Troop 4

The trip will be Saturday, April 10th and 11th along the Tully Trail in Royalston, MA. We will meet at the parish center on Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. We will return for pick up at the parish center by 3:00 PM on Sunday. Scouts need to bring a bag lunch and the items listed on the Troop 4 backpacking equipment list. The list is available on our website. Remember to pack warm. April nights can still be cold.

The area around the Tully Trail is known for its scenic views, including Royalston Falls, the highest Massachusetts waterfall east of the CT River. We will be camping along the river about a mile upstream from the falls, in a remote area that includes an Adirondack shelter, and plenty of room for tent camping. Scouts will be broken down into ability groups so that everyone can hike to the campsite at a comfortable pace. Once we establish camp, we’ll take side hikes to nearby sites, including the waterfall, a beaver pond, and a natural stone bridge.

Since this will be the first camping trip for many of our new scouts, we will be doing a lot of preparation and training at our upcoming meetings. For food, scouts need to bring a bag lunch for Saturday, and will be cooking patrol-style on backpacking stoves for dinner and breakfast. We’ll make a fast food stop for lunch on the way home on Sunday. Scouts will plan their patrol meals at the next troop meeting. At the following regular troop meeting on April 8th (April 1st is not a regular meeting as it is our swim night), all scouts that plan to attend this trip should bring their backpack fully packed as if they were ready to go. Older scouts (veterans of the Colorado and Mt. Washington alpine adventure teams) will work with each patrol to perform a “shakedown” of each backpack to ensure scouts have all that they need for the trip, but no more. This will ensure that packs are light enough to allow an enjoyable trip, and that scouts have the required gear. For new scouts that have not yet had an opportunity to purchase a backpack, we have one or two Troop packs that you can borrow for the event. Contact Phil Bedard.

If you son will be attending the backpacking trip, please complete the permission slip and return it to the Troop Scribe at the March 25th troop meeting. All first year crossover scouts are strongly encouraged to attend as this is a great introduction to backcountry camping. If your son would like to attend but won’t be at the March 25th troop meeting, please call or email Phil Bedard at 508-561-7058 or pbedard1 [Email address: pbedard1 #AT# gmail.com - replace #AT# with @ ]. We will need a few parents to drive to/from and/or stay for the event. If you can help out please indicate on the permission slip.