PTR 10 Mile Trail Hiker Award (Type 1)
| Description: In early 1973, elements of the US Army
875th Engineer Battalion (ARNG) using bull dozers, broke a parameter road /
firebreak around the very back sides of our camp. For the first time, this made
the "back forty" accessable by semi-improved trails. By combining parts of our
8 mile trail with the new firebreak and other old trails, we were able to develop
a new 10 mile trail, which included stops at various points of interest such
as the 1875 homestead graveyard, various springs, and other natural features we
had not previous been able to access.
On Friday of staff week in 1973, Jack Roy, our camp director, lead the first hike on the new trail. ALL the staff made the hike including the water front gang (aka Aqua-tics). A new Outpost camp for older scouts was introduced that summer and camp mountainman Tom Elmore showed us the various elements of his program within the backcountry. Even for some of the old-hand staffers, this was their first sight of some of this back country. This patch was available one per hiker to those who completed the 10 mile trail. The initial order of patches was this cloth backed version. Later a reorder was made that is very slightly different with a plastic back. Due to mounting council debt major portions of the back area lands were sold. As a result, the 10 mile trail was significantly altered and by 1980 had been discontinued. |
| Camp Location: Viola, Arkansas Designation: XS-31 Characteristics: Blue solid embroidery; Red rolled edge; Green trees; Cloth backed; 75x78mm. |
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