Our first shakedown is this weekend, from 7:30am Saturday morning til roughly noon on Sunday. The weather is currently predicted to be reasonably pleasant. Note that this is the TRAINING weekend, and so the physical (hiking) aspects of the event will be fairly minor, probably less than 5 miles flat hiking per day. Comments:

1) Luke, Todd, and Neil are exempted from this weekend for major sporting events, and because they have each been through this training two or three times each now. (Matt and Thomas have also been through it, but both do not have major conflicts and are therefore attending). Charlie S. is attending. Rick W. will attend and assist all day Saturday.

2) Drew, Charlie, and Mark, will be assisting me on buying and sorting food, starting at 5pm FRIDAY NIGHT, at the Parish Center. I expect to be done by 7:30pm; plan accordingly.

All three Scouts (Drew, Charlie, and Mark) should EACH make up a menu for Saturday lunch and dinner and Sunday breakfast. Use the lists of available items at: http://www.troop111.org/backfood.html to draft up your menus. This is the first thing we will review on Friday night, so please be sure to complete it. Think your way through it!

Note that this is part of the Merit Badge Prep Work. All Scouts who have not already earned them can earn up to 4 Merit Badges as a result of this trek: Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, and Wilderness Survival.

Will, William, and Michael will be handling the food planning and buying at the second shakedown weekend.

3) All attendees should pack EXACTLY as if they were going to Philmont this Saturday morning. That is, don't pack for an overnighter, pack for the whole trek. As we discussed Monday night, make your best selections NOW so that Rick, Hugh, and I can go through what you still need or have to replace. Include 3 liters of water. If you pack dumb, you WILL hear about it from us!

Use the Philmont list that I gave you last Winter. Bring Nothing Extra! Note that we will do a complete gear shakedown at some point during the weekend - and we will want to see everything you have.

Bring your Philmont list and a pen that works.

4) Rick and I spent about 2 hours tonight going through and sorting out our Philmont gear. We are already in excellent shape, since we have condensed from 3 Crews (Philmont 2000) to 2 Crews (Wyoming 2001) to now 1 Crew (Philmont 2002).

5) The primary training aspects will be how to pack a backpack, Crew gear distribution protocols, hiking protocols, Philmont tarps, Philmont tents, bear-bags, bear safety, water purification, backpacking stoves, backpack cooking and cleaning, sump use, Crew gear review, How to Poop in the Woods (don't worry, you won't have to this weekend), cleaning clothes, tenting protocols, and how to get going early and fast (and why). Other topics may be hit as well, but as you can see, this will be a lot more than "just a hike".

6) Airfares may be coming down (at last). Although comments over the past month suggested that the airlines would be hiking fares, in fact a minor airfare war has started. Rick found a fare to Colorado Springs down in the lower 200's, but it required a mid-week departure. Please keep your eyes out for anything decent. Thanks.

See you on Friday night and/or Saturday morning. PLEASE BE ON TIME!

- Dr. Bob

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5 July 2002