New River State Park Canoeing

On Saturday, Oct. 19, we will be traveling to the New River State Park near Jefferson, NC, for a canoeing and camp out.  We have also invited the Webelos from Pack 231 to join us on this trip.  Our plan is to travel to Zaloos Canoes on the New River, where we will be outfitted with the gear for a 5-mile canoe trip down the New River, one of the oldest rivers in the world and one of the few rivers in the northern hemisphere that flows north.  Our campsite, which is in the Wagoner Access portion of the New River State Park, is directly off of the river.  This will be the point where we will end our canoe trip.  The forecast for Saturday will be partly cloudy with a high of 57/ low 41.  The chance of rain is 30%.  Please keep the temperatures and possibly of rain in mind as you prepare for the trip, making sure to dress in layers with a rain jacket.

Where: New River State Park, Wagoner Access, located off Hwy. 16 near Jefferson, NC.  Our river outfitter is Zaloos Canoes on Hwy. 16.

When: Saturday, Oct. 19- Sunday, Oct. 20th.  We will meet at the church at 9:00am.  It will be a 1 1/2 hour trip to Zaloos Canoes on the New River.  Several scouts are expected in Hickory for a school orchestra concert on Sunday afternoon, so we plan to be up, have breakfast, and return to Hickory by 12:30.

Equipment:  We will be car camping.  Troop tents, sleeping bags/pads, mess kit, water bottle.  Prepare for cooler weather for this trip.  Should something unfortunate happen, like falling in the river-- intentional or not, please make sure you have extra dry clothes available back at the campground.  We will be patrol cooking for the entire group. We'll have a fire ring in our campsite and we'll bring firewood.  There are restrooms and water is available in the campground.

Meals:  Please eat breakfast at home and pack a bag lunch.  We will eat our lunch either prior to or on the river. We will be cooking as a patrol Saturday night and breakfast Sunday morning.  Please bring a water bottle for the river and you may bring your mess kit.  We will have paper plates and utensils available for dinner and breakfast.

Cost: Canoeing will be $18 per person.  Please also include $8, which will cover the cost for camping and food.  Total cost $26.

I look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday!