October Pack Hike

Where: Beaver Brook in Hollis, website: http://www.beaverbrook.org From Route 122 South (From 101A) Follow Rte 122 South into Hollis. Drive to the only set of lights in Hollis. Continue straight through the intersection (South, Route 122). Drive approximately 1 mile and turn right onto Ridge Road. Drive approximately 1 more mile. Maple Hill Farm will be on your right (117 Ridge Road). You will see a large gray farmhouse with a barn attached to it. The Beaver Brook office is in this building. We'll meet in the parking lot at the trail entrance.

What to bring: dress for the weather: hiking shoes, trail mix, water bottle, scout handbook

Who can go? Scouts and their families are invited to join us.

How long is the hike? approx. 2 hours

What do I get for doing this? Many thanks to Tiina Mason for putting together the following information describing what achievements and electives can be earned by scouts during this hike.

The October Pack hike is a great way to complete achievements, electives or other special awards across the ranks.

At the Tiger level, the hike can be used to complete Achievement 5G: Take a Hike with your den. While on the hike, why not gather some fallen leaves to do your leaf rubbings (or better yet, bring a couple of crayons and paper, and do your leaf rubbings during a break!), to complete Achievement 5D? As a den or family, you may also choose to use this opportunity to complete Elective 22 (Have a Picnic) or Elective 25 (Snack time).

For Wolves, the hike can be used to complete Requirement 10C: Plan a Walk, and can be used as an opportunity to complete Electives 13a (Birds), 14d (Rabid animals) and 23 b, c or d (Taking Care of Yourself Outdoors, What to Do if you are Lost, and the Buddy System).

Bears can use this opportunity to work on Requirement 5, Sharing the World with Wildlife (a, c, d), and with some planning could also complete Requirement 6g (Clean-up Project), 9e (Making Trail Food for a Hike) and 12b (Take a Hike). This is also a great opportunity to look for examples of erosion (Elective 15d), review Outdoor Essentials (Elective 25a) and review the buddy system (Elective 25b).

The Webelos rank has many outdoor requirements in the Forester, Naturalist and Outdoorsman activities that can be completed. If your cub has already completed the Outdoorsman activity, a day hike can be used to fulfill an Arrow of Light requirement! Across all ranks, the pack hike presents an excellent opportunity to work towards the “Leave No Trace” award, which requires the cub to practice the Leave No Trace front-country guidelines on at least 3 occasions. The beautiful fall colors are an added bonus of this adventure!

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