Two weeks ago, while much of Greenbelt was involuntarily without power, Venturing Crew 746 chose to go off the grid for a seven-day canoe trek in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Seven scouts and four adult leaders took off on July 9 for a week of exploring the rivers and lakes in the Adirondack region for what would be an unforgettable experience of physical endurance, solitude and friendship. Venturing Crew is a co-ed Boy Scouts of America program for youth aged 14 to 21. “This was an exceptional trip, with crystal clear water, cool nights, clear skies, fantastic views and scenery, and magical loon calls to lull you to sleep. A mustdo trip for any adventurer,” said Jonathan Murray, an assistant leader and parent. The canoe trek route was planned by the crew members with guidance from the adult leaders and consisted of over 50 miles of paddling and portaging – carrying the boats, food and gear overland from one navigable water source to another. There were four portages in all, the longest of which was 1.25 miles. A few of the scouts and one leader were able to make the portages in one pass, meaning they were able to carry their fully loaded backpacks and canoes over rough terrain in one hike. Other members of the group would need to return for a second pass, making their actual portage 3.75 miles in length. The portages were a true test of teamwork, as every crew member assisted with canoe and gear carries. By the last portage, with teamwork, the crew was able to reduce the portage time taken by half. Karl Hille, parent and assistant leader, says of the trip: “We watched a group of scouts with different abilities and levels of experience grow to work together as a team. I think they all grew an inch or so that week, some maybe more.” One important challenge the crew had to contend with was bears, as the Adirondacks have Greenbelt Scout Crew Canoes Adirondacks Lakes, Streams by Liz Murray approximately 3,000 to 4,000 black bears – over 50 percent of the black bear population in New York State. It was necessary for the crew to carry and store their food in bear canisters. The canisters are designed to be strong enough to keep black bears from biting through the hard plastic shell, and have specially engineered lids that screw on, with gravity locks that make it impossible to open the canister without specific movements by the opener. Each crew member carried their own canister, with seven days’ worth of food for one person along with any eating utensils and dishes, toiletries such as toothpaste and toothbrush, and trash – essentially anything with an odor that would attract bears. These bear canisters were then stored outside of camp, on the ground, helping to make sure bears don’t associate food with people. The crew experienced excellent weather, with only one morning where they were delayed by a few hours as a thunderstorm rolled through, and one day of high winds creating white caps on a lake. Although there were significant waves and wind, with some doubling back due to crew members’ misreading the geography of the land, no one capsized and the crew was able to safely make it to the next campsite – without dying – as the amped-up scouts exaggerated. One of the surprising benefits of the trip’s location was no cell service, requiring scouts to entertain themselves without social media, texting or game apps. Instead, they fished, swam, hiked and chatted their boredom away. It was a refreshing respite from the frenzied screen time at home, and although some scouts would say their favorite part of the trip was skirting civilization at the general store along one of the last lakes, the freedom from devices and noise proved to be a welcome change of pace for everyone. Oscar Gibson, a crew member, remarked that “it was a fun trip, and the water was so much clearer than” he is used to seeing. Isabelle Murray, another crew member, said, “It’s an amazing feeling to look down into the water and see waves of green grasses flowing beneath your boat, or dozens of white lilies all in full bloom. It gives me hope for the future of wild places.” Venturing Crew 746 has plans in the works for more trips this fall, including outdoor rock climbing at Carderock and the Via Ferrata in West Virginia, bike camping along the C&O Canal, high-ropes challenges at Sandy Spring Adventure Park and celebrating the one-year anniversary of the crew’s founding. In its first year, the crew has been camping, rock climbing and backpacking several times, ski/snowboarding, and even started a new Greenbelt tradition, The Winter Wonderland, which they will repeat again this year. Venturing Crew 746 meets every other Thursday at Mowatt Memorial United Methodist Church. For more information, email Liz Murray, crew advisor, at venturecrew746@gmail.com.
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