Scouts were involved in various activities this weekend. Some scouts spent the weekend camping two nights at the Spoutwood Farm near Glen Rock, Pennsylvania. Other scouts spent the weekend hiking and biking 15 miles in the Hanover area.
On Saturday morning the Troop worked on their cooking skills. Later in the morning they traveled to the Bear Branch/Hashawha area to brush up on navigation skills using maps and compass. The weather was perfect with light breezes and temperatures ranging from 65 to 71 degrees.
Scouts learned:
- How many steps and time it takes to travel various distances,
- How to orient a map,
- How to take and follow a bearing.
- Following a predetermined course with instructions using the map and compass for on a map for 1.5 miles of the total 5-mile hike.
- Learning to make collective decisions for the route for the remaining distance of the 5-mile hike using their maps and compasses.
The actual hike started at about 10:50AM. During the hike the scouts stopped for 20 minutes at the Raptor Mews and saw many rehabilitating birds such as a Bald Eagle (Cleopatra), and a pair of Red-tailed hawks. At about 12:30PM scouts took a 25-minute lunch break near Big Pipe Creek. Along the Wilderness Trail, they stopped to see a snake that had met its demise. They arrived back at the parking area at 2:40PM and visited the Bear Branch Nature Center before heading back to camp. For the pace, scouts averaged 1.25 mph total average and 1.55 mph moving average.
Saturday night, the scouts weathered thunderstorms from 7PM until 9:15PM and enjoyed warming up by the fire.
Bear Branch / Hashawha Maps and Hiking Instructions
- MAP: Bear Branch/Hashawha 5.2-mile Trail Map in Feet/Miles (PDF)
- MAP: Bear Branch/Hashawha 8.3-km Trail Map in Meters/km (PDF)
- MAP: Carroll County Satellite Map of Bear Branch/Hashawha Trails (PDF)
- Elevation: Bear Branch 5.2 mile Elevation Profile
- Instructions: Bear Branch/Hashawha Hike Directions (PDF)
- Basic Map & Compass Instructions (PDF)
10 copies of two of the above documents will be provided at the start of the hike:
- MAP: Bear Branch/Hashawha 5.2-mile Trail Map in Feet/Miles (PDF)
- Instructions: Bear Branch/Hashawha Hike Directions (PDF)
Hiking the Wilderness Trail along Big Pipe Creek
Interested in other hikes? See the activities section of the Troop’s Resources page for other compass courses in the area.