Woodbeads I - Part Two: Lost Lake

Woodbeads I was held from Thursday, July 16 through Sunday July 19, 2015, at scenic Lost Lake, Oregon.  For me personally, this was the adventure of the summer, and a life-changing moment. 

When I was a boy in the Boy Scouts, I had every intention of continuing as an Assistant Scoutmaster, and hopefully later, a Scoutmaster of my own troop.  I knew of Woodbadge and intented to start down the path of getting trained.  In fact, I had completed a locally run course called "Mountain Man", which taught a lot of the basics.  But the times being what they were, I knew my time with the BSA was to be cut short, but it was the best thing for my sanity at the time; I mean, I was only 18, and needed time to discover my identity, since it had been all but shoved to the back of the closet.

When I took the helm of BPSA-US back in the 2007-2008 timeframe, it was very much on my to-do list to arrange for a Woodbeads (WFIS equivalent of WOSM's "Woodbadge") course here in the United States.  There were so many things we needed to get done at that time, between writing handbooks and assembling policies, the idea of doing a Woodbeads course seemed so far in the future.  I remember speaking with Ric Raynor on the phone about doing a course, along with lots of other topics at the time that demanded attention.  My term would last just under two years, which was not enough time to get everything done.  Woodbeads would have to wait.

So you can imagine my excitement, upon returning to BPSA a few years later, to see that Woodbeads would be finally coming to the US, and none other than Ric Raynor himself would be on staff.  There was no way I was going to miss this event. 

This event drew in nearly 40 leaders from all across the United States, and our trainers all came down from Canada.  Watching everyone transform over the course of the weekend was amazing, and a gift.  Its nice to see when grown-ups get to discover the magic in things.  Everybody always thinks of Scouting as something for kids.  They're right... it is very much for kids.  BUT if you don't have a few adults to guide the young ones, the young ones might not get to have Scouting.  And the truth is, Scouting is very much a game... we call it a game at least, and it's a game for grown-ups as well as kids.  Games are supposed to be fun, and I know I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't fun.  Woodbeads was fun, and it was so much more.

If for nothing else, it was simply an awesome time, to be surrounded by like-minded people, in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.  Hopefully there will be more of these, and hopefully I will get to be there.  This event was hosted by 55th Cascadia, and organized by Ethan Jewett.  Kudos to Ethan and all involved, and congratulations on an amazingly successful event.

For more photos of this event, view my online photo album.

For even more photos, visit Ethan Jewett's flickr album

Woodbeads I - Part One: Urban Hike in Portland, OR

The trip to Portland, OR for Woodbeads I was the adventure of the summer!  I think I had more fun than my luggage did, which unfortunately got jammed up on a conveyor belt at Logan International Airport, so when I landed and met my Northeast Regional Commissioner, Rick Saunders at the Portland airport, we had a few hours to kill before heading out to Lost Lake, so we did what any good Rovers would do... we went exploring!

The downtown Portland area was just beautiful.  The city is on a human scale.  The city blocks are smaller, and there are transit buses cris-crossing the city on nearly every other street.  We parked our rental car and made our way to the visitor center, which is nestled in amongst some man-made waterfalls in the center of town.  We met with a Vistor Center guide, who helped us lay out a simple route of must-see sights.  All points along our walk are laid out in this handy Google map I made:

Our walking tour - click to enlarge

We had parked at a parking deck, estimated to be at pin 5 (above).  We walked to the visitor center (pin 1), then from there, nearly across the street to the old Pioneer Courthouse (pin 2).   While stopping to take photos, my sunglasses snapped, thus necessitating an unscheduled trip to DD's Discounts (pin 6).  From there we made our way down SW 5th Ave and then left onto SW Oak, to the famous Powell's Bookstore.  We easily spent an hour in the store looking at field guides, history books, you name it, it was there.  I left with a handy laminated, folding star map which is perfect for backpacks.  We left the store and made our way over to Deschutes Brewery; pulled up to the bar in full uniform, had a tasty beverage, and met a young student from the Netherlands.  After what seemed like another hour, we made our way back to the garage, and then on to our final destination: Lost Lake.

Pioneer Courthouse

Powell's Books

I have to admit, it was great fun exploring a new city.  We certainly got stopped a bunch of times, as people could tell we were not your average Scouts.  The best comment, "You look like a cross between a boy scout and the Canadian mounted police".  Rick did an awesome public relations job.

Rick taking photos

Mileage Count:  According to the Google Maps measuring tool, I counted 1.67 miles.  No rounding this time...  Running total: 15.67 miles... 82.33 miles to go!!

Hall's Pond, Eastford, CT - June 12, 2015

Lucky for me, the Rambler Award can be earned both by water as well as by land.  After my exuberant hike in April, my left ankle was left feeling not so great, with a bit of a case of tendonitis.  So if I couldn't work my lower body, it was time to do the upper body.  In 2014, I lamented that I could not paddle much, so 2015 has been a better year for putting my kayak in the water.  Hall's Pond is a few miles down from our house, and is an easy destination, especially after a day's worth of telecommuting.  On this particular day, I was able to cut work a little early, and off I went for some much needed aquatherapy.

Scenic Hall's Pond

Hall's Pond, according to the State of Connecticut DEEP website, is about 81 acres in size.  The pond has a small boat launch for carry-in craft.  The pond is dotted with lots of little islands, which make for great exploration.  On any given day, one can see all sorts of wildlife: blue heron, turtles, and beavers all make their homes here.  Watching a heron fly off is almost like watching a pterodactyl fly away.  It takes a well-trained eye to spot a beaver; if you don't see them, they will alert you to their presence with a flap of their tail against the water.

Animal Signs:  Beaver lodge

 On this particular trip, it was mid-June, which means Connecticut's state flower, the mountain laurel, was in full bloom.  "Kalmia latifolia" can be found in acidic soils (think oak trees and evergreens) and is native to our state.  Mountain laurel has been cultivated into many different varieties that are commerically sold.  The wild plants can be colored white or light pink.  One of the plants I found in full bloom had rich, deep pink flowers.  I found it in my National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England, and it's actually called "Sheep Laurel".  Both of these plants were growing along the edges of the many islands in the pond, hanging over the water.  They were just beautiful and made this particular trip more special.

 

Mountain Laurel

Sheep Laurel

I was hoping to prepare a Google map to show where some of these places are, but I can't seem to figure out how to share the photos... so for now, I'll settle for a Google satellite view of the pond... it's quite picturesque and worth a visit.  The launch is just off of Kennerson Road.  Some parts between the islands are quite shallow; during a drought, you might actually bottom out, so if you see rocks sticking out, beware.

Mileage Count:  According to the Google Maps measuring tool, I counted up 1.97 miles around the pond, including some meandering around the islands.  I'll round that up to 2.0 miles.  Running total: 14 miles... 84 miles to go!!

To view more photos, visit my online album.

Mid-Atlantic (Northeast) Brownsea, May 2015

As you can imagine, it's been a whirlwind of a summer.... and it started in May with a trip down to Maryland, of all places, for the BPSA Northeast Region's spring Brownsea Training Camp.  It had beena very long winter, so when the invitation for this event came into my inbox, I was really ready to check out of my regular routine, get into uniform, and get Rovering with some like-minded people.  I actually almost didn't go, and I'm not sure why... but when the Regional Commissioner asks if you're going, the hosting Group Scoutmaster asks if you're going, it became easier for me to see myself going.  I think I was feeling a little overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks of running too many things, which was a sure sign I needed to get away and recharge.

The location of the camp was just inside of Maryland, at the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, in Elkton, MD.  It turns out, we were a stone's throw away from the Mason-Dixon Line.  The area was just beautiful, with vast open fields, surrounded by woods and hills.  It was really reminiscent of old-style field camping... all we needed were the tents in a circle around the Scoutmaster's tent and it would have been right out of the early 1900's.

As with the last two Brownsea Training Camps, I did my presentation on the history of BPSA-US, which for the most part is the same presentation I used to do ten years ago, down to the uniform, with a little added on at the end to bring things to present.  I always enjoy doing this part of the program, because it gives everyone a sense of being a part of something bigger than themselves.  The course participants at this point are connecting with other leaders from other groups, and the fun is just beginning.

The weekend wrapped up on a very positive note.  I got to invest another Rover Scout... this time, it was Cindy Kwan from Philadelphia.  We spent the night talking intently about all things Rovers, and it was an honor to preside over her knighting ceremony.  For me, it's the most energetic part of the weekend, especially when the new Rover Squires get to see something they've never seen before, and something perhaps to look forward to.
 

Even though I've been through many Brownsea Training Camps by now, I always go home recharged.  I come away feeling like a better person.  There is no real way to put it into words.  In other areas of my life, i.e. with my gay brothers and sisters, we often refer to our "chosen family," mostly because we came out into a world based on societal rejection.  For me, I've come to realize that the Scouters I'm meeting are becoming like a family to me too.  It's refreshing because it rests on a positive basis of  mutual respect and friendship, and choice. I am really lucky to be able to have Scouting in my life again, especially when I thought at one point, it would never come to be.  When you do without for so long, you learn to appreciate what you have, when you get to have it again.

To view more photos, view my online album.

UCONN Forest Hike Part 2: Nipmuck & Talmadge Spur - April 19, 2015

When the snow finally started to melt after a typically long winter, I dusted off this blog to see where I had left off.  It seems I had planned to do more hiking last summer than I actually ended up doing.  It turns out I spent the summer helping my sister with a few landscaping projects, so this ended up putting a few hikes on hold.  So when I took a look at this blog sometime in mid-March, I was a little disappointed to see that I had only accumulated a total of 10 miles toward my rambler badge.  Okay, no problem.... I kept myself active in the gym during the winter, hitting the treadmill -- with inclines -- and hoped I had kept myself in shape for the ever-elusive first springtime hike.

After laboring for hours at the computer on a beautiful spring afternoon, Sunday April 19th to be exact, I finally decided that enough was enough.  I don't even remember what I was working on, but I finally disengaged at about 4pm, threw on my uniform, lemon-squeezer and all, and drove down the road to the put-in point for the Nipmuck Trail, which is just about a mile down the road from us.  When I parked my truck, I realized I had missed the actual Nipmuck Trail crossing, but instead discovered a spur which looked to be pretty well blazed.  At the crossing was a brochure box with maps in it; I grabbed a map and off I went.

This particular spur is called the Talmadge Spur trail.  At the point where the trail starts on Mason Road in Willington, it heads west and then north into a 28 acre parcel called the Talmadge Tract (sign pictured above) and then junctions about a half mile down with the blue-blazed Nipmuck Trail in the UCONN Forest.  Across the street is the put-in point for another spur trail called the Knowlton Spur Trail, which crosses through the 138 acre Royal Knowlton Preserve, and eventually junctions with the Nipmuck trail further east.  All three trails form a loop of about 2.2. miles of beautiful hiking.  The brochure I picked up contains a map of the entire area with information and mileages noted as well. 

The Tamadge trail is blazed with blue and yellow blazes.  As the trail is relatively new, the blazes are presently very bright and easily seen.  The trail heads downhill from Mason road and meanders through a mixed hardwood forest, dotted with occasional hemlock trees.  The trail crosses a few small streams, and in a few places there are footbridge crossings. 

Partway down the hillside, the trail bends to the north, and if you look westward in the general direction of the Fenton Rover, you can see the forest switches over to mostly hemlock.  The photo below was looking to the left (west).  With the deciduous trees not fully leafed out, you can see the evergreens clearly.

The hike down the hill to the Nipmuck junction is relatively quick.  Where the trail ends, you can see the back side of a wooden trail sign indicating the opposite entrance to the Talmadge Spur Trail (photo below of the front side).  At this point, you can turn either left (south) onto the Nipmuck and head back towards US 44, or right (north). At this point, you have left the Talmadge Tract and have now entered the UCONN Forest.
 

On this particular day, I chose to go right and head north along the Nipmuck Trail.  The trail is currently well blazed and well maintained.  A short while down, the trail turns eastward, but in the genreal area of this corner is a smaller blue-red blazed loop trail off to the left (west side of the trail) that takes you out to the Fenton River and carries you along a scenic gorge that the river passes through.  A word of caution, the blue-red blazes are old and presently in need of repainting.   They are obscure and require a careful eye to make sure you don't end up off the trail.  The loop itself is beautiful.  You'll know you're getting close to the river as the mosquitoes start biting a little more aggressively.  Closer to the gorge, you will see some beautiful boulders left behind by the glaciers, one of which I've photographed below, covered with moss and ferns.  The river is not far from this point.

Upon finishing the loop, you join back up with the Nipmuck.  I continued east and uphill until reaching Mason Road again.  This particular part of the trail is well traveled and rocky in spots.  Upon emerging at Mason Road, you really can't miss the fact that the trail crosses the road here.  See below:
 

Mileage Count:  On this day, ended up turning right and heading back down Mason Road to where I parked my truck, as daylight was running out.  I want to come back and finish the loop.  For now, this excursion clocked in at 2.0 miles.  Running total: 12 miles... 88 miles to go!!

Northeast Brownsea, Fall 2014

Since this blog seems to be turning into a record of the current phase of my Scouting career, I should give a mention to the second Brownsea Training Camp (BTC) I got to go to last fall.  Our Northeast regional commissioner was heading out to Massachusetts to the second NE BTC for the year, so I thought since it was so close to home, I may as well go, get some camping time in, and get to know the updated version of the course syllabus.  The event was held September 26-28 in Hingham, MA at Wompatuck State Park.  The park, situated south of Boston, contains old WWII bunkers which are now buried.  We camped in Scout Area 4, which contained one unnatural hill, which indicated a bunker was underneath the surface.  

There were fewer attendees than the last Brownsea I attended in Kingston, NY, but it was still a fun time.  I was a bit less anxious than the last one, mostly because I was getting back into the groove of things, and I didn't have an entourage of Knight candidates to tend to.  Advising a Rover is something I enjoy doing but it's serious work, so not having this on my shoulders meant I could relax a little more. There were Squires who came from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Massachusetts, plus staff from New York and Connecticut.  I'm always impressed with the diversity of our Squires and distances they will go to attend a BTC.

One of the fun aspects to the weekend were organized patrol activities.  Most notable was the campfire building competition.  Each patrol had to build a fire and burn through a line of twine.  Whoever completely severed their line first won.  What did they win?  The satisfaction of knowing their patrol did a good job!

Firebuilding patrol competition

Now a funny story to come out of the weekend was the story of the rusty pot.  Some things are better left in camp, but let's just say, if it's trash, it's not best if left in camp, so when a rusty old pot was found discarded amongst the raked leaf litter, and left for someone else to pick up, some Rover who we won't name, found it and recycled it into an award for the best (or possibly worst) skit from the campfire program.  Amid cries of, "what's this??" and "we're starting a new tradition!!", the pot was happily awarded and thereby rescued from a certain fate of loniness on the forest floor.  Yes, I do cause trouble even when in uniform!

Before there was TV, there were campfires!

 In attending this training camp, I quietly reaffirmed my commitment to Scouting, and Scouting for all.  This was the first time wearing my new Inclusive Scouting patch on my uniform shirt, and it certainly won't be the last.  I came home from the weekend feeling recharged and excited to be back involved with BPSA.  More to come...

For more photos from the weekend, please visit my online web album.

Inclusive Scouting Award

Northeast Brownsea - June 2014

As I reacquainted myself with the BPSA in early 2014,  it became clear to me that there was somewhat of a shortage of fully Invested Rovers in this part of the country.  I could see from the posts on the Base Camp website, that a Brownsea Training Camp (BTC) was coming up, but there was nobody around who could invest anybody, except for me!  I began reaching out to the different candidates and let them know I would be willing to advise them, and in the end, I made the trip out to my first BTC in about six years.  It was a bit of a rush to be back in uniform, surrounded by dozens of Rovers who were now part of BPSA and wanting to learn as much as they could about it.  I was both humbled and pretty much floored at the same time.  It was all getting very real for me, that this seed we had planted, had finally taken off.   I had to pinch myself several times to make sure I was really awake, and awake I was.... I wanted to make sure I was able to be PRESENT in these precious moments.

The old backpack, all ready to go!

For me personally, the weekend held a lot of "re-firsts".  This was the first time bringing out the old backpack in years, and by that, I mean my original Coleman backpack from when I was a teen in BSA.  It was as I mentioned my first time back in Rover Scout camp since I had taken a time-out, which for me was just a joy to be around so many like-minded people, who at one time seemed so hard to find.  This was my first time flying my 3rd Wolves Patrol flag since 2008, which had been with me at every BTC that I had been on, except for my very first one.  Most of all, this was probably the first time in a long while, where I actually felt myself becoming grounded again.  This is particularly important to me because this is one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to get back to Rovering in the first place; to be in touch with nature.

3rd Wolves Patrol Flag, back in service!

I was asked to present a segment in the training course about the history of the BPSA and talk a little about where our organization came from.  I don't ever recall having so many eyes on me at once, at least, not in uniform.  It was a bit odd talking about things that to them were in the distant past, but to me were as if they happened yesterday.  I wore my old 3rd Charter Oak uniform, and spoke about our short history and lineage.   I told them the story behind the Wolves patrols, the people, the things we did, and where we left off.  It was a real treat to be able to contribute to the event.  We even did a campfire ashes ceremony on Saturday night, and I brought along ashes from all our original Brownsea Training Camps.  As I poured them into the fire, it really brought our past into our present.  That was a really powerful moment.

I think the biggest part of the weekend for me was the Rover Scout investitures.  I smile a little every time I hear them refer to the ceremony as a "knighting".  We never really called it that.  In fact, we didn't really run around calling ourselves "knights"; we were Invested Rover Scouts.  I won't say too much about the ceremony, because its really meant to be a private thing.... but let's just say I was happy to use the same sword that I used years ago, and I even more happy that I didn't injure anyone with it!  It was a real honor to work with these people and help bring them along to the next leg of their journey as a Rover.

My new Rovers!

 As is the case with most events that brings people together, I'd have to say it was the people who made this weekend a very memorable one.  Rovers came from as far away as Brooklyn, Buffalo, Boston, New Hampshire, and the Adirondacks, to be at this encampment.  They showed an exceptional commitment to the movement and to themselves.  I found a new set of brothers and sisters that weekend.  "Rewarding" would be an understatement.  I'm writing about this nine whole months later... and still smiling about it.

Proof I was there!!