People Camped in the cold in Sullivan County
Most people camping in the cold in Sullivan County. Boy Scouts of the Andaste District, the perfect atmosphere to learn about cold weather climates. Scouts from Sullivan and Bradford counties gathered at chilly camp Brule for the Polar Bear Expedition this weekend. According to Dave Coolbaugh, around 160 to 180 scouts showed up to brave this year. Dave Coolbaugh with his wife Cindy, chairs the event. He said the event has been held annually for 51 consecutive years at Camp Brule. The organizers explained that the event usually is held on the third weekend of January.
The Andaste District Chairman Gary Neiley said “It is a part of the Five Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America.” The Andaste District consists of mainly Sullivan and Bradford counties. Scouts mostly consists from ages 11 to 18 participated in the event, according to Neiley.
Some scouts registered for the event didn’t come because of the extreme cold. 19 scouts troops stayed at the camp over Friday night with the rest arriving Saturday morning. According to Nick Ross, the temperatures in the early morning at Camp Brule has been dropped as low as 15 to 17 degrees below zero. Ross works with the Andaste District.
Because of the extreme cold, some events has been moved to indoors instead of outdoors. The extreme cold is sometimes easier to deal with than moderate temperatures which can lead to wet snow and consequently, wet scouts, commented from Neiley and Coolbaugh.
The event considered of classes and workshops with games and competition.
Neiley said to be comfortable in the cold, scouts place cardboard or straw under their tents to keep insulated from the camping ground cold and snow.
If anyone interested in scouting can contact the Andaste District executive Nick Ross at this number (570) 265-1268 or you may visit the website at www.fiverivers.org for more information.
