Troop 560 Outdoor ADVENTURES

[LINDA & KEVIN RILEY]

You may of heard some of this at the Troop meeting last week. Venture Crew 157 is currently made up of Scouts from Troop 157 and Troop 560 but is open to other Troops. The Venture Crew does a week to multi-week trip each summer along with other outdoor higher adventure activities throughout the year. Over the past few years the summer trips have been:

• Algonquin Provincial Park north of Toronto- a 6 day canoe trip through the lakes and streams of this large wilderness area. Last time we saw moose in several areas- up close. We also did some sightseeing in Niagra Falls and Toronto.
  
• Bike trip from Millvale all the way to Washington DC- this 8 days of biking took us along the Monongahela and Youghiogheny Rivers past Ohiopyle, over the Continental Divide to Cumberland Maryland and along the Potomac River past Harper's Ferry to Georgetown right in downtown Washington DC. We also did a one day bike tour of DC.
  
• Philmont New Mexico- this 3 week plus trip took us to Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde National Parks before arrving at this BSA High Adventure camp for 10 days of backpacking in the mountains and enjoying the facilities, food and programs of this legendary camp. The return trip included  Pikes Peak, the Air Force Academy and a water/amusement park.
  

The summer trip for this year is tentatively a 5-6 canoe trip down the Allagash River in Maine along with a tour of Arcadia National Park .

Weekend trips have included backpacking, canoeing the Clarion River and white water rafting on the New River in West Virginia. The key fundraiser of the Venture Crew are monthly hoagie sales where all profits go the Scout. 

If you are or are going to be 14 this year and these outdoor adventures appeal to you or you just want to learn more, see me at the Troop meeting tomorrow, call me or come to our annual planning meeting this Thursday, Jan. 25 in the basement of Elfinwild Presbyterian Church starting at 7. Time and details will be confirmed via email. Bring your fellow Scouts and any friend or brothers that used to be Boy Scouts. And the best part.....

If you are a registered Boy Scout, your first year dues will be ZERO DOLLARS!! To obtain this special deal we ask that you register within the next week (so you are included in our BSA rechartering) and you can not participate in any trip subsidies that paying members might receive. Hope you join us for some great adVentures this year.

Kevin Riley

412-996-8813

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