Troop 8 returned to the Saco River after 4 long years of having to miss out for various reasons. Upon first arrival, it felt like it was only yesterday when we were last there. Not only did we miss Saco, apparently the mosquitos missed us. We were greeted with swarms of mosquitos who were clearly out for blood. Those who arrived earlier warned us to use bug spray as soon as we got out of the car. Between the bug spray and the temperature drop in the evening, the mosquitos were no longer a problem.
The scouts setup camp, built a fire, and the troop hung out for a few hours by the fire before turning in for the night. Everyone wanted to get a good night sleep for the 11 mile kayak trip the next day.
Morning came quickly and the scouts were up early preparing breakfast which consisted of pancakes and breakfast sausage. The troop then packed lunches and we headed out for our trip debriefing. The troop entered the water around 10:30am and started our journey down river where we would end up back at camp around 3:00pm.
The conditions for kayaking were absolutely perfect. It was clear skies with air temps in the high eighties. The Saco River was slow moving, crystal clear, and the water temp was in the fifties.
Along the river, the scouts found their usual spots where they like to hop out of the kayak and stretch their legs. We stopped at a few “sandy beach” areas and the sand dunes for a break. We also stopped to have lunch at the dam where we had to portage our kayaks over to the other side.
Even for those scouts who have never been, Saco continues to live up to the reputation as one of the camping trips the scouts most enjoy. We are already looking forward to seeing you again next year Saco River!
Troop 8 Cranston, RI 