The weather for the West Branch Backpacking/Camping trip was overall pretty nice. Though, the nights were colder than some expected.

The half of the troop that went backpacking started out by having a quick breakfast Saturday morning, then packing and leaving on the trail. There were some minor navigational difficulties on the way out, but it was smooth sailing on the way back to camp. They stopped for lunch after crossing the causeway. It turned out that everybody was low on water and the water in picnic area was off. So an emergency call to home base was necessary for cooking lunch, which turned out well - chicken salad, crackers, ramen noodles, and Chips Ahoy! The return trip went by smoothly making the entire trip about 10 miles.

The other half of the troop stayed back at the campsite. They spent the day working on basic scouting skills. They also spent an hour or so cleaning up other campsites as service work. The younger scouts learned the basics of using knives, axes, and saws, and also the basics of building fires. They were in charge of their own meals. Pancakes and sausage were for breakfast, and spaghetti that actually made its way into the pot was for dinner.

The trip was enjoyed by many of the veteran scouts, and was a good step in bringing the new patrol into the troop. The backpackers were Abid, Allen, Danny, Erich, Ian, James, John, Michael A., Michael L., Nick, Mr. Finn, Mr. Makowski, Mr. Mayher, Mr. Wrabel. Those instructing and working on scout skills in camp were Adam, Alex, Doug, Peter, Raymond, Richard, Steven, Stewart, and Mr. Boblick, Mr. Booth (Saturday).

West Branch State Park Photo Album

Trip Plan for West Branch State Park

Date and Time of Departure: Friday, April 29th, 6:00pm - Old Church

Purpose: This campout will have a program for scouts that have just joined and those that have been in for over a year. Scouts over one year are free to choose which program they want to participate in. The first program is for working on scout skills and Tenderfoot to 1st Class advancement requirements. There will also be a short hike and service project.

The second program will offer troop members a taste of what backpacking is like. The backpacking portion will be more of a training exercise rather than a typical backpacking trip. It will allow scouts to get use to their gear and learn the differences between regular camping and camping while backpacking. The backpacking group will eat Saturday Breakfast, Lunch, and Supper separate from the other group. A good portion of Saturday will be spent on the trail with your backpacks learning the fundamentals. Our trekwill take us around the west end of Michael J. Kirwan Lake on a portion of the Buckeye Trail and return us to camp. I do not have exact figures, but estimate it to be over 10 miles of trail.

Location: West Branch State Park, 5708 Esworthy Road, Ravenna, Ohio 44266, Group Site A

Cost: $20 - due a troop meeting on April 5th.

Estimated Time of Return: Sunday, May 1st, 10:00am - Behind Old Church

Items to Bring:

• Scout Essentials (see handbook)
• Camping Gear and Extra Clothing (see handbook)
• Backpacking Gear (for those participating in the backpacking program)
• Be Prepared for the Weather