We hiked between two counties ( Orange & Rockland ) following a few 17 th / 18th century " wagon trails" that have long grown over .   A few Scouts cancelled due to fall colds ;  Aidan H. completed his first Troop 4 backpacking trip in fine form ( using the backpack that his Pack 7 Tuckahoe gave him at his " Crossing Over Ceremony" last Spring ).

The  " Troop 4 Bald Eag;le " always at the rear of the group .... fall foliage made for scenic hiking both days.    This year was probably in the top tier over the last sixty years for lack of rain == totally dry stream beds , lakes that had become ponds.  ( Due to prior decades of Alumni experience backpacking  in this area we found a minimal source of water to boil for cooking purposes ).

       Our campsite was in & under a large stand of 100+ foot tall & healthy oak trees.  At night a clear sky revealed  stars & satellites overhead.   The monthly fire building competition was won by Luke O. with Jackson C. in a  close second.   Nate M.  had a very successful first hike with a personal backpacking stove :  complete Italian dinner & pancakes for breakfast.   John M.  enjoyed his normal usually extensive menu ( & weighty !  == Larchmont Lax can take partial credit for his stamina ).      

After the Great Escape night game & campfire singing, everyone was ready for a very comfortable night in the sleeping bags.

Scouts Carlos,  Peter &  John .   Alumni Mike, Ronak, Ben, Howard.     Peter very handily completed his first Troop backpacking carrying the pack presented to him at his Tuckahoe Pack 7  "Crossing Over"  last spring.   

   While the drought remained ongoing, a combination of precipitation weeks ago AND 60 years of backpacking experience in this area gave us some hope that we would find running water to boil for meal prep & meal cleanup.  AND we were successful.😀

Per that old saying, " What goes up must come down "  ===  each peak was followed by very steep downhill portions of the trail.    Only in shady areas was there evidence of the prior snowfall  ==  never enough for snowball making but it did serve as reminder that the night to come would be a bit chilly.

As the sun set  in the West,  the colors were identical to the colors of the sun rising   at last month's hike [ See November 2024 pix above ]

              Some Scouts were demonstrating new stove cooking expertise  at breakfast as Nate made perfect pancakes & sausage while Luke turned out his first stove breakfast  of fresh scrambled eggs & Canadian bacon.        The drought has resulted in this positive dividend  for Troop 4 Scouts !!

                                                                                                                           picures by Alumnus Ronak 

      Our perfect winter weekend finally arrived == two days with a strong sun  & clear blue skies, only  inches of snow on the ground  (  but hiding sneaky slick ice sections underneath from last weeks rain & snow melt )

      The nght dipped  down to 28 degrees but by then we all had a hearty dinner & were snug in our sleeping bags.  

       As we were making dinner a  Barred  Owl   welcomed us with his distinctive  ( AND appropriate ) call of:

                                                                     " Who cooks for you ?  Who cooks for you all ? "   

        [ We are quite familiar with that call from our Waubeeka  Haystsack campsite  at summer Scout camp ]

                                      Scouts were Carlos M.,  John M.,  Luke O.,  brothers Marty & Peter O.

                                     Adults were Mr. O.,  Ben B.,  Ronak C.,  Mike C.,  & Howard                                             

                                                                                                                                        Above pix by Ben .... + 2 more pix below ( Guess which ones 🤔 ... )

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Other pix courtesy of Ronak

      A midday lunch by Island Pond in Harriman Park ... Luke leaving his snow  angel on the lake surface ... the group

                                                            with Mr. O  (  Ronak, Ben & Howard  behind the camera )

      A challenging two days where shoe crampons were a definite benefit.

     ***  We came across the renowned Harriman Hermit  who shared with our Scouts some useful winter skills from his vast wilderness experience  -- always with a smile & friendly demeanor .   Our Scouts were very impressed !                                      He promised that we would see him on our future hikes 👍

        For the Sunday pickup we were very delayed as the ASB trail down to the "Elk Pen"  was a  caution   🥴  with

very steep sections loaded with ice & ice-falls.   [ Whoever laid out this trail forgot the handrails ! ]     Descending Slowly &  Steadily --  & following Ronak's directions  & suggestions   --  we all met this winter challenge safely [ Below ]

                                    Probably safe to say that there was not much homework done on Sunday Night !!😆

      This month's  backpacking  began with weather similar to our March Hike == Bright sun, clear skies, temps. in the mid-30's.   However, one BIG difference :  not a speck of snow or ice anywhere , even in shady spots.

      We started at Seven Lakes Drive in Harriman Park at the Lake Sebago Dam.  Hiked on the TMI Trail over to 

Dutch Doctor Shelter.  Nearby we found a nice level area in a senescent stand of Beech & Black Oak trees  with

a few isolated Hemlocks ( that have so far resisted 👍 the  Hemlock Adelgid Disease ).This area is now filling in with new growth of hardwood trees now several years in age.  The area was a sight right out of Soil & Water  Merit Badge !

       The weather turned brutal for a few hours when an icy hurricaine-like wind came through ----  & immediately  dropped the temp. from 37 degrees down to a very raw 25 degrees !   By dinner the wind had abated & made for a more mild sleeping temp --- despite the new low of  20 degress  🙂. 

        In the cloudless night sky through the tree tops , you could see the Constellation Gemini (  "The Twins" readily  visible with  Castor & Pollux ).   [ Best seen in the winter months ].    Also very apparent in the winter sky was Orion with the 3 star belt most promnent this night      [ Nearby should have been Polaris ( The North Star) but this was blocked from view by the nearby ridge ].

        After Sunday breakfast we bushwhacked over an  inter-peak pass to an  ancient woods road & from there a very easy walk out to the pickup spot.

   Photos by Ronak & Ben 

Peter takes a nap after lunch  & before campsite setup