This week we will be finalizing our plan for our Open House on the 27th. We need to make sure we know what games, activities and supplies we need to have ready. We should finish the handout too.
We also need to have patrols figure out meal plans for the Camp A Snowshoe Campout this weekend. We can make a gear list so we have sleds, snowshoes, warm clothes and all the other stuff we need.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
2/20 Meeting
2/23-2/25 Snowshoe Campout
2/27 Open House & Campfire (game night)
3/5 Meeting – Citizenship in the World MB or other MB work
Philmont won as the choice for high-adventure camp 2025.
Troop 287 has a tentative reservation for Philmont 7/12-7/24/2025. This will be a 12-day trek in beautiful New Mexico with the first 3 days led by one of the camp rangers. This high-adventure camp is open to scouts who are at least 13 years old and have graduated 8th grade. In addition, they must be able to carry a backpack weighing up to 50 pounds and be able to hike up to 12 miles daily.
Our tentative reservation is for 1 crew of 12, which includes 3 adults and 9 scouts, 7/12-7/24/2025. (We are on the waiting list for spots in June so that we can have cooler weather, but this was the spot we have for now!)
The cost for the trek is $1,675 per person, plus incidentals (i.e., food, tshirt, travel to Philmont). A payment plan will be provided in the coming weeks, which will include the incidental fees. Once we have a crew put together, invites will be sent out for planning meetings to work through the other details. For now, we need to secure individual commitments and the reservation.
If you and/or your scout wish to attend this high-adventure, please sign up by 3/14/2024 using the following Signup Genius link. A deposit of $150 will be due by 3/15/2024 along with a commitment form (coming soon) to reserve your spot.
Please use this SignUp Genius to register your scout for Philmont 2025:
Hello! Don’t forget that we are meeting at 7pm at the Fire Department Station #18 (right behind the Walgreens off Flying W & Centennial) to work on our Emergency Preparedness MB requirements. Be sure to wear your uniform and remember that we want to make a great impression on how awesome Troop 287 scouts are.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
– 2/13 Fire Department
– 2/20 Planning (Food Prep) for Snowshoe Campout and finalizing plan for Open House
– 2/23-2/25 Snowshoe Campout at Camp A
– 2/27 Open House and Camp Fire for Webelos (Game Night)
We are planning to do some rank advancement lessons. We also need to create a pamphlet about Troop 287 that we can send to all the local packs to help us recruit and get Weblos to our Open House on 2/27. If you know anyone who might be interested in joining our troop please tell them to come to the Open House. Please bring a laptop so we can make a pamphlet.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
— 2/13 we will meet at the Fire Department Station #18 (right behind the Walgreens off Flying W and Centennial) to work on our Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge requirements
Check your emails for info on ICE CLIMBING this Saturday morning. We only have 8 slots available so grab one quick! This is highly recommended for those planning to go on this summer’s High Adventure Trip.
At the meeting this week, we will be sorting patrol boxes. We will identify missing items and each patrol will learn about what it is their patrol box and where everything goes. This will, in turn, help us be more organized and prepared for our next campout.
Speaking of our next campout, be sure to sign up for the Snowshoe Campout at Camp A! Last year was a blast and may or may not have included some nighttime sled jumping! Maybe bring a helmet this year!!!!
Oh, and if you want to go to summer camp we need to talk our parents into helping out if even for a few days. Getting some adult support will make this happen. Summer camp is a super fun week so let’s see if we can make it happen?!
No football this weekend? No Problem…We are going to offer a half-day Ice Climbing outing this weekend on Saturday morning, Feb 3rd. We will meet at the church at 6:30AM and return by 12:00 noon. (Ice climbing requires cold temperatures, so early morning is best.) We will be climbing on Helen Hunt Falls in Cheyenne Canyon.
This activity will be limited to 8 scouts, so sign up immediately if you would like to participate. No gear or prior experience is required.
IMPORTANT: Participants need to have Ice Climbing or Mountaineering boots. These can be rented from Mountain Chalet in Colorado Springs for $25. You will need to pick these up Friday night. We have a a few extra pairs of boots in the following sizes that you can borrow (we can swap out, as needed): Men’s Size: 6.5, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 10. You can rent a complete ice climbing kit, but this isn’t necessary. We have crampons and ice axes to share.
15 N Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903They close at 6pm on Friday night!
Dress as you would for skiing or sledding (water-resistant outer shell, layers underneath.), along with a “puffy coat,” if you have one, to go over the top when you are not climbing. A very thin hat is best because you’ll be wearing a helmet. Some ice climbers like to wear goggles or clear glasses (not me personally), but this is not required. If you have them, please bring shoe spikes (Yak Trax, etc) for the short hike to the climb, which is slippery. Kids need solid gloves or mittens. We can share, if needed. We will only have 2 climbers climbing at a time. If you have a climbing harness and/or helmet, please bring it, but we have enough to provide for everyone. Adults are welcome if the youth slots are not used up. Parents can come to observe, but will need a helmet (which we can provide). Bring your 10 essentials with a medium-sized pack to help carry gear. Hot chocolate in a thermos is a great idea too.
They are forecasting snow for Saturday morning. If it’s a heavy storm, we will postpone this. Watch the weather and standby for updates. —
We are collecting preferences for the high adventure trip in the summer of 2025 (not the current year’s trip to Wyoming, the NEXT summer). The registration period for BSA-sponsored camps is now open, and if the Troop elects to visit one of those camps, it will need to be booked soon. Please follow the link below to complete the survey. We would like to get responses by the end of this month (Jan 31st).
We need to know who is interested in attending a BSA Summer Camp as soon as possible as camps are filling up quickly. This is the best place for newer or younger scouts to get their feet wet with a longer camping trip that is tailored to provide opportunities to work on and complete a number of scouting skills and requirements. This is the perfect place to advance in rank and earn a number of merit badges.
We need some information to help understand who is interested so we can facilitate the appropriate program at the right camp on the best dates.
Please signup below to show your interests in attending a BSA Summer Camp this year. This is not a commitment.
Furthermore if you are an adult and can spare the time off work to chaperone and mentor these kids, please let us know at the link below. The troop will cover all registration costs and camp fees for the required positions.
We have an awesome guest speaker, Dave Pettigrew, coming this week to share his story, you don’t want to miss this! This will take up most of the meeting but I’ll have an IPA planned if there is time at the end of the meeting.
IMPORTANT!!! Bring your completed Citizenship in the Society workbook so we can finish this eagle-required merit badge.
Our Monarch Ski Day is next Saturday, so please sign up as soon as you can if you haven’t already.
The Snow Shoe campout is next month, February 23rd and we need sign-ups as soon as possible for a potential ice climbing opportunity.
You know what would be a great thing to do over this freezing cold weekend? Sit by the fire and finish up your Citizenship in Society merit badge workbook that I passed out to you a few weeks ago. Requirement #6 will be wrapped up at the meeting on Tuesday (1/16) when we have a presentation from Dave Pettigrew. He was in the infantry 2000-2004 and sustained an injury in Iraq (armor penetrating RPG in 2003). He is missing one leg but still skis and rock climbs. Should be an interesting and inspiring presentation!
We are doing our best to make sure we are successful in putting together some awesome adventures for you all. In keeping with the Scout Motto, “Be Prepared”, we can only do this if we know who is going. Please take a moment to let us know if you plan on any of the following trips, so we can be prepared and have reservations in place.
January 20th- Monarch Ski Day Scouts should have their own lift tickets and gear or rent gear for this trip.
February 23rd-25th- Snowshoe Campout @ Camp A We are also planning on Ice Climbing during this campout. It will be an additional $65 per person to climb and that covers all the gear and instruction, but we need to make reservations really really soon. Sign up now.
March 15th-17th- Mountain Biking Campout in Fruita, CO Scouts should have their own bikes and helmets for this trip. Because of the distance and gear, we really need to know who plans on attending in advance. Signup coming soon!
It’s time to pull backcountry permits and make reservations for our Explore Wyoming Extreme Adventure Camp this summer. The trip committee will be starting to make the arrangements as they become available starting tomorrow. Those who we do not secure permits for will not be able to attend this adventure.
It is extremely important we know who is planning on attending. I will be making an announcement with the scouts tonight, but need you to signup below if you would like to be included.
I have been asked by the PLC to host the Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge. This is one of those Eagle Required ones. We will start the badge at this upcoming meeting on January 9th.
This merit badge does require that you earn the First Aid Merit Badge. If you have it you are set. If not please reach out and we can see about getting you set up with a counselor.
This Merit Badge will take a couple of meetings to accomplish and there will be homework in between. Please read a little on it. The requirements can be found here.
Although not a requirement, I figured we could take a trip to one of the local fire stations on February 13th to meet some first responders and maybe talk to them a little about what we have learned.
A man from the Rotary Club would like to donate a full, vintage train set to one of our troop members. It comes with track, engines, cars and transformers ready to be mounted on a piece of ply wood. If interested please contact Maureen Reiser at 208-596-3116 ASAP. The Rotary Club has been our flag partners for over 20 years.
If you are interested in the trip this summer please join us for the townhall webinar this evening. Webex does funny things with time zones, so don’t let that fool you. It is at 7:00pm local tonight. Signup for attendance at the link below.
It’s time for what you have all been waiting for. You have cast your votes, and we have listened. You have seen the presentation, now its time to get on board.
Troop 287 EXPLORE WYOMING Extreme Adventure Camp2023 is here. Sign up now!
The trip will take place from July 13th through 28th 2023.
Itinerary
July 13th We will depart Colorado Springs headed towards Grand Teton National Park.
July 14th – 18th We will backpack about 35 miles Teton Crest Trail with a potential summit of one of the Tetons.
July 19th – 21st We will canoe camp the Jenny Lake to Leigh Lake area and camp below the majestic Mount Moran
July 22nd We will white water raft the Snake River and visit Jackson Hole before heading to Yellowstone National Park.
July 23rd We will explore Yellowstone National Park and see things like Old Faithful, The Old Faithful Lodge, Thermal Pools, The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and many other natural wonders.
July 24th – 27th We will backpack the Wind River National Forest and attempt Gannett Peak, Wyoming’s highest point,
July 28th we will return to Colorado Springs with tons of great memories and stories.
Who can attend?
Being a high adventure trip this activity is designed to be a challenge and is for more advanced scouts. Participants should be 13 years old or older and skilled in backpacking and other outdoor activities. We will conduct preparatory activities leading up to the adventure.
Price
I know what you’re thinking… “That sounds like a lot of fun, but I’m not a millionaire. I can’t afford a trip like that.” …but you can. We are going to do this all for the low, low price of just $950 per person. That is a fraction of the BSA High Adventure Camps. This price includes all travel, all activities such as white water rafting, canoe rentals and back country permits, all camp food and restaurant stops, all lodging campsites and 3 hotel stays, and the adventure tee shirt to show what you have accomplished. Payments may be made in installments or all at once. A payment schedule will be released soon.
Townhall
Now I am sure that there are many questions. To address this, we have decided to hold a Townhall meeting where questions can be asked in a forum so everyone can hear the answers and get the information in one place.
Please join us on Thursday January 4th from 7-8pm to find out more. Please register for the townhall at the link below.
The planning committee for this trip has been hard at work planning out all the details and have a lot of it planned out and are currently securing reservations for all our stops along the way. This trip will be a combination of Backpacking, Car Camping, Canoeing, Rafting, and even a couple of stops at restaurants and stays at hotels for a hot shower and mattress.
All participant families will receive a detailed itinerary of all of our stops and activities once they are all booked/secured.
Like all trips of this magnitude planning is key and the first step is knowing who will be attending. Please signup now to secure your spot. We are planning on 12 slots and space may become a premium.
Its almost here! Tonight we will have our Troop Holiday Party and Cookie Exchange.
The uniform of the day is …… ugly holiday sweater. Come looking your worst.
As Axle relayed, please bring some cookies to trade. Mrs. Anderson will be bringing some plates and cellophane to make up our platters. There may be some extras so bring a container just in case.
Mr. Petree will have snacks and maybe a little extra prize for the best ugly sweater.
We will be playing GIMKIT, so bring a device capable of accessing the internet.
Welcome to the website of Boy Scout Troop 287 at Wilson United Methodist Church, located on the northwest side of Colorado Springs, CO, in school districts 11 and 20. We are in the BSA Pikes Peak Council, Frontier District.
To the left, you can view our news and events. Below you can browse information about our troop, subscribe to our blog by email, download documents, and access useful links.
