Here are some pictures of our trip to the sods on the weekend of Arpil 1 2005.

We were hoping to drive into Red Creek campground Friday evening, but the north gate to the wildnerness area was closed. We set up camp just beyond the gate and revised our hike plan for Saturday. Instead of starting from the campground, we were trekking to the campground. Once there, we would evaluate our progress and determine if there was opportunity for another hike.

Starting the day with a 700 foot climb was a bit tedious, but it gave us the opportunity to experience the transition from hardwoods to laurel thickets with scrub oak. At the last switchback onto the ridge, the boys scrambled over Bear Rocks for a look north.

The time at the rocks was longer than expected (add to that some snow drifts accross the road as we followed the ridge top south), so we arived at the campground later in the afternoon. The ground had taken a good soaking, so by the time everyone found dry spots for their tents, no one felt like any additional hikes. It took a lot of hiking to find enough dry kindling to even start a fire, yet we did manage to give everyone the opportunity for a warm meal before going to bed. They would need it in the morning!

Overnight the wind picked up and the temperature dropped enough to bring on the snow. A couple of tents took a thrashing. Think of a freight train trying to knock your bed out from under you, and you get the impression of what the night was like. Mine (below) held together by my rear pole which was tied to a tree root. Cooking breakfast was out of the question. We decided to march as soon as everyone got packed. Getting around even to pack was a challenge in the high winds.

The campground outhouses made good wind breaks while waiting for everyone to get their gear together. (Some of the boys actually folded their tents in the outhouse!) The march out was trying. Our first three miles we were buffeted by 100 mph winds. We did a lot of leaning over to stay upright. Gear got knocked of our packs. At the switchback one pack was blown off a boy's back, it was nearly impossible to stay on your feet. Finally, back down in the hardwoods, we could begin to chip the ice off our beards!

Well, we did make it down and recovered most of our gear. (Except a raincoat with my carkeys...) The Cogo's in Oakland Maryland was a site for sore eyes. The boys had their fill of high adventure. As individuals, we had our shortcomings. As a troop, however, we held together well. The Sods can be treacherous, as we found out the next day when my brother and I went to retrieve my car. Sometime after we drove the boys off the mountain, a tree broke under the force of the wind and fell accross the road.