First AT Segment on the Appalachian Trail

This past weekend we extended our coverage of the Appalachian Trail into CT covering the section from the NY/CT border to the Bulls Covered Bridge in in Kent, CT.

On the hike we had Eagle, Puppy Dog, and Worm (AT trail names) along with dads Joe C. and Peter D.  First day we covered 5 miles (3 with packs to the lean-to) then 2 more miles of after lunch hiking, then on Sunday we slogged 1 more mile through the rain to pack out.  Its been a while since we faced any serious weather and I am happy to report it didn't phase the new Scouts who embraced the Troop 4 way of "uphill both ways in the rain" as the ideal outing.

The CT AT facilities are the best we have ever encountered.  The Lean-To was immaculate and well maintained.

They provided an onsite Bear Box for food and garbage storage overnight,

and the Outhouse was a thing of beauty.  Bigger than the bathroom in my 1st apartment and way cleaner too.  Check out the door, it has a knocker.

For a complete photo record of the weekend please check out the Troop album at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZzWkwuVBEvst2We29

Hoyt

Back to Hoyt with our new Scouts to start on learning basic camping and outdoor skills.

We worked on firebuilding,

Knots and lashings,

And cooking amongst other skills to help everyone come up to speed for the May Camporee Challenge where these skills will prove helpful in the competitions.

For a full photographic review of our weekend please check out the Troop photo page for this event here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gdw8BW9jaw99Tfd77

Troop 4's Newest Eagle

Last night Michael Divestea became Troop 4's newest Eagle Scout.  Michael completed his Board of Review and is now officially an Eagle Scout.  Its a well deserved honor, Michael put many hours and lots of planning into earning his new rank.  Michael's project was to build a new garden and outdoor seating area for Putnam Hospital.

Many thanks to his Eagle board (from left - Paul Dengler, Ed Isler, Bruce Markert for coming out in the cold last night), the volunteers who gave dozens of hours to Michael's project, and to his Parents who supported him through this effort.

Michael will bring his Eagle Workbook to the next meeting for anyone who is interested in reviewing it for ideas.  According to his Eagle Board, Michael's workbook is an excellent example of what a final package should look like.  In the future, Michael will lead a lessons learned session so we can all learn from his experiences on what went well and what he would do differently.