Triple Crown 50 Mile Backpacking High Adventure
We will be hiking the renowned Virginia Triple Crown featuring three iconic Appalachian Trail vistas: McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs, and Dragon’s Tooth!
This is not a practice trip or a trip for getting some requirements signed-off. Instead this trip is the embodiment of what all previous requirement sign-offs and hikes have prepared you for. This is where you can put your mind and body to the test, using the skills you’ve learned throughout your scouting career: camping in the backcountry, cooking your own food, and traversing difficult terrain!
Who Can Participate
50 miles of backpacking is hard. Days will be long with 8-10 miles being covered each day carrying all of your own food, water, and camping equipment. I won't limit by rank or age, but by backpacking experience. This is not a trip for first-timers and is not recommended for scouts who aren't comfortable spending multiple days away from home, without access to flush toilets (you will be pooping in the woods).
Prep & Training Hikes
There are 4 planned prep hikes. I would highly recommend that anyone wanting to go on the 50-miler make the prep hikes to make adjustments to your pack fitment and test your physical preparedness.
Hike #1: Sunday, Feb 22
Thunder Ridge
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 5.2 mi
Hike Time: ~2.5 hrs
Drive Time: 1 hr 10 min
This one's meant to be chill — just get out on the trail together and shake off any rust before we start ramping up. No need to wear a full-size backpack. A daypack will do just fine for this one.
Hike #2: Sunday, Mar 8
Spy Rock via Cash Hollow
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 7 mi
Hike Time: ~3.5 hrs
Drive Time: 1 hr 20 min
We're stepping it up a little here. Bring your backpack (unpacked) with a full water bladder. This is your chance to start dialing in your backpack fitment and get a sense of how much water you go through on a longer hike — not counting what you'll need for cooking on the actual trip.
Hike #3: Sunday, Mar 15
Hanging Rock
Difficulty: Hard
Distance: 7.2 mi
Hike Time: ~4 hrs
Drive Time: 1 hr 5 min
More elevation, more effort. Same setup as Hike 2 — unpacked backpack with a full water bladder. Keep adjusting your pack fit and tracking your water intake, but with a harder trail to push you a bit more.
Hike #4: Sunday, Mar 22 Mar 29
Humpback Mountain & Humpback Rock
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 6.1 mi
Hike Time: ~3.5 hrs
Drive Time: 1 hr 40 min
This is the real test run. Bring your fully packed pack — everything you plan to carry on the 50-miler. The trail difficulty and elevation are a realistic preview of what our moderate days will look like, just shorter in length. This is where you find out what needs adjusting before we go.
NOTE: All hike times are estimates and will vary — especially on Hike 4 with full packs (times are already padded by about 30 minutes).
Advancement Opportunities
5 nights of camping for your camping log
Hiking miles if you’re working on hiking merit badge
Opportunities to cook if you’re doing cooking merit badge
Earn the 50 Miler Award if you also complete 10 service project hours before, during, or after the trip!
Camping Location
We will be camping at established campsites along the AT near Daleville and in the backcountry along the North Mountain Trail. The trailhead is about an hour away from Lynchburg.
Planned Activities
Hiking, camping, cooking. We will take in some excellent vistas at the Tinker Cliffs, Dragon’s Tooth, and McAfee Knob.
How Much It Costs
This is a free trip! You will be providing all of your own food and equipment. No fees for camping.
Transportation
Depart: April 4th at 6:00am from Food Lion in Boonsboro
Return: April 9th at 6:00pm to Food Lion
Drive Time: 1 hour from Lynchburg
Drivers: 1-2 additional drivers may be needed
Packing Information
Camping Style: Backpacking requires that you carry your own food and equipment. If you are missing some item, work with the quartermaster to fill in any gaps, however this is a hard trip for experienced backpackers so I don't anticipate there will be many questions here.
Scout Meals: Scouts will be responsible for all of their own food. Food should be packed in a lightweight, closeable bag that can easily be added to a community bear hang at night. If 8 scouts put 20 loose items each into a bear hang every night, sorting out your food each morning will be a disaster!
Adult Meals: Adults will also be responsible for carrying their own food.
Tents: Either carry your own or make plans to split responsibility with a tent partner. You MUST have a backpacking or small, lightweight tent. You cannot carry a 25lb car-camping tent for 6 days.
Trailer: No trailer.
Water: Multiple adults will carry water filters that will make refilling with water at creek crossings easier. All scouts MUST HAVE a 3L water bladder in their backpack. Water is not available on the North Mountain Trail, so you must be able to travel for about 24hrs with only one fill-up. It would be advisable to also carry a secondary water container for cooking water (because pouring into a tiny stove from a bladder can be cumbersome).
Weather: Days will be cool with highs likely in the low 60s and lows dipping into the 30s at night. We will be at higher elevation which can make for some unpredictable temperatures. Bring a rain jacket, bring sunscreen, and be prepared for cold nights!
Safety: Not everyone needs to carry a First Aid kit, but more than one kit should be available. It would be wise to carry your own moleskins and sunscreen, though.