July 3rd, 2007 12:58pm
spryken
924 views
Yes, there is a new look here. What do you think? This is my first try at creating my own theme for WordPress.
The banner image is from my most recent backpacking trek on the Appalachian Trail.
The theme itself is heavily based on my previous theme “Crimson Sunrise”. I’ve changed some graphics, modified the colors and added a special tab for the Cook Book. I get a lot of hits for my recipes and decided we needed an easier way to get to them than the built in archive system.
Give it a look and let me know what you think.
Entry Filed under: Off The Trail
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June 12th, 2007 05:24pm
spryken
824 views
Our troop is in the final preparation stage for our Fontana Lake trip. A group of older/experienced scouts will be backpacking on the Appalachian Trail from Clingmans Dome to Fontana Marina for 3 days then will canoe on the Lake to complete 50 miles total. The younger scouts will be canoeing on the lake and doing day hikes in the area while the older boys are on the AT.
This is an example of some 2 pronged camping trips we have tried to plan to provide more adventure for the older boys while giving the younger boys a taste of what to expect. I have to admit this has been a logistical nightmare. Earlier trips like this one have been of the same duration. This time, the older group is staying 2 extra nights. Transportation of the canoes and getting the travel vehicles from Clingsman to Fontana has been difficult to plan, to say the least. Another issue is the dropout rate. Seems that scouts sign up for trips without asking their parents, who have summer vacation plans.
But all of that is behind us, all the plans are made and finalized. Now it is just finish my packing, prepare some trail bars and do some last minute shopping, then we are on our way. We will hit the trail some time Friday afternoon. These last few days at work are going to be miserable. I just can’t wait to get on the trail again.
Hike On!
Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Boy Scouts, Camping
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June 8th, 2007 05:58pm
spryken
955 views
Joel Cochran at JustOneHourAWeek has asked what other troops Court of Honor’s are like. It seems he was a little let down by the Court of Honor at his son’s new troop.
I have to say, and this is not a dig at the troop, but I remember the Court of Honor being a bigger deal. It all just seemed a little flat, with very little ceremony. Case in point: two of the boys received their Life badges last night. The badges were just handed to the boys, with no more than an announcement of what they had earned.
As a response let me say that some of our Court of Honor’s are more impressive than others. We try to make a big deal out of each one but sometimes that just doesn’t seem to happen. The boys lead the Court of Honor. The Senior Patrol Leader and his Assistants present all of the Merit Badges earned with extra explanation of some of the requirements for the Eagle Required badges. After the Merit Badge portion, they turn the ceremony over to the Scoutmaster. He, along with at least one Assistant, present the Rank awards. We explain each rank presented with details on some of the steps taken to earn the rank. For Star and Life, we have additional details regarding the approach of the Eagle Rank. Each Star and Life scout is charged with giving back to the troop as they continue on towards Eagle.
We have a separate Court of Honor for each Eagle award. We feel each boy that earns the rank of Eagle Scout deserves special recognition.
It is important to recognize and applaud each step in the advancement of each boy. The positive feedback provides motivation for continued advancement. Court of Honor’s are our way of providing that feedback!!
Entry Filed under: Boy Scouts
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June 8th, 2007 07:26am
spryken
938 views
As I am preparing for my weekend backpacking trip to the AT, I’ve been thinking about food. Surprise, surprise. I’ve already posted about freezer bag cooking. A lot of those recipes call for a packet of some condiment. Have you ever thought about where you can get those packets?
I’ve already started my trips to the fast-food establishments. There are 2 problems with that.
- I tend to eat there.
- Supplying a crew of 8 can raise some eyebrows.
- You can’t find everything you want or need.
Enter Minimus.biz. “Minimus - For All Your Travel Size Needs”. They 1000s of items in packets or travel size packages. Free shipping on domestic orders over $20. I wish I had found them earlier. I don’t think I can get an order in and delivered before I leave.
They even have the Jalapeno Squeeze Cheese I remember from Philmont. Oh well, there is next time.
Technorati Tags: Backpacking, Hiking, Cooking, Travel
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Camping, Cooking, Hiking
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June 7th, 2007 07:52pm
spryken
1,451 views
After my recent post on Turkey Bag Cooking, I found a great resource for Freezer Bag Cooking.
This website discusses the benefits of Freezer Bag cooking. Such as:
When ready to eat, the meal is prepared in and eaten out of the freezer bag. Mealtime becomes fast, effortless and cleanup is as easy as licking your utensil and sealing the zip top bag.
They also have a lot of recipes. Here is one for Tuna Bruschetta:
Tuna “Bruschetta”:
In a sandwich bag put:
1/4 cup Just Tomatoes sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled
2 Tbl dried onions
1/4 tsp dried garlic
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
black pepper to taste
Notes: Measure dry ingredients and mark on bag.
Also take:
1 3 ounce pouch Albacore tuna
1 packet olive oil (1 Tbl)
2 tortillas
1 ounce cheese of choice, diced
Add a 1:1 ratio of water to the vegetable bag. Let sit for 10-30 minutes. Add in oil and stir. Toss in tuna to coat, then add in cheese. Serve on tortillas
Serves 1-2.
This site is definitely worth a look. They have resources to explain how to dehydrate you own food, recipes and gear.
Technorati Tags: Backpacking, Hiking, Camping, Cooking
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Entry Filed under: Backpacking, Camping, Cooking
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