August Hike - Tonight

 

The first hike of the year is scheduled for this evening. Yep -- Pack 1910's Hiking Club is back in session! 

We will meet at the Keller-Smithfield Node Park for a easy introductory hike to kick off our new Scouting year. Please convene by 6:45 so we can do an introduction to Pack hikes, a safety, water and gear check.  

Let's face it -- one of the main reasons kids want to join Scouts is to get OUTDOORS! There's no better way to do that than getting out for some good ole fun on the trails. We want to continue to be a more outdoor-oriented Pack and keep our Scouts ACTIVE so we have pledged that we will keep the OUT in scOUTing! 

Attendance at these events is completely optional, but... you know you want to come! 

Usually held the 2nd Saturday of every month, Pack 1910 will have a Pack-wide hike at varying locations somewhere in the D/FW area. Hikes will be anywhere between 1-4 miles. Oh, and did I mention that we will be logging miles! Why? Because for logging miles -- the Scouts will receive AWARDS for specific miles reached along the way.

Hikers should be prepared with their six essential items for hiking: 

1. first aid kit -- not a full sized, a mini backpacking size is great
2. FULL water bottle -- one that they can manage on their own
3. sun protection (wide-brimmed cap and/or sun screen)
4. whistle -- NEVER blow this unless it's an EMERGENCY
5. trail food -- snack that is easy to manage, not melt, calorie dense
6. flashlight -- I prefer a headlamp. Obviously they won't need it during the day, but we are teaching them to BE PREPARED so have them bring one.

Take this list and let your SCOUT gather these items into a lightweight backpack -- why? Because if you do everything for them, they lose the opportunity to learn for themselves! We will discuss the buddy system before departing. We will discuss the Outdoor Code AND Leave No Trace before and during the hike. 

Meet Megan Schweitzer and Christie Pearson at the Keller-Smithfield Node Park near the pavilion.  If you plan to attend, please be sure you RSVP on Scoutbook so we know who all to expect! 

All Pack events are FAMILY FRIENDLY but please do not bring the 4 legged kiddos unless they are service animals.  

 

Two apps that are a great resource for hiking is the AllTrails app and Weatherbug.  AllTrails will turn your phone into a GPS tracker to help you track your mileage and pace as well as save your favorite trails.  Weatherbug helps you track weather and alerts you to lightning in your vicinity.

Speaking of WEATHER -- there is a chance for weather tonight so please be sure you check SCOUTBOOK for an update by 6pm on the status of tonight's hike.  

We will always err on the side of caution and safety when it comes to our Scouts and Scout families.  If there is only a forecast for sprinkles, we will proceed.  In the event of lightning/thunder, we will postpone.

September's Hike is RESCHEDULED to 9/15

If you've been checking your email then you should know that we made the decision to reschedule our first hike of the season from this Saturday to 9/15 due to this....

Doesn't that look like fun hiking weather?  Yeah....  we didn't think so either!  Plus with the heightened risk of lightning, safety first -- always.  

So, please make sure you check your RSVP on Scoutbook for the new date and join us then! Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to a great hike focusing on geocaching... and not how to get mud out of your ears.

Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org.

The best news is that anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world.

Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share. Last year, more than 140,000 participants submitted their bird observations online, creating the largest instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations ever recorded.

The 21st annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 16, through Monday, February 19, 2016. 

Pack 1910 has coordinated a February Pack hike to coincide with this event. Be sure to check out ScoutBook for the event information and make plans to join us!  Thank you Mr. Strong for organizing this event!

The first thing is to register. Next you count. Then you report. Three simple things that make a HUGE difference! Check out the informative links below.

Downloadable instructions can be found here.
A how-to slideshow can be found here.
Birding apps can be found here.
Bird lists can be found here.
Online bird guide can be found here.

Join us and get out there and get counting.

October Pack Hike

The Pack 1910 Hiking Club will meet this Saturday for the October Pack hike.

Let's face it -- one of the main reasons boys want to join Scouts is to get OUTDOORS! There's no better way to do that than getting out for some good ole fun on the trails! We want to be more a outdoor-oriented Pack and keep our boys ACTIVE! We will keep the OUT in scOUTing! Attendance at these events is completely optional, but... you know you want to come!

The 2nd Saturday of every month, Pack 1910 will have a Pack-wide hike at varying locations somewhere in the D/FW area. Hikes will be anywhere between 1-4 miles. Oh, and did I mention that we will be logging miles! Why? Because for logging miles -- the boys will receive AWARDS for specific miles along the way.

Join us for our monthly hike at the LLELA Nature Preserve.

Hiking programs help boys become confident and comfortable outdoors and encourages healthy habits and lifestyles.

It also helps makes the transition to Boy Scouting activities easier.

COST: $5 per vehicle cash only

Hikers should be prepared with their six essential items for hiking:

1) first aid kit -- not a full sized, a mini backpacking size is great
2) FULL water bottle -- one that they can manage on their own
3) sun protection (wide-brimmed cap and/or sun screen)
4) whistle -- NEVER blow this unless it's an EMERGENCY
5) trail food -- snack that is easy to manage, not melt, calorie dense
6) flashlight -- I prefer a headlamp. Obviously we won't need it during the day, but we are teaching them to BE PREPARED so have them bring one.

Take this list and let your SCOUT gather these items into a lightweight backpack -- why? Because if you do everything for him, he loses the opportunity to learn for himself!

We will discuss the buddy system before departing.
We will discuss the Outdoor Code AND Leave No Trace before and during the hike.

Meet Mr. Eric James in the parking lot nearest the Bittern Marsh Trailhead.  Here is a Trail Map.

If you plan to attend, please be sure you RSVP on Scoutbook so we know who all to expect! All Pack events are FAMILY FRIENDLY but please do not bring the 4 legged kiddos. They are not allowed at LLELA.

Another real helpful application to download to assist you and your boys is an application called Map My Hike.

Saturday's Hike - Canceled

The Committee decided last night to cancel December's hike.  With the Pack's rocket launch being rescheduled to Sunday, December 11, having the hike back to back withthe launch wouldn't provide for optimal turn-out for both events.  Couple that with the Pack meeting the following Tuesday, we didn't want to command your entire weekend.  So, December's hike is canceled.

We are still closely monitoring weather and, more specifically, WIND conditions with Dallas Area Rocket Society as Launch Command, they have the final call on the launch. Due to Keller Fire Code, we are not permitted to launch rockets if the winds are gusting over 15 mph.  Right now the weather looks optimal but we are closely monitoring wind.