Recently, Troop 581 packed up for a winter weekend campout at Camp Rock Enon near Gove, VA. We loaded our gear took a quick head count and prepared to depart. The troop also loaded 12 old mulch pallets into a trailer for fire wood because the weather forecast was for sub-freezing temperatures. After an uneventful hour-long drive, we arrived at camp and chose our gazebos (which are like 3 sided small cabins), loaded our stuff in them and set up camp.
The next morning, we woke up around 7:30 and got ready to start a busy day. The grub masters started to cook breakfast for their patrols, some with stoves and some used Dutch ovens. After breakfast we cleaned up and headed down to the adult cabin. Our Scoutmaster Mr. Kosa took us on a nature/history hike of the area. There used to be a resort on the property a long time ago, before the Scout Camp was there, but it burned down. We saw some of what was left. We also found an old plaque from one of the first Boy Scout troops to visit back in the 1950s.
After our hike, we got back to camp and started to make lunch. The Scouts all worked together to make sure everyone got fed. Then most of the patrols went down to do an orienteering course that Mrs. Smith and Natty Kosa put together. We did this to brush up on our compass reading skills because next month we will compete in the Council’s orienteering competition. A couple of patrols stayed at camp to gather and chop firewood for their evening campfires, but they also got to try the orienteering course. Once we finished, it was time for the patrols to prepare dinner. We got busy making campfires and helping the grub masters cook. It got really cold Saturday night, down to 25 degrees so we stayed close to the fires. We took apart the old pallets to make a larger campfire and one of the Scouts even slept next to the fire.
By Sunday morning we were ready to come home. We woke up at 7:00 am and started packing up for a 9:00 o’clock departure. The camp inspector came down to make sure everything was cleaned up and we left for home. It was another successful troop campout.
Submitted by Ryan Weaver, Troop Historian