Troop 1 Seekonk News

Fall 2016
Troop 1 Seekonk started the fall camping season on a trip to Franconia Notch in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. Early morning after a hot breakfast and a short drive, the troop arrived at the Lafayette Campground trailhead parking lot and prepared to summit Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette using the Falling Waters, Franconia Ridge, Greenleaf and Old Bridle Path trails. It was a steep hike that followed the side of the Walker Brook with many waterfalls. With three-quarters of the hike to the first summit completed, we followed a spur trail to the edge of Shining Rock and had lunch. The summit of Little Haystack was our first full view above tree line. At 4761 feet, scouts who have never been above any tree line were in awe of the view and the height we had climbed. The wind was swift and the temperature had dropped; it was time to put on more layers. We walked along the Franconia ridge to begin our ascent up Mount Lincoln. It wasn’t long before we climbed the 5089 ft. mountain. We continued on the same trail, and about 45 minutes later, we climbed the highest peak on this hike up Mount Lafayette at 5261 feet. Mount Lafayette was in heavy clouds, but the 360 degree view on the ridge hiking from one peak to the next made up for the thick clouds we experienced on the summit. On the way down we stopped at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Greenleaf hut on the Greenleaf trail. In the hut there is food and water, along with basic necessities and a bunk room for overnight hikers. Leaving the hut behind us, we took the Old Bridal Path down to the trail head and our cars, but not before the path led us along steep ridges and incredible views. It was a great hike.
Our next hike was a backpacking trip in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, and our goal of climbing Massachusetts’s highest peak. We left Seekonk at 6:00 a.m., and drove to the campground parking lot inside of the Mount Greylock State Forest. We got ourselves packed and began our four-mile hike to the shelter on the edge of an overlook. It was overcast and wet for most of the morning. We found our shelter and claimed all of the lean-to. We packed all of our food in the bear box away from camp and set off in the rain to climb the summit of Mount Greylock. About half way up we felt the rain turn to ice and then snow. We trudged up to the top with wind- whipped snow blowing relentlessly around us. Unlike most of the hikes we have taken we were treated to a warm lodge with a roaring fire and hot chocolate! After spending thirty minutes in the lodge it was time to pack back up and head down to make dinner. It continued to snow and even in the lower elevation where it was raining earlier was now covered in snow. We were met by a ranger after our arrival at the lean-to. He explained to us the weather conditions for the rest of the night. He reported snow through the night with temps in the mid 20’s. Although we have slept in cold weather with snow and temps in the twenties before not everyone was as dry as they should be. For the good of everyone hiking we made a decision to pack our bags and head home. Little did we know that would turn out to be our favorite part. Walking in darkness with our packs, flashlights, snow and strong winds it wasn’t long before you felt like you were in another world. Hiking in the snow and dark, was a blast. We made it home safely after a long ride home. It was quite the experience.
Two weeks later we headed out backpacking again. This time we stuck close to home and visited Yawgoog Scout Reservation in Rockville Rhode Island. We headed out again for a four mile hike. After taking the long way around Yawgoog pond and finally making two figure eights past George Washington (our Summer camping spot) down the Curtis Track, past Sherwood forest, around hidden lake to our camping spot on hidden lake. We set-up camp and scouts completing the cooking merit badge made lunch. Soon after lunch we walked to an area of the pond where there was moving water and purified water from the lake. Once everyone’s water bottle was full we headed out down Yawgoog Camp road into Connecticut and went GEO caching for the afternoon. We spent most of the afternoon using our GPS and maps. We worked up a big appetite hiking. It was time for dinner. Cooks made quesadillas, ham with mash potato, and taco’s. Everyone did a great job. At night we were treated to clear skies and a large fire. After a couple of hours of stories and jokes, it was time for bed. Morning came quickly and after a fast breakfast and clean-up it was time to head home and prepare for the coming week.
If you are interested in joining Troop 1 Seekonk or know someone how does please check us out at troop1seekonk.org.