Outdoor ESCAPES New Hampshire, LLC

Sample Custom ESCAPE for a Youth Group
8-Day Trip for a Boy Scout Group of 40 Participants

$895 each. Provided: Guides, campsite/parking/trail/shuttle fees, food, fuel, recreation equipment rentals, programming, pre-trip forms, pack list, and directions. Not included for groups larger than 10 participants: tents, stoves, cook kits. Also not included is air and ground transportation and lodging before and after the trip.

Arrive at Manchester airport and travel to the Great North Woods.

Camping at a campground. Inspection of all personal gear. Evening topic: Wilderness Travel in N.H.--treading lightly and risk management

Backpackers start the 6- or 7-day backpack trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, on a section of the Appalachian Trail between Shelburne, NH and Grafton Notch, Maine, called the Mahoosuc Range. It is challenging (contains the A.T.’s most rugged mile) but well-traveled. There are lean-tos and tent platforms along the route, as well as composting toilets and potable water, which makes a great location for a week of backpacking. Evening topic: What's Wild in New Hampshire

Canoers will do a day hike today and learn about North Woods Survival. The hike will be in Dixville Notch, historically known as the location of the nation's "First in the nation presidential primary." Self-guided small groups will hike different trails, including sections of the Cohos Trail. This group will stay at the previous campground for a second night.

Evening topic: What's Wild in New Hampshire

Day 3 – Sunday

Backpackers continue their hike, learning about low-impact camping practices (very important) and see lots of granite--afterall, New Hampshire is the "Granite State." Evening topic: Map and Compass

Canoers will do a day hike today and learn about North Woods Wildlife. start a 4-day canoe trip down the Androscoggin River with paddling instruction. Evening topic: Map and Compass

Backpackers continue their hike. Evening topic: Outdoor Photography

Canoers will start a 5-day canoe trip down the Androscoggin River with paddling instruction.

This section of water will be easy and fun, and lessons will be provided, as time allows. All paddlers will be tested at the start of trip for proficiency in swimming while wearing a PFD (personal floatation device). They need to float on their backs and swim backwards toward shore, feet up near the surface of the water. The crawl or overhand would also be good if they needed powerful strokes, still keeping feet near the surface, to avoid foot entrapment in the rocky bottom. Good water shoes (or old sneakers) with socks are important.

The first day of paddling will be going down a quickwater section of the Magalloway River into Lake Umbagog, where they will find assigned campsites, with picnic tables, pit toilets, and fire rings, for two nights. Evening topic: Outdoor Photography

Day 5 – Tuesday

Backpackers continue their hike, learning about the boreal forest and its inhabitants such as moose, black bear, spruce grouse, and Canada jay. Evening topic: Wilderness Literature and Art

Canoers will look for moose, eagles, loons, and other boreal forest wildlife while canoeing along the shores of Lake Umbagog . Time will also be spent working on paddling skills, communication, and river reading. In preparation for possible rapids the following day, we will also practice rescues, which is a great way to cool off on a hot day. For those interested in fishing, more information here. Tonight will be camping again at the same campsites on Lake Umbagog. Evening topic: Wilderness Literature and Art

Backpackers continue their hike. Evening topic: North Woods Survival.

Canoers continue down the river, practicing reading the river and rescues. This third day of canoeing may be about 4 hours of actual paddling/floating down the Androscoggin River, plus a portage around a dam, a picnic, and either Class II whitewater or portage around it. Continuing with more quickwater to the next campsite, setting up for the last night. Evening topic: North Woods Survival. 

Backpackers finish their hike and discuss trip planning and outdoor leadership.

Canoers After a lazy morning and the last big breakfast, paddlers break camp for the fourth day of canoeing on the Androscoggin River. A couple of hours through Class I runs interspersed with quickwater ends with a straight short run of Class II whitewater (before the water slows into a pond from a dam two miles below). Discuss trip planning and outdoor leadership.

All Boy Scouts and dads stay at a hotel to get refreshed and do laundry before their flight home on Friday.

Flight departs.