When plans for a joint ski trip with another troop this year fell through, members of the Lightning Patrol decided to do something about it. After consulting with the ASMs for guidance and deciding that a 1-day trip to one of the resorts in Southern Pennsylvania was within reach, they looked at the trail maps and decided to head to Whitetail Ski resort on February 23 for a great day on the slopes. Along with them came a few members of the Eagle and Bat Patrols. Given the wildly variable weather we’ve had this winter, they didn’t know exactly what to expect, but they certainly didn’t expect to be skiing in the clouds this far from the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains or of Everest!
With us at Whitetail Ski Resort were: Kyle Houchin, Ethan Trunkey, Nathan Buck, Zander Vetter, Grayson Finney, Christian Lloyd, Nathan Trunkey, Kyle Buck, Madden Hudson, Mason Trunkey, Mr. Houchin, Mr. Buck and Mr. and Mrs. Trunkey.
The weather was decent for the day, and as soon as everyone got their rental gear, it was off to lessons. Unlike at Timberline, the packages at Whitetail all include a lesson at each Scout’s own skill level, so everyone (including Mr. Houchin) got some real pointers and was able to improve their skiing or snowboarding. A bit of very light precipitation moved in before lunch, but that didn’t deter any of our brave Scouts. However, since we left GUMC at 7 am, the smell of very highly overpriced-but-fresh baked pizza for lunch did draw them off the slopes. Thankfully, the Scouts were able to pair up and order “large”-ish pizzas, thus eliminating one possible risk of emergency room visits for the day (that of Scout parents having heart attacks when they saw the bill that night).
After filling their stomachs and letting the rain pass, the Scouts all headed back out to the slopes… only to find the entire top half of the mountain in the clouds. While the “rain” had stopped, fog rolled in, and then never left. Not only did this make skiing down the mountain more challenging, given the low visibility and very loose snow, but it also made getting off the High-Speed Quad Lift harder, as each lift chair was nearly to the gate before you could actually see the top of the lift.
But none of that kept our loyal scouts off the slopes, who stayed out there skiing a variety of slopes, from the easy Velvet and Sidewinder trails, the straight down Limelight, the winding Angel Drop, all the way to the Double-Black-Diamond Bold Decision, until all Scouts had their fill for the day.
Rather than risk truly bankrupting their parents with another meal at the ski lodge, the scouts decided to turn in their gear, head for home, stopping for dinner at Chick-Fil-A in West Virginia before arriving back at GUMC at 10 PM.
Despite the imperfect weather, lots of great skiing was done by all, and even better, all Scouts returned fully uninjured, ready to ski again next year.
Scouts! Did you miss out on joining Lightning Patrol on the ski trip this year?!? Don’t worry, a regular ski trip will be back next year. Ask the Scouts what they thought of Whitetail and provide input to your patrol leader so he can discuss ideas with the Patrol Leaders Council for next year.
Submitted by Scott Houchin, Assistant Scoutmaster