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 FROM THE HORSESHOE SCOUT RESERVATION
snowshoes


SNOWSHOE BUILDING WORKSHOP

This workshop will provid you with an Ojibwa pre-formed snowshoe kit which you will be able to assemble, string and preserve. The full project completion will take two weekends. NOTE: If you were to purchase these snowshoes already constructed the cost would be over $300 per pair.

Ranger Tom Murphy will also demonstrate building snowshoes from scratch using raw materials by steaming and forming the wood and finally stringing the snowshoes.

Click image to enlarge

For more info contact Ranger Tom Murphy
717-548-3352
 

Register here today!!

 

Winter Sports Safety
 

December 2010

In August 2009, based upon the recommendation of the Risk Management Advisory Panel and Health and Safety Committee, Item 3 of the Winter Sports Safety section in the Guide to Safe Scouting was changed to read as follows:

“APPROPRIATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL ACTIVITIES. THIS INCLUDES THE RECOMMENDED USE OF HELMETS FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN WINTER SPORTS SUCH AS SLEDDING AND OTHER SLIDING DEVICES. THE USE OF HELMETS IS REQUIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES: DOWNHILL SKIING, SNOWBOARDING, AND OPERATION OF SNOWMOBILES (FULL-FACE HELMETS).”

The change can only be found at this time in the electronic version of Guide to Safe Scouting. The updated printed version should be available in January 2011.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends the following safety guidelines to improve sledding safety:

  • Parents or adults must supervise children at all times while they are sledding
  • Sled only in designated areas free of fixed objects such as trees, posts, and fences. 
  • Do not sled on slopes that end in a street, drop-off, parking lot, river, or pond. 
  • All participants must sit in a forward-facing position, steering with their feet or a rope tied to the steering handles of the sled. No one should sled headfirst down a slope. 
  • To protect from injury, it is important to wear helmets, gloves, and layers of clothing. 
  • Do not sit/slide on plastic sheets or other materials that can be pierced by objects on the ground. 
  • Use a sled with runners and a steering mechanism, which is safer than toboggans or snow disks. 
  • Sled in well-lighted areas when choosing evening activities. 
  • Individuals with pre-existing neurological problems may be at a higher risk for injury.

Please remember The Sweet 16 of BSA Safety, which embodies good judgment and common sense for all Scouting activities:

  • Qualified Supervision 
  • Physical Fitness 
  • Buddy System 
  • Safe Area or Course 
  • Equipment Selection and Maintenance 
  • Personal Safety Equipment 
  • Safety Procedures and Policies 
  • Skill Level Limits 
  • Weather Check 
  • Planning Communication 
  • Permits and Notices 
  • First-Aid Resources 
  • Applicable Laws 
  • CPR Resources 
  • Discipline

 
orienteering

ORIENTEERING COURSES COME TO HSR !!

HSR now has an orienteering course available at Camp John H. Ware III. A second course, located at Camp Horseshoe, is in the process of being completed and should be available in early 2011

Camp Ware

Camp Horseshoe

Download Map

Coming Soon !!

Download Coordinates

 
 

DCNR WARNS CAMPERS OF DANGERS
OF TRANSPORTING FIREWOOD IN STATE
Bureaus of Forestry, State Parks Target Spread of Emerald Ash Borer, Other Forest Pests

HARRISBURG — Campers are being asked not to give forest insect pests a free ride by transporting firewood in the commonwealth. “We want campers to obtain firewood locally and not transport it into our state parks and forestlands,” said Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis. “We are especially targeting our request to campers coming from states where the emerald ash borer — a forest pest that could prove deadly to our ash trees — already has been discovered.” The ash borer has been identified in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and the Canadian Province of Ontario. Also, the Asian long-horned beetle, another insect easily spread in firewood, exists in Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Toronto, Canada.

“We know campers coming from these already infected areas may not hear our warning, so we’re hoping Pennsylvanians who often share cabins or campsites with them spread the message, ‘Leave the firewood at home; buy it or cut it locally,’” said DiBerardinis. “Not only is it illegal to move wood from a quarantined area, it’s not a wise idea to move any firewood anywhere in the state, especially with the ongoing threat of other insects and diseases to our state’s forests.”

Usually visible from May to August, the adult emerald ash borer beetles are slightly less than one-inch long, thin and bright metallic green in color. The beetle, which feeds in the tissues under the bark of ash trees, has claimed more than 10 million trees in Michigan alone.

If infected firewood was transported into Pennsylvania, the emerald ash borer could emerge next spring and begin feeding on ash trees. It prefers green and white ash but will target all ash trees, regardless of whether they are healthy or stressed. First identified in North America in 2002, the emerald ash borer causes the girdling and death of branches and entire trees.

DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry participates in a multi-agency task force assembled to detect and control this invasive threat to Pennsylvania ash trees. Other cooperating members of the task force include the state Department of Agriculture, Penn State Cooperative Extension, the USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine and the USDA Forest Service.

Overseeing 117 state parks, most of which offer camping, the Bureau of State Parks has posted warnings and information at campgrounds and on DCNR’s Web site: www.dcnr.state.pa.us . Similar information soon will be passed on to campers reserving sites online.

Since 2003, DCNR has been surveying for the early detection of emerald ash borer on state-owned forestlands. That same year, 18 surveillance sites were established in Erie County. Surveillance efforts were expanded in 2004 to 20 sites in 13 counties: Beaver, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Mercer, Somerset, Tioga, Venango and Washington.

The state Department of Agriculture and USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine also are conducting surveys in nurseries and urban areas. No emerald ash borer or Asian long-horned beetles have been detected in Pennsylvania.

Signs of emerald ash borer infestation include upper crown dieback, woodpecker damage, “S”-shaped galleries under the bark and "D"-shaped emergence holes. To report possible infested trees in Pennsylvania, contact DCNR’s Division of Forest Pest Management at (717) 948-3941, or BadBug@state.pa.us; or the Department of Agriculture toll free at (866) 253-7189.

 
 

WEEKEND TRADING POST

The Horseshoe Scout Reservation maintains two well stocked Trading Posts and  are open each Saturday from the first weekend in November to the last weekend of weekend camping season. Camp souvenirs, memorabilia, T-Shirts, HSR sweatshirts, caps, Camp patches, books, camping supplies, candy, soda and snacks are available.

Camp Horseshoe Trading Post  -  Open 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm

Camp Ware Trading Post  -  Open 3:00 pm to 4:00 PM

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NEW FOR THE 2010 WEEKEND CAMPING
SEASON !!!!!

THE HORSESHOE RIDGE BOULDERING WALL

LOCATED AT
CAMP WARE

Contact an HSR Ranger for details on how to make a reservation

 

The EAGLES ARE BACK !!!

I case you weren't aware, the Horseshoe Scout Reservation is the home to several pairs of nesting Bald Eagles.

The bald eagle is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The Bald Eagle Protection Act prohibits any action or activity that might disturb a nesting pair, as well as making it illegal to collect eagles and eagle parts, nests, or eggs without a permit. Please be considerate of these magnificent birds while you are out at HSR. For more information, please contact one of our Rangers.

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So What Exactly is a Magua?

Magua (pronounced Măg wa) is the name of HSR Director Ray Hayden's 125lb Alaskan Malamute and the unofficial mascot of the Horseshoe Scout Reservation. Often confused with a husky, Alaskan Malamutes often grow to be twice the size. Both Malamutes and huskies are sled dogs, however "Mals" are the oldest and largest of the Artic sled dogs, they possess great strength and endurance and were bred to pull extremely heavy loads over long distances, whereas huskies are more of a racing sled dog. You're not likely to find a Malamute team racing in the Iditarod - they're not as speedy as huskies although there have been one or two dog teams that have competed. This dog was actually never destined to be a racing dog; instead, it was used for heavy freighting, pulling hundreds (maybe thousands) of pounds of supplies to villages and camps in groups of at least four dogs for heavy loads. Malamutes are very strong but also extremely friendly and very gentle. There's a saying that "A Malamute has never met a person he didn't like".

The rugged Alaskan Malamute is a working dog and a unique breed which is truly native to North American and best suited to people who love the great outdoors. Majestic and dignified, the Alaskan Malamute is an affectionate and friendly family dog. He is highly intelligent and learns quickly, but with that high level of intelligence comes a tendency for independence . . . which, in the case of a sled dog, is not necessarily a negative. Consider for a second, an Alaskan Malamute pulling a heavy sled under harsh, winter conditions. The ability to make an independent, split second decision as to which way to turn can often be a life saving one and a trait that is highly valued by mushers. Malamutes can be very strong-willed, so training starts early. As an energetic and athletic breed, daily exercise is a necessity. Wolf-like in appearance, Malamutes shed profusely as do all Arctic dogs. In fact, carefully take note of many bird nests throughout HSR (without disturbing the nest). You'll see that many of them are lined with Alaskan Malamute fur.

The Malamute is a descendant of dogs of the Mahlemuts tribe of upper western Alaska (the breed can be traced back 2,000 to 3,000 years ago). These dogs had a prominent role with their human companions – working, hunting, and living alongside them. The interdependent relationship between the Mahlemut and their dogs fostered prosperity among both and enabled them to flourish in the inhospitable land above the Arctic Circle. For a brief period during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896, the Malamute and other sled dogs became extremely valuable to recently landed prospectors and settlers, and were frequently crossbred with imported breeds. This was often an attempt to improve the type, or to make up for how few true Malamutes were up for sale. This seems to have had no long standing effect on the modern Malamute, and recent DNA analysis shows that Malamutes are one of the oldest breeds of dog, genetically distinct from other dog breeds. The Malamute dog has had a distinguished history; aiding Rear Admiral Richard Byrd to the South Pole, and the miners who came to Alaska during the Gold Rush of 1896, as well as serving in World War II primarily as search and rescue dogs in Greenland, although also used as freighting and packing dogs in Europe.

You can usually find Magua in the Trading Posts on most Saturday afternoons or catching up on his sleep in one of the Ranger's trucks but you're likely to see him just about anywhere on the Reservation at any time of the day. Stop by and scratch his chest . . . he'll love you forever!

UPDATE (5/18/10): A new member of the pack has been added . . . his is an Alaskan Malamute puppy named Sequoia.

TRIVIA POINT: Magua was named after a character in the book "Last of the Mohicans" as are all of the campsites in Camp Ware.
 


To learn more about the
Alaskan Malamute,
Click here for the Animal Planet video


 
 

Leave No Trace Awareness Training

"Leave No Trace is an awareness and an attitude rather than a set of rules. It applies in your backyard or local park as much as in the backcountry. We should all practice Leave No Trace in our thinking and actions--wherever we go".

As part of our commitment as a conservation oriented organization to our environment, the Horseshoe Scout Reservation will continue to offer the three hour Leave No Trace Awareness training on the second Saturday of every month. Registration for our Leave No Trace Awareness training is available online. For more information click here

"The Leave No Trace principles might seem unimportant until you consider the combined effects of millions of outdoor visitors. One poorly located campsite or campfire may have little significance, but thousands of such instances will seriously degrade the outdoor experience for all. Leaving no trace is everyone's responsibility."

 

CAMPMASTER TRAINING

Campmasters are members of a group of dedicated volunteer scouters with a strong camping and outdoors background with many years of experience at HSR. During the weekend they serve Camp Ware or Camp Horseshoe as an official representative of the Chester County Council and the Horseshoe Scout Reservation. Their goal is to provide support to the units during their stay at the reservation. Chester County Council Campmasters are trained to ensure a safe and positive weekend camping experience for the Packs, Troops and Crews that utilize the Horseshoe Scout Reservation during the short term camping season.

For more information on becoming an HSR Campmaster, send us your name, email address, current position in scouting and contact phone numbers in the form below:

 

Your Name:

Your Email Address:

Your Current Position: (Scoutmaster, Committee Chairman etc)

Day time Phone #:

Evening Phone #:

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Information contained on the website is the property of
the Horseshoe Scout Reservation,
Chester County Council, B.S.A.


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