Troop 301,
Results were approximately 20% = no camp, 35% = Catskills an 45% = Minsi
The choices were below:
| Black bear campground in Phoenicia (Private in Catskills) | Camp Minsi Boy Scout Camp | |
| Where would it be | Phoenicia NY(near Hunter Mountain) | Pocono Pines Pennsylvania |
| Car Ride from Church | 3-1/2 hours | 3 hours |
| Dates | 6-11 August (Friday to Wednesday) | 7-11 August (Sat to Wednesday) |
| Camp Site Activites | All activities near by and not onsite. | Canoeing, Archery, swimming, canoeing, fishing hiking camping etc. (we are on our own) |
| Camping Facility | Camp site (we use our tents) | Weytrex Cabin (Both sides sleep 35) |
| Fishing | Yes (catch and release) | Yes (catch and release) |
| Baseball Game | No | Yes |
| Bike Ride | Yes – We can use the country roads for a road bike trip or Go to Hunter Mountain where we can use the ski lifts to bring us up (extra charge) the mountain for biking. At Belleayre we can use all the cross country ski trails for mountain biking at no charge. | Yes (we have lots passes) and the trip would be on an old railway surface and basically down hill. |
| Camp Site Cost | $10 per scout per night so for 20 scouts for 5 nights = $1,000 Tubing: Town Tinker Tubing offers tubing on the Esopus. Cost range at $20-30 depending on the equipment we need (PFDs, Helmets, wetsuits) Hopefully water release dates coincides with our stay. Release dates have not yet been publicized. For ages 12 and older Swimming: Belleayre Beach at Pine Hill Lake – a place for the whole family. They offer swimming, picnicking, horseshoe pits, volleyball, basketball, row boat, pedal boat and kayak rentals, fishing and great relaxation!. ALL FOR $2.00 PER PERSON for the day (or $8.00 per carload) |
$100 per night or $400 for the four nights. We can borrow canoes, archery, swimming, fishing at no cost. Tubing and whitewater nearby in the same place we do Whitewater Rafting trip and at similar costs to those in the Catskills. |
| Food Costs (estimate) | $60 for six days | $40 for four days |
| Baseball Ticket | N/A | $10 |
| Bike Ride Cost | Assume a cost of $20-30 per scout (plus lift ticket for hunter) | Assume $20 plus free pass. |
| Hiking and Backpacking | There are numerous trail choices that range from 1 1/2 mile round trip to as much as 10 miles. For those who want to do a 20 mile hike for one of the Hiking Merit badge requirements we can hike along the mostly abandoned railroad bed. |
Minsi offers not overly challenging hiking but a fairly large choice of hikes on the grounds of the campsite. See camp map at:http://campminsi.fileave.com/Camp%20Minsi%20-%20Trail%20Map.pdf |
| COPE type things | This summer at Hunter Mountain a zip-line system will be opening. There will be 3 different levels. The most extreme has sections that are 600 feet above the ground. It is being billed as the Longest and Highest in North America. Not many details but it is about a 2 1/2 hour tour that will cost near $100. The less extreme tours are less costly. I was told to watch the website for more details and opening dates. (This is likely only available for boys 13 and older due to BSA rules) |
Not available |
| Estimate Cost per scout: | If you do nothing but camp and hike/backpack the min. would be ~$110 for six days (~$18 per day per scout) If you do most things except the zip line (up to $100 more) it will be in the area of $180 or ~ $30 per day per scout. | $90 to $115 for everything |
| Good Points | It’s the Catskills with beautiful views and lots of higher adventure available as well as near by activities. | Weytrex Cabin. Bunks, big inside for night and rain activity. Water, bathroom, shower, refrigerator in cabin. The camp is familiar and big for many things. |
| Bad Points | This is not a BSA Camp so the “in camp activities” are very limited. Almost everything comes at an additional cost and requires some travel to that activity. Cost can be almost double that of Minsi for similar activities. | Troop has been to Minsi often. Draining Lake after 7 August to fix dam; may affect swimming. |
Mr. Bauer