On a brisk late fall New England weekend, six BSA Troop 3 Manchester scouts conquered Mount Garfield.
Mount Garfield in the White Mountains, NH, has an elevation of 4,480 feet and is five miles from the trailhead. Mount Garfield, however, was not the original plan; instead, we had to change plans because of how cold it was. With a high in the teens, the scouts still prevailed with high spirits that were never brought down.
After staying Friday night in a condo, the scouts left for the trailhead in the morning. Hiking four
hours and a 2,500-ft elevation gain with friendly banter, the scouts eventually reached the campsite and ate lunch in the three-walled wooden shelter. Then, they summited the mountain. With strong winds and
snow, they needed to layer up and bring their daypacks. There were beautiful sights of the mountains and the ground below, but they had to leave after 10 minutes because of the cold. At the campsite, they found out only one of their two stoves worked, but they still ate soup and later ate cheese tortellini with salmon.
The scouts also taught amateur hikers, whom they met along the way, tips about winter hiking such as putting your boots in a bag and at the bottom of your sleeping bag so they aren’t too cold in the morning. Finally, the scouts got ready for bed in their sleeping bags, rated for 0°-20° temperatures, and listened to poetry read by one of their adult leaders.
In the morning, they cleaned up, hiked out, and drove to a diner for lunch. It was an eventful,
amazing, enjoyable hiking trip that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
