rights and a cool patch, of course.  Congratulations to these scouts for "manning up" and earning that patch!

Josh, our program director

The polar bear scouts joined the rest of us for dinner where we enjoyed french toast sticks, folded eggs, sausage patties, and the cereal bar.  After breakfast, we attended the flag raising ceremony, led by our program director, Josh.  Josh always leads us in a song.  This morning's song was the "Alligator" song and was new to most of us.

After the flag ceremony, everyone headed off to class in the same routine that we've had all week.  The scouts have been working on their homework and many have already completed merit badges.  There have been mixed reviews about the classes.  Some say they are boring while others say they are having a blast.  Most scouts all agree that the staff is very friendly and they've enjoyed getting to know them.

We all joined back for lunch and enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs, and chips.  After lunch and a bit of free time everyone headed to their afternoon merit badge classes and Goin' Great for the last time.  On Friday afternoon, there is a camp wide competition called the Mountain Man Challenge and we'll be competing in that.

Miles, Harrison, and Samuel cleaning creek

After the classes ended for the afternoon, the scout leadership planned out the rest of the week so that the troop would be able to earn the Long Rifle Award, which is the honor troop award at camp.  Mr. Edwards arranged for a service project that involved clearing out a creek at a nearby campsite to ensure that it wouldn't backup and flood during rain.  Several scouts led by Luke worked to get this accomplished while there were two other groups working on different tasks.

While several scouts were working on the service project for camp, another small group of scouts led by Liam were working the orienteering course in order to fill in the blanks for the challenge.  Orienteering involves using a compass to find a location based on coordinates and distance.  The scouts believe that they did in fact find the proper locations to fill in the blanks for the right answer based on the clues (coordinates and distance).

Will scaling the wall again at a fast pace

At the same time the scouts were working on the service project and orienteering course, another group led by Jason was cooking the meal for the troop.  The meal was provided by the kitchen at the dining hall and was jambalaya-ish.  It was a bunch of spanish rice with some smoked sausage.  Several of our first year scouts helped with the cooking and there should be some great new patrol cooks in the near future.  The jambalaya-ish was accompanied by salad and a roll.  Most agreed that the meal was better than expected and everyone ate well.

After dinner, the scouts in the Order of the Arrow (OA) including our newest candidate Jason attended an OA ice cream social with other arrowmen at camp.  This was a nice opportunity to visit with scouts from other councils and states and enjoy some ice cream.  Meanwhile, back at camp the rest of the scouts were enjoying some s'mores by the campfire along with the troop sharing our campsite.  It was a glorious evening.

Nick chugging pickle juice at tavern

A small group of scouts headed up to Boonesboro with the scouts from the high adventure contingent.  Tonight, the tavern was open where you could enjoy some beer, wine, and ale.  Actually, it is root beer, Cheerwine, and ginger ale.  Aside from the fact that the beverages are non-alcoholic, it seemed like a tavern in every other way.  There was live music and carousing and the scouts loved it.  Nick even chugged a jar of pickle juice on top of the table to the chants of "chug! chug! chug!".

After heading back down the hill from Boonesboro, we discovered that a bear was just spotted there and that it was headed towards the staff housing area.  Bears continue to be present in camp, which is disconcerting for the camp staff an leaders.  However, other than a sighting thankfully there have been no other issues.  Today the sun was out all day and it got a little warm in the sun.  It was still very pleasant in the shade and we continue to enjoy our time in the outdoors.

For more pictures and videos, check out our online album.

Trailheads

Troop 50's trailheads: the Buck Patrol (top) and Turn Up Patrol (bottom)

October's focus for Troop 50 Scouts and leaders has been on backpacking, all leading up to the troop's October 18-19 excursion on the Pine Mountain Trail. The trail is comprised of 23 miles of footpaths that cross and follow the beautiful Pine Mountain ridge in west central Georgia, and is located inside the Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park, near Callaway Gardens. Much of the land that the Pine Mountain Trail crosses once belonged to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Since 1975, the Pine Mountain Trail Association and its volunteers have labored to build the best trail system possible.

Buck Patrol Leader and Philmont
veteran Robert instructs Scouts
on proper use of a compass.

Relying on the experience some of the troop's senior Scouts acquired during their summer 2013 expedition to Philmont, the October 6th troop meeting was devoted to increasing Scouts' familiarity with packing and cooking techniques. Until now, many of our Scouts had camped only feet from the troop trailer and prepared food on camp stoves using equipment from chuckboxes and food stored in coolers until needed. Scouts learned that they would have to pack in their patrol's food and cooking equipment, in addition to their own personal gear, and pack out those same supplies along with their trash. The expedition would also provide many of our senior Scouts the opportunity to do some backpacking cooking to complete requirements for the now-Eagle-required Cooking Merit Badge. At the October 13th troop meeting, our Philmont-hardened Scouts presented tips for navigating trail maps using a compass, and patrols met to organize menus and discuss the gear needed for the trip.

Turn Up Patrol members Jack, Mark and Jason enjoy the
scenic views of Odie Overlook.

The troop set out early Saturday morning for FDR State Park. Upon arrival, patrols oriented themselves to the trail map and set out on the 6.7-mile Wolf Den Loop. The Buck Patrol set out first for the Bumblebee Ridge Campsite, led by Assistant Patrol Leader Josh, joined by SPL William and Quartermaster Andrew, and under the supervision of assistant scoutmasters JP Pendleton and Wes Williams. Soon after, the Turn Up Patrol departed for Old Sawmill Campsite, led by Patrol Leader John, joined by ASPL Davis, and under the supervision of Scoutmaster Andrew Baird and Chartered Organization Representative Michael Tullier.

The shady canopy of the initial portion of the trail gave way to sunny ridges and warmer temperatures. Odie Overlook was the first opportunity to see the expansive ridge that bordered the Pine Mountain Trail. It was soon after that the two groups intersected for the first and only time as the Turn Up Patrol sought a spot for lunch around the same spot the Buck Patrol was finishing up its lunch stop. 

Buck Patrol members stop to commune with nature,
including a tree-hugging demonstration by SPL William.

The Buck Patrol passed Old Sawmill Campsite on its way to Bumblebee Ridge Campsite—which was about another mile down the trail and part of the roughly seven miles the patrol covered on Saturday. Upon arrival, the patrol discussed logistics, with some traversing the quarter-mile downhill climb to filter water and others setting up tents. With one group focused on preparing the patrol's dinner of chicken and rice, other groups prepared a sump (to dispose of cooking and cleaning waste) and readied the patrol's bear bag (to help prevent animals from raiding remaining food stores and trash). Before hitting the sack around 8:45 p.m. central time, the patrol made one more run to filter water and then conducted a "Rose, Bud, Thorn" assessment that included enjoying working together as a team (the positive, or "rose"); hitting the trail in the morning, finishing up the trip, and getting home to good food like pizza (the opportunity, or "bud"); and dealing with the challenges of hiking inclines and dealing with backpack issues (the negative, or "thorn").

Turn Up chefs John and James Robert—
and their tasty chicken and rice dish.

After logging just more than six miles for the day, the Turn Up Patrol's Old Sawmill Campsite featured a scenic stream and plenty of space for the patrol to stretch out. After settling in, the patrol encountered a significant challenge: a malfunctioning water filter that required the patrol to resort to boiling its drinking water. With hot water left in water bottles to cool, the patrol focused on preparing its dinner of rice, chicken, and gravy—along with a host of cookies, crackers and other sweet side items in each person's food bag. As cooler temperatures settled in, a nice fire kept everyone toasty until the patrol called it a night—by 8 p.m. central time, if you can believe that!

After the Turn Up Patrol covered the distance to Bumblebee Ridge Campite and troop regrouped mid-morning Sunday, it traveled together to the nearest water source where the Turn Up Patrol had a chance to refill its water bottles. The group's next stop included the troop's opportunity for reverence, during which time Mr. Tullier led a devotion entitled "Carrying Your Burdens" using the backpacking trip as a theme and centered on Mark 12:30-31 and Galatians 6:2.

Perhaps the fastest Scouts (and leaders) were witnessed traveling was from the sight of the trailhead sign to the cars in the parking lot! Upon reaching their cars, Scouts and leaders boasted a total of 8.6 miles during the two-day trip. For our newest Scouts, as well as many of our older ones, the trip represented the most trail miles ever covered on a troop backpacking trip.

At its post-campout Patrol Leaders Council critique Monday evening, the PLC members offered positive comments on the scenic views, weather, food, and cooperation within the Buck Patrol. The PLC felt the troop could improve for the next trip by refining Scouts' packing techniques, which for a first backpacking trip were generally good; and to reinforce forgotten outdoor skills, including "Leave No Trace" principles.

More photos from the trip are available in the troop's online photo album.

Finding the way, while being healthy, and tracking animals

Monday's meeting combined several different topics from outdoor skills to staying healthy. It was also marked by the return of a number of Webelos Scouts who have decided to join our troop in the coming months. Senior Patrol Leader William started the meeting by introducing the troop to the SCOUTStrong program, which is associated with the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge. The goal of the program is to promote a  healthy lifestyle through good eating habits and a regular regimen of physical activity. To earn the SCOUTStrong award, youth are required to meet an activity goal of sixty minutes per day, for at least five days per week, for six weeks out of eight. Adults can also participate with a daily goal of thirty minutes of activity. Along with the physical activity, participants set weekly goals for healthy eating. It was revealed during the presentation that the scoutmaster had already registered to start the program and completed sixty minutes of activity earlier in the day. Further information may be found at http://www.scouting.org/scoutstrongpala.aspx. The login for the online tracker is found at https://www.presidentschallenge.org/BSA_91/.

Next on the program was the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, John, who conducted a class on identifying animals in the wild. This met requirement six of the Second Class rank requirements. He covered the ability to stalk wild animals by following their tracks and distinguishing between similar species based on small differences in the tracks. He also discussed how to determine an animal's identity by the type of habitat it creates and the scat it leaves behind. The visiting Webelos eagerly joined in the discussion and asked a number of interesting questions.

John fields questions from the multitudes

   

With Ethan standing in for the sun,
it is shown how the movement of the
 stick's shadow creates an East-West
line on the ground.

The final part of the program was spend on land navigation. Mr. Baird explained how contour maps can be used to identify the terrain features of an area and how knowing the shape of the terrain can help you find your way. He also showed how to determine the steepness of a grade by using trigonometry, although that exhibit was mostly met with quizzical looks. In a more practical demonstration, Scouts were shown how the shadow cast by an upright stick can be used to determine north, south, east, and west. Other methods for determining direction were also demonstrated, including the use of an analog watch to find south. Unfortunately, the rain clouds hid the stars from view, which precluded a visit to the parking lot to identify the North Star.
 
At the close of the meeting, the Scouts were once again congratulated on reaching the gold level of the Journey to Excellence in 2013. Scouts and leaders were presented patches for their uniforms to signify this important achievement.