Backpacking Here and Now
Experiences as a Leader, Hikes & Outdoors 3 Comments 
backpacking, cadettes, camping, hiking, outdoors, troop 2562, waterfalls
Back during my Troop 20 days, I was lucky enough to visit National Center West as part of a three week cross country trip that my troop took in 1987. Because of that experience, one of my goals as a leader was to take my troop backpacking at some point. I worked toward that goal and was lucky enough to join forces with a co-leader who was also willing and able. At times she claims she’s not able because she’s over 50, but I just wave my hand and say, “Nonsense! We can do this! You’re only as old as you feel!” The next day after some draining activity, I’m lying in bed feeling pretty old. Don’t tell her this. Anyway, here’s the write-up about last year’s first backpacking trip that I kept promising was coming “soon.”
When our girls moved up to Cadettes, Cheryl and I both vowed to take them backpacking by their second year, and so we started prepping early on for it. We spoke with a friend of mine named Cathy, a former backpacking trainer for our council, and asked what she suggested for a first time backpacking trip. She told us about a trail in the beautiful Mountain Bridge Wilderness which happens to be one of my favorite places to hike. It’s located about an hour from us in the Upstate of South Carolina, and it’s home to two state parks – Caesar’s Head and Jones Gap. The trail we’d be hiking is called the Jones Gap Trail which is a one-way hike between 276 and Jones Gap State Park:
