Troop 20 Home
Backpacking on the Appalachian Trail
White Mountain National Forest

Adult leaders: Steve Rieber, Zane Smith, Jim DeVries, Bill McClain, Bob Bergman and possibly others
 Friday, June 17, 2005 to Sunday, June 26, 2005

Cost:  $800
        
This will be a eight-day backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail through the challenging Presidential Range in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.

History.  You’ve heard about it; you’ve read about it; you’ve talked about it.  Now, experience the magnificent and legendary Appalachian Trail for yourself.  In 1921 Benton MacKaye (rhymes with sky) proposed “a footpath running the entire length of the Appalachian mountain chain” to make a wilderness and scouting experience easily available to large numbers of Americans.  In 1925, leaders of various hiking groups and trail clubs along the East Coast met in Washington, D.C. and formed the Appalachian Trail Conference.  In 1934, the Appalachian Trail was dedicated by riveting to the living rock on the mountain peak at the southern end of the trail, a bronze plaque with an image of a backpacker and this mission.

A Footpath for Those who seek Fellowship with the Wilderness.

The grandfathers and grandmothers of today’s environment and ecology movements were the folks who brought the Appalachian Trail into existence.  Today, the Appalachian Trail rambles roughly 2,150 miles from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia.  It runs through eight national forests, two national parks, state parks, state forests, wildlife management areas as well as private property.  It is maintained by 31 volunteer organizations including the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Dartmouth Outing Club, the Green Mountain Club, and the Outdoor Club at Virginia Tech.

The White Mountains.  The Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire goes through some of the most rugged, beautiful and dangerous country in the world.  From the White Mountain Trail Guide, 27th edition:
Whether, as is often stated, Mount Washington has the worst weather in the world, or at least in North America, is subject to debate.  But the dozens of people who have died on its slopes in the last century, furnish adequate proof that the weather is vicious enough to kill those who are foolish enough to challenge the mountain at its worst.  This appalling and needless loss of life has been due, almost without exception, to the failure of robust but incautious hikers to realize that winterlike storms of incredible violence occur frequently, even during the summer months.  Winds of hurricane force exhaust even the strongest hiker, and cold rain driven horizontal by the wind penetrates clothing and drains heat from the body.  Temperatures in the 30s and low 40s can be even more dangerous than those below freezing, since rain penetrates and soaks clothing much more rapidly than snow, although at colder temperatures sleet and freezing rain on rocks can further obstruct a belated attempt to return to safety.

Trip.  We plan to take up to three 10-man crews to New Hampshire via airplane to Boston or Portland, rent vans at the airport and drive to the Oliverian Notch in New Hampshire where we will stay overnight at Ravine Lodge, a facility owned by Dartmouth College.  The next morning will be Day 1 on the trail.  Crew 1 will hike south from Crawford Notch through Franconia Notch, summit Mount Layfayette (5,250 ft.) and finish at Ravine Lodge.  Crew 2 will hike north from Ravine Lodge, summit Mount Layfayette, hike through Franconia Notch and come off the trail at Crawford Notch.  Crew 3 will hike north from Franconia Notch through Crawford Notch, summit Mount Washington (6,300 ft.) and finish at Pinkham Notch Visitor’s Center.  Crews 1 and 3 will meet for lunch on Day 3 at the Galehead Hut.  Crews 1 and 2 will meet on the fourth night and stay together at Greenleaf Hut on the north side of Franconia Notch.  Each crew will hike approximately 50 miles and climb around 15,000 feet during our eight days on the trail.  Water will be reasonably available.  After the hike all crews will meet at the Pinkham Notch Visitor’s Center for an awards dinner and an overnight stay before returning home the next day.

Huts.  The chain of high huts along the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountains are unique; no other section of the A/T offers trailside accommodations like this.  The term “hut” is a misnomer; from a backpacker’s viewpoint, a hut is the Ritz-Carleton.  A typical full-service hut offers 36 to 90 bunks, each with a pillow, mattress and three blankets.  Dinner is prepared by the hut “croo” and served at 6 PM—fresh-baked bread, salad, soup, entree, various side dishes and dessert.  Meals are served family style, giving hikers a chance to meet new people, discuss the day’s hike, the tribulations of the trail, conditions ahead; and how great the food is.  After dinner, the resident hut naturalist will lead the after-dinner educational program  Other hut amenities include a well-stocked library, a small store for snacks and souvenirs, advice from local hiking experts, and quiet hours from 9:30 PM to 6:30 AM.  Breakfast is served at 7 AM along with weather forecasts and trail conditions.  Each Troop 20 crew will stay one night at a hut to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Crews 1 and 2 will stay in Greenleaf Hut on night 4 while Crew 3 will stay in Lakes of the Clouds Hut on night 6.

Trail Name.  One of the traditions of the Appalachian Trail is that every backpacker has a trail name.  This name is used to introduce yourself to other hikers you meet on the trail and to sign in at the shelter logs.  The rule is that you don’t give yourself a trail name; someone else does it for you.   As thru-hiker Berkshire Bill commented to those of us hiking the Appalachian Trail, “We’re all here, because we’re not all there.”

Critters.  Large parts of the White Mountain National Forest are designated wilderness areas.  Black bears are common but tend to keep out of sight.  New Hampshire’s significant moose and white-tailed deer population will not stay out of sight.  The good news is that the timber rattlesnake, the only poisonous snake in the White Mountains, is rare and found only at lower altitudes.   The bad news is that there will be plenty  of mosquitoes, “no-see-ums” and black flies.  Other animals we might see near the water are weasels, minks, beavers, and river otters.  Raccoons, opossums, chipmunks, squirrels, woodchucks, rabbits, voles, porcupines, skunks and fox are mammals we are likely to see in the woods and fields.  If we’re lucky, we’ll see one of the rarer species such as cougar, bobcat, coyote or snowshoe hare.  There will be field mice at every shelter and tent platform (guaranteed).  The White Mountains are home to an incredible number of bird species, including ducks, hawks, eagles, owls, loons and many songbirds.  We’re also likely to see bats and various nonpoisonous snakes.

Assignments.  Scouts on this high adventure trip will take on responsibilities such as:
•    Grubmaster:  Determines daily menus and purchases food to be eaten on the trip. Works with weighmaster to distribute food among the hikers to balance out backpack weight.
•    Quartermaster:  Coordinates who brings what group equipment.  Ensures every piece of equipment works and non-essentials parts are left behind.  Checks out equipment like stoves, backpacks, water filters, tents and so on.
•    Weighmaster:  Assigns equipment to individual hikers to distribute weight.  Helps each scout determine what to bring and what to leave behind.
•    Trailmaster:  Studies trail maps.  Plans out each day’s hike considering distance, elevation changes, springs, camping areas and other factors.  Intimately familiar with detailed daily hiking plan.  
•    Medic:  Responsible for the completeness and relevancy of first-aid kits.  Along with one of the adults, will take an advanced first-aid course, including CPR, prior to trip.
•    Scribe:  Responsible for writing comments about the expedition in various trail registers.
•    Crew Chief:  Senior, experienced scout who is elected by the crew.  Responsible for managing the crew and running the expedition.  Assigns cooking, cleaning, bear-bag hanging and water pumping chores.

Among the things you will learn while preparing for this trip are the leave-no-trace philosophy of backcountry travel and strategies for dealing with bears, lightning and poisonous snakes.

Details.  To sign up for this trip you must
•    be a member of Troop 20 in good standing, at least age 13 and a Star Scout or higher.
•    bring a minimum of personal equipment like hiking boots, backpack, sleeping bag, foam pad, three one-quart water bottles, rain gear and so on.
•    participate in three conditioning hikes to be scheduled in the spring:  equipment checkout hike on Green Bay Trail; 10-mile conditioning hike at Starved Rock and an overnight dress rehearsal hike where we will set up tents and cook dinner after backpacking all day and then hike the following day.
•    be in good physical condition and be willing to help others no matter how tired you are.

Each crew is limited to 10 people.  Adult leaders are Steve Rieber, Zane Smith, Jim DeVries, Bill McClain, Bob Bergman and possibly others.  The son of an adult leader will be assigned to the same crew as his Dad.  All other scouts who sign up for the trip will be assigned to a crew by the adult leaders with the objective of balancing out age and experience on each crew.