C&O Canal Backpacking

Although we were forced to cut our planned 2-night backpacking trip short by one night because of the prediction for hazardous weather, it was nonetheless a great outing!

We departed from the church around 10am on Thursday. Once we arrived at White's Ferry, it took some time to get organized, mainly because the restrooms were locked. Apparently the folks who maintain the restrooms were on spring break! Around noon, we were able to begin our hike. 

We had five miles on the schedule for the first day, along a surprisingly well-maintained section of the C&O Canal Towpath. The weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed lovely expanses of wildflowers. Georgia did an exceptional job of keeping everyone going with her positive encouragement. Scouts also worked on their map and compass skills along the way. 

We arrived at the Chisel Branch campsite around 4:00, so there was still plenty of time left in the day to set up camp. The Scouts relaxed on a downed tree by the river, and played cards. New Scouts Johnathan and Eli opted to work on their knot-tying skills, meeting with success in completing the Scout-rank knot requirement. 

After a dinner of mashed potatoes with vegetables and beef jerky, we spent some time cleaning up, including gathering all of our remaining food and food-related trash together. While we were not concerned about bears, we opted to hang our food to prevent raccoons and other critters from getting at it during the night. 

After dark, the Scouts were thrilled when the family sharing our campsite invited them over for s'mores. 

In the morning, we struck camp quickly, departing the campsite around 8:30. Everyone's motivation to beat the predicted thunderstorms was high, and we were able to arrive at our exit point 3.5 miles later around 10:15, returning to the church by 12:20. 

A big thank you to ASM Cornelius for her leadership (and port-a-potty de-wasping skills), and to Mr. Dobak for his logistical assistance.