There are lots of good places to go hiking and camping here in Middle Tennessee. Several scouts from Troop 521 recently backpacked their gear for about 7 miles of the Montgomery Bell trail at Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, Tennessee. After the first 1/4 mile, boots and packs had to be adjusted for comfort. From there on, it was great just being out there.

Although it was cold and either snowing or sleeting through most of the day, the Scouts had prepared for and rehearsed this trip. Extra layers and a good hiking pace kept everyone warm.

Montgomery Bell State Park is a beautiful area through which to hike and provides many super views like the one on the right.

Eventually, we reached the shelter site and set up camp. One of the first things that we did was fix some hot food. It was a good chance for the guys to show off their single burner cooking skills. Now, if only those stoves had legs ...

Of course it was also an opportunity for the Scoutmasters to show off some of their skills as well. Now, how much water do you add to Ramen Noodle Soup anyway?

Finding that parking lot at the end of the trail felt really great and of course we had to take a group picture. See if you can figure out who was behind the camera for the other photos. Overall, it was an excellent trip and three Scouts finished earning their Camping merit badges.