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AP Trail Hike
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Written by, Kaziah W.
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The Boy Scouts of Troop 33 Shepherdstown, West Virginia went on an eight-mile
hike along the Appalachian Trail on October 11-12, 2003. There were five boy
scouts and four leaders. The packing for the trip was essentially typical
backpacking: food clothes (with an extra set), utensils, first aid kit, and rain gear.
Throughout the entire trip, the weather was wonderful. It was a little overcast at
times and it sprinkled once or twice during the night but no harm was done. Along
the way to and from the trail shelter, many of the scouts and leaders saw people
running or jogging along the trail. Most of those people were training for the JFK
run/walk. that took place about a month later. On the eleventh, the scouts and
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The next day, the twelfth, when
everyone got up, they started to pack
up. After a while, they stopped to cook
and eat breakfast. When everyone
finished breakfast and the last of the
dishes were washed, the scouts
returned to packing. As soon as all of
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the packing was completed and all of the messes made were cleaned up,
the scouts said their farewells and started back north four miles to Gapland
State Park.
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Troop 33
Shepherdstown , WV
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leaders started at Gapland State Park, near
Boonsboro, Maryland. The group hiked south,
four miles. The scout group ended at Garvey
Trail Shelter. The shelter has two levels. The
area around it also has at least four out-lying
campsites. Some leaders slept in the lower
level of the shelter while other leaders and
scouts set up mini-tents with rope and tarps.
Some scouts wanted to sleep in the upper level of the shelter but decided not to
because there were two other hikers that the troop shared the shelter with and
the scouts did not want to disturb them.
That afternoon, one of the leaders decided to take a few volunteering scouts to a
spring near the shelter. Along the way, the leader pointed out what looked to be
the remnants of an old dirt road. He explained the back when there was only
horse-and-buggy for transportation, that that was a frequently traveled route to
transport food and goods to the main towns and cities. When the scouts returned,
they finished unpacking. After too long, they stopped and ate dinner. Everyone
planned their personal menu, carried their own food, and cooked it. Afterwards,
everyone helped to clean up and wash dishes. When it started getting dark, the
group sat around the campfire and shared stories and jokes. When it got to be
pretty late, everyone went off to bed.
