We had a plan...we'll do a backpacking trip in March. We'll be able to pack much lighter than we do for the annual December trip. We'll see the early signs of spring (birds returning to the area, buds on trees, all the good stuff). We'll have FUN (with a capital F)!!!
Well .... the best laid plans....Our actual trip this past weekend had temps in the low 30s, (almost) no view from the top, 4+ inches of snow on the ground, freezing rain, and high winds blowing ice from the trees.
But you know what? It was still fun (okay, maybe with a little f).
We met at Redeemer at the quite reasonable hour of 11AM on Saturday to set carpools and head west. After a quick rendezvous at the Pilot, we parked cars at the trailhead and were moving uphill by 2:30PM.
It was hard not to notice the snow on the way in (tires were a bit slippy). That was our first clue that spring hadn't yet sprung at Kepler.
The water at the main stream crossing was substantial, but not too challenging. And the Scouts up front did a fine job of pausing on the way up to count-off. We pulled-into camp a little after 4PM.
We stomped down the snow, pitched tents, and coaxed two fires to life. The view from the overlook was decidedly underwhelming in the evening light. But once it got dark, we could suddenly see the lights in the valley floor--giving us a much better sense of being far above it all.
We all tucked-in early Saturday night. And the real precipitation didn't start until 9PM.
Sunday morning took a bit of effort to get going. We certainly had many varieties of moisture -- rain, freezing rain, falling ice (from trees), and slushy snow. Scouts learned some things about matches in wet conditions (the magnesium and steel still worked like a champ). But we all managed just fine.
And really, the tricks you learn in conditions like those are invaluable. It doesn't get much more challenging than that in Virginia. And 15 minutes after leaving camp with packs on, kids were shedding layers again.
We had 17 Scouts and 9 adults make the trip. At least 5 of those Scouts were on their first backpacking trip with our troop. And two our adults were college kids on break (thanks Aaron and Preston!!)
You can enjoy this trip pictures over here.