Favorite trail magic

[jburke8305]

My son's Boy Scout troop is section hiking Front Royal to Harpers Ferry the second week in June. We want to provide some trail magic. What is some favorite trail magic (not cooking) that they could provide?

[Lone Wolf]

beer..............

[Sarcasm the elf]

beer..............

Yup........

[rafe]

Girl scouts, what else

[Sarcasm the elf]

Girl scouts, what else

I think you meant to say girl scout cookies. That would definitely qualify.

[evyck da fleet]

Hedge clippers and a weed wacker. I remember being very thankful I followed a trail maintainer clearing the pricker bushes from the trail through Sky Meadows State Park.

[Dogwood]

Hand out GU packets, Lara/Cliff bars, small snack packets of almonds or peanuts or Sun Chips, or some apples or navel oranges. Don't make donating to people's vacations complicated. Cooler of cold drinks would be shweet. Gatorades, beer(cheap stuff!, believe me they'll drink with gusto, you may even need to have a sign saying limit beers to one or two). Some lip balms(Chapstick cheapies), traveling size antibacterial hand gel packets, or some traveling size small packets of moisturizer. Buy stuff you use yourself in case you have leftovers.

Literature, small cards, with the Boy Scout Oath and BSA Principles and facts about the GOOD the BSA does and NOTED(famous) Boy Scouts from all walks of adult life. Offer the history of scouting. Combine it promoting the GSA.

[Dogwood]

I would be very careful offering alcohol in a BSA event! If you do offer CHEAPY beer you might make signs saying for consumption of legal age ONLY and ONLY ONE each! Check IDs if you must.

[misprof]

If you have a cooler: Ice cream.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I would be very careful offering alcohol in a BSA event! If you do offer CHEAPY beer you might make signs saying for consumption of legal age ONLY and ONLY ONE each! Check IDs if you must.

The beer suggestion was clearly meant in jest. It is completely against BSA policy and no scout master in their right mind would trust that a bunch of teenage boys could carry beer for days on end and not be tempted to drink them.

[Sarcasm the elf]

As a more serious reponse to the question in the opening post, speaking as both an avid hiker and an Eagle Scout I would suggest looking for an option that is more oriented towards a service project rather than spending money to purchase items to hand out. Hikers are people that are on vacation and there are a lot of other people in need that could better use the money.

One idea which would combine your intention of doing a good deed for hikers and my suggestion of a service project would be to hand each scout a garbage bag and clean up the litter at the trails and campsites as you go. As you pass other hikers, have the scouts ask them if the have any trash that needs to be packed out. Most hikers will be very appreciative of the offer to have their trash taken out and properly disposed of.

[rafe]

Well, the opening post was actually the poster's first-ever on Whiteblaze. So he may not know that trail magic has become such a heated and controversial topic.

If I may be so bold as to summarize: There's a backlash against organized trail magic. Even when done with the best of intentions. Enough already. Hikers are not "needy." They have taken this adventure upon themselves. It's turning the trail into a carnival. [NB: I'm simply stating the position, not necessarily endorsing it entirely. ]

I agree with Elf's sentiment: have your scouts work on the trail itself or its infrastructure (shelters, privies, campsites, bridges, etc.) Collecting trash is a great start. For something more serious, contact your local trail club, they'd most likely welcome your effort and even help organize it.

[Badger Ski]

You may only choose one candidate: Trash pick-up; Hot dog stand. Trash pick-up:YES! Caught up in the whole voting thing you know.

[Mags]

As you pass other hikers, have the scouts ask them if the have any trash that needs to be packed out. Most hikers will be very appreciative of the offer to have their trash taken out and properly disposed of.

Fantastic idea. The trail gets cleaned up. And I know as a thru-hiker I'd really appreciate it if my trash was hauled out. Everyone wins.

[Just Bill]

The beer suggestion was clearly meant in jest. It is completely against BSA policy and no scout master in their right mind would trust that a bunch of teenage boys could carry beer for days on end and not be tempted to drink them.

You should have been in my troop.

[dzierzak]

The OP's first and only post....

Front Royal to HF is 50-60 miles. Probably 5-7 days if they're going slowly. Trash pickup is probably the best option. It's not that long of a distance even if they have to carry the rash a few days.

[dzierzak]

TRASH not rash. Sorry