October Appalachian Trail Hike

I arrive at Prince of Peace at 4:55 on October 16. I put my hiking backpack in Mr. Pflomms’ truck after attaching a water purifier to it. Ryan, Mac and I split up the tent, I got the tent, Ryan got the tarp and Mac got the poles and stakes. I get into Mr. Petersons car with Tim, Ryan and Kirk.

For our hiking camp we have two groups doing different hikes. We have one group of boys and leaders doing an 8-mile hike and then we have another group of boys and leaders doing a 5-mile hike. The group doing the 5-mile hike is also hiking with Weblo’s that we invited up for the day on Saturday. I am doing the 8-mile hike.

We arrive at the campsite and since it was raining out we put on our raingear and backpack covers (if we had one, of which I did). Since we had picked up Mac and our gear at the area where we are leaving the cars, we all hiked up the three-quarters of a mile to the campsite. We set up the backpacking tents and curl up inside ready to go to bed. Around 8, Mr. Pflomm, Mr. Peterson, Mrs. Zenevitch, Brandon and Chris show up, set up their tents, and go to bed.

Ryan, Mac and I wake up around 6 and immediately start getting changed and packing up our gear. By 6:30 we are all packed up so we get out of the tent, lean our packs against a tree and start taking down the tent. Once everyone’s out we start boiling water for our oatmeal/freeze dried food. Ryan, Mac and I split up the tent after eating and cleaning up and head out on the Appalachian Trail.

After hiking three miles Ryan, Mac and I get to the spot of where we are supposed to stop to refill our water and group up. We had gotten lost about 100 yards before the break area because we took a wrong turn. When we finally get to the break area, Tim and Kirk had already been there for about half an hour so we drop our packs and wait. In another half hour the rest of the group shows up and we refill on water and eat some snacks.

My group (Ryan, Mac, and I) head out first but Tim and Kirk pass us very quickly and go ahead. After hiking about two more miles we stop again for lunch around 1. Once again I forgot my lunch so I had a bottle of trail mix. After a half hour to an hour break, we head out for three more very easy miles. Even though we headed out first Tim and Kirk once again passed us very fast. We get to camp around three. We are staying at Bull’s Bridge in Kent. The scouts that had gone on the 5-mile hike had come from the other direction, they were already there and had their tents set up. So Ryan, Mac and I set up the tent, put our gear in it and hang around. After about five minutes I set up my hammock because I decided to sleep in it that night.

We hang around and threw rocks off a pretty high bridge to see how high the splash is. Finally around 3:30, I give Tim $5 and he heads out to an ice cream shop and picks up two ice cream bars. He gets back around 4 and Tim and I have some very delicious ice cream. At 5 we start boiling water to eat our ramen noodles/freeze dried food. By 5:30 we are done eating our food and are almost done cleaning up.

Around 6:45, Mr. Lori and Mr. Murphy come along asking if we want to go on a night hike to the parking lot. So I agree and end up going with Mac and a couple of other scouts. When we get to the parking lot I see my mom with a backpack. I ask what the back pack is for and she says it has Brownies, Banana nut muffins and candy corn in it. So I gladly take the backpack from her and head back to camp with my friends while she hikes with the leaders. When I get back to camp I have to draw a circle around me to prevent from being crushed. I hand out the food so that everyone gets two brownies, a couple of muffins and a bit more than a handful of candy corn. My mom hangs around and talks with the leaders a bit and then I walk her back to the parking lot with Mr. Lori and Mr. Murphy.

When I get back to camp I go to the bathroom real quick and then give my mat to Mac, since he and Tim are going to be sleeping outside with me even though they’re on their mats. Mr. Collins comes over and takes a picture of us but then I finally am able to go to sleep after a long, exhausting day.

Tim, Mac and I wake up a bit late so we immediately start putting our stuff away. I am able to take down my hammock pretty fast, stuff my sleeping bag into its sack and roll up my mat and I am almost ready to go. I finish packing up my gear and take out my pack. Ryan, Mac and I take down the tent but don’t split it up because we only have a mile to go and Ryan said he would carry it and then give it to Mac to take home and dry out. The water is almost boiling so I go over and get ready to eat some oatmeal.

After I’m done eating I wash out my dish and put it away. In a couple of minutes I am ready to go so I wait about five minutes then head out with Ben and a few other scouts. We catch up to Ryan so there is a group of five of us hiking. We get to the cars and I put my gear in Mr. Ackell's truck and wait. When almost everyone has put their gear in the cars, we head over to a viewing spot and take some pictures by the river. I then get in Mr. Peterson's car with a few other scouts and head home.

I am soon at home unpacking and taking a nice hot shower after a 10-mile hike.

For more info. about scouting in Brookfield please contact the following people: Cubscouts - Rob Libbey Pack 5 at 203-7445-2412, Rob Janofsky Pack 135 @203-775-9578, Boyscouts Kirk Lauri Troop 135 @ 203-470-9050, Jonathan Gibney Troop 8, Tom Tyrell, Troop 5 @ 203-775-4448.

Written by,

Nicholas Palmer

Troop 135, Patrol Leader