Our Scouts and Scouters with BSA Troop 3 and Troop 1003 went for their January 2023 Winter Campout and Hike this past weekend on Meadows Lane. Scouts and Scouters camped on the Meadows Lane 4×4 trail in the Priest Wilderness, part of the George Washington National Forest.
Scouts used this winter campout to explore Virginia’s beautiful mountains where we hiked on the Appalachian trail and trekked to the Priest Summit.
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- Scouts wanted to hike South to Georgia where it’s warmer… and they have peaches.
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- North our South?
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- Up we go…
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- …in the snow.
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- The Priest Wilderness
Scouts used our trek up to find beautiful examples of nature in the winter.
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- Icicle forming off of a tree.
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- Ice pushing out of the ground.
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- Snow covered moss.
Once we arrived at the summit, we were amazed at the beauty!
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- Panorama from the overlook.
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- Trindon says “That’s where we hiked!”
Scouts put their “Be Prepared!” skills to the test by preparing for, and camping in, 9 degree temperatures! Brrrrrr. We had a great fire, hot food and tea, and warm hammocks and tents. Scouts worked towards 36 rank or merit badge requirements on this campout!
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- Great sunrise peaking over the mountains.
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- Early morning shot of the moon.
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- Breakfast time!
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- 5 minutes after we poured water into our cups, it froze.
Scout Leader Mrs. Amanda taught scouts first aid and safety principles before our hike and covered topics such as HURRY cases, what to do for injuries, what to do if we find an injured hiker, how to stay warm, and many others.
Scout Leader Mr. John taught scouts about Leave No Trace and Outdoor Ethics. Scouts used this knowledge and explored our campsite where many pieces of trash were collected and used to participate in a Leave No Trace “Trash Your Trash” game.
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- Scouts learned and participated in Leave No Trace.
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- Getting ready for our Trash Your Trash game.
#George Washington National Forest #Meadows Lane #Priest Summit #Priest Wilderness #Winter Camping
