The troop stayed at campsite Seton, a relatively new campsite in Camp Sandy Beach. There were several platforms for the troop to set the tents upon and we had flushable toilets and running water for drinking and cooking. Yes, we were spoiled to say the least.
The troop arrived around Saturday at 9am, setup camp, and then set out on a hike around 11am. We ventured out to find Hidden Lake, a quick hike the boys might take in the summer while we are at Yawgoog. Back on May 4-6, 1930 there was a forest fire in Yawgoog that destroyed much of the forest. The legend goes, no one knew the lake was there until the forest fire occurred and exposed the small body of water. Once the forest fire was extinguished, the debris was bulldozed into the lake leaving the lake too acidic for plant or fish life and the water almost appears black. You can get a sense of just how dark the water is from the picture on the left. The rock is just a few inches below the surface of the water.
On each camping trip we plan an activity and look for an opportunity to reinforce a skill. Along the hike we stopped at campsite Neil Armstrong. The boys were asked to pick between envelopes, each contained a different mission. The mission the boys chose described a realistic scenario where they went on a hike and got lost. The sun was about to set, and although people would be out looking for them, they needed to stay put and make camp in case no one came until morning. Their mission was to build a sustainable fire and an improvised shelter. The scouts were supplied with very limited resources, a ferrocerium rod and a cotton ball. The scouts got a fire started in 5 mins and built an improvised shelter in 15 mins with no adult involvement. They even had suggestions on how to improve it with live pine branches and large leaves but they did not want to cut live trees. We reinforced to the scouts, this is what separates scouts from non-scouts. I’m sure many of their friends would not have these basic survival skills needed to hunker down for the night in the forest if needed.
After dinner and dinner cleanup, the boys met up with a local girls troop, Troop 3 Gaspee Plateau, for a game of manhunt. Despite the pouring rain, the scouts played through and a good time was had by all.
Troop 8 Cranston, RI 