I think we've now completed three full-troop backpacking trips to Duncan Knob Hollow. And each one has been a little better than the last one.
The first trip (Dec 2016), we inexplicably walked past the best campsite, slept on some very dodgy terrain, and had an awful time getting food hung at night. The second time (Dec 2018), we camped at the best spot and employed a much better bear bag system (Marrison Haul technique).
But for both of those earlier trips, moving as a single large group left the younger scouts feeling overly rushed and the older scouts feeling overly delayed.
So this year, we did two separate itineraries. We all met at the trailhead together on Saturday morning. But the more experienced backpackers headed out first and aimed for a campsite 4.5 miles away atop a very steep final climb (to the saddle just below Duncan Knob). The less experienced group followed behind with a much flatter 3 mile hike and camped in the valley by a stream.
I think this worked far better than in past years. The younger guys needed frequent stops to rest and adjust gear. The older ones barely paused along the way. I'm not sure of the precise pace difference. But it was considerable.
But before the hiking could start we had to summon our courage. We left McLean with thick, high clouds and a bit of mist. The conditions consistently deteriorated for the first hour of the drive. At the Pilot, where we stopped for final provisions, we had mid forties and a driving rain….hmmmm, not very inspiring.
But then we had a magical moment when the precipitation halted just as we arrived at the trailhead. You've got to hand it to Mother Nature. She does like to bat us around a bit sometimes.
Each group took a few hours to get to camp. And by the time camp was setup and bear ropes hung, there wasn't much daylight left (at least for the group in the valley).
So we postponed thoughts of summiting until morning. Fires were lit and hot meals enjoyed. The scouts up on the saddle had some considerable wind to battle, which certainly lead to early retiring to tents. But the Coopersmiths still managed to grill some thick steaks before bedding down -- nicely done!
Down in the valley, where the wind was quite light, the scouts continued the age-old (and quite maddening) experiment to see how little wood is needed to keep a fire barely smouldering. One nice thing about that site--multiple campfire spots. The adults had a roaring one going and (unsurprisingly) had an easier time staying outside past 7pm and enjoying the cornish game hens and steak that Jonathan and Mr. Ross brought. (The new Scoutmaster knows how to reward parents for coming winter camping).
Sunday morning was clear with beautiful blue skies. For those of us in the valley, we watched the 'sun line' descend the western slope until the direct light warmed us up. We mounted a side hike to the summit which was totally worth it. And we saw the saddle-campers on their way down.
I'd like to extend a big thank you to all the parents who did that trip. Splitting the group in two definitely required more parents. And a big thanks to Kristen Peterson for handling all of the trip logistics.
If you want to see the pictures from the outing, click here.