Spring Camping Weekend

Ockanickon Scout Reservation, Bucks County

24-26 March 2006

                Troop 461 held its first camping trip of the spring at Ockanickon Scout Reservation in Bucks County from 24 to 26 March 2006.  The camping trip was somewhat of a last-minute affair and was designed to take the place of a planned backpacking weekend that failed to materialize.  Despite the short notice, 13 Scouts and 4 adults braved the weather for a weekend of camping at Ockanickon.

                The weather outlook for the weekend was not all that promising--scattered showers on Saturday with steady rain Saturday evening into Sunday morning.  Fortunately, the campsite our troop had at Ockanickon was equipped with five or six Adirondack shelters that slept six persons each.  Since the shelters had only three sides, most of us hung tarps over the exposed front side so as to allow for some additional privacy and shelter from any wind or rain that may blow in the open side.  The excitement began early for the group as on the road leading to Ockanickon, Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) Chris Kulp was forced off the road by an oncoming pickup truck, puncturing his oil filter in the process.  A slick of oil lead from the scene to the camp parking lot where Chris' vehicle was parked.  Fortunately, Chris' dad appeared early Saturday morning with a new oil filter and five quarts of motor oil and effected a quick repair so that Chris would not be stranded at Ockanickon.     

                The primary purpose of the weekend was to provide advancement opportunities for those younger Scouts who have not yet reached First Class.  In the photo below right, SPL Chris Kulp teaches basic knife and ax skills to three of the troop's newer members-Tyler Wood, Darian Serfass and Nick Manton-so that they can earn their Toten' Chip cards, which allow them to use knives, axes and saws on camping trips.  In the photo below left, Scout Michael Hay uses a hand ax in the designated chopping area.

                Part of the advancement requirements for Tenderfoot, Second and First Class is cooking meals for yourself and/or your patrol for either a single meal or an entire weekend camping trip.  In the photo below left, several Scouts are seen watching over their foil packs in which the Scouts can complete their Second Class cooking requirement by cooking a meal without utensils.  Here, the Scouts are cooking their lunch of ground beef, potatoes, carrots and onions in aluminum foil over a charcoal fire.  For those of us who did not feel like cooking foil packs, grilled cheese sandwiches were available.

                The photo above left shows Tyler Wood, Ben Gehringer (in red) and Zachary Brong (wearing glasses) attending to their foil pack lunches over the charcoal fire.  The photo below left shows Zach Brong, Peter Detwiler and Justin Seelaus enjoying their foil pack lunches while Scoutmaster Harold Frederick tries to keep warm.  In the photo below right, SPL Chris Kulp discusses his car problems with Assistant Scoutmaster (ASM) Ernest Gambone. 

                Evening dinner was scheduled to be a beef roast cooked in dutch ovens.  Preparation for the evening meal began mid-afternoon with SM Harold Frederick and Zach Brong (below left) cutting up the potatoes and carrots.  Dutch oven cooking has become somewhat of a favorite of the troop since ASM Zach Wile re-introduced the troop to dutch oven cooking several years ago.  Cooking for a group with dutch ovens is a relatively simple task once you know what you are doing.  The beef roasts went on the charcoal shortly after 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and cooked until about 6:00 p.m., at which time the other vegetables were added to the mix.  Within another half-hour, dinner was ready and the Scouts enjoyed a hot, tasty, well-balanced evening meal.  There were no left-overs!

                The weather turned out better than we anticipated, with only a few scattered rain showers during the day on Saturday.  The steady rain held off until after 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and all of our cooking and eating areas were well sheltered by dining flies.  The newer Scouts learned that one can enjoy a weekend out of doors even if the weather doesn't fully cooperate by being sunny and nice all the time.   

This page last updated on Wednesday, 29 March 2006