Scout Troop 5 of Hope went on their annual Spring Break River Trip in late
March. Activities on the first leg of the adventure included camping on the
Buffalo River, hiking Lost Valley exploring the Eden Falls Cave and Natural
Bridge, seeing the Arkansas Elk herd, canoeing two days on the Buffalo River
for a total of 24 miles and hiking to Twin Falls. Staying in the Camp Orr
Dining Hall the Scouts had two fireplaces to keep them warm and enjoyed
fajitas one evening and jambalaya the next. Blueberry pancakes and bacon
began each morning. Donnie Golden and Jay Johnson made blackberry, apple,
strawberry and peach cobblers. Jay also made Dutch oven cornbread.
For the second part of the trip the Scouts stayed on the White River at
White Hole Resort as the guests of the owners, Steve, Lin and Katelyn
Willets. The group had a wonderful time there highlighted by guided trout
fishing for the Scouts in boats. Everyone caught fish and Willets put on a
fish fry for everyone with the fresh caught trout. Scouts fishing from the
bank also had success catching additional trout.Other activities on the White River, Norfolk River and Crooked Creek
included touring Vexus Boats, having a program at the Jim Gaston/Bull Shoals
Dam Overlook Center, tying fishing flies at the Fred Berry Conservation
Center and fly fishing at Dry Run Creek with volunteer guides for all the
Scouts. Hope’s Scouts were the first group to use the Gaston Center’s
Theater in a year and were the first group to use the Fred Berry Center
since everything closed for Covid.Fly tying class included Nima’s World Famous Pizza for everyone. Arkansas
Game and Fish Education Coordinator Denis Dunderdale ran the fly tying class
and supervised the fly fishing guides.Attending were: D’Aunna Golden, Baker Alexander, Brandon Johnson, Donnie
Golden, Dustin McCorkle, Ed Flagg, Senior Patrol Leader Emma Wright, Everly
Davis, Harper McMahan, Hayden Williams, Heather Smith, Joe Flagg, Jay
Johnson, Jonathan Smith, Scoutmaster Karen Smith, Ken Shafer, Lester Sitzes,
Mary Martinez, Renay Clark, Robert Wright, Scott McCorkle, Sterling Sawyer,
Sydney Smith, Tina Kisselburg, Tristan Sitzes, Larry England and Zachary
Davis.Scout Troop 5 is sponsored by Hope’s First United Church’s Century Bible
Class.
