Our next campout is coming up March 11th-13th. We will be visiting Penitente Canyon, which is located on the West edge of the San Luis Valley (the largest alpine valley in the world, and home to the Great Sand Dunes). Penitente Canyon is a lesser-known Colorado gem that was revered by the early settlers of the Valley and is now appreciated for its mountain biking, rock climbing and general beauty. We will be CAR CAMPING in the beautiful BLM campground at the mouth of the canyon surrounded by trails and endless rock outcrops to explore. 

We have arranged to do a BLM-led service project on Saturday, installing a park bench in the canyon (sounds fun), so you can earn the service hours you need for your next rank. Otherwise, we will spend time exploring the maze of rocks and ponderosa pine forest, discovering a piece of Colorado history, roasting marshmallows over the fire and working on rank advancement. 

Families are welcome to join us. Campers should expect cold nights, with low temperatures in the ‘teens and “warm-in-the-sun” days, so you’ll need a good sleeping bag and tent, but also sunscreen.
We will plan on leaving from the church no later than 5pm and returning in the afternoon on Sunday. It’s about a 3-hour drive. We have reserved campsites.

Sign up below or use the Activity Sign Up tab!!!!!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA8A828A4FD0-penitente

Mr. Anderson

Troop,

I know it’s the first meeting after a campout, and that means GameNight, but we are gonna hold that over until the 3/8/22 gathering. Tonight we will have some fun with a patrol activity though.

Being the first meeting of the month we will be having our monthly uniform inspection. Get ’em all ready and look your best.

In addition, and part of the reason we are flip-flopping game night, we will be doing campout prep for our March camping trip to Penitente Canyon which will be coming up quick in the month this go-round. It will be March 11-13. More details to follow.

Come dressed for success and ready to have fun and create a great plan.

Mr. Petree

Troop, check out the opportunity below, this is a quick turn around for information, so read it closely. If you want to participate, I will collect your information tomorrow night and pass it on to the guy who is running this thing (Dan Usiak). He needs your information before Thursday this week in order for you to be able to participate. I will just need your name, age, and phone numbers to give to the guy.

The event takes place on March 12th, so plan accordingly.

Dan

Troop,

Here is the plan for this weekend for all you hard chargers that are not swayed by a little chilly weather.

We will meet at the church at 5:00pm and load up the gear we prepared on Tuesday evening. We will be camping just north of the intersection of Hwy 50 and Old Monarch Pass Rd. Saturday we will snowshoe the Old Monarch Pass Loop from either the parking area or perhaps our campsite depending on how adventurous we are feeling. I’m sure there will be plenty of snowball fights, sledding, and snow shelter building. Oh… and campfires to stay warm. With below freezing temps during the night bringing in lots of water may be a futile attempt. Be prepared to melt and purify snow. Sunday morning we will fuel up with breakfast and pack up and plan to be back at the church about noon.

Can’t wait!!!!!!

Mr. Petree

Troop, save the date! March 13, 2022 is when one of our more recent Eagle Scouts will be holding his Award Ceremony.

As you know, Eagle Rank is the pinacle of a Scout’s career. To emphasize this, we hold a separate Award Ceremony for that acheivement, outside of our normal Courts of Honor. Kobe Olson, who came to our troop during COVID, was able to finish out his project and earn his Eagle Rank.

We will hold his Award Ceremony on March 13. We will need to provide the Color Guard for this event.

More details to follow!

Dan

Troop,

In preparation for the snowshoe campout, we will be discussing winter weather camping gear, first aid, and going over final preparations tomorrow night. If you are going on the campout, please make sure you bring your gear to go over. If you are missing anything it will be identified then, so you can get it packed and have a much more enjoyable trip.

If you don’t have snowshoes, Please let your SPL and SM know and we will see if we can get you a set of loaners. If not, you may need to source your own.

Now here is the gear list…..

Personal Gear

• Backpack
• 0*F Sleeping bag
• Sleeping Pad
• Day Pack
• Mess Kit ( Cup, Bowl/Plate, Utensels)
• Hygiene Kit
• First Aid Kit
• Fire Starting Kit
• Navigation Kit
• Water Bottles
• Knife
• Flashlight/ Headlamp
• Clothing
• Snow Shoes
• Trekking Poles

Optional

• Sleeping Bag Bivy
• Sleeping Bag Liner
• Sled
• Snow Shovel

When it comes to clothing, remember layers and only synthetic fabrics and wool.

Clothing

• Base Layer (moisture wicking top and bottom underwear)
• Mid Layer (Top and Bottom Synthetic insulating layer)
• Shell (Waterproof/Wind Proof outer protective layer)
• Warm Hat/Beanie
• Face Gator/Scarf
• Gloves/Mittens

Camping and cooking will be done by patrols. You guys should already have your meal plans figured out. We will load up troop tents and patrol boxes so we don’t have to do that Friday.

If you have not signed up and are planning on going, do so immediately or your patrol may not have you accounted for in the food shoping list. Adults… as normal we are on our own.

Brrrrrrrr. Cannot wait!!!!!

Mr. Petree

Troop,

Troop,

The signup is out for the February Snowshoe Campout (Sorry it’s a bit late, but Signup Genius issues… am I right?!?!?)

The intent is to camp and snowshoe in the Alma/Hoosier Pass area. (If they have enough snow… I’ve been monitoring it closely) Plan B will be Old Moniarch Pass. We will meet up at the church at 5:00 pm Friday evening and head out after we have the patrol gear loaded up.

Once we arrive we will set up camp and get a roasty toasty fire going and enjoy the evening. Saturday we will strap on our snowshoes and do some exploring. Sunday we plan to be back to the church around noon so you can impress your families with the stories of your adventures and that camping odor.

Please signup so we can make the proper arrangements and make sure everyone has a ride.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA8A828A4FD0-snowshoe

If you plan on attending this outing make sure you bring all your personal gear to the meeting on 2/22/2022. We need to make sure we all have the proper gear. 0*F sleeping bags are a must for this adventure.

Mr. Petree

Just a reminder for any scouts that haven’t already done this, join the troop discord server. It’s free. There you can message any other scouts in the troop individually or in group messages. Sign-ups and announcements are often posted on the server before the troop website. It can be installed on most mobile devices and computers. Parents are also welcome to join but most just use their son’s account. You can join with the link below.

https://discord.gg/xb3rczvv63

-Austin Petree

I am excited for our chili cook-off at the Court of Honor on Tuesday! I should have clarified in my previous post that the expectation is that the Scout makes the chili. There are cash prizes involved, so tell them to get cooking! If they are not interested in preparing chili you are welcome to just bring a few sides instead.

Please use this link to sign up both for your attendance and for dinner.

Date: February 15, 2022

Time: 5:30 set-up; 6:00 dinner (and judging); 7ish awards

Location: Wilson Church

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DACAE23A6F5CF8-court

Troop,

Tonight a couple of Scouts and I will be late to the meeting as we will be at Pack 166’s Bridging welcoming a couple of Webelos that you all impressed over the past couple of meetings and will be joining our troop. Great Job!

Your ASPL the young Mr. Geren McGuire will get your meeting all kicked off.

Tonight we will work on getting those last-minute advancement items crossed off the list before next week’s Court of Honor. If you need a Scoutmaster Conference (Axel and Miles) please speak with your ASMs Mr. Holpuch, Mr. Anderson, or Mr. Gilkes and I am sure they will be happy to assist. If you need a Board of Review, please talk to Mr. McGuire and see if the Committee can get you in.

As always there will be a fun Patrol Activity!!!

The rest of the troop and I will meet you mid-meeting when we are done with Pack 166 and start discussing this month’s Snowshoe Camping Trip. We will get menus done and discuss gear preparation. All attendees on this winter adventure will need to bring their gear in for the meeting of 2/22/2022 so we can make sure everyone is prepared for some awesome winter camping and adventure.

See you all tonight!

Mr. Petree

Okay… Maybe that’s a little out of date. Make sure your uniform is current.

Tonight we will be having a uniform inspection in preparation for next week’s Court of Honor.

We will be trying some new Scout related games and activities

In addition, you may have the opportunity to finish up that last requirement or two. Come prepared. Bring your books, merit badge packets, etc.

We will likely have a few Weblos visiting tonight. Let’s show them what Troop 287 is all about.

The PLC would like you to bring in any patrol flag materials. We may not work on them tonight but will start to compile them.

Our February Court of Honor will be a chili cook off! Please use this link to sign up both for your attendance and for dinner. This is such a great opportunity to celebrate all that the boys have been working on!

Date: February 15, 2022

Time: 5:30 set-up; 6:00 dinner (and judging); 7ish awards

Location: Wilson Church

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DACAE23A6F5CF8-court

Troop,

For “Game Night” the PLC leadership has decided to have a movie night at the church!!!

We will be watching “Free Guy” because Life’s too short to be a background character.

We will have plenty of popcorn and soda. Bring any other snacks you might like to share.

Troop,

Thanks for quickly throwing your hats into the ring for Northern Tier next year. Awesome responses! We filled the TWO Crews we reserved, for a total of 16 people.

Currently, there is one more crew slot available for our trek dates (June 14-24, 2023). IF we can fill six more slots, we can reserve another Crew for that same date range. If we have the interest, and the date slot is taken, we can reserve another date slot, but we will need at least two adults to go on the third crew. These details can be discussed if we get the numbers to make the reservation.

Just remember, Scouts have to be 14 or completed 8th grade to attend high adventure trips.

I have the “original 16” and will expand the Sign Up Genius to allow up to 24 people (max number of participants for 3 crews). You can find that link below. If we do not get enough interest, we will not reserve another Crew.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c4aada829a7fe3-northern1

If you sign up, the initial payment of $225 will be due by February 5, 2022.

Talk to you guys soon,

Dan

Troop,

Get your creative juces flowing. Tonight troop leadership would like to spend some time in our patrols creating designs for troop flags.

We will also be doing some prep work for the upcoming ski outing. If you have not signed up yet, please do so. It is importaint that we have a good idea of who will be attending so we can square away transportation and gear. Looks like there is already 6 that have commited. Link below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA8A828A4FD0-monarch

We will further discuss Summer Camp, Philmont, and Northern Tier (Boundry Waters).

See you all tonight!!!

Mr. Petree

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4AADA829A7FE3-northern1

Above is the link to sign up for the trip.

Now here is the stuff:

Northern Tier High Adventure Camp: 06/14/2023 – 06/24/2023

We booked 2 crews for June 14-24, 2023 with a maximum of 16 participants (current 7th graders and up). Only 6 slots remain!

An initial payment of $225.00/person is due by February 5, 2022 to cover the trek deposit/first payment required by Northern Tier.  

Monthly payments of $100.00/person are due from March 1, 2022 until March 1, 2023 (13 monthly payments).  Payment schedule is based on crews with 6 participants.  Any excess funds will first be applied to trek incidentals (maps, gear rental, etc.), and then to camp incidentals and travel costs. If the crew numbers increase to 8 each, then the fees will be adjusted accordingly.

Northern Tier offers financial assistance for those in need. Campership information can be obtained at: https://www.ntier.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CampershipApp.pdf

If you want to get in on this, sign up at the link above.

Dan

Troop,

The Northern Tier sign up opened yesterday and the slots have filled up rather quickly. Here is what I have for you:

This is a High Adventure Camp. Scouts must be a minimum of 14 years of age at the time of their trip (mid-June 2023) OR age 13 and have completed 8th grade. Scouts currently in 7th Grade or above are eligible to attend this trek next summer.

A crew shipping out of Ely, MN, is made up of 6-8 people (adults and youth). If we have more interest than 8, we need to reserve for more than one crew slot. Each crew will be separate from any other crew on the trip. So, if we have two crews, they would not camp or interact with each other during the trip.

The cost per CREW is $9,200. It doesn’t matter if there are 6 or 8 people on the crew, the cost is the same. Estimated cost per person is $1,150-$1,513 (depending on crew) size plus park fees, travel costs and incidentals.

Each trek is 10 Days long plus we’ll have to account for travel time on either end. We are planning to book a trek that starts in mid-June but cannot select a specific date until we know how many crews are needed. Estimated trek dates are between June 14-June 28 (trek start dates of June 14, 16 or 18).

We need to know who is committing ASAP since we would like to book by tomorrow at high noon.

Dan

Here is the sign up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4AADA829A7FE3-northern1

**If you age out between now and the trip, you can still attend as an adult leader, provided you are registered as an adult with the BSA and have completed all other requirements.

Troop,

January 22nd we will be heading up the mountain in search of that snow that has seemed to elude us here on the front range thus far.

Mr. Anderson will be leading the charge up the mountain on what will be an awesome day of skiing or snowboarding. The plan is to meet up at the church at 6:30 am and head on out from there. The group will return once they have had their fill for the day and will reach out to parents when they leave the mountain.

We really need a good headcount on this and there are some things to do in preparation so don’t delay. If you are a snow sports family please know that all are welcome. Please sign up below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA8A828A4FD0-monarch

All attendees will need to purchase lift tickets and have equipment prior to going.

If you don’t already have a Monarch Pass we strongly recommend you purchase lift tickets online at least 2 days in advance as there are huge cost savings. It’s $44 if you are 12 or under, $59 if you are 13-17, and $89 for us old timers.

Rentals are $44 at Monarch and you would have to take the time to check them out there. You can likely get a better deal at somewhere local like Christi Sports, or the MWR if you have access. Please shop around and comment below if you find any gems you would like to share.
It seems Mr. Anderson has found a rental deal at Epic Mountain Gear – Colorado Springs. Address: 2454 Montebello Square Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918. Phone: (719) 268-9522. Looks like they have a youth ski package for about $14 per day and you could pick it up from them the day prior after 3 pm.
Give them a ring!

Scouts,

After a well-deserved holiday break, it’s time to kick off the 2022 Scouting Adventure.

We have the first meeting of the year coming up Tuesday 1/11 7:00pm in the church.

Being the first meeting of the month we have a uniform inspection. Please dress in your finest Class A uniform. Yep, with all the hats, pants, sashes, etc…. and don’t forget those scout socks. Youth leadership will take a look and help you get all up to snuff. If you don’t have your new position patches we will make notes and try to get that all figured out.

We will also be discussing upcoming events, Summer Camp, Philmont, and so on.

Can’t wait to see you all.

Mr. Petree

Troop,

Just a quick update on the Summer camp status.

We currently have 10 Scouts signed up for camp. If you want to go to summer camp this year at San Isabel Scout Ranch, (https://pathwaytotherockies.org/sanisabel), let me know and we will get you signed up and provide payment info.

Right now, the minimum required payment is $75, which will lock you into a $300 overall fee for camp. This fee schedule expires on 31 January, which is when the overall dues will increase to $335.

Anyway, check it out and let me know if you are interested and have not already signed up. Myself, Mr Gilkes, and Mr Petree are signed up as adult leaders for the week.

Dan