VERSION 1.30.14
TABLE OF CONTENTS MISSION... 3 HOW TO GET TO CAMP... 4 PACKING LIST... 6 PROGRAM... 6 ADVENTURE SESSIONS... 6 ATV RIDERCOURSE... 6 ICE CLIMBING... 7 MERIT BADGE SESSIONS... 8 SNOWSPORTS... 8 COOKING... 8 GEOCACHING... 8 SEARCH & RESCUE... 9 LEAVE NO TRACE TRAINER COURSE... 9 EVENING ACTIVITES... 9 MERIT BADGE RECORDS... 10 ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES... 11 HIKING TRAILS... 11 CAMPFIRES... 11 SERVICES... 12 HEALTH & MEDICAL RECORDS... 12 HEALTH AND PRE-CAMP CONDITIONING... 12 MEDICAL CARE... 13 RESOURCES... 14 ELKS LODGE DINING HALL:... 14 TRADING POST... 15 EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS... 15 CELL PHONE / INTERNET SERVICES... 15 Page 1
WINTER WARRIOR WEEKEND January 31, 2014 Greetings Winter Warrior, The weather outside is frightful, but let s about be delightful, because we are Warriors! Challenge your skills and knowledge of Winter camping and activities during this 3 day weekend at Camp Alexander. Your adventure awaits as skilled volunteers teach you about Winter Camping, Ice Cave construction, and you experience winter activities. This program is geared for youth and adults age 13 and older that have a passion to brave the winter elements and enjoy the adventures. A unit or an individual is encouraged to sign up for the program. We will provide you with lodging or campsite and food for the weekend. Let s get together and battle the chill of Jack Frost! Thank you, Joe Brandon Director of Camping Page 2
MISSION Camp Alexander will provide a unique and steadily expanding Colorado Mountain-Top Experience emphasizing life skills and instilling Scouting values in Scouts, volunteers, and others throughout the Pikes Peak region and surrounding communities. OUTDOOR CODE As an American, I will do my best to - Be clean in my outdoor manners. Be careful with fire. Be considerate in the outdoors. Be conservation minded. PIKE NATIONAL FOREST STATEMENT Boy Scouts of America is an equal opportunity service provider. Boy Scouts of America operates under special permit by the USDA Forest Service. For the latest information about Camp Alexander, please visit our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/campalexanderbsa Camp Alexander logos and designs are intended solely for Camp Alexander use. Please do not copy, use logos, or designs on any personal, unit clothing, or equipment. Page 3
HOW TO GET TO CAMP **Please note: The physical address is not computable with Google Maps or any GPS units as it is not a true postal address. You can use Lake George city as a reference point and then follow the directions below. Directions to Camp Alexander from Colorado Springs, CO Take Highway 24 west to the town of Lake George. Entering the town of Lake George, take the first left onto County Road 96. (If you cross the river, you have gone too far) Camp Alexander, as entry fee is free. Follow County Road 96 (about 1 mile) to the 11-Mile Canyon Entrance. Turn right into 11-Mile Canyon and proceed to the Forest Ranger Station. Tell the gate attendant that you are heading to Follow 11-Mile Canyon past Riverside Campground about 2 miles (watch for oncoming traffic!). Look for the Camp Entrance on the left. Follow the road to the parking lot where a staff guide will greet you and take you to your campsite. Camp Phone # 719-748-3254. Camp Alexander Page 4
REFUND POLICY Any time a participant does not meet the payment schedule, they risks losing the reservation, including all monies paid up to that point. All monies paid to Pikes Peak Council are nonrefundable at anytime. Monies paid by the participant are transferable between campers IN THAT UNIT before the final payment date. If a participant cancellation occurs less than 2 weeks before the event, NO fees will be refunded unless documented by a medical doctor, military deployment or a death occurred in the family. Refund request can be made up to 80% of the balance paid. 20% of the total amount paid is nonrefundable and will be applied to Credit Card Fees and Administration of registration. ARRIVING AT CAMP Check-in will be held from 7:00pm to 8:00pm Friday evening. It is in the best interest of you to arrive at opening time at 7:00pm. This will allow you a more relaxed check in. All camp facilities will be closed until 7:00pm; the gate will be unlocked at 7:00pm. Camp Alexander does not have provisions for accommodating early arrivals or late stays at camp. Please proceed to the upper parking lot in the center of camp near the Flag Poles and look for the Elks Lodge Dining Hall for check in. Please do not unload until your bunk assignment has been distributed. Your first stop is Medical Re-Checks. Please be prepared with medical forms out and ready to be reviewed. Next is your bunk for the weekend. Staff will direct you where to drive to unload. Another staff will greet you at your assigned bunkhouse/room. After you settle in to your bunk, please proceed back to the Elks Lodge Dining hall for program information and Cracker-barrel. Page 5
PACKING LIST If your registration includes heated lodging, your room will have a twin bed with mattress. All additional linens will need to be brought from home. A sleeping bag on top of the mattress works well. Please refer to your Scout Handbook for a checklist of packing items for a typical weekend campout. REMEMBER! Dress in layers! It is cold here and will remain below 40 degrees all weekend. PROGRAM Become a Winter Warrior by learning the skills to battle the elements. Then put those skills to the test with all the adventure programs offered at camp! AGE RESTRICTIONS The activities listed below take a great deal of time and are geared toward older Scouts and thus are restricted to certain ages prior to arrival. Ice Climbing 13yrs ATV RiderCourse 14yrs ADVENTURE SESSIONS ATV RIDERCOURSE Are you ready to ride? Sign up today for this brand new course. Participants will learn the proper techniques for safe handling and riding an ATV. Taught following the ATV Safety Institute course participants will leave the course with an ATV Rider Certificate that is required in most states. LIMITED SPACE (3 slots for 14yrs and older, 5 slots for 16yrs and older) Details: 4 Hr ATV Safety Institute Course with 14 Mini Lesson and a 1 mile trail ride. Staff are highly qualified instructors ready to teach the skills needed to properly handle an ATV. Page 6
We will be following "Tread Lightly" as good environmental stewards of the land. PRE-Requisites: Waiver, 14+ limited slots Personal gear: Long Pants, Long Sleeve shirt or Jacket, Gloves, over ankle boots, ICE CLIMBING The focus is on learning the fundamental concepts and techniques of ice climbing and building a solid foundation for further development. Basic climbing skills will be introduced and reinforced: belaying, rappelling and general climbing etiquette. Specific ice climbing techniques will be taught and explored while using a top rope set up. The climbs can be used for the Climbing requirements for the Climbing Merit Badge. Details: 3.5 Hour intro Course Arrive at the Ice wall near the staff bunkhouses 15 before the start of you session. PRE-Requisites: Youth 13+ and Adults Personal gear: Waterproof pants and Jacket for winter conditions. Please be aware the crampons are sharp and may cut your pants if your not careful. Gloves. Tight fitting so that you can grip the Technical Ice Axe as you climb. Waterproof gloves work the best and you may need to bring two sets. Sunglasses or ski goggles. Depending on weather conditions goggles may be necessary to stay warm and continue climbing. Wool or Fleece hat. To wear under the helmet to stay warm as you climb. Along with any other winter clothing to stay warm. Page 7
MERIT BADGE SESSIONS SNOWSPORTS Skiing and snowboarding are the fastest and most thrilling ways to travel on foot in snow country. These sports also provide the physical benefits of fresh air, rhythmic action, and strenuous exercise. Many games and contests give snow sports variety and added rewards. Details: Full day skiing or snowboarding a Monarch Mountain, includes lift ticket and equipment rental PRE-Requisites: Ski or Snowboard experience is required Personal gear: Snow pants, heavy jacket, gloves, goggles, heavy socks, ski s or snowboard (if owned), change of clothes for end of day, dress in layers Workbook: (http://usscouts.org/mb/worksheets/snow-sports.pdf) COOKING The Cooking merit badge introduces principles of cooking that can be used both at home or in the outdoors. Scouts who earn this badge will learn about food safety, nutritional guidelines, meal planning, and methods of food preparation, and will review the variety of culinary (or cooking) careers available. Details: offered during the Warrior weekend learning how to prepare the meals for all the participants.. PRE-Requisites: Requirements 7 & 8 must be done prior to or after the weekend Personal gear: menu s, Food Pyramid Workbook: (http://usscouts.org/mb/worksheets/cooking.pdf) GEOCACHING The word geocache is a combination of "geo," which means "earth," and "cache," which means "a hiding place." Geocaching describes a hiding place on planet Earth - a hiding place you can find using a GPS unit. A GPS (Global Positioning System) unit is an electronic tool that shows you where to go based on information it gets from satellites in space. Page 8
Details: Experience the thrill of navigating with technology across camp during winter conditions PRE-Requisites: Requirement 7 & 8 must be done prior to or after the weekend Personal gear: if you own these already personal GPS unit, Travel Bug, SEARCH & RESCUE Scouts aiming to earn the Search and Rescue merit badge will first learn the important differences between a search or rescue. A search is an emergency situation requiring a team of trained searchers to locate, access, stabilize, and transport a lost person to safety. Learn what a rescue is in this session. PRE-Requisites: Requirements 5 & 8 must be done prior to or after the weekend Workbook: (http://meritbadge.org/wiki/images/c/c0/search_%26_rescue.pdf) LEAVE NO TRACE TRAINER COURSE This two day course assists student participants in learning more about the seven principles of Leave No Trace, and techniques for disseminating these low impact skills. Trainer Courses are designed for educators, guides, agency employees and other outdoor professionals. Successful graduates of the Trainer Course gain skills to teach Leave No Trace techniques and ethics to their clients, friends and family. Details: 2 full days of course work PRE-Requisites: Personal gear: Small Backpack for hiking EVENING ACTIVITES Friday Settle in and start the weekend of right, with Smores! Weather permitting we will have an outdoor campfire and roast smores. Camp is providing the roasting sticks, marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers! All you need to bring is an appetite and some great campfire stories! Saturday Winter camping and the essentials to staying warm! Page 9
A great 1 hr hands on session about how to survive the cold weather and enjoy camping in it. Learn the tips and tricks from a seasoned winter veteran Kevin Hayward as he presents this How To. Sunday Snow Caves and how to build them! Venture Crew 27 will be presenting on Snow caves and how to build them. Be Prepared for a short inside talk before heading out to try your hand at building your own! And if possible a brave Winter Warrior might just sleep in his/her snow cave! MERIT BADGE RECORDS We require Scouts completing pre-camp requirements for merit badges to get in contact with a registered BSA merit badge counselor prior to camp who will sign-off any requirements satisfactorily completed (issue a partial). Participants will receive signed rosters of completed requirements for each merit badge on Wednesday after their weekend at Camp! Blue cards are not used in camp unless to show partial completion of badge before camp. Blue cards with partials entered in and signed must be presented to the relevant Area Director at the beginning of the Merit Badge session. If your unit uses blue cards, you will need to keep the rosters and put Camp Alexander on the blue card as the location where they received the badge. The Scoutmaster has the final approval on all merit badges and will sign off on the Blue Cards prior to your unit s court of honor. Camp Alexander staff is unable to sign off on any work completed outside of the camp. RESOURCES FOR SUCCESSFUL MERIT BADGE COMPLETION Merit Badge Workbooks are not required but are tools that can help Scouts organize notes, listen actively, and document their work. Workbooks allow Merit Badge Counselors to offer group instruction but still "...test the Scout individually." BSA Page 10
Please visit: www.meritbadge.org for a list of all workbooks available for the summer camp season. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES HIKING TRAILS Evening and open program are great times to experience the trail systems throughout camp. Current camp trails are listed at camp and information/updates will be provided by the staff throughout the weekend. All hikers must register in advance to access the camp trails system. All trails begin by checking in with the staff at Business Office. Hikes vary in difficulty form moderate to extreme and from 1.5 mile to 5 miles. To become a Hiker of Camp A one must hike at least three trails, one of which must be hiked at night. The Hiker of Camp A patch can be purchased at the Trading post during your week. Available Hikes: Blue Mountain 5 Mile Scenic Overlook 1.5 mile Nature Hike 1 Mile Eagle Eye Overlook PIKE NATIONAL FOREST STATEMENT Boy Scouts of America is an equal opportunity service provider. Boy Scouts of America Operates under special permit by the USDA Forest Service. CAMPFIRES An opening campfire will be held Friday night by the volunteer team for your enjoyment. A review of the weekend, Warriors Creed, and some silliness will be had by all. Additional Campfires will be held outside the main lodge each evening for those that would like to enjoy fireside chats. Page 11
FLAG CEREMONIES Camp-wide flag ceremonies are held twice a day. Announcements and awards will be presented at these times. Please make sure that you are present during these times. We are also very happy to recognize birthdays at these ceremonies. Units are encouraged to bring their unit flag to fly on a pole for the weekend. SERVICES HEALTH & MEDICAL RECORDS The State of Colorado and Department of Social Services have strict rules that Camp Alexander must follow. Please read the following section carefully. All campers, scouts, and Scouters must have an Annual BSA Health and Medical Record within the past 12 months of arrival at Camp Alexander. Please use the form: PART A, B --- no Doctor visit is necessary http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/healthandsafety/ahmr.aspx NO OTHER FORM WILL BE PERMITTED at camp. It will be the Scout s parent s responsibility to secure and pay for a local Health and Medical record prior to camp admittance. All Scouts and adult leaders are required to participate in a medical re-check with the Camp Alexander Medical Staff upon check-in. Scouts and adults without a completed and properly signed Medical Form as of 4:00 PM Saturday must be picked up that evening by the parents, or taken home by the unit leaders. There is no refund. HEALTH AND PRE-CAMP CONDITIONING Camp Alexander is located at an altitude of 8,200 feet and above. At this altitude, extra strain is placed on the entire body, especially the heart and lungs. Any individual who may have doubts about their physical condition, or has a history of high blood pressure, respiratory, heart disease or coronary problems, must evaluate their situation with a physician. Page 12
We strongly encourage you to participate in a conditioning program prior to arrival at camp. Unfortunately, we frequently have incidents of dehydration and high altitude sickness due to campers not taking the proper precautions. All Campers must carry a water bottle with them at all times and wear plenty of sunscreen. Adult leaders should ensure that all Scouts drink plenty of water prior to their arrival and throughout each day. MEDICAL CARE Our Health Lodge is equipped with supplies to handle most injuries which could occur in camp. BSA approved medical personnel are in camp 24 hours a day to handle such emergencies. If injuries warrant a visit to a physician, we have made arrangements so that you can transport your Scouts and adults to medical facilities in Woodland Park or Colorado Springs. Camp Alexander reserves the right to refuse admittance to any Scout or Adult leader who, in the opinion of the Camp Health and Safety Director or Camp Director, may have any physical, mental, or medical problems which could present a hazard to that individual or others at Camp Alexander. EMERGENCY CARE Emergencies will be handled by local Emergency Medical Staff. Camp Alexander prides itself in having staff volunteer with the local Fire Department streamlining emergency response. With serious injuries or situations we require an adult and the injured to come to the Health Lodge if possible for medical treatment. If they cannot come or it is not safe the medical team will come to you using our Emergency transportation. The following procedures are followed: Parents or guardians will be notified by the attending medical staff or Scout leader of any serious illness or injury as soon as practical. If parents/guardians will not be at home during the week of camp, the camp needs to know how to reach them. Please indicate contact methods on the Camp Medical Form. In the event the parents or guardians are unavailable, the unit leader will be asked to make decisions in their place. Page 13
In the event of serious medical emergency care, patient care will be handled by local emergency medical services. Obtaining emergency transportation will be the responsibility of the Camp Medical Staff and Camp Director (ambulance or helicopter). The cost associated will be on the injured party. YOUTH PROTECTION In order to ensure safety the Boy Scout National Camping Standards states, all campers, adult & youth, attending Camp Alexander will wear wristbands. This will help in the identification of any unauthorized persons entering the camp property. It is the responsibility of the Troop Scoutmaster to let visiting parents know they must sign in at the business office when visiting camp and get a visitors tag. The wristband also serves as your meal ticket for the week. Staff who are in a designated staff uniform all day do not wear a wristband but are identified by their staff uniform. It is the responsibility of all adult campers and staff to notify the camp office if someone is noticed on Camp property not wearing a Visitor tag, does not have a wristband on, or is not in staff uniform. RESOURCES PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED PERSON(S): Handicap campsites are available for physically challenged persons at Camp Alexander. Please contact the Camp Director prior to your arrival regarding the availability of facilities and any special needs. It is our intention to do everything possible (within our ability) to assist those wanting to attend camp. ELKS LODGE DINING HALL: Meals will be served cafeteria style in the Upper Elks Lodge Dining Hall. Units will be dismissed from the porch by the Camp Staff. It is our goal to vary the rotation selection for who is first for each meal. Peanut butter and Jelly will be available at every meal for those that need more. Seconds At most meals, seconds will be called after a short delay from the time the last person was served. Please be respectful and responsible when lining up for seconds. We never expect anyone to go hungry at camp! Page 14
TRADING POST Camp Alexander s Trading Post is a store where every camper can find special program items, mementos or gifts. Located adjacent to Handicraft, the fully stocked trading post carries craft, apparel & food items. The trading post will be open briefly Saturday morning for picture sales and last minute memorabilia. Experience has shown us that campers should bring $35 dollars for all their crafts, clothing, and other event merchandise. Camp Alexander logos and designs are intended solely for Camp Alexander use. Please do not copy, use logos, or designs on any personal, unit clothing, or equipment. EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS Camp Alexander 719.748.3254 After Hours Emergency, Health Lodge 719.748.1383 Resident Camp Director 719.233.4660 Camp Alexander Fax# 719.352.3636 Pikes Peak Council Service Center 719.634.1584 Pikes Peak Council Service Center Fax 719.634.1436 CELL PHONE / INTERNET SERVICES Camp Alexander is located in a valley surrounded by mountains. Cell phone coverage is very limited in our area; please do not rely on personal cell phones during your stay. We have limited wireless internet service available for use by adult leaders only. You must have your own computer or cell phone. Page 15
CAMP ALEXANDER PIKES PEAK COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA 2182 COUNTY ROAD 96 PO BOX 450 LAKE GEORGE, CO 80827 719-748-3254 Fax 719-352-3636 Page 16