October 2022 – Caving Campout

What: Caving Campout

When:  10/21/2022 – 10/23/2022

Where:  Thorn Spring Park Campground at 42 All Star Dr., Franklin, WV 26807

Departure Details: Please arrive at FUPCDC by 4:30pm on Friday.  We will conduct a check-in, health check, and packing out gear.  We anticipate leaving by 5:30pm.  Your Scouts should have eaten an early dinner beforehand.  The Scouts will eat a snack upon arrival at campsite. ***Will need to identify drivers and how many Scouts they can take in their vehicles***

Return Details: Anticipate Scouts returning back to FUPCDC between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Sunday. *Note: Return time is estimated based on reasonable travel time and timeliness of departure from the event location.

Event Details: Caving, hiking, and/or merit badge work.

Uniform: Class B uniform is required for Friday departure.

What to bring: This event will be outdoors in October with cooler temperature in the evenings and mornings.  Scouts and parents should monitor the weather leading up to the campout and pack accordingly; the cave temperature is a constant 52 degrees all-year long.  Pack warm/comfortable/breathable clothing with close toe-shoe (no open-toed shoes or sandals), a backpack with a water source (canteen or camel back), their scout handbook, mess kit with utensils, sunscreen, bug spray, first aid kit, sleeping bag, and ground mat.  Additional list of “What to bring” from the caving company, Wild Guyde Adventures, includes:

1. Boots or old sneakers that can get muddy
2. An outer clothing layer that can be muddied then removed when exiting the cave (blue jeans, work pants or old sweatpants, and a long sleeve shirt layer or old hoodie).  Coveralls are great if you have them, but do not bring a disposable paint-suit.  It is best then to have other clothes underneath the outer layer (like shorts and a t-shirt), so when we exit the cave, the muddy stuff can simply be “peeled off” without any modesty issues.  Don’t expect privacy; there is often nowhere to change at the cave
3. (1) large plastic trash bag (kitchen or yard size) for muddy clothing afterwards
4. Headlamp with new batteries
5. A small flashlight
6. Change of footwear
7. Whistle on a lanyard
8. Note: Wild GUYde will supply caving helmets, cave packs, and safety equipment

Optional (*)

• Disposable camera with flash, preferably in a Ziploc® (or bring disposable camera)
• Knee pads and gloves

Event Open to: Scouts and Adults

Registration Deadline: 10/10/2022 before midnight

Registration fee: $60.50 for scouts and $60.50 for adults.  

Cost Basis: (Per person) Caving $25, Campsite Fee $5, Event supplies $3, Troop equipment fee $5, and Food $22.50  

Itinerary:

• Friday: Arrive Thorn Spring Park Campground, WV (~2100)
• Saturday: Meet Wild Guyde Adventures guide, Lester Zook (0830) ***Will need drivers to transport Scouts to and from the cave mouth (~4 miles from campground)***
  • Caving broken into skill levels:
    • Beginner: Mostly horizontal movement in the cave – walking, stooping, crawling, scrambling
    • Intermediate: Introduces elementary vertical terrain. Note: BSA does not permit Scouts younger than 14 to do vertical caving (intermediate level)
  • Hiking on the North Fork Mountain Trail (near the mouth of the cave)
  • Merit badge work at campground
• Sunday: Depart Thorn Spring Park Campground, WV (~0900)

Additional Registration Details: Please print out Wild Guyde Adventures Medical/ Participation Forms, fill-in appropriate information, sign, and return along with Troop 964 permission slip.

Registration Link: https://events.troop964.org/index.php/events/2022-10-caving/group-registration

Password: See Troop Emails for password
*Note* We are using Group Registrations by default. If your scout is the only one attending, select 1 as the number of members in your group.

Health & COVID Safety:

I certify, prior to attendance, all attendees can answer “No” to the following questions or, if “Yes,” have a doctor identified medical condition deemed not communicable:
i. Do you currently have a cough and/or sore throat, or any other communicable ailment?
ii. Have you had a fever or taken medicine to reduce a fever in the last 72 hours (3 days)?
iii. Do you have any shortness of breath or is it hard for you to breathe?
iv. Is anyone in your house experiencing symptoms linked to COVID-19 or other communicable ailments?
v. Have you had any contact with someone known to have or under investigation for COVID-19 in the last 14 days?

Cellphone Policy: Cell phones are a prohibited item as per troop policy.  Per troop policy, the troop will allow cell phones to be used during the car ride to the event and the car ride home.  Troop 964 will not be responsible for lost, stolen, or broken cell phones.  Cell Phones will be collected upon arrival at camp and locked in a lockbox in the troop trailer for the duration of the event.  Scouts will not have access to their cell phones for the duration of the event unless granted permission from the Scoutmaster, or an Assistant Scoutmaster for use in completing a scouting related activity.  Parents and scouts not in agreement with this policy should refrain from attending this troop event.

Scout Behavior: Please discuss with your scout that living up to the Scout Oath and Law is expected at all Troop 964 Events or event attended with Troop 964. Troop 964 will not tolerate harassment of any kind.  Unit Leaders will have a (1) strike policy.  Parents will be contacted to pick up their scout if any behavior issues are encountered.  This is non-negotiable.