Troop 258, Troop 358, and Crew 158 joined forces on a socially distant backpacking adventure. Most of the youth had a parent accompany them so that we could remain safe during travel as well.
Preparation and Perspiration
Beginning in September, the crews met for shakedown hikes. Our first hike focused on hiking etiquette and basics. We traversed 5 miles on the Good Water Loop in Georgetown to get a feeling for our gear and the weight of our packs.
Between shakedowns, we had accrued 25 crew members and divided them into two official crews, stockpiled backpacking food, collected health and COVID forms, and reviewed possible routes.
Our October hike at Doe Skin Ranch in Balcones Canyonland was the most challenging primarily due to the temperatures nearing 100°F. The heat sapped our spirits and strength, however, we still managed to complete the planned 4.5 miles with great elevation changes and scenery.
We returned to Doe Skin Ranch at the beginning of November and were relieved the weather was much more amenable to hiking. We finished the 4.5 miles in good time and felt like we could go another 5 miles.
The Adventure Begins
Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, we had more adults and cars than usual, though this allowed for all interested youth to participate. We departed Saturday before Thanksgiving for our 4 day trip. First stop – lunch in Sweetwater at Newman Park, which turned out to be a great rest area. There were enough picnic tables for everyone to relax before the last stretch of road. We arrived at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in the late afternoon ready to set up camp.
The Lighthouse
Jake Pape (C158) led the Mystery Gang crew and Caleb Trollope (Troop 258) led the Mandalorian crew. Hiking as sister crews we followed the Givens Spicer Lowry trail to Lighthouse trail. Passing a few hoodoos (balancing rock formations), we continued along the flat trail admiring the layers of sedimentary rock telling the story of the canyon.
The Lighthouse beckoned us to finish the last 250ft of elevation gain. We enjoyed our trail lunch on the Lighthouse rock formation. Afterwards, we explored and took in the amazing view of the canyon.
On the hike back to our campground, we trekked down the Paseo del Rio noticing the different ecological environments primarily that there was water in the river and cottonwood trees surrounding us. After hiking 9 miles, we were happy to settle in at our camp, make dinner, and wind down in our tents.
Rock Garden and Lower Comanche Trails
On our second day of hiking, we traveled another 7 miles along the Rock Garden and Comanche Trails, finishing with the Paseo del Rio in the opposite direction back to camp. We enjoyed the rock features and beautiful views from the higher elevation of these trails. This trip provided a greater challenge for our scouts and a preview of a high adventure trek, including a few prepackaged Philmont meals. We discovered which meals we prefer and which we would gladly drop into a swap box.
On our way home, we took a detour to the Cadillac Ranch. The scouts were given two tasks: a service project to remove empty spray paint cans and have fun adding decorations to the colorful cars planted in the ground.
Scouts have already expressed interest in a 2021 trip similar to this and treks to Philmont. Mission accomplished.
