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Troop 302 had its annual Highlighter Trip the last week in June. This year we went to the Berkshires, and hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail, along with other fun activities. We camped at the Savoy Mountain State Park, in Florida, MA.
On the drive out Monday morning, we stopped at the Purgatory Chasm in Sutton, MA. It was a short hike, but went through some great rock formations. This one was called "His Majesty's Cave".
Next day, we decided to tackle Mt. Greylock, which at 3,489 feet is the highest point in Massachusetts. We hiked nearly four miles, up some steep climbs, and summited Mt. Williams and Mt. Fitch along the way. We ate a picnic lunch at the peak, gazed at the gorgeous views, and explored the Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower, a 93-foot high monument to Massachusetts men and women who died in World War I. After that, we decided to take the road back down to the cars. Total distance travelled was over seven miles, and it was about 4 hours up, and 2 hours back.
Tuesday evening, a thunderstorm blew through, and some of the tents were wet, along with some belongings. In addition, the dining fly blew down. The boys strung a long clothesline, and hung things to dry, and re-erected the dining fly. After that, we checked out the pond, where some boys went swimming, and others fished. At 3:00, we left for Jiminy Peak, where the boys rode the various rides until it began to rain around 7:30.
Thursday morning, the boys packed up their personal belongings, in preparation for a move from one campsite to another. We then headed to Berkshire East Canopy Tours in Charlemont, for a zipline adventure. All the boys, plus Mr. Bradley and Mrs. Sharp, donned harnesses, climbed platforms some 30' high, and zipped to the next platform. After that, it was back to the camp, where we moved from one campsite to another, followed by a game of whiffle ball and ultimate frisbee.
Friday morning, time for another hike, this time a relatively flat hike within the Savoy Mountain State Park, to Tannery Falls. We were originally told that it would be about a two mile loop, but it ended up being closer to four. On the way, a fallen tree across the path turned into an impromptu service project after Mr. Bradley pulled a small saw out of his pack.
Once there, the boys waded in a pool at the base of the falls, where minnows nibbled at their ankles. After that, we drove into North Adams for lunch at McDonald's.
Back at the camp again, we rested for a bit, and the boys taught Mr. Bradley how to play Yu-Gi-Oh. They also had a meeting to discuss Saturday, where it was unanimously decided to skip the museum stop we had planned for the way back, and instead try to get home by noon on Saturday.
Then we headed to South Pond, where armed with a watermelon greased with Crisco, the boys played a spirited game of Watermelon Tussle, a tradition from T.L. Storer, where they'll be camping in August. Two boys from an adjoining campsite joined in the game. Back to the campsite for a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, after which the boys headed over to the adjoining campsite, where they had been invited to play a game of "Manhunt", which is basically hide and seek in the dark. Mr. Bradley had brought some packages of glow-sticks, which added to the fun.
Up at 7:00 on Saturday, packed up the gear, had a quick "no-cook" breakfast of bagels, and then it was back on the road to Arlington.
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