Rock's Tree Farm February 16 -18, 2008 Not content with only one extreme winter camping trip, Troop 474 headed back outdoors for a chilling hike in the White Mountains. Only this time, they extended their stay to three days. Saving the hike up Mt. Pierce for the next day, the scouts busied themselves in pitching the camp upon arrival. The snow was so deep, even in the campsite, they had to wear snowshoes! Soon a campfire was built. Not being satisfied with merely a center of warmth, they, being resourceful, constructed "snowbenches" around the fire for further comfort. That night was spent in song, skits, and activities. After all, benches usually denote an audience, right? Waking up in ten degrees below zero weather is not exactly what most would call exciting, but they made the best of it. The hike up Mt. Pierce had its perks. For example, Canadian Jays, in a certain area, would land on your hand if there was food in it. On top of that, they would only eat a particular type of nut, discarding the rest. As previously mentioned, the snow was extremely deep. In fact, it was so deep that near the peak, it almost completely covered the 6 foot high trail sign at a fork in the road, concealing the correct direction in which to hike. On the third day, the scouts were temporarily stranded in the campsite due to ice covering the parking lot. The town had to send sanders down so they could drive out safely. As always, the scouts look forward to next year's exciting extreme winter trip.Troop Scribe, Domenic Casinelli