Troop 1 Hopkinton members hiking Kesugi Ridge in Alaska’s Denali State Park include (from left) Finn Ayube, Evan McDaniel, Srivar Yerramsetti, James Kayan, Keith Charlton and Shawn Ayube, led by Northern Lights High Adventure Base guide Ben Ganshorn (right). PHOTO/RYAN MCDANIEL

High adventure was the theme of the summer for Boy Scout troops in Hopkinton. Troop 1 and Troop 4 explored the wilderness on opposite coasts, challenging themselves and building lifelong skills along the way.

Troop 1 Hopkinton’s high adventure trip was an exercise in patience and flexibility.

In July, 11 Scouts and 5 adults from the troop spent 10 days backpacking and canoeing in southern Alaska. The troop organized the trip through the Northern Lights High Adventure Base, which is associated with the Midnight Sun Council in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The trip began without issue in Denali State Park, just north of Anchorage. In the park, the group spent three days hiking the Kesugi Ridge Trail.

The Scouts hiked 18 miles of the 29-mile trail. Along the way, they were treated to scenic views of the nearby Denali National Park and Preserve.

“We had good views of the area,” said Tenderfoot Finn Ayube, who joined the trip. “We could see the bottom of Denali.”

“It was cloudy so we couldn’t see the peak,” added Troop 1 Scoutmaster Ryan McDaniel.

After finishing up their hike, the Scouts planned to move over into the national park. However, they were forced to change plans due to ongoing wildfires, opting to camp elsewhere instead.

The next leg of the trip was a two-day canoe trip up the Delta-Clearwater River and into the Tanana River. 

Ayube remarked that the difference in the water as they crossed into the Tanana River from the Delta-Clearwater River was “unbelievable.”

While the crew enjoyed great scenery and encounters with wildlife while on the water, it was met with challenges as well. The Scouts were forced to be resourceful after their canoes became stuck on debris and capsized.

In the final leg of the journey, the group hiked for three days around the Gulkana Glacier and then toured Fairbanks.

Getting home was an adventure for Troop 1 as well. The group became stuck in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport when Microsoft outages disrupted flights nationwide.

Ayube said his father — who accompanied him on the trip — found a solution to this problem. 

“Thanks to my dad’s ingenuity, we got to rent some cars,” Ayube said. “We were some of the last people to get a car.”

Despite the challenges, Troop 1 looks forward to its next trip. McDaniel says he hopes to take his Scouts to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico in 2026.

“We try to do high adventure [trips] every other year,” he said.

Members of Troop 4 pose for a photo at the top of Mount Katahdin. PHOTO/CHARUSMITHA RAM

Troop 4 treks Mount Katahdin

In early September, Troop 4 Hopkinton headed to Maine to tackle the summit of Mount Katahdin.

The Scouts hiked Maine’s highest mountain as part of a revolving series of hikes. Troop 4 runs a “six highest peaks of New England” program to give Scouts more hiking opportunities.

“The program was started in 2018,” said Troop 4 assistant Scoutmaster Charusmitha Ram. “We want every Scout to have an opportunity to complete these [hikes] through their course to Eagle Scout.”

For each hike the Scouts do, they receive a patch for their uniform. The other mountains included in the program are Mount Washington, Mount Mansfield in Vermont, Jerimoth Hill in Rhode Island, Bear Mountain in Connecticut and Mount Greylock.

Climbing Katahdin required time and patience. Troop 4 got on the hiking trail early, prepared for 5.5 miles of trail and 3,800 feet of elevation gain.

“We had to wake up at 5 a.m., and we got back at 7 or 8 at night,” said Navin Parthasarathy, a second-class Scout who was on the hike.

The crew faced steep inclines up and down the trail. Ram reported that most of the elevation gain occurred in the last 2 miles.

“It was very rocky,” said Life Scout Thomas Donahue.

“Bouldering down definitely took a while,” Parthasarathy added.

At the top, the group stopped to eat lunch and take in the views. Donahue continued a small tradition of his — cooking ramen on a backpacking stove while on the summit.

For the 16-year-old Donahue, Katahdin was the last hike he needed to complete the six-peak program. However, he’s open to repeating a hike or two.

“It could be fun to do Mansfield again,” Donahue said, “for sentimental reasons.”

Those interested in learning more about these high adventure trips or the Scouting program can contact Karen Bograd from Troop 1 at committeechair@troop1hopkinton.org or Troop 4 at troop4hopkinton.com/contact-us.