BOY SCOUTS TRAIL BUILDING 



447 



too expensive to build, numerous trails 

 make it possible to reach on foot even 

 the steepest mountain peaks. 



"will sel wild animals. 



"As might be supposed from the 

 large area of wild land, this is a region 

 in which the hunting and fishing are 

 very good. However, the Boy Scouts 

 will not be able to do either because 

 they will be at work during the closed 

 season, when it is not legal to hunt or 

 fish for the principal game and food 

 animals. Nevertheless, they may be 

 able to see in the course of their work 

 deer, bear, porcupines, grouse and pos- 

 sibly even wild cats and wolves. 



"About the only pest which will de- 

 tract from the pleasure of life in the 

 mountains will be the mosquitoes. 

 However, mosquitoes are not very 

 numerous. 



"to begin in JUNE. 



"The Boy Scouts will be expected to 

 report to Gorham, N. H., as soon after 

 June 18 as possible. Gorham is the 

 headquarters of the White Mountain 

 National Forest, and from there a train 

 can be taken to Gilead, Me., whence the 

 rest of the journey must be made either 

 with a wagon or on foot. Last summer 

 the Forest Service constructed on the 

 old railroad right of way running up 

 Wild River a road which makes it pos- 

 sible to get about seven miles up into 

 the woods from Gilead. However, this 

 will not be far enough for the Boy Scout 

 camp, so the further distance will have 

 to be covered either by horses or the 

 camp equipment will have to be packed 

 on men's backs. 



"Luckily, there is no lack of good 

 drinking water in this locality, and it 

 will not be difficult to find a good camp 

 site close to the work. The sleeping 

 tents and cooking tent can be set up in a 

 circle as far back in the woods as it is 



feasible to bring in supplies. The near- 

 est postoffice, Hastings, Me., is about 

 SIX miles away. 



"The trail work itself will consist in 

 clearing out the brush, grading the tread 

 of the trail and building the necessary 

 culverts and bridges. In cases where 

 rock needs to be broken up the Forest 

 Officer who will have charge of this 

 project will use dynamite. The boys 

 will not, of course, be allowed to handle 

 any explosives. 



"time for play as well as work. 



"Since there will be about twenty- 

 four boys and it is planned to employ 

 .hem about a month, there will be ample 

 force so the boys will not have to work 

 more than a part of the day unless they 

 wish to earn extra leisure in order to so 

 on excursions to nearby points of inter- 

 est. In fact, it should be possible for 

 Jie boys to see all the attractive bits 

 cf scenery in the central part of the 

 White Mountain region. The top of 

 Mt. Washington is about fifteen miles 

 from the camp site and can easily be 

 reached in a day. 



"the various advantages. 



"It is unnecessary to spend much 

 time setting forth the good results 

 which the boys should get out of this 

 trip. They can practice many forms of 

 their Scoutcraft, and will learn how to 

 handle tools, something about forestry 

 cmd a large measure of self-control. On 

 the part of the Forest Service this de- 

 parture from the usual method of 

 l)uilding trails- should also be of advan- 

 tage because it will bring a large num- 

 ber of intelligent boys into direct con- 

 tact with the work of the Service. This 

 should help a great deal in educating 

 the boys and their relatives and friends 

 to the work which is being done in con- 

 serving the timber resources of the 

 country. 



