Well, we must have done something right, because the weather turned out to be perfect. Partly sunny with temps around 27º Friday night, 63º Saturday, and 37º Saturday night. No rain whatsoever. We hiked in .5 miles Friday night and camped. After a leisurely breakfast, we were on the trail by 9am, making 3 miles by 11:30. After our lunch by an old moonshine still (?), we drew water from Wood Run creek, and started up Dennis Mountain, elevation 732 feet. After another mile, we made the top by 2pm, took a short breather, and started our 2 mile descent towards our next site, reaching it around 4pm. Sunday morning found us on the trail by 8am, taking a slightly shorter route than planned and reaching the trailhead and the vans just after 9am. After jumpstarting the new van with the old one, we headed home.
I had a lot of fun on this trip. As Mr. Kerr likes to say, “Learning took place.” I think the newer scouts learned you don’t need as much stuff as you think. And that, even with all the unnecessary weight, and despite what their legs and lungs were telling them, they learned that they could make it to the top. I’m also proud of the older scouts who offered encouragement and their trekking poles to the younger guys.
Matt Garnier offered to give a refresher on how to load your backpack at the next troop meeting. I think that would be a great idea. Hopefully, when everyone got home and unpacked, they made a note of what they never used. Paring down your gear is a continual refinement and will change somewhat based on season and duration. Some of the scouts asked how I fit all my gear in a smaller pack. The key is to lay it all out before you pack. When I got home, I unpacked, laid it all out and took a picture. This is my standard pack for 2-3 days in spring or fall. Total weight with 1 day of water, 26 lbs.
