20 Things about the Girl Scout Campout

 

 

The Girls were also featured on Girl Scouts of Colorado's Blog Here: Troop 2173 Goes to RMNP.

Summer Bucket List # 21- Camp at Rocky Mountain National Park

High on our Summer Bucket List was a Campout at Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, Colorado.  It was hard to pour through 200 + pictures and select a few to represent the trip for you. Though there will be a few more posts on this trip.  Actually I am so behind on posting adventures.  Preparing for and being gone a series of back to back adventures has left me very behind.

This campout was intended to be a Girl Scout Troop Campout.  However, within two weeks of going we had gone from five or six of the girls to four, then to three and finally the last two days down to two of the Cadettes.  I am sure they enjoyed their special time.  They are already planning a trip to Switzerland when they are about 17... we are going to need the next 6 or 7 years to fund-raise for it!

Well... this campout was filled with hiking, campfires, Leave No Trace Ethics, 10 essentials of hiking gear, ranger talks, junior ranger badges, pocket knives, pine cones, survival tents and fire making skills.  Not to mention absorbing the glorious Rocky Mountains and wildlife. There was time for play, time for quiet meanderings in the park, and just plain time to be. 

We sure missed our fellow Girl Scouts but had fun with the siblings that went along.

Summer Bucket List # 18- Hike Roxborough State Park

 

Summer Bucket List # 18- Hike Roxborough State Park.

I love how every state park I have visited here in Colorado seems to be unique and has its own gifts to offer.  I think I have been to only about 6 or 7 of them so far in Colorado, but they have each been an enjoyable experience with their one unique attributes.  Roxborough State Park is beautiful.  Despite the dry conditions in the state right now, it was very dense and lush.  I hope that doesn't mean it will be in flames soon.  There is a lot of interesting underbrush.  It would be nice to spend some time there identifying plants there.
The red rocks there are beautiful and I enjoy spending time looking at them.  We went this last Saturday with Mr. J's Wolf Den.  We spent some time prior to entering the trail to talk about Leave No Trace Ethics and did a quick bag check while talking about the types of items all hikers should take on a hike.
I took my favorite trail for scouts there.  Right of the bat was a good patch of Poison Ivy.  I don't think it is enough to just show the boys a picture and lamely recite, "Leaves of Three, Leave them Be."  But I like things to be hands on... well in this case... eyes on only!  We worked on some other plant and tree identification and some other items in the Wolf Scout Handbook.

Hiking with 7 or 8 year olds requires some patience, though I didn't get to use most of my "tools"on this outing as my older scout didn't feel good suddenly and we only went half way on the trail.  Opting to take the easier path back and not climb up one of the trails leading up onto one of the mesas.  Here, I will share some with you.  It seems to work so far after the last several years of scout hikes and family hikes.

Food... always pack food.  Of course that is one of the essential hiking items, but hiking with young kids or novice kid hikers is like going on a long car ride.  Having certain activities to do at specific points along the trail is a great incentive for kids (and me) to keep going. Telling things like, "We are going to stop and have that Jerky break at the next marker" or "We'll put in some EmergC Drink powder into your water bottle when we get around that bend."   Since I like to have each kid have their own maps in their pack of the trails and areas we are in, sometimes we mark their break points marked. At these break points we take water breaks, snack breaks (and for outings I like to bring a little something special since we aren't likely to pay the high prices of snacks and food at anywhere we go.  It helps to  not feel deprived, in my opinion.) With my own kids, I usually have a riveting book we are reading and we stop and I read to them awhile, we may work on our nature journals, play a game, and with my scouts we may stop and work on a scout related achievement.  Regardless there are plenty of things to do and things to look forward to. My own kids are well enough accustomed to large amounts of time in the outdoors and camping that they manage fine with out lots of prodding, but they hold me to the snack breaks.  They are smart kids.  I think the biggest tip is to go into the hike with a patient mindset.  You'll get to the end when you get there.  I let my kids dictate the pace and I am prepared with plenty to help inspire them to keep going.

What are some of you favorite ways to encourage kids to keep going on hikes?

On a side note... this is my 100th post!!  Yeah Me!

Summer Bucket List # 9- Hike Castlewood Canyon State Park

(I had to use a red splotch to hide the face of a Scout that isn't mine.)  

Summer Bucket List # 9- Hike Castlewood Canyon State Park.

Saturday, June 16th, Daddy bailed me out when I inadvertantly double booked myself and helped take my Wolf Den to hike at Castlewood Canyon State Park.  They went to a few parts we hadn't been to before.
Mr. J (my Wolf Scout) says he liked being with his friends, looking back to see how far the car became and  the foundation of an old house.

All in all they had fun exploring nature and of course, climbing rocks.  I hear those boys were real troopers and Mr. A (my Boy Scout) said the hike was easy for him. 

Bucket List # 6- Take a Hike

 Mr. J... always in the rear.  He's one that stops and really studies things. He thinks so much and walks with his head down just like his daddy.  He can be highly motivated to get moving when he is promised to be the hiking/camp chef.  If it involves food, not just eating it, but preparing it, he pick up the pace. =)

 I loved how Mr. S and Mr. A were hiking buddies.  And can I just say that my big Boy Scout, Mr. A was leaving us in the dust.  He's gonna need it for the hiking he'll do in Boy Scouts.

 Looking out over the reservoir.  Cherry Creek Reservoir is nestled in the midst of the Denver Metro area.  If you don't look too far out into the horizon you really do feel like you have left the city.  You can camp there too.  Though I am a little too snobby to camp in the city!  I can camp in my back yard for free and for nearly $20 a night for camp tenting... I would rather pay that up at Rocky Mountain National Park.  But if your a newbie to camping... it would do well for you. Warm showers and vending machines an all.  It is our favorite swimming spot.  For the cost of a state parks pass... we can swim all summer long. Which a great deal for a family of 6.  Well any size really.  And we can go to any Colorado State Park with it.  Its been used twice in the last 2 weeks. 

Ah... the first hike of the summer.  We managed to do about a 2 mile hike.  I am certain that we would have done a bit more if we hadn't run into water.  Remind me not to take the family to Cherry Creek Reservoir to hike.  They have it firm in their mind that it is a place for swimming... only.  So we ventured to another side of the park (with some grumbling about swimming) to get the hiking on!  I don't think we even made it a mile before the trail dumped us on the bed of a slow moving stream and before I could say, "Leave No Trace..."  the shoes flew off and the kids were making their way into the water.  And for such a warm day thy were very happy to jump in!  I tried in my best way possible to help the to kids move to the swim beach.  Its a good thing that even though we weren't prepared for swimming, mom keeps a stash of clothes and snacks in the car.  Perfect for the impromptu swim, even if your a girl who had to squeeze into her little brother's clothes.  Yeah... the minivan is a little better stocked now.  Even mom needed some back ups in there! So we went in. Clothes and all.
The day was filled with sand, scat, flowers, weeds, and sea shells.  All of it "sprinkled" with a healthy dose of water!  Yes... we will be back to our favorite "swimming hole" all summer long.  Hopefully a little better prepared.