TBD

We will be meeting at Stevens Estate (723 Osgood Street) and then hiking Osgood Hill. The meeting will start at 1:00. It will muddy tomorrow so dress appropriately and remember to wear a mask and bring water.

We will be having a camp out at Base camp on March 26-28. We will be reviewing the new safety precautions at future meetings

Troop meetings will now be every Sunday at 1pm at Patriots’ Park for a while.

Today we had the pleasure of learning about the hobby of Highpointing from Audra Farrell and Loren Mooney. A U.S. Highpointer travels to the highest point in elevation in each of the 50 states. Some high points in states are just hills while others are high summits like Mt Washington, NH or Mt Denali, Alaska. Audra and Loren have visited about 48 of these points, missing just Alaska and Virginia at this time. Anyone can be a highpointer because you don't have to be an avid hiker. Many are accessible by car and you can make your trip what you want of it by exploring a new area you have never been to before. Highpointing can bring you to cool sites and places you would have never visited otherwise.

Here are some great tips that we learned about Highpointing from these experts:
1) Be prepared and don't skimp on your gear. Try to think of many situations that may occur on your trip and pack accordingly
2) Make friends and learn from other people who may have more experience than you. Build your team with people who each have an important skill so that you make good decisions on your trek.
3) Set time limits so you can have a comfortable turn around time to get back down because conditions can change rapidly. Once you have set your plan, stick to it, and tell someone the details of your trip.
4) Learn how to pressure breathe for high altitude hikes where you force air out of your lungs to help with fatigue.
5) Take some time to train for back packing trips locally before hand with weighted packs or running.
6) Always pack a map and plan for what would happen if someone got hurt.
7) Pack to take care of yourself, but precisely to keep the weight of your pack down.

Quote of the day:
"Having an ice axe in your backpack is like having a bike helmet on your handle bars."

As Scouts, we always pack our 10 essentials, but more important than that is having the gear you need in hand and using it properly.

July 11-17 we will be heading to Camp Bell.