Fall Family Campout 2010 at Camp Cutler
September 24-26, 2010
On Friday, September 24 2010, many of the members and families of Pack 167 packed their gear, jumped in the car, and took the trip to a weekend of fun and activities at our annual Fall Family Campout! As in previous years, this event was held at Camp Cutler, which comprises over 1,200 beautiful acres nestled in the Bristol Valley, about an hour and change South of Rochester near the Town of Naples.
This year, Pack 167 stayed at "Fort Radcliff" within the boundaries of Cutler's Cub Scout Adventure Area. It's hard to imagine a location better suited to family camping with Cub Scouts; the Fort has a central, heated main building with a fully-functioning kitchen, indoor facilities (including showers), a common area for dining, and several private and semi-private bunking areas. Surrounding the Fort is an authentic-looking stockade fence with a wraparound wooden catwalk, connecting the main building to four "pods" containing additional bunk spaces. In the central courtyard on the lower level, there is a "jail" and several other group breakout areas, as well as the heart of any camping site: the fire pit.
Upon arriving one by one at camp, the boys and their families settled in and began letting the week's pent-up energy loose. Despite the fact that many of our Scouts see each other on a regular basis through school, other activities, or even in their neighborhoods, there's a special type of excitement to meeting up with your good friends on the first day of camp, and it was on display in full force Friday evening. Once the sun set, the boys and several leaders and parents took a night hike through a small subset of Cutler's many hiking trails, about a one-mile loop which led partially up and then back down one of the drumlins flanking the Bristol Valley. Landmarks of interest were the Medieval Castle, the Chapel overlooking Wellington Lake, the "Chipmunk Hotel" (which was occupied by a Boy Scout patrol) and a section of the the camp's longest trail, the Blue Trail. Click to see a map of Cutler and get an idea of where our boys were located!
Having burned off some of their last measure of spare energy for the day, the boys were then treated to an outdoor movie night, replete with popcorn. The movie was actually a copy of the program shown for movie night at this summer's Cub Resident Camp, and was partially a potpourri of Scout-related cartoons, but also included several inspiring clips surrounding the features. These included some words from the heart of other Scouts, relating the values Scouting has taught them, things they do in their everyday lives which exemplify them, and what their Scouting experiences have meant to them.
The culmination of the film was a segment of live footage from the opening ceremony of this year's National Scout Jamboree in Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. This 3,000-acre-wide event draws Boy Scouts from all over the entire country to celebrate Scouting, take part in some one-of-a-kind challenges, and learn new skills. Held every three to five years (predicated on the schedule of the Scout World Jamboree), these ten-day events are always an enormous production. This year's event was however made even more special, as it coincides with the 100-year anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America as an organization, and the clips of the pyrotechnics-laden ceremony are a snapshot of what today's Cubs have to look forward to as they work their way to becoming future Boy Scouts.
The next morning, our camp was awakened to the sounds and smells of a hearty breakfast being prepared, with the aroma of pancakes and crisped bacon filling the entire area. After eating and cleaning up their mess kits, the boys split into three groups to begin the morning's activities. One of the highlights was at the archery range, where Ranger Marty taught our boys the safety protocol of the archery range and coached them in some basic techniques to shoot targets with Cutler's light compound bows. Each boy had a chance to shoot several volleys of arrows at his paper target downrange, and to have it certified by the Ranger for some official "bragging rights" back at camp and home.
In addition to archery, the boys got some exercise out on the field below Wellington Lake playing games with their group, got to explore the nature center exhibits at Whitcomb Lodge by the Frog Pond, and what is arguably a favorite pastime of boys attending camp: a visit to the Trading Post. Like any proper Scout Camp trading post, Cutler's was well stocked with camping gear, patches, pins, and other camp memorabilia, and the primary draw: snacks!
After our morning activities, the boys all convened around a small but deceptively-deep pond at the High Seas boats, where two of our bravest Cub fathers, Randy LeBarge and Brian Goodman took the plunge into the murky waters with a large minnow net. After a disappointing first drag (during which they cleared the pond of a large heap of unwanted filamentous algae that kept flipping the bottom end of the net up and freeing the minnows), the duo emerged victorious with a net full of good-sized Golden Shiners for fishing later in the day. In addition to the minnows, the boys also got a good look at a few fat polliwogs and some Red-spotted Newts in their aquatic adult stage.
Upon returning to camp, our families took a breather and replenished our energy with a sandwich lunch, and then gathered around the fire pit outdoors to meet with Ranger Jeff Emerling, who had another hike in store for our boys. In contrast to the summerlike warmth of Friday evening, Saturday's weather was cool and comfortable, with plenty of autumn sunshine to set off the changing foliage of the Bristol Valley maple trees. With some fantastic weather, plenty of water, and firm resolve the Pack set off down the White trail, leading through the trees and some off-the-beaten-path lean-to camping sites.
After a few minutes of hiking, the boys stopped and fanned out with some bow saws to begin clearing out a number of young Hop Hornbeam saplings. While indigenous to the area, these trees are somewhat invasive, and sap energy from other more desirable mast trees such as hickory and oak. As such, selectively clearing them is an important part of maintaining a healthy hardwood forest, and the boys' efforts served as a small yet important service project to the camp. Ranger Emerling and several other leaders helped instruct the boys on how to properly use their saws to fell these trees close to the ground, avoiding any low stumps which would otherwise present a hazard to hikers and off-road maintenance vehicles.
Connecting up with the Orange trail, we began the ascent of the camp's Eastern ridge, climbing through hillsides covered with maples and oaks, layers of the season's first fallen leaves, huckleberry scrub, and a unique treat - wild wintergreen berries! After toughing it up the mountainous climb, our buys first came upon the High Point Overlook and then shortly afterwards, the West Hollow Overlook. Both overlooks feature a clearing in the trees which offer breathtaking panoramic views of the valley. With clear visibility, sunshine, and the explosions of color dotting the hillsides, we took our time taking it all in while Ranger Emerling pointed out features of the countryside.
After taking a turn down another section of the White Trail, and passing through the Lynx Lodge campsite, we were literally "over the hump" and continued the remainder of our hike downhill on the Blue trail back to camp. We were very proud of both our boys and also some of their younger siblings, who trekked it all the way to the end without complaint! When there's plenty of scenery and good company, even longer hikes like this one feel more like fun and less like exercise.
With a quick stop back to camp to pick up gear, our crew segued directly into a late afternoon of fishing from the pier and bank of Wellington Lake. While not tremendously despite its moniker, Wellington Lake is nevertheless filled with a variety of freshwater species of fish. And our boys were not disappointed; they were quite awake and hungry for a dinner of minnows! We quickly lost count of the number of fish pulled in, with several large- and small-mouthed bass, crappie, bluegill, and even one small orange perch among the day's catch. While we were not "keeping score" in any official derby, the title of "Lunker Lander" was shared by our very own Michael Bergstrom and Tony Scherze. No, they weren't fighting over the same pole - but they did both catch the same fish! A fine specimen of large-mouth bass, weighing several pounds full of fight and probably a good eighteen inches in length, he not only had a recognizable face… but also a tell-tale radio transmitter tag protruding near the end of his tail on the left side.
While Mr. Fish may not have appreciated the insult and injury of being tagged, it saved his bacon in the end, as he was released back into the water for students studying Fish & Wildlife Management to practice tracking. Despite this, the boys hauled home several fish which we cleaned, cooked over the hot coals in aluminum foil, and sampled piping hot.
After a long day, nothing beats a hot and filling dinner, which was thankfully provided by several of our Pack's parent volunteer cooks! Spaghetti and meatballs with marinara, salad, and butter bread hit the spot as we all began to wind down for the night. After dinner, the boys had a chunk of Black Forest cake prepared over coals in a Dutch oven and settled down around a roaring campfire in the cool September evening air. The boys seized upon the opportunity to "ham it up", making good use of the Fort's several open-air breakout corners to scheme and practice skits, which they then performed for their audience's roars of laughter. The whole group sang several rounds of chuckle-inducing campfire songs, and then it was time for the boys to get prepared for lights out and turn in to their bunks.
Sunday morning greeted us with yet another sumptuous breakfast and then it was time to begin breaking camp. Everyone packed up their personal gear, swapped misplaced items with one another, and convened in the courtyard for our Scout Vespers led by Packmaster Mike Braunschweig. The morning's service focused on the importance of spirituality and religion in our lives, which Cub and Boy Scouting help to foster every bit as much as outdoor skills, civic responsibility, and clean living.
Our personal belongings taken care of, parents and boys alike pitched in to help clean up the indoor facilities as well as the outdoor grounds in an effort to leave Fort Radcliff cleaner than we found it when we arrived. Everyone said their goodbyes to friends, the chipmunks, and to Camp Cutler as we trickled out down the trail to the parking lot; leaving nothing but our footprints, and taking nothing but fond memories of a fantastic weekend of fun, spent with friends in the great outdoors!
September 24-26, 2010
 |
On Friday, September 24 2010, many of the members and families of Pack 167 packed their gear, jumped in the car, and took the trip to a weekend of fun and activities at our annual Fall Family Campout! As in previous years, this event was held at Camp Cutler, which comprises over 1,200 beautiful acres nestled in the Bristol Valley, about an hour and change South of Rochester near the Town of Naples.
This year, Pack 167 stayed at "Fort Radcliff" within the boundaries of Cutler's Cub Scout Adventure Area. It's hard to imagine a location better suited to family camping with Cub Scouts; the Fort has a central, heated main building with a fully-functioning kitchen, indoor facilities (including showers), a common area for dining, and several private and semi-private bunking areas. Surrounding the Fort is an authentic-looking stockade fence with a wraparound wooden catwalk, connecting the main building to four "pods" containing additional bunk spaces. In the central courtyard on the lower level, there is a "jail" and several other group breakout areas, as well as the heart of any camping site: the fire pit.
 |
Upon arriving one by one at camp, the boys and their families settled in and began letting the week's pent-up energy loose. Despite the fact that many of our Scouts see each other on a regular basis through school, other activities, or even in their neighborhoods, there's a special type of excitement to meeting up with your good friends on the first day of camp, and it was on display in full force Friday evening. Once the sun set, the boys and several leaders and parents took a night hike through a small subset of Cutler's many hiking trails, about a one-mile loop which led partially up and then back down one of the drumlins flanking the Bristol Valley. Landmarks of interest were the Medieval Castle, the Chapel overlooking Wellington Lake, the "Chipmunk Hotel" (which was occupied by a Boy Scout patrol) and a section of the the camp's longest trail, the Blue Trail. Click to see a map of Cutler and get an idea of where our boys were located!
Having burned off some of their last measure of spare energy for the day, the boys were then treated to an outdoor movie night, replete with popcorn. The movie was actually a copy of the program shown for movie night at this summer's Cub Resident Camp, and was partially a potpourri of Scout-related cartoons, but also included several inspiring clips surrounding the features. These included some words from the heart of other Scouts, relating the values Scouting has taught them, things they do in their everyday lives which exemplify them, and what their Scouting experiences have meant to them.
The culmination of the film was a segment of live footage from the opening ceremony of this year's National Scout Jamboree in Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. This 3,000-acre-wide event draws Boy Scouts from all over the entire country to celebrate Scouting, take part in some one-of-a-kind challenges, and learn new skills. Held every three to five years (predicated on the schedule of the Scout World Jamboree), these ten-day events are always an enormous production. This year's event was however made even more special, as it coincides with the 100-year anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America as an organization, and the clips of the pyrotechnics-laden ceremony are a snapshot of what today's Cubs have to look forward to as they work their way to becoming future Boy Scouts.
The next morning, our camp was awakened to the sounds and smells of a hearty breakfast being prepared, with the aroma of pancakes and crisped bacon filling the entire area. After eating and cleaning up their mess kits, the boys split into three groups to begin the morning's activities. One of the highlights was at the archery range, where Ranger Marty taught our boys the safety protocol of the archery range and coached them in some basic techniques to shoot targets with Cutler's light compound bows. Each boy had a chance to shoot several volleys of arrows at his paper target downrange, and to have it certified by the Ranger for some official "bragging rights" back at camp and home.
 |
In addition to archery, the boys got some exercise out on the field below Wellington Lake playing games with their group, got to explore the nature center exhibits at Whitcomb Lodge by the Frog Pond, and what is arguably a favorite pastime of boys attending camp: a visit to the Trading Post. Like any proper Scout Camp trading post, Cutler's was well stocked with camping gear, patches, pins, and other camp memorabilia, and the primary draw: snacks!
After our morning activities, the boys all convened around a small but deceptively-deep pond at the High Seas boats, where two of our bravest Cub fathers, Randy LeBarge and Brian Goodman took the plunge into the murky waters with a large minnow net. After a disappointing first drag (during which they cleared the pond of a large heap of unwanted filamentous algae that kept flipping the bottom end of the net up and freeing the minnows), the duo emerged victorious with a net full of good-sized Golden Shiners for fishing later in the day. In addition to the minnows, the boys also got a good look at a few fat polliwogs and some Red-spotted Newts in their aquatic adult stage.
 |
Upon returning to camp, our families took a breather and replenished our energy with a sandwich lunch, and then gathered around the fire pit outdoors to meet with Ranger Jeff Emerling, who had another hike in store for our boys. In contrast to the summerlike warmth of Friday evening, Saturday's weather was cool and comfortable, with plenty of autumn sunshine to set off the changing foliage of the Bristol Valley maple trees. With some fantastic weather, plenty of water, and firm resolve the Pack set off down the White trail, leading through the trees and some off-the-beaten-path lean-to camping sites.
 |
After a few minutes of hiking, the boys stopped and fanned out with some bow saws to begin clearing out a number of young Hop Hornbeam saplings. While indigenous to the area, these trees are somewhat invasive, and sap energy from other more desirable mast trees such as hickory and oak. As such, selectively clearing them is an important part of maintaining a healthy hardwood forest, and the boys' efforts served as a small yet important service project to the camp. Ranger Emerling and several other leaders helped instruct the boys on how to properly use their saws to fell these trees close to the ground, avoiding any low stumps which would otherwise present a hazard to hikers and off-road maintenance vehicles.
 |
 |
Connecting up with the Orange trail, we began the ascent of the camp's Eastern ridge, climbing through hillsides covered with maples and oaks, layers of the season's first fallen leaves, huckleberry scrub, and a unique treat - wild wintergreen berries! After toughing it up the mountainous climb, our buys first came upon the High Point Overlook and then shortly afterwards, the West Hollow Overlook. Both overlooks feature a clearing in the trees which offer breathtaking panoramic views of the valley. With clear visibility, sunshine, and the explosions of color dotting the hillsides, we took our time taking it all in while Ranger Emerling pointed out features of the countryside.
After taking a turn down another section of the White Trail, and passing through the Lynx Lodge campsite, we were literally "over the hump" and continued the remainder of our hike downhill on the Blue trail back to camp. We were very proud of both our boys and also some of their younger siblings, who trekked it all the way to the end without complaint! When there's plenty of scenery and good company, even longer hikes like this one feel more like fun and less like exercise.
With a quick stop back to camp to pick up gear, our crew segued directly into a late afternoon of fishing from the pier and bank of Wellington Lake. While not tremendously despite its moniker, Wellington Lake is nevertheless filled with a variety of freshwater species of fish. And our boys were not disappointed; they were quite awake and hungry for a dinner of minnows! We quickly lost count of the number of fish pulled in, with several large- and small-mouthed bass, crappie, bluegill, and even one small orange perch among the day's catch. While we were not "keeping score" in any official derby, the title of "Lunker Lander" was shared by our very own Michael Bergstrom and Tony Scherze. No, they weren't fighting over the same pole - but they did both catch the same fish! A fine specimen of large-mouth bass, weighing several pounds full of fight and probably a good eighteen inches in length, he not only had a recognizable face… but also a tell-tale radio transmitter tag protruding near the end of his tail on the left side.
While Mr. Fish may not have appreciated the insult and injury of being tagged, it saved his bacon in the end, as he was released back into the water for students studying Fish & Wildlife Management to practice tracking. Despite this, the boys hauled home several fish which we cleaned, cooked over the hot coals in aluminum foil, and sampled piping hot.
 |
After a long day, nothing beats a hot and filling dinner, which was thankfully provided by several of our Pack's parent volunteer cooks! Spaghetti and meatballs with marinara, salad, and butter bread hit the spot as we all began to wind down for the night. After dinner, the boys had a chunk of Black Forest cake prepared over coals in a Dutch oven and settled down around a roaring campfire in the cool September evening air. The boys seized upon the opportunity to "ham it up", making good use of the Fort's several open-air breakout corners to scheme and practice skits, which they then performed for their audience's roars of laughter. The whole group sang several rounds of chuckle-inducing campfire songs, and then it was time for the boys to get prepared for lights out and turn in to their bunks.
Sunday morning greeted us with yet another sumptuous breakfast and then it was time to begin breaking camp. Everyone packed up their personal gear, swapped misplaced items with one another, and convened in the courtyard for our Scout Vespers led by Packmaster Mike Braunschweig. The morning's service focused on the importance of spirituality and religion in our lives, which Cub and Boy Scouting help to foster every bit as much as outdoor skills, civic responsibility, and clean living.
Our personal belongings taken care of, parents and boys alike pitched in to help clean up the indoor facilities as well as the outdoor grounds in an effort to leave Fort Radcliff cleaner than we found it when we arrived. Everyone said their goodbyes to friends, the chipmunks, and to Camp Cutler as we trickled out down the trail to the parking lot; leaving nothing but our footprints, and taking nothing but fond memories of a fantastic weekend of fun, spent with friends in the great outdoors!
