Some 29 boy scouts, troop leaders and parents from BSA Troop 420 in Laurinburg spent the weekend of March 19-21 hiking the Uwharrie Trail and the Dutchman Creek Trail in the Uwharrie National Forest near Troy. According to Troop Committee Chairman David Harling, good weather and a weekend of self sufficient living made the annual troop excursion a memorable experience for the 10 to 16 year old members.

"For many of our Scouts, it was the first time they had been backpacking," Harling said. "All Scouts had to pack and carry their personal gear, their portion of the patrol gear, and their food as they hiked the trail and crossed rushing streams. Beautiful weather and plenty of water in the streams made for a great weekend of hiking and camping."

The group carpooled an hour and a half from Laurinburg to the Uwharries, located near Troy in Montgomery County, where they made camp Friday evening at Yates Place in the Uwharrie mountain range. Saturday the troop hiked to their designated campground, crossing and recrossing Dutchman Creek as it meandered through the forest.

Harling said the troop members learned some important lessons from the experience.

"Backpacking is a lot different from camping," Harling said. "When you carry everything in, you can't go back to your car if you forgot a sweater or hat or your batteries run down. The scouts had to plan well and be self sufficient, and some of the older guys helped the younger ones with their packs by taking some of the load. Most everyone left with sore feet and sore backs, but it was a great experience."

Troop Member Gus Purcell, 10, described his first backpacking experience as "great and muddy".

"We had a lot of fun," he said. "The camp was set close to a small creek, which was freezing cold. "We made a bridge of stones, and some of us dunked our heads in the water."

Gus said the biggest problem on the trip was having to negotiate the sometimes difficult terrain.

"I got sore feet from having to climb up hills to get to the trail," Gus said. "I learned that if you go hiking, make sure you don't go up too many steep hills."

Scoutmaster Page Pratt was one of the adult troop leaders who accompanied the group.

"You could tell the warm weather was here as we passed four other Boy Scout Troops from North Carolina on the trail," Pratt said. "Everyone was enjoying the nice weather."

The Uwharrie National Forest was given federal designation in the early 1960s by President John F. Kennedy.

Troop 420 is sponsored by the Laurinburg Presbyterian Church.