We will be departing from KES on Saturday, October 15, at 7:30am SHARP. Do not skip breakfast and bring a bag lunch to eat on the trail. It takes about two hours to get to the Kaaterskill Falls trailhead, which is located up in the Catskill Mountains near Hunter. After our hike, we will be car-camping at Colgate Lake. Expect our return to be sometime early Sunday afternoon.
There are ways you can prepare for this hike the day before the trip. Loading up on carbs the night before will help you store the energy you'll need for Saturday's activities. A pasta dinner or chicken and rice are great ways to load up. Energy snacks for the trail will help you maintain energy levels, too. Avoid "energy bars" and granola bars, they tend to be made with processed fats and sugars that will slow you down. Instead, consider a trail mix made from dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries, etc), peanuts, walnuts, chocolate chips or Reese's pieces.
Hydration is very important, as you will be exerting yourself and perspiring throughout the day. You may not feel as thirsty, since the cooler weather tricks you into thinking you're fine because you're not sweating as much. Avoid "energy drinks" at all costs! They are mostly sugar and caffeine and other stimulants that are not good for you! "Sports drinks" like Gatorade and Powerade are a good way to help you stay hydrated and regain lost electrolytes, but you should not depend on them alone. Plain water is the best way to stay hydrated, because your body can absorb it quickest. Sometimes plain water doesn't taste good to you after a while, so consider adding in a little fruit juice (orange juice, cherry juice). Avoid powders like Kool Aid and Tang,
Make sure you have hiking boots with ankle support, and you'll also want to wear your wool socks. Bring a day pack that contains your lunch for the trail, an extra pair of wool socks, a personal first aid kit, and anything else you think you might need to enjoy the hike (sunscreen, binoculars, camera, etc). We strongly suggest you leave items like phones, iPods and games at home, or at the very least, in the car. Do not bring them into camp or on the hike!
Here are some photos from Thursday's troop meeting, where we again reviewed how to pack for a campout, and also worked on some advancement. We also discussed the upcoming Muscoot Fall Camporee at Durland Scout Reservation. Patrol Leaders should download the Camporee packet PDF from the council web site and get familiar with the events that will be held.
Peter B. explains how he packed for this upcoming trip.
Peter explains how some of his items are packed in sealable plastic bags. Peter's pack has an internal frame.
Thor then explained how he packed his pack, which has an external frame.
Flashlight, matches, and knife are kept in a separate bag to keep them dry.
We also handed out some Patrol equipment. You can never have enough spatulas.
All Scouts who earn the rank of First Class get the special Troop 1 90th Anniversary neckerchief, which also honors long time Scoutmaster "Doc" Smith ("WHS"). Daniel E. was awarded his neckerchief last night.See you at KES on Saturday morning!