Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 15:15:30 -0500
To: Anaconda Patrol:;, Troop Committee:;
From: "John D. McCarthy"
Subject: more on high adventure outing
Status: RO
Dear Scouts and Scouters,
I just spoke with Scoutmaster Kleiver of Troop 33 about this summer's high adventure outing. He gave me more details about what he has done in the past on this outing and he had some questions for us.
Mr. Kleiver would like to meet with us to plan for this outing on one of the following dates: Wednesday, March 28, Thursday, March 29, or Friday, March 30. I believe that he said that there is a special evening event on one of these dates, so we would have to meet during the day on that date (Wednesday, March 28 ?), if that is the date we choose to meet with him.
I remind you that only First Class Scouts will be able to attend this outing.
This outing is a backpacking outing with options for mountain biking and / or canoeing.
[Note: I replaced a previous sentence with the following bold-faced sentence on May 26, 2001. The original sentence was in error regarding which merit badges Scouts have an opportunity to work on with Mr. Kleiver on this outing.]
Since Mr. Kleiver is a merit badge counselor for camping, backpacking and home repair, participating Scouts have an opportunity to work with him on this outing on the camping and / or backpacking merit badge.
Mr. Kleiver said that parents are welcome to attend this outing, with or without their son.
Mr. Kleiver said that we will need a third party for those scouts who want to stay in camp. This could be satisfied by two adult leaders from Troop 316 plus Mr. Kleiver.
He told me that we will each need to have a decent pair of boots or at least a real good pair of tennis shoes.
He wants to know how long we want this outing to be, as few as 3 days, as long as 5 days. In the past, Troop 33 has conducted this outing from Monday to Friday. This seems to be their preference.
Do we want to do any mountain biking?
Do we want to do any canoeing?
Do we want to backpack more than one night?
Mr. Kleiver mentioned that we can decide what combination of options we want and how much time we wish to spend on each option. We only need to keep in mind that this is a backpacking outing, so a certain amount of time will be devoted to backpacking.
Mr. Kleiver said that when Troop 33 did this once before, the cost for the outing came to $25.00 per Scout plus food.
NOTES ON PREVIOUS OUTING:
The starting point for the outing was at the Red Bridge access (which is a boat launch, with fishing, a bridge, a county park, 4 campsites, and an outhouse).
After arriving at this starting point on Monday morning, Troop 33 backpacked to a campsite at a state park on the Manistee river. Some bushwacking was involved on this hike.
On Tuesday, Troop 33 hiked, with some more bushwacking, to another state park above the Hodenpyl Dam. This second campsite was their base camp for the rest of the outing. Troop 33 spent the other nights on this outing at this base camp.
Troop 33 left a car at the starting point, and another car at the base camp. The distance between these two points was less than ten miles.
(Mr. Kleiver said that we can do more backpacking than was done on this previous outing if we desire.)
On Wednesday, Troop 33 did some mountain biking, traveling down along a ridge on the west side of the Manistee river, beginning about one mile west of the base camp. (Mr. Kleiver said that one of the Outdoor Magazines rated this stretch "the best MIchigan has to offer for mountain biking".) After completing this stretch, Troop 33 bicycled back to the base camp on the main road.
On Thursday, Troop 33 did some canoeing on the Manistee River.
On Friday, Troop 33 was back in Lansing by the early afternoon.
Best regards,
Scouter John
Last Revised 7/31/2001