Cub Scout Pack 55, St. James Church

To all Scouts–Please join us for a bulletin stuffing at St. James Church at 9 AM on Saturday, Nov. 5th.  With a good turnout, we’ll be done in 30 minutes!  Thanks!!!

We now have more information to pass on to you about the hike at the Jockey Hollow site of the Morristown National Historical Park. As you know, we will be hiking the Cub Scout Jockey Hollow Trail, which is a five-mile course along the trails at the site.

For more information about Jockey Hollow (including directions), please click here. We will be taking registrations online for this event shortly, so be sure to check back on the website over the next few days!

We will meet in front of the Visitor Center at Jockey Hollow at 1:00pm. In the Visitor Center, the pack will view the short film on the encampment at Jockey Hollow, and view the Soldier Hut exhibit. Afterwards, we will exit the Visitor Center and proceed to the Wick Farm for a brief tour, and then hike the trail to the Soldiers’ Huts, which we have an opportunity to explore. Further down our trail will be a stop at the Grand Parade, and at the sites of the New York Brigade and Stark’s Brigade (a magnificent view from here!). Our hike will then proceed through the Trail Center, and then on back to the Wick Farm and Visitor Center, where the Cub Scout Trail ends. Along with tour stops and snack breaks, the entire hike should take 3 – 3.5 hours to complete.

Our scouts will also be working together on a scavenger hunt as a group, which will keep them busy and entertained as they hike the trail! All scouts who complete the entire trail will be awarded a Jockey Hollow Trail Patch!

As for what you need to know and bring for the hike that day:

Required:

A backpack to carry your belongings (can be whatever you have at home– no need to shop for special hiking backpacks!)

A hard copy of the Jockey Hollow Trail Map

Food– trail mix, cereal/energy bars, m&m’s are good options, enough to have 3 – 4 small snacks throughout the hike

Drinks– bring enough water to last the duration of the hike (per person, approximately 1 pint for every hour on the hike, maybe a little more). Sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade are fine, too– please feel free to use your discretion

Clothing–at your discretion, an extra change of clothes (just in case we get wet, muddy and dirty). Also, dress appropriately for the weather in layers, to make it easier to add or remove layers to maintain comfort. Shoes should be comfortable and suitable for walking (water-resistant and waterproof is a bonus), and wool socks work better for the outdoor elements than cotton.

Small Plastic Shopping Bags for our trash– for the Cub Scout Trail, we are asked to adhere to a carry-in, carry-out policy.

Suggested Items that Might be Handy to Have:

Flashlight or headlamp

For older scouts, a compass

binoculars

Small first aid kit– if you do not have one, some bandages, antiseptic wipes, and antibiotic ointment can be packed in the backpack

Rain poncho or rain shell/jacket that can fit in the backpack

Hopefully, this information will have all scout families ready to enjoy our hike on the 30th. See you then!

We have scheduled the pack fall hike for Sunday, October 30th (rain date: Nov. 6th), from 1pm – 4:30pm. We’ll be going on a 5-mile hike on the trails in Jockey Hollow, which is part of the Morristown National Historical Park. More specifically, we will be following the BSA Cub Scout Trail, which was developed by the Patriots’ Path Council to foster a better understanding of the historical significance of the site. Included in the hike is a scavenger hunt that the boys as a group must complete, in addition to the hike itself. Upon successful completion of these requirements, the scouts earn a patch for the Jockey Hollow Historic Trail. As you already know, many of our scouts love to earn patches!

As for the length of the hike, no worries! Plenty of breaks are built into the hike, and we’ll give you time to have snacks and drinks when needed!

As the date draws closer, we’ll be accepting registrations for the hike, and we will also provide more information about the Jockey Hollow Cub Scout Trail at that time.

We’ve made some improvements around here to the website. We’ve added a bit of nicer image, although it could still use some work – if anyone has any ideas for a different image, please let me know. We’ve also added information in the menu bar for our Cub Scout Pack 55 Registration Forms as well as information for new scouts. Take a look and let me know if you have any questions. See you Friday.

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Hi Everyone – Hope you can join us at our Pack Picnic on Sunday at 9/18/2011 4-7pm at Southard Park in Basking Ridge.