A group of eight Boy Scouts and six adult leaders from ACS Boy Scout Troop 389 went on a 3-day, 23-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail in early June, earning the scouts valuable credit toward a Hiking Merit Badge and creating awesome memories they will not soon forget, according to Scoutmaster and ACS parent Mike Jorgenson.
This was the second time the Troop had hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail, but the first time was in New Jersey two years ago and this trip had them exploring the trail in Pennsylvania. The hiking trip, from June 2-4, started in Allentown, PA and ended about 10 miles from Hamburg, PA.
“The scouts thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and got to see and do things they had never done before; it was an amazing trip,” Jorgenson said. He noted that along the trail they encountered rattlesnakes, watched big hawks flying below them, explored a cave, enjoyed beautiful mountaintop scenic overlooks, and learned how to be self sufficient and push themselves physically.
“Everything they had for the weekend was on their backs in their backpacks — food, water, shelter, everything,” Jorgenson said. At night, the scouts pitched tents and also did hammock camping.
Jorgenson said the impetus and planning for the trip came from Assistant Scoutmaster and ACS parent Mike Capito, who had previously hiked other portions of the Appalachian Trail, which extends for 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine. Other adult leaders on the trip were Jeff Campsmith, Todd Chamberlain, ACS parent Nathan Petrinec, and ACS parent Jere Engle.
The eight scouts who participated in the trip were: Liam Arburg, Mason Campsmith, Logan Campsmith, ACS 7th grader Gabe Capito, Alex Chamberlain, Peter Chamberlain, ACS 9th grader Noah Engle, and ACS 6th grader Sam Petrinec.
Boy Scout Troop 389 and Cub Pack 389 are chartered by Atlantic Christian School and meet during the school year at ACS on Monday nights. For more information about the Troop or Pack, please contact Troop Committee Chair Peter Karabashian at ppknj@comcast.net.
