50-Mile Maine Canoe Trip 2010

Check out this guide for more info: Maine Hi-Adventure Guide for Scouts 2010

Also see the Float Plan.

General Information

We have completed most of the planning for our high adventure expedition for 2010. Please read
the information package as it contains important information, times, and dates.
We will leave Milford by chartered bus on Saturday morning, Aug 14th at 8:00 AM, and arrive
later that day at the Allagash Gateway Campground just north of Millinocket ME (about 350 miles
away).

We will meet our outfitter the next morning for our shuttle ride to the Roll Dam put-in site on the
Penobscot River. We will canoe and camp along a predetermined route from Sunday through the
following Friday afternoon. The water route is 50 miles.

The troop will finish back at the Allagash Gateway Campground on Friday, August 20th and
return to Milford by 5:00 PM on August 21st for an awards ceremony and welcome home BBQ.
The scouts and adults will be sleeping in troop tents and cooking in patrol sized groups for the
trip. The cooking will be done on a mixture of open fire and white gas stoves. We are bringing
our own food and have done extensive planning and testing for the meals. The scouts will be
grouped for canoe partners and patrols/friends so that all scouts will be comfortable with the
canoeing and be with friends while on the water.

Final Payments Past Due

The total cost of the trip is based on the scout’s participation level in the pancake breakfast
fundraiser. Specific amounts due have been emailed to each scout. At this time all payments
should have been turned in. Please coordinate payment of any outstanding balances with the
troop treasurer right away, so that we have sufficient funds on hand to purchase the required
troop supplies. Our treasurer, Deb Laviolette, can be reached at 508-520-1297, or by mail at 7
Paulene Drive, Franklin MA 02038.

Departure Information

We will meet at St. Mary’s Parish Center at 7:15 AM Saturday morning Aug 14th. All
personal gear should already have been packed and “ready to go” in each participants pack.
Packs will be stored in the parish center after our Aug 5th preparation meeting. We will load the
personal and patrol/troop gear on the chartered bus and support vehicle and leave 8 AM sharp.
Return Information

The troop will board our bus for the return trip home at 9:30AM on Saturday morning August 21st
at the Allagash Gateway Campground. The troop should arrive back in Milford by 5:00 PM.
To close the high adventure trip, we will hold a welcome home BBQ and a brief awards ceremony
at TBD location. During the ceremony all participants will be presented with the 50 Miler Award
and other awards will be given out. The presentations/BBQ should conclude by 7 PM. Any
parents that would like to help plan/prepare for the BBQ should contact Amy Croteau at Amy.Croteau@comcast.net.

Day by Day Itinerary

  • Sat. Aug 14 Milford, MA to just north of Millinocket ME via bus 350 miles to Allagash Gateway Campground
  • Sun. Aug 15 Shuttle to Roll Dam, and then paddle to Lobster Lake ~10 miles
  • Mon. Aug 16 Adventure around Lobster Lake ~5 miles
  • Tue. Aug 17 Lobster Lake to Big Ragmuff Campsite on Penobscot River ~12 miles
  • Wed. Aug 18 Big Ragmuff to Gero Island on Chesuncook Lake ~10 miles
  • Thur. Aug 19 Gero Island to Mouser Island ~10 miles
  • Fri. Aug 20 Mouser Island to Allagash Gateway Campground ~3 miles
  • Sat. Aug. 21 Depart for home via bus 350 miles

Emergencies

This is a wilderness based adventure, so it will be difficult to receive incoming emergency
messages. Cellular telephone coverage is nonexistent. We will hand out several adult leaders’
cell phone/voice mail numbers on the departure day to receive incoming messages while within
coverage range on the bus.

As with our high adventure trips, the troop will follow the BSA policies for High Adventure Treks,
Safe Swim Defense, and Safety afloat. All participants will be required to wear PFD’s at all times
on the water and all other safety policies will be followed. There are nine adult leaders and one
parent going on the trip with 18 scouts. All of the adults have current Red Cross First Aid or Red
Cross CPR certifications. One adult leader also has advanced wilderness First Aid training. All
nine of the adult leaders have current certificates for BSA Safety Afloat and Safe Swim Defense.
The canoe route has been planned to keep us within reasonable range of ranger stations and the
Chesuncook wilderness village (float plane access only), in order to facilitate assistance in an
emergency. The route we are taking is well traveled by other backcountry groups.
The troop “Float Plan” includes even more detail and emergency information, and will be posted
on the troop website prior to our departure.

Medical Forms

BSA regulations require that for this trip we have a current (within the past year for all
participants) physical done by a doctor. Forms are available on the troop website.
The BSA medical forms MUST be: completed, signed off by the doctor, signed off by the
parent, and have the medical insurance company name & policy number listed. Many
doctor’s offices use a standard form. The standard form is fine to use as long it is signed
by the doctor and the BSA form is completed by the parent. Note: this is slightly different
from the Camp Resolute procedures as this is an out of state trip.

Medical forms must be mailed or dropped off to Phil Bedard at 22 Harmony Trail,
Hopedale, to arrive no later than August 5th. This requirement applies to all adults, too, no exceptions.
We are in a remote wilderness area and it is paramount that all participates are
medically cleared to attend, and that we have ALL detailed medical information on
hand. Please note any medical/food allergy information so that the troop can address any
needs.

Release Form From Outfitter

The outfitter who we are using for the canoe rentals requires a release form signed by the
participants and parents for persons under 18 years old. We will have the forms available for
signoff at the planning meeting.

Merit Badge Sign-Up

Scouts are required to sign up for at least 2 (max. 4) merit badge classes that we will have on the
trip. The troop will hold the classes at night and during down times during the day. This will be
lots of fun as we will be working with small groups in the field on the badges. Most of the “field
work” and some/all of the paperwork for the badges should be completed by the end of the week.
Scouts will fill out the required blue merit badge cards at our 8/5 planning meeting. Here is the
list of merit badges offered:

  • Astronomy
  • Canoeing
  • Cooking
  • Camping
  • FirstAid
  • Mammal Study
  • Pioneering
  • Fishing
  • Tracking Weather
  • Wilderness Survival
  • Photography
  • Bird Study

Pocket Money

Participants will need some $ to buy a fast food lunch on Saturday on the way out to Maine and
on our return bus ride to Milford. In addition, we will spend some time one afternoon at a small
remote village during the trip and scouts may want some $ for snacks, souvenirs, etc. $30 is a
reasonable amount.

Troop Four Expedition Shirt

All participants will receive a special edition Troop Four Expedition long sleeve shirt on the day of
our departure. The shirts are in and they look great. Thanks to Bob Garber for coordinating and
designing the shirt.

Maine State Fishing License

Anyone 12 years and older must have a ME state fishing license to fish. Licenses can be
purchased online at http://www.maine.gov/ifw/licenses_permits/fishing.htm. The fee is $12 for
those under 16, and $43 for those 16 years old and older. If you do not plan to fish, you do not
need a license.

Personal Gear Check List

Attached is a check list of personal gear for the trip. Weight and size are factors to consider
when packing. Be sure to double check the list to the gear as it is packed. The troop will
issue large, strong plastic bags to go over the gear when it is in the canoe. However, as many
individual items or groups of items should be packed in plastic bags as possible. The list is
divided into 3 sections: required gear, optional gear, and stuff not to bring. Most of the gear the
scouts already have or can be obtained at little cost.

Adult and Adult Leader Required Forms

All adults must have the health form completed – a BSA requirement for the trip. In addition, all
registered leaders must take the BSA “Youth Protection Course” on line. All registered Adult
Leaders must also take the BSA “Safety Afloat Course”, “Safe Swim Defense Course” and
“Hazardous Weather Course” on line. Go to the Knox Trail Council website at: www.ktc-bsa.org
and go to “Council Resources” and “Leader Training”. Registered leaders please email the
completed certificates to Stacey Barie (staceybarie@gmail.org) by Aug 5th.

The BSA 50 Miler Award

All the participants of the trip will receive the BSA National 50 Miler Award. This is a prestigious
and rarely earned award – one that all the participants should be proud of! We will present the
award to all the participants at the awards ceremony on Saturday evening.
Daily Journal Contest
Explorers of old often kept daily journals of their adventures. We will have a daily journal contest
for all scouts who would like to participate. Scouts who participate will need to keep the journal
daily for the week. Mr. Barie will judge the journals on the way back to Milford on Friday and a
special folding knife prize will be awarded to the winner along with prizes for second and third
place.

Mandatory Planning Meeting

All scouts are required to attend a pre-trip planning meeting on Thursday August 5th at the Parish
Center. Scouts will be required to bring all their gear to this meeting, and we will leave/lock this
gear at the scout room so that we will be guaranteed ready and prepared when the bus arrives to
pick us up on August 14th. At the Aug 5th meeting, older scouts will inventory every item in a
scout’s bag to ensure they are prepared. If any critical item is missing, scouts must bring it on the
morning of departure. Only fully prepared scouts can depart with the Troop. The August 5th
meeting is also an excellent time for parents to ask questions about the upcoming trip. Parents
are welcome to come and stay for this entire planning meeting. If a scout is on vacation, and
cannot attend the Aug 5th meeting, he must call the Scoutmaster to make arrangements to have
his gear inspected at an alternate time. The meeting will run from 630pm to approximately
830pm.

Troop 4, 50 Miler Canoe Trip Personal Gear List

Required Gear:
___ Backpack
___ Sleeping bag (wrapped in a garbage bag or waterproof cover). If possible, avoid the heavier winter
bags.
___ Jackknife (or sheath knife if you are Life rank, and meet the troop requirements)
___ Poncho or lightweight raincoat
___ Two 1-quart (1-liter) water bottles/canteens – DO NOT bring the bottled water type bottles! The best
type to bring is the 1-liter nalgene camping water bottle – it costs about $10 and will last forever; and can be
attached to the canoe. Can get these at the Scout store, EMS, REI or Walmart (cheap).
___ Small flashlight that works – with a new set of batteries in it – and a spare set of batteries.
___ Trail food snacks that can fit in one 1-gallon zip lock bag. Participants name on the bag.
___ Matches 4 to 5 packs of the wooden (small ones – not the kitchen size) matches in small zip lock bag or
water proof container.
___ full size bottle of sun screen the higher the rating the better
___ two pump style bottles of bug repellant (should contain DEET, no aerosol cans).
___ Compass
___ At least 6 pairs of socks in a plastic bag
___ Warm sweater or jacket – wool or synthetic is best.
___ Underwear – several pair
___ Small personal first aid kit (band-aids, antiseptic) and personal medication (if needed) in a plastic bag or
waterproof container
___ Mess kit consisting of (not the whole kit, just these parts only:
– Spoon and fork
– Bowl or plate
– cup (at least 8 ounces)
___ Two plastic trash bags big enough to fit over your backpack/duffel bag
___ Cleanup kit (in a zip lock bag or waterproof container) consisting of:
– Soap, small bar or bottle for personal use – not dishes
– Tooth brush and toothpaste
– Washcloth
– Two roll of toilet paper each in a zip lock bag
___ Hat with a brim (baseball cap is good, Red Sox are better, Yankee version will get your canoe tipped
over)
___ Sneakers (hiking boots are too heavy for this trip)
___ closed toe beach sandals for in the canoe
___ Two pair of swim trunks
___ Bath/beach sized towel
___ Two pairs of shorts
___ One pair of long pants
___ One long sleeve shirt
___ Two short sleeve shirts (synthetic is best).
___ Sunglasses
___ Pocket $ for lunch up/back (and for the trading posts at the wilderness town)
___ Small note book and pencils for merit badge and journal work in a Ziplock bag.
___ 1 spare gallon or quart size zip-lock bag
Optional Gear:
___ Watch
___ Camera (in a waterproof bag)
___ bug head net to wear
___ Small foam sleeping pad or inflatable air mattress
___ fishing equipment – keep it compact (do not bring if you did not purchase a license)
___ Shaving gear
___ Roll of toilet paper
Stuff Not to Bring:
– Microwave oven (extension cord would be too long)
– Electronic gear of any value – Any such gear can (and probably will) get wet.
– Cell Phone
– Anything in an aerosol can.
– Bottles of soda or juice (for the trip on the bus is o.k.), and other food that won’t fit in the one gallon zip lock
bag.
– Perishable foods – there is no cooler space for personal perishable food

Please Remember: All personal gear must fit in the participant’s backpack or be firmly attached to the pack.
We may be backpacking short stretches if we encounter a portage (portage is a French word that loosely
translates to “a short, easy hike in the woods” – at least that’s what we tell the scouts). Fishing poles can be
carried separately (the tackle and related stuff must be carried in the pack, however). In addition, the packs
must be able to fit in a standard canoe with another person’s gear and some troop/patrol equipment.