Recently, Manchester’s Troop 3 went on a trip to Mount Cardigan in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The trip involved hiking the 3,155-foot peak and staying at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Cardigan Lodge.
The Cardigan trip has been a tradition in the troop for many years, largely due to adult leader Tom Kehoe, who knows the lodge well as a former summer employee. The tradition of visiting the lodge and hiking Cardigan has since been embraced by all members of Troop 3, which recently made a successful transition to include both boys and girls. Scouts love the Cardigan trip because it allows them to experience a winter hike and a great view of the White Mountains, while sleeping in a heated lodge with creature comforts.
Although the introduction of co-education and the pandemic have brought changes to scouting, the traditions of the trip remained similar. The views were just as spectacular, the homemade bread tasted just as good after a long hike, and scouts continued playing board games, including cribbage, a perennial favorite, late into the night. Restarting the tradition after a pandemic hiatus gave us a chance to enjoy the outdoors and to be thankful for the opportunities provided by scouting. To learn more about troop 3, go to www.troop3mbts.com.
(Ben Conway)