This year we're trying something new. We are beginning a series of Pack hikes for Cub Scouts of all ranks and their families. Pariticpants will meet at 2:00 PM on the Sunday after the Pack Meeting at the location announced at the Pack Meeting. We'll also post the locations here.
The purpose of these hikes are:
Those of you who are new to hiking might have a few questions about these activities. If your questions are unanswered here, please email Sharon Plate and we'll try to answer those questions and post them here.
That depends upon the weather! If rain is in the forecast, some sort of rain gear would be appropriate. This could be a poncho or a rain jacket but not an umbrella. (Umbrellas would only get in the way of our vision. You would block the view of the tril for others.) You can find inexpensive ponchos, rain jackets, and rainsuits many places but you might try Dick's, Ames, or Target; EMS, Mountain Dreams, R.E.I, and other specialty sporting goods dealers have some very nice, but fairly pricey, raingear. (If you don't have raingear, bring along a hat and a large plastic trash bag. We'll show you how to make an instant rain jacket if you need one.)
Everyone will need a water bottle and, perhaps a light snack (granola bars are nice) and put it all in a small backpack or a fanny pack. We are hiking for only an hour or two, depending upon the weather and where we are going; so, you don't need a lunch.
If you have a SMALL firstaid kit, bring it along. While we aren't promising that no one will ever break a bone, most of our injuries are likely to be cuts and scrapes.
If you own some small field guides to plants, wildflowers, rocks, animals, etc., bring them along! I have a few field guides and will bring some.
That depends upon the weather! If rain is in the forecast, some sort of rain gear would be nice.
A hat is always appropriate. In the summer, a hat can keep you cool and in the winter, it will keep you warm. You loose more heat through your head than from any other part of your body!
If you have lugged soled hiking boots, wear them! If you don't have them, wear any sturdy shoe that doesn't have a smooth sole. Shoes such as loafers, ladies' flats, men's dress shoes, and smooth soled aerobic shoes are not appropriate for hiking because they can slip and cause falls. Running or walking shoes are generally good for hiking. Lugged soled hiking boots are the best but buy them AFTER you have tried a few hikes!
Regardless of the type of shoe you decide to wear, don't overdo the socks! Some people believe that by wearing several pairs of socks, they will keep their feet warm. Generally, that's a myth! If you have silk or polyproplene sock liners (extremely thin socks--almost like a thick nylon), you may wear them under your regular socks for a bit more insulation. (The liners will wick the moisture away from your feet.) If you want to buy special hiking socks, ThorLo and Fox River make some good ones; there are also other brands of good hiking socks. Socks made of Ragg material are also good. If you are unfamiliar with these types of socks, come to a hike but wear your regular cotton or acrylic socks and we'll show you our favorite socks.
No! We will hike on free trails! We fee very stongly that you shouldn't have to pay to hike somewhere. We want this to be an activity free to all.
That depends on the level of Scouting for the Scout, on the particular trail, the time of year we hike, and the mix of the group. We should try to do some tree identification, some plant identification, and some rock collecting. Generally, we will be doing some of the "outdoor" group of activities.
We may spot some animals in their native environment. We may just watch a particular area go through the seasons in a year. Have you ever really watched a wild area as it changes with the weather cycles? We may see the effects of man on the environment. It all depends upon who comes and what the day is like!
In the winter when we could have snow on the ground, we will plan fairly flat hikes. As long as the temperature isn't below zero and we don't have a lot of snow on the ground, the hike will proceed. If we have snow, call Sharon Plate before the hike to see if we will still go. Does anyone cross country ski?
Not unless we have a parent who is an expert! Some of us have had a lot of outdoor experience and can recognize many things in the outdoors. Some of us rely extensively on field guides that can help us learn about the outdoors.
If you know of anyone who is an expert in an area of the outdoors, please, invite him/her along! We can all learn something!
This site developed and maintained by
Sharon S. Plate of Plate Computing
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