BSA TROOP 189 PHILOMONT ADVENTURE EVENT GUIDEBOOK 11-13 MARCH 2016 BLACKBURN TRAIL CENTER 34899 APPALACHIAN TRAIL ROAD ROUND HILL, VA 20141
Concept The Appalachian Trail (AT) is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world at 2,168 miles. Each year thousands of through hikers attempt to walk the entire length starting in the spring & ending in the fall. But the trail remains open year round to section hikers willing to brave the weather in short doses. Several volunteer organizations maintain the AT. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) is a volunteer-based organization headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. The PATC was founded in 1927 by the visionaries who planned & built the Appalachian Trail. The club now manages more than 1,050 miles of hiking trails in the Mid-Atlantic region, along with cabins, shelters, & hundreds of acres of conserved land. Earning the BSA cooking merit badge is a requirement for attaining Eagle Scout. The badge is extensive, requiring a Scout to demonstrate first aid procedures, properly handle foods, prevent food-borne diseases, handle food allergies, plan nutritious menus, understand various cooking techniques, & put all of this knowledge in action by planning, preparing, & serving a variety of kitchen, outdoor, & backpacking meals. This weekend s adventure bases the Troop s activities out of one of PATC s premier cabins along the AT. Blackburn Trail Center sleeps 25 people & offers many amenities (a large modern fully-stocked kitchen, running water (but outdoor privies), mattresses, & electricity) to allow us to conduct two separate scouting programs regardless of likely inclement weather. If we exceed capacity, the grounds have a tent site with pavilion & a 4-person rustic hiker cabin. We will separate both Scouts & Scouters into two groups. Group A will focus their efforts on achieving the cooking merit badge. To spice up the cooking merit badge our cadre will draw upon popular cooking shows such as Camp Cutthroat, Cutthroat Kitchen, & Iron Chef to introduce the elements of teamwork, competition, & overcoming challenges with creative problem solving. Meanwhile, Group B will backpack an 8-mile section of the AT along the infamous roller coaster to Bears Den Hostel where they remain overnight before making the return hike to Blackburn Trail Center; thus earning one of the three 16-mile treks required for the backpacking merit badge. We plan to step back in history by making a short visit to Philomont General Store on our way back home. 2
Troop Schedule of Events Day 1 18:30 Link up already fed at PNC Bank, 5285 Waterway Dr, Dumfries, VA; food shopping @ Food Lion 20:00 Load vehicles & depart (1 ½ hour drive) 21:30 Arrive Blackburn Trail Center, 34899 Appalachian Trail Rd, Round Hill, VA; set up cabin, troop cracker barrel by cadre, prepare for following day s activities, & personal hygiene 22:30 Lights out & video presentation: Camp/Cutthroat Kitchen Day 2 07:00 Wake up, personal hygiene 07:30 Troop breakfast by cadre 08:00 Begin separate programs 22:00 Lights out at Blackburn Trail Center & Bears Den Hostel Day 3 07:00 Wake up, personal hygiene 07:30 Breakfast at Blackburn Trail Center & Bears Den Hostel 08:00 Begin separate programs 13:30 Group B arrives at Blackburn Trail Center 14:00 Depart Blackburn Trail Center (½ hour drive) 14:30 Arrive Philomont General Store, 36550 Jeb Stuart Rd, Philomont, VA 15:00 Depart (1 hour drive) 16:00 Arrive at Pattie Elementary School, 16125 Dumfries Rd, Dumfries, VA for pick up Group A (Cooking) Program Plan & Shop Teams are given 1 ½ hours to plan menus & shop per reqts 5, 6, & 7 (Day 1, 18:30) Academics Merit badge counsellor provides 2 hours of instruction per reqts 1-4 (Day 2, 08:00) Kitchen Challenge Teams are given 3 hours to set up kitchen workstations & prepare 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner, & 1 dessert using at least 5 of 7 cooking methods per reqt 5 while dealing with cadre-imposed challenges (Day 2, 10:00) Patrol Challenge Teams are given 3 hours to set up outdoor workstations & prepare 2 meals using stove or fire & different methods: 1 meal using dutch oven, foil pack, or kabob; & 1 dessert or snack per reqt 6 while dealing with cadre-imposed challenges (Day 2, 14:00) Backpack Challenge Teams are given an individual packing list, map, & 4 hours to pack individual gear, cooking equipment, & food per menu plan; hike to the point on the map; & prepare 2 meals (one must be cooked over a backpacking stove) & a snack per reqt 7 while dealing with various cadre-imposed challenges (Day 3, 08:00) Group B (Backpacking) Program Plan & Shop Teams are given 1 ½ hours to plan menus & shop (Day 1, 18:30) Academics Merit badge counsellor provides 2 hours of instruction per reqts 1-9 (Day 2, 08:00) Trek Part 1 8-mile hike with trail lunch & snacks for ~ 5.5 hours along AT to Bears Den per reqt 10 (Day 2, 10:00) Hiker s Special $30 per participant gets you a bunk, clean towel & linens, hot shower, pizza/soda/ice cream dinner, & all-you-can-make pancake breakfast at Bears Den Hostel (Day 2, 15:30) Trek Part 2 8-mile hike with trail lunch & snacks for ~ 5.5 hours along AT to Bears Den per reqt 10 (Day 3, 08:00) 3
Safety & Emergency Procedures Buddy Team & Youth Protection All Scouts will utilize the buddy system at all times, reporting to their Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, &/or Scoutmaster if they are departing the Troop s immediate area for any reason Non-Scout youth participating in Troop activities must be supervised by their parent or guardian All adults providing direction supervision of Scouts (aside from their own child(ren)) require current BSA Youth Protection Training found at https://myscouting.scouting.org Tornado If you hear or see a tornado coming, warn others, & take cover right away If you're in a building, go to the middle of the lowest level away from windows (bathroom or closet if possible) Get under something sturdy, such as a heavy table, hold on, & stay there until the danger has passed Use your other arm & hand to protect your head & neck from debris If there is no building nearby, lie flat in a low spot & use your arms & hands to protect your head Lightning The safest place to be during a lightning storm is inside a relatively large, fully enclosed building Avoid bodies of water, open areas, high ground, tall objects (trees, light poles), small shelters in open areas, & metal objects If you are outdoors & lightning is in the immediate area, crouch down with feet close together, keep your head down, & cover your ears to minimize hearing damage from thunder Stay at least 100 feet away from other individuals in the area to prevent bolts from jumping from person to person Injuries Scouts treat minor injuries using their individual first aid kit For serious injuries & hurry cases, Scouts perform immediate aid, & call for assistance with three short whistle blasts The first Scouters to arrive on the scene provides additional immediate aid as required, & determines whether medical evacuation is required by ambulance (911) or troop vehicle Nearest hospital emergency room 16 miles/30 minutes from Blackburn & 17 miles/25 minutes from Bears Den Inova Emergency Care Center, (703) 737-7520 224 Cornwall Street Northwest, Leesburg, VA 20176 4
Blackburn Trail Center Bears Den Hostel Equipment & Support Requirements All Scouts bring the following: Class A uniform (for travel) Backpack that holds: o BSA Handbook, paper, & writing utensil in waterproof bag o BSA 10 Essentials o 2 liters of water minimum o Whistle o Headlamp with spare batteries o Sleeping bag & pad o Mess kit with eating utensil o Toiletries o Hat, gloves, & jacket o Change of clothes (layers of wicking materials, no cotton!) in waterproof bag o Camera (optional) No junk food or electronics Spending money for a snack at Philomont General Store on the way back Group A (Cooking) Scouts bring the following extra gear: Backpacking stoves, cooksets, & fuel (select Scouts) Cooking Merit Badge Worksheets at https://www.meritbadge.org/wiki/images/b/b2/cooking-07.pdf $30 cash grub fee: $3 to cover troop cracker barrel & breakfast, & $27 to cover cooking merit badge ingredients & special gear (e.g., aluminum foil, spices, etc) for 2 x breakfasts, 3 x lunches, 2 x dinners, 3 x desserts/snacks Group B (Backpacking) Scouts bring the following extra gear: Water filters, backpacking stoves, cooksets, & fuel (select Scouts) $15 cash grub fee: $3 to cover troop cracker barrel & breakfast, & $12 to cover 2 x trail lunches, trail snacks, & special gear (e.g., heavy duty Ziploc bags, etc) $30 cash for Bears Den Hiker s Special (bunk, clean towel & linens, hot shower, pizza/soda/ice cream dinner, & all-you-can-make pancake breakfast) Trail Map (per Event Guide) The troop provides: Rental fee for two nights at Blackburn Trail Center Tour plan 5
Troop first aid kit for the cabin Backpacking tents Cookware, dutch ovens, & dutch oven handlers & mitts Pioneer tools Cadre support: Max 7 vehicles (ideally all-wheel/four-wheel drive) & troop trailer Min 2 adults for the backpacking trek (at least 1 with CPR/WFA training) with first aid kit, ELB device, water filters, & backpacking stoves/cooksets/fuel Min 4 adults for the cooking merit badge (1 to host, 1 to judge, & 1 to mentor each team) 6
Directions to Blackburn Trail Center, 34899 Appalachian Trail Road, Round Hill, VA 20141 via Philomont General Store, 36550 Jeb Stuart Rd, Philomont, VA 1) Take a right out of Food Lion & head north on VA-234 for 18.9miles 2) Merge onto I-66W towards Front Royal for 4.5 miles 3) Take exit 40 & turn right onto US-15 N towards Leeburg for 36.7 miles 4) At the second traffic circle (Gilbert s Corner), take the 2 nd exit onto US-50 W & proceed for 1.7 miles 5) Turn right onto State Rte 734 for 11.2 miles 6) Turn right onto State Rte 719 for 6.3 miles 7) Turn left onto State Rte 713 & travel along gravel roads until you reach the cabin to park (~ 8 spaces) 7
BSA TROOP 189 PHILOMONT ADVENTURE: 11-13 MAR 2016 Who: Troop 189 Scouts & Scouters What: Later winter cabin camping along the Appalachian Trail in Northern Virginia Where: Drop off at PNC Bank, 5285 Waterway Drive, Dumfries, VA; cabin camping at Blackburn Trail Center, 34899 Appalachian Trail Rd, Round Hill, VA; backpacking overnight at Bears Den Hostel, 18393 Blue Ridge Mountain Rd, Bluemont, VA; visit to Philomont General Store, 36550 Jeb Stuart Rd, Philomont, VA; pick up at Pattie Elementary School, 16125 Dumfries Rd, Dumfries, VA When: From 18:30 Friday, 11 March 2016 to 16:00 Sunday, 13 March 2016 Why: Test our mettle as we work towards the camping, cooking, & backpacking merit badges Weather & Light Data: monthly averages: 53F high, 30F low, 3.6 precipitation; sunrise 06:23 & sunset 18:12 With: Per Equipment & Support Requirements list in Event Guide; eat dinner prior to link up Friday night """""""""" cut here, keep the upper portion, & turn in lower portion with your fees """""""""" BSA TROOP 189 PHILOMONT ADVENTURE: 11-13 MAR 2016 As the parent or legal guardian of, I hereby give my permission for this child to participate in an outing with Troop 189, linking up on Friday, 11 March 2016 at the Montclair PNC Bank at 18:30, camping two nights at Blackburn Trail Center/Bears Den Hostel, & returning Sunday, 13 March 2016 at approximately 16:00 to Pattie Elementary School. I give permission to the leaders of the above unit to render First Aid, should the need arise. In the event of an emergency, I also give permission to the physician, selected by the Adult Leader in charge, to hospitalize, secure proper anesthesia, order injection, or secure other medical treatment, as needed. I further agree to hold the above named unit & its leaders blameless for any accidents that might occur during this outing except for clear acts of negligence or non-adherence to BSA policies & guidelines. In case of an emergency, I can be reached by phone at: or. In the event I cannot be reached, please contact at. Printed name of parent or guardian: Signature or parent or guardian: Date: 8