Advancement Hike

A group of seven Scouts and five parents participated in yesterday's advancement hike.  The group met close to the trailhead of the Pimmit Run Trail in McLean.  The event began with the group's Instructors -- Christopher F., Ben J., Matthias Z., and Tim J. -- going over several Tenderfoot and Second Class rank requirements with the younger Scouts, Anders P., Cooper T., and  Evan C.  We then commenced our five mile hike.    

The Pimmit Run Trail follows Pimmit Run through McLean.  We are fortunate to have this trail in our community.   One can indeed experience the Great Outdoors without traveling far from home.  The trail is an easy one and has little change in elevation.  The only obstacles we faced yesterday were six creek crossings, four road crossings, and several muddy sections resulting from the lovely snow, sleet, and rain of the previous day.  We fortunately encountered no precipitation during our hike, but most of us were surprised by the cold temperatures.  Strong winds, of course, lowered the windchill.  But the sun appeared every now and then and warmed us up.  

Per one of the Second Class requirements, we looked for evidence of wild animals.  We saw deer hoofprints, woodpecker holes, and, much to our surprise, beaver marks on a tree still standing and on a fallen tree close by.  We viewed some live animals:  a bird of prey overhead, fish in the creek, and (not much to our surprise) a deer.  Some Scouts at the end of our column were treated to the sight of a dead fox.  

At the conclusion of the hike, the older Scouts checked off the covered requirements in the younger boys' Scout Handbooks.  In less than three hours on a Sunday afternoon and not far from home, Scouts got some exercise, experienced the outdoors, provided instruction to one another, and completed several rank requirements.  

If you want to see pictures from this hike, click here.

Duncan Knob Hollow Backpacking Trip

I think we've now completed three full-troop backpacking trips to Duncan Knob Hollow. And each one has been a little better than the last one.

The first trip (Dec 2016), we inexplicably walked past the best campsite, slept on some very dodgy terrain, and had an awful time getting food hung at night. The second time (Dec 2018), we camped at the best spot and employed a much better bear bag system (Marrison Haul technique).

But for both of those earlier trips, moving as a single large group left the younger scouts feeling overly rushed and the older scouts feeling overly delayed.

So this year, we did two separate itineraries. We all met at the trailhead together on Saturday morning. But the more experienced backpackers headed out first and aimed for a campsite 4.5 miles away atop a very steep final climb (to the saddle just below Duncan Knob). The less experienced group followed behind with a much flatter 3 mile hike and camped in the valley by a stream.

I think this worked far better than in past years. The younger guys needed frequent stops to rest and adjust gear. The older ones barely paused along the way. I'm not sure of the precise pace difference. But it was considerable.

But before the hiking could start we had to summon our courage. We left McLean with thick, high clouds and a bit of mist. The conditions consistently deteriorated for the first hour of the drive. At the Pilot, where we stopped for final provisions, we had mid forties and a driving rain….hmmmm, not very inspiring.

But then we had a magical moment when the precipitation halted just as we arrived at the trailhead. You've got to hand it to Mother Nature. She does like to bat us around a bit sometimes.

Each group took a few hours to get to camp. And by the time camp was setup and bear ropes hung, there wasn't much daylight left (at least for the group in the valley).

So we postponed thoughts of summiting until morning. Fires were lit and hot meals enjoyed. The scouts up on the saddle had some considerable wind to battle, which certainly lead to early retiring to tents. But the Coopersmiths still managed to grill some thick steaks before bedding down -- nicely done!

Down in the valley, where the wind was quite light, the scouts continued the age-old (and quite maddening) experiment to see how little wood is needed to keep a fire barely smouldering. One nice thing about that site--multiple campfire spots. The adults had a roaring one going and (unsurprisingly) had an easier time staying outside past 7pm and enjoying the cornish game hens and steak that Jonathan and Mr. Ross brought. (The new Scoutmaster knows how to reward parents for coming winter camping).

Sunday morning was clear with beautiful blue skies. For those of us in the valley, we watched the 'sun line' descend the western slope until the direct light warmed us up. We mounted a side hike to the summit which was totally worth it. And we saw the saddle-campers on their way down.

I'd like to extend a big thank you to all the parents who did that trip. Splitting the group in two definitely required more parents. And a big thanks to Kristen Peterson for handling all of the trip logistics.

If you want to see the pictures from the outing, click here.

Harper's Ferry and Weverton Cliffs Hike

On a beautiful fall day, if you were in the north of England, 12 scouts and an assorted gaggle of old people met up at Harpers Ferry for an out-and-back hike.

As the cars pulled into the parking lot at Harpers Ferry train station the wind picked up and rain continued to fall. Perfect hiking conditions, not!

Once various layers were put on, parking fees paid, we headed out on a stroll down the tow path. My cunning theory of there being shelter from the wind once we dropped down to the tow path was very definitely proved wrong. In fact, the trees formed what was a perfect wind tunnel. The only upside, it was coming from our backs.

This hike mostly followed the Appalachian Trail (AT) as it navigates its way through Harpers Ferry and from Virginia to West Virginia and finally into Maryland and then making its merry way north (which as one scout noted when asked which way was north … it’s up!). After about 3 ½ miles on the tow path we crossed under Rt 340 and began the climb up to the Weverton Cliffs. At the top we left the AT and scooted a few hundred yards down (i.e. south) to the cliffs. What a view! Well worth the climb. Sandwiches were had and hot coffee and hot chocolate were a welcome treat.

After refueling we dropped down back to the tow path. The rain had stopped, the wind died down (not completely, but enough) and the sun was now out. Our trip back up the tow path was uneventful, and the conversations continued. Some discussed the pros and cons of bikers (of the peddle sort) versus hikers (of the foot-using sort) and their lack of understanding of each other’s goals in life (one being to run the others of the path, the others to enjoy a gentle stroll in the outdoors!!). Car buying was a hot topic as was the potential naming of soon-to-be pet Chinchilla sisters.

Once back at the cars we delayered and headed back to McLean. No hike in December as the troop is backpacking on the weekend of the 14/15th. Our next adventure will be sometime in January. Another good calendar year of hiking is behind us, here’s to more outdoor strolls and fun conversations next year.

If you want to see pictures from this outing, click here.

Sandy Springs Adventure Park Camping Trip

This weekend Troop 1916 bravely weathered freezing temperatures for the chance to take to the trees and navigate a whole host of obstacles and ziplines, requiring balance, strength, nerve, and no slight amount of derring-do. The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring Friends School has 13 different courses encompassing many different types of high-wire acts many stories above the ground and for 3-4 hours on Sunday morning, over 50 Scouts (and a few parents) challenged themselves to taking things to the next level.

All of that, of course, was on the heels of a night of camping under a cold, nearly full-moon lit sky. If there was a silver lining to sleeping outdoors in below freezing temperatures it was the lack of precipitation (or even any significant wind). Actually, to the contrary, the cold aside, Saturday ended up being a beautiful day and gave us the occasion to build not one, but two solid fires. After finishing Scouting for Food in the morning and quickly setting up camp after our short trek up to the Olney, Md area, the Scouts largely disappeared in small groups for the afternoon, punctuated only by lunch and dinner. While there were a number of notable meal items, I would be remiss if I didn't call out the burgers and hotdogs Brandon pulled together for the Bulldogs' lunch and the chili pasta that Odin put together for dinner for the Dragons, not to mention the delicious peach cobbler and, of course, S'mores to round out the evening. A special shout-out to JJ for his leadership and organization, which meant that camp was broken up in the morning not only with numerous hot breakfasts, but in time for a full troop set of rose/bud/thorn reflections before we started climbing. While many Scouts felt that the cold was definitely a thorn, perhaps more surprisingly, a good number felt that they were able to manage to sleep and that, once in the sleeping bag, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. There was a strong consensus and anticipation of getting to the climbing and obstacles as well as getting home for a hot shower.

All-in-all, a memorable trip and a solid last camping excursion for 2019!

If you want to see pictures from this trip, click here.

Weakly Hollow Fire Road Hike

It’s early on Sunday morning, it’s dark, it’s raining, it’s windy and basically horrible out, but you’ve committed to hike. Oh how great it would be to turn the alarm off and roll over and go back to sleep. But a commitment is a commitment, so up you get.

Once everyone converged on the White Oak Canyon trailhead (just round the back of Old Rag) and on some advice from the ranger, we decided to modify our hike. It was such a wild day that the footing would have been treacherous and our basic plan when outside is to get everyone home safely and minimize risk. We decided to hike a long the Weakley Hollow Fire Road … unadventurous but still letting us get in a 10 miler and return back to McLean in one piece.

And then everything changed. After about 10 minutes of hiking all coats were removed and after about 20 minutes there was enough blue sky to make a whole army of Dutchman’s trousers! What started as a really foul autumn day turned into one of the best hiking days we’ve had. The fall colours were at their peak and the pictures to follow will show the true beauty of the day. But to try and encapsulate the hike in a few words, it was like walking down the nave of Nature’s cathedral with so many vibrant variations of yellow, it at times made you stop and go “wow”! And the view of Old Rag from the valley floor was pretty special too.

The group split into two. A complete Philmont crew headed off at a fair clip and the rest of us followed. We turned around at or near the base of the Old Rag climb enjoying lunch by the river. The return trip relived the stunning colours and continued fun conversations.

Returning back to the parking lot we all agreed what a lovely walk in the woods we all had just experienced, which couldn’t have been further from our minds when we initially arrived.

The moral of the story, just get outside! Seeing the park like that is rare and a real treat.

The team from the ladies troop included Helen, Sabrina and Amanda. From the boys troop were Brandon P., Noah, Brandon C.S., Andre, Jack T., Keenan, Graham, Scott, Connor C., Daniel, and Jack C.

Old people in support were Kate F., Mike F., Clay P., David B., Don S. and Chris P.

If you want to see pictures from this hike, click here.

Cub Friendly 2019

The Cub Friendly Campout had quite an attendance this year with 45 troop Scouts and 15 Cubs. The troop drove 25 minutes out of McLean to Lake Fairfax Park. The Scouts were required to pitch tarps to sleep in, however, the Cubs had the pleasures of sleeping in tents. The troop tried out a new approach to catapults this year, with PVC and 2x2 planks, instead of using bamboo.

The weather couldn’t have been better on Saturday, as the temperatures were in the low 60’s and the sun was out. After the first hour, most of the scouts had their tarps up and were preparing lunch. Lunch was great; just enough to get you going to launch pumpkins out of the catapults! Everyone hastily grabbed pumpkins and materials for the catapults, and headed down the hill to the field where the assembly began.

Unfortunately, we are not able to use bamboo for the catapults anymore, so we used PVC pipe and wood to build them instead. As the catapults started to take shape, you could feel the anticipation for the first squash to be squashed! The pumpkins were thrown from T-shirt baskets attached to the end of a PVC throwing arm, and were launched into the air, sometimes as far as 60 feet!

When we returned from the field, the scouts and cubs set up an axe and hammer yard to chop up the last year’s bamboo. They did a good job chopping up all of it. If some of the bamboo chambers were missed, the air inside would pressurize and make an explosion when we put them in the fire, so we needed to try to chop up all of the chambers.

We always burn the bamboo from previous years at this outing. Some of the older scouts made the mistake of putting WAY too much bamboo on the fire, and the fire grew too tall, and Mr. Forrer had to pour a bucket of water on it to lower the flames. Also, a very special thanks to all of the Grub Masters during the campout. The food was tasty, and nutritious.

This trip was a blast! Unfortunately, some scouts didn’t look at the forecast for the early morning, as they were out of their tarps at 5:00 am, trying to keep the rain from coming in. Despite the rain, everyone had fun and enjoyed the eventful camping trip, which always is the highlight of the fall season.

-Sebastian Herbolsheimer

If you want to see pictures, click here.

Shenandoah Canoe Camping Trip

It was great to back on the Shenandoah again. I love the sounds from this trip -- the river rushing over rocks, the canoes rubbing through the rapids, and the paddles pressing and slicing the water. It sure beats a day in the office.

Like the beach trip last June, the canoe trip last weekend was a combined outing for troops 2119 and 1916. And all of our scouts experienced the challenges and rewards of a Shenandoah float trip.

Unlike last fall, the water was at it's usual September level (fairly low). So the game was quite simple: read the rapid, find a route near your current course with decent water depth, steer for it, and paddle like mad to make it through. When you got it right, it was like catching a wave in the ocean. When you got it wrong...well there was considerable extra effort required for the 'unstucking' process. So you really wanted to get it right!

Our campsite was right on the bank of the river. So we had great views of the water the whole time. And considering this was our first trip of the year, lots of things in camp went quite well. The grubmaster meals were top notch. And there was plenty of time for campfires Saturday evening.

A big thanks goes out to Shelly for organizing our largest canoe trip ever (over 60 paddlers!).

-Mike

If you want to see the pictures from this trip, click here.

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.