2013 Summer Camp Highlights

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="06c8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <B>Member of </B><B>Buckskin Council #617</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Charter</B></div> <div> <B>March 29, 1917</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Founder</B></div> <div> <B>Don B. Lowe</B></div> <div> <I><B>1891 - 1975</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Scoutmaster</B></div> <div> <B>Tom Dukas</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Boy Scout Troop 3 in Parkersburg, West V"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=120 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="06d8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Boy Scout Troop 3 in Parkersburg, West Virginia </B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Boy Scout Troop 3 in Parkersburg, West V"><U><I><B>Home</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id97.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2008 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2008 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2009 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2009 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2010 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2011 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2011 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2012 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2012 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <B>2013 Summer Camp Highlights</B>   |   <A HREF="id85.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2014 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2014 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id89.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2015 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2015 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id92.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2016 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2016 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id95.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2017 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2017 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id96.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2018 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2018 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id98.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2019 Troop 3 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2019 Troop 3 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2020 Troop 3 Summer Camp Highlights"><U>2020 Troop 3 Summer Camp Highlights</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=360 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="06d8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>2013 Summer Camp Highlights</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Troop 3 Bicycles Their Way To Summer Camp</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> The Scouts and leaders of Troop 3, sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church, have traditionally ridden to and from their annual summer campout in air-conditioned comfort. </div> <bR> <div> However, two years ago the group decided to cast aside the status quo and look for ways to make traveling to their annual summer camp an outdoor adventure that would be both challenging and memorable.</div> <bR> <div> In 2011, the troop paddled 31 miles by canoe and kayak from their Sea Scout Base in Belpre, up the Ohio, Little Kanawha, and Hughes Rivers. In 2012, they hiked 24 miles, in full packs, via the Rail Trail to Walker, and then over various backcountry roads to Camp Smitty, their wilderness camp, on the Hughes River in Wirt County. </div> <bR> <div> Last week, a contingent of Scouts and leaders, pedaled 24 miles to Troop 3’s 95th annual summer campout over the same route hiked the previous year. Before the bike hike, many thought this year would be a “ride in the park” compared to the two previous years. </div> <bR> <div> As it turned out, this thinking was somewhat off the mark. First, the group had a mix of BMX and Mountain bikes. Then, early into the ride some nagging mechanical problems emerged, and those, coupled with a steady rain made this year’s outing more adventurous than anyone could have imagined.</div> <bR> <div> Scoutmaster Tom Dukas, who accompanied the group, said, “The Scouts did great! Despite the tough conditions they stuck to their goal of safely reaching camp on what turned out to be a very rainy day.” </div> <bR> <div> Eagle candidate Caleb McHenry proclaimed,” This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. It was much tougher than I thought it would be. Safely negotiating the slippery downhill conditions on those muddy, backcountry roads was, to say the least, very challenging!”</div> <bR> <div> Baden Hoblitzell, First Class candidate, said,” Traveling up those hills on my BMX bike was tough. There were times I had to dig deep to find the energy to complete the ride, but I did it.”</div> <bR> <div> Life Scout Alex Eckhart, remarked, “I thought it would be much easier, but I was wrong. The weather made this an adventure I’ll never forget. It was a real character builder!”</div> <bR> <div> After arriving in camp and getting cleaned up, the group celebrated their successful ride with a juicy T-bone steak dinner and a tasty dessert of homemade sheet cake and ice cream.</div> <bR> <div> Needless to say, despite the excitement of being in their first day of camp for just a few hours, no one had any trouble getting to sleep that night.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>