Adult leader Ted Mueller and Scouts Wyatt Horneman, Vann Dutch Marek and Liam Kokenes paddle along the French Broad River.
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Adult leader Ted Mueller and Scouts Wyatt Horneman, Vann Dutch Marek and Liam Kokenes paddle along the French Broad River.
Don’t expect to stay dry on the French Broad River or inside Worley’s Cave.
The Scouts from Troop 33 of Charlotte, North Carolina, discovered that last summer as they went whitewater rafting, caving and tubing in eastern Tennessee. The group added a day to their weekend trip to do it all.
“I really like this idea of a trip,” says Caden Todd, 15, a Life Scout. “One of the main logistical barriers is to get enough adults to go on an extra day. If we don’t have enough adults, it can’t happen.”
It took a year of planning, but the effort paid off in a fun four-day adventure.
The Scouts make their way out of Worley’s Cave. For any caving or aquatic activities, follow Scouting America’s guides Cave Safely, Cave Softly and Safety Afloat.
Leaving on a Thursday, the troop headed to the USA Raft Adventure Resort in Erwin, Tenn., where they set up camp. The resort provides whitewater trips with trained guides, and the next day, the Scouts met with the guides to go over safety rules. It’s important whenever you go whitewater rafting for everyone to wear a helmet and a properly fitted life jacket.
The Scouts hopped in the rafts for a 12-mile journey, tackling Class III rapids in some places. The rushing water was at times challenging, but most of the four-hour trip went by smoothly on lower-class rapids.
“My favorite part was getting out and swimming,” says Life Scout Jack Moran, 17. “The sun is beating down on you in the rafts. You get to cool down. I really enjoyed that.”
Wilson Leslie, Jack Moran and Assistant Scoutmaster Aedan McAteer stand waiting to get on the river while the guide checks the raft.
Originally, the troop planned to go on the Nolichucky River, but the water levels were too low that day. The French Broad River was also low in places.
“Everyone had to coordinate their paddling skills,” says Wilson Leslie, 15, a Star Scout. “There were a lot of shallow parts and rocks.”
After a day on the water, the troop went back to camp for dinner and a Dutch oven dessert contest, during which the guys baked sheet cookies and cakes flavored with soft drinks.
Jack Moran follows the guide and his dad, Assistant Scoutmaster Brian Moran, through Worley’s Cave.
On Saturday, the troop headed to Worley’s Cave, a wild cave with more than four miles of tunnels to explore. It isn’t a commercial cave with paved walkways or interior lights. Led by a guide, the guys found themselves crawling across muddy floors, trudging through puddles of water and squeezing through narrow passages. Time for helmets again!
“The cave had its own atmosphere,” says Star Scout Cole Marek, 15. “It was a sudden change to cold.”
Most caves maintain a constant temperature. In Worley’s Cave, it stays around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
The guys marveled at the cave formations inside large rooms, and they spotted fossils embedded in the rock as they explored three of the cave’s four miles.
“There were tight spaces, but if the Scouts weren’t comfortable, the guide took us a different way,” Jack says. “There was one part where we had to roll like a sausage on a roller, which was really cool.”
Landon Larson, Gabe Darling, Cole Marek and Wyatt Horneman float down the Nolichucky River.
On Friday night, it had rained for a few hours. That raised the river levels, so the troop could try tubing on the Nolichucky after Saturday’s cave trip.
The Scouts put on their life jackets and sat in inflatable tubes as they floated down the river for about a mile.
Scouts have fun tubing after a rainy night raised the river’s water levels.
“That was a great way to end the day,” Wilson says.
It was also a great way to end a long weekend campout. When you plan a lot of adventurous activities with proper adult supervision, you have the makings for an epic trip.
“You’re not going to have a problem to get Scouts to go,” Jack says.
JL VETERAN 37 MALANG
