Scouting, Volume 8, Number 11, June 3, 1920 Page: 6
16 p. : ill. ; 31 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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SCOUTING, JUNE 3, 1920
Hoboken Treks in the Catskills
By Joseph D. Carstang
and Gilbert T. Brewer
THIS is the Story of a trek cart hike
in the Catskills. It may not rival
statistically the " See America"
stories possible to those fortunately situ-
ated in the Sierras and the Rockies. How-
ever, even the elevation of 3,500 feet so
close to sea level as are the Catskills, im-
plies about half as much climb as does the
altitude of 14,000 feet at Pike's Peak, and
it offers a worthy expedition for boys in
the metropolitan district.
This story is not only intended to con-
vey to the reader a tale of a really worthy
outdoor trip, but also to testify to the ad-
vantages of a trek cart.
The cart was designed by a committee
consisting of the scoutmaster and two
members of the troop committee, with the
helpful counsel of the local wagon builder
who constructed the cart—Mr. J. Parrott
of Ferry Street, Hoboken, New Jersey.
The scouts of the troop were also con-
sulted as to what suggestions they could
offer in the way of certain features of the
vehicle itself; from whom many good
ideas were obtained.
The best of materials were used—hand
forged springs and wheels of the remov-
able artillery type. The shaft was de-
signed for quick removal in a narrow
roadway.
The body of the cart was sixty-four
inches long, thirty-seven inches wide and
twelve inches deep. The height measuring
from the ground up through the center
of the arched uprights which supported
the water-proof cover was seventy-four
inches. From the ground to the floor
of the box measured fifty-four inches.
The wheels were thirty-seven inches
in diameter and the shaft eighty-four
inches long. A hinged tail-board was
lowered to the required depth by adjust-
ab e hooks and chains. The canvas cover
which was of a most practical nature be-
cause of its general all-around utility was
made of eight ounce U. S. Army khaki;
water-proofed by the well known standard
process of the David T. Abercrombie
Company of New York City. Iron
brackets were placed on the under part of
the box to accommodate tent poles, and
scout staves. Two white globe Dietz rail-
road lanterns at the front and one with a
red globe at the rear comprised the light-
ing equipment of the cart; and on each
side was carried a short-handled U. S.
Army combination pick and shovel.
The wagon cover was lettered:
"BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, TROOP
FIVE, HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY,"
with a large outline of the Scout Emblem
in the center. This appeared on each side
of the cart cover. There was a rack to
hold the First Aid Cabinet.
The Hike In
Late one August afternoon in 1915,
twenty-two scouts of Hoboken 5 started
Skiing in the Catskills Feb-
ruary 22d, we picked up the trail
of a wonderfully fine troop of
scouts whose annual pilgrimage
in that region was a welcome
event to the year-round residents.
" This is a small world." A few
weeks afterward we came upon
this troop, Hoboken 5, New Jer-
sey. Here is the story by Mr.
J. D. Carstang, then scoutmaster,
and now executive of Hudson
County, and Gilbert T. Brewer,
merit badge scout.
In the next issue, " Where No
Boys But Boy Scouts Have Ever
Been," a story of a hike to Mt.
Rainer.
on a trip with this cart for Echo Lake,
New York. The road lay over the west
shoulder of.Overlook Mountain, with an
altitude of three thousand one hundred
and fifty feet, or approximately four times
the height of the Wool worth Building—
tallest skyscraper in the world. And not
only did they intend to scale the moun-
tain packing their personal belongings on
their backs, but the camp equipment and
two weeks' supply of food, weighing over
five hundred pounds, was to be carted, the
hauling power being supplied by those
twenty-two scouts. The troop had al-
ready established an enviable record of
having climbed many other mountains in
New York and New Jersey, and was de-
sirous of making a new high record for
itself.
The sail up the Hudson river by night
boat was uneventful, and arriving at
Saugerties about three-thirty in the morn-
ing, we stayed aboard until seven o'clock
before starting towards Overlook Moun-
tain. The country between the boat land-
ing and the mountain is comparatively
flat, with a few rolling hills and many
farms. The roads were very good, and
excellent progress was made.
It was about three o'clock in the after-
noon when we pulled into Woodstock, 8
miles inland, and lying at the base of
Overlook Mountain. This was the last
sign of civilization before we arrived at
the camp site. Our arrival at that town
was marked by considerable celebration
on the part of the citizens. The hotel
keeper treated the crowd to sodas. We
pulled into Woodstock tired and dusty.
After an hour's rest, the order was given
to start the ascent of " Overlook." The
local people were somewhat skeptical as
to our making the climb-with the cart.
By nightfall we had covered about one-
third of the distance to the summit. Signs
from the sky warned us of the approach
of a storm. A scouting party had been
sent in advance, in search of a suitable
camp site for the night. It reported a de-
serted farm upon which was a barn filled
with hay.
Arriving, a patrol was assigned to pre-
pare a quick meal, while the rest made
preparations for the night. The cart was
fastened securely to a huge tree, thus se-
curing it against the wind. After consid-
erable scouting around, the owner of the
barn was located and permission was se-
cured to stop for the night. This problem
was solved as the first drop descended and
the news was welcome to all when the
word was passed that we were to repose
on a hay mattress eight feet in thickness.
Supper, in the meantime, was about
ready for serving, and " soupy, soupy,
soupy," by the troop "windjammer"
brought tired and hungry scouts tumbling
from their newly acquired " Hotel." The
cook patrol showed foresightedness in
pitching the cooking-fly over the fire, and
gathering sufficient wood for both evening
and morning fires.
Our trek cart, in addition to carrying
our camp equipment, served as a veritable
store house on wheels, and with the khaki
water-proof cover securely fastened, our
grub supply was kept in perfect condition
despite torrents of rain that fell.
Supper over, we cleaned up and re-
paired to our warm, dry shelter, where,
for a short while, the scouts grouped to-
gether discussing the day's happenings
and what lay before them on the morrow.
However, due to the day's rigorous hike,
the various groups of scouts gradually
gave place to rows of sleeping forms.
The morning proved clear and bright;
the world refreshed by the storm of the
night before. Squads were assigned to
clean up the remains of the evening's stop
—the equipment was packed, and once
more we started for the summit of Over-
look Mountain.
In spite of the fact that it was a long,
hard pull, which called for faithful team
work on the part of every member of the
party, stops were frequent enough to give
us all the proper amount of rest. By
noon, about half of the climb had been
completed, and the view was fully worthy
of the efforts we had put forth.
A roadside meal was prepared and ra-
tions issued. The boys were divided into
patrols comprising three separate cooking
parties. About two o'clock, the afternoon
climb was begun and it was hoped that by
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 8, Number 11, June 3, 1920, periodical, June 3, 1920; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth283171/m1/6/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.