2022 - 2023
November Hike
After being disappointed by the October Hike cancellation, we had a beautiful Saturday to enjoy the last of the fall colors.
Taking a break were Senior Scouts Finnegan, Nick & Sal... new Troop members Carlos, Jackson, Marty, Morgan ... Alumni Ben, Ronak & Mike ( in the "big outdoors" , only some of our crew are in this pix ) [ All photos courtesy of Ronak ]
The "Bald Eagle" taking in the scenery before lunchtime
In collecting rocks to make a safe fire area, they surprised a resting Alleghany Salamander. They re-covered him to protect him from the upcoming cold night.
In the center is the Roufus Sided Towee that spent the afternmoon & early evening keeping us company from 4 to 6 feet away.
( Sighting this bird is extremely rare in our area )
Sal begins to prepare for the monthly fire building competition among the Senior Scouts. ( Notice how the rocks are closely fitted together to make a safe campfire . Water is boiled for safety )
The November Results: First place was Finnegan, Second place was Sal & Nick finished with perseverence in third. The new Troop members ( seen in the background ) assisted & learned the finer points of firebuilding .
Warming up by the fire, then dinner, then a campfire and socializing , & then to bed ( as we awaited the forecasted rain ......which continued through the night ).
Rain ended as we arose on Sunday morning so the hike out was over wet ground but without precipitation.
December Hike
From rain, wind to plunging temps to sun. Troop 4 was "Prepared"
Our six newer backpackers did not let the weather dampen their spirits as smiles & laughter remained the demeanor for the weekend.
At our chosen campsite we delayed lunch until we had the wood collected & the Troop tarps were set up.
( Lunch is more enjoyable when you do not have rain running off your hat onto your lunch as you eat )
As per usual custom the Alumni provide a local rock "backrest" for "The Bald Eagle's perch" by the fire. (This time they really made a huge rock available !)
After lunch == stones were collected to underline the campfire site .... the usual log backrests were placed... tarps overhead if rainfall returned during mealtimes.
( l.to rt ) Morgan, Alumnus Mike, John, J.P., Jackson, Luke, Nick, Koichiro, Tom, Marty [ Behind the camera = Ben, Ronak & Howard ]
Tom ( foreground ) won an especially difficult fire building competition with all wood soaked from a day of steady rain. The warmth is welcomed for drying out wet clothing before bed & spirit lifting campfire songs In between each Scout prepared his dinner = from add-hot-water-ready-to-eat ...hotdogs & kielbasa... & a few Senior Scouts making steak & baked potatoes.
Close to midnight a very cold front blew in & the temps plunged 24 degrees = down from the recent pleasant December Saturday daytime temp. of 54 degrees " BE PREPARED " :o)
The frozen cook pot water was melted & individuals prepared breakfast under clear skies & rising sun. Then we "bushwhacked" down to the pickup spot.. with another memorable weekend for Troop annals !
Alumni Ben & Mike used their "man powered" chainsaw to cut down a dead tree trunk for a backrest alongside the campfire.
January Hike
Weather was the most mild January in memory == we took advantage by visiting a few historical areas in Harriman State Park { more on these below }
Above is a prior year's January picture in the same spot where we hiked this January --- this year [ see the pix to the right ] was a bit less wintry !
Tom M., JP M., Luke O., Koichiro S., Jackson C., Carlos M.
( off camera, Alumni: Ben , Ronak, Mike & Howard )
This area has many caves & recesses where Claudius Smith, his three sons & gang of horse thieves hid out in the 1700's. When they took to robbing supply trains of the Continental Army they were tracked down & hung in nearby Goshen in 1779.
After exploring the various caves & recesses on CSD's face, it was time for lunch on the ledges.
After lunch Ben taught the Scouts " free climbing" by using the cracks & fissures on the face of CSD.
In the afternoon we climbed up Pine Hill Mountain to explore this recently discovered Augusta Mine. The local Augusta mines were sources of Magnetite , a high grade iron ore that was mined from the 1700's until WW I. To repel the British Navy from coming farther up the Hudson River in 1778 , the iron was made 24 hours a day until 770 links ( each weighing 140 pounds ) were forged into a gigantic chain that was strung across the Hudson from West Point to Constitution island on the east bank.
They found this tree which had grown around some ore deposits
This piece of Magnetite ore is about 3 inches by 6 inches & weighs 4 pounds ---- about double what a rock of this size usually weighs.
Mother Nature had a sense of humor & left a natural urinal for us to use :o)
After our Sunday hike to Tuxedo Park we were greeted by one local friendly wildlife in a corral near Route 17.
ANOTHER GREAT TROOP 4 HIKE WEEKEND !
February Hike
This was the only winter in our last 60 years of backpacking where we had no snow on the ground. So even though many Scouts had headed to warmer climes on Family vacations over the mid-Winter Break we headed to the outdoors of Orange County.
Alumni Ben, Howard, Mike, Ronak & Scout Representative, J.P.
Stepping from our car we were met with a wind chill of 1 degree on our chart ! Once we backpacked down from this ridge, the wind disipated & we were now in a "mild 20 degrees" with clear/ sunny skies for the rest of the day == A BEAUTIFUL BACKPACKING DAY !!
Out of precaution, we decided to cut down a dead & leaning "widow maker" near our chosen campsite area. Using Mike's & Ben's two "backpacking chain saws" the tree fell where planned--- but not before we had all warmed up nicely from the workout. Part of the length was cut off to provide a nice backrest for sitting comfort. From rain during the prior few days, the stream was running deep & clean for our water supply to sterilize by a long rolling boil.
On every hike Ben, Ronak & Mike bring along their unique backpacking stoves to simplify their meal prep == this is Ben's Saturday dinner cooking as the sun was setting. That night we had a perfect spot to view all the main Constellations overhead. Sleeping was very restful since there was zero wind moving & thus no windchill at all. Sunday was a sunrise breakfast & an easy hike out to the pickup spot.
March Hike
It was the last backpacking weekend for Troop 4 until next fall & here we were walking on areas of 6-8 inches of snow that had eluded us during all prior three "winter hikes" ! Turnout approached 100% as our Scouts enjoyed the trails & the outdoors.
Ben, J.P., Morgan, Sal, Marty, Nate ( enjoyiing his first hike ), Finnegan, John, Tom, David, Jackson [ Behind the camera = Ronak & Howard ]
----- Absent was alumnus Mike who earlier in the week had his finger crushed in a car door at work. :o {
We started at Lake Tiorati & hiked across Fingerboard Mt. which had ample remaining areas of snow to compliment the pleasant sunshine.
[ Fingerboard Mt was where hikers in the 1950's documented (on their basic Kodak camera) a UFO as it flew over nearby Lake Tiorati ].
We arrived at the shelter ( top of pix at left ) ahead of schedule due to our efficient hikers so it was too early for lunch. Instead ==snow balls filled the pre-lunch hour. ( Finnegan prefers the larger version snowball !)
Not too often that you can enjoy snowballing in your shirt sleeves, without gloves & hats.....
Marty meanwhile enhanced the shelter with his snowman complete with facial features created with left over coals from the shelter fireplace.
We were visited by the spirit of Toshiro Mifune [ The "John Wayne of Japanese Cinema" from 1940's to 1990's ]
When the sun went down the temp. plummeted to 28 degrees. As a result, almost gale force winds swept up through the alpine valley where we camped. The traditional tarps ( seen in the background) became kite-like as they billowed from the pitched height of 5 feet to over 9 feet ....at one point the turbulence became so loud that it sounded like we were sleeping alongside Metro-North tracks with a train highballing through the station!
The two alumni sleeping in hammocks were swinging back & forth giving credence to the lullaby, " Rock a bye baby..."---except , due their expertise , they did not fall .
After a mild breakfast under a warm rising sun , we hiked out along the ASB Trail & visited a few Pine Swamp Mines ( one mine cut from the 1830's can be seen behind us). These mines provided iron ore for the West Point Foundries.
April Hike
Troop 4 hikers were "busted" by raw & raining weather ....so we took option #2 == stayed home :o)