From July 17, to July 24 2021, the scouts of troop 344 went to SBR (Summit Bechtel Reserve) West Virginia. We did many things from skateboarding to BMX biking, from rock climbing to zip lining, from mountain biking to rifle and shotgun shooting, and from archery to whitewater rafting.
One of the greatest things our scouts did was the big zip. It was 500 feet of elevation change, with the highest point 160 feet from the ground! Some of the scouts went 45-50 miles per hour, and some people reached speeds of up to 60mph! The instructors taught the scouts two positions to get them down the zip line. The first was arrow, in which you straightened your legs and leaned back to gain speed. The second position was starfish, in which you spread out to increase air resistance and slow down. The instructor would signal you by waving their arms to tell you to change from arrow to starfish. Ruslan, one of the troop’s scouts, was one of the fastest ones to go down, which was just as much as a curse as a blessing. This was because when he got near the bottom of the zip line, the instructor started to signal for starfish, but at his speed Ruslan missed the signal. Instead, he kept on in arrow, finally slamming into the stopping mechanism like a linebacker in the Super Bowl! Along with all the insists that the instructor wasn’t waving their arms, this was definitely one of the more humorous parts of the trip.
Another activity that our troop conquered was mountain biking. Our group biked two miles up a mountain, and then (Surprise, surprise!) we biked back down. One of the coolest parts was at the top. Once we got there, there was a chance to do an extra two miles up the mountain. Once the group of people doing the extra miles got to the top of that part, there was a present waiting for them… a group of bears, a mother and 3 kids! Talking loudly to make sure she knew of our presence, we all scurried away.
The recent trip to Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia by troop 344 was an amazing experience for all, and some of the best experiences the people who went on it ever had!
Troop 344 