My hiking partners today are Chris Rogers and Steve Bell, friends from Boy Scout Troop 507 in Winchester, MA. Chris has been the troop’s Scoutmaster since before my son Henry joined as a sixth grader in 2007. I’ve been part of Troop 507 since then, and Henry and I have had great adventures with Chris, Steve and many other parents and scouts over the years. It’s also how I became an avid hiker.

From Chris: We started our day in Winchester at 7am. We parked at the trailhead in Township E in Franklin County, Maine, and began our hike on the Appalachian Trail overlooking scenic Rangeley Lake at 11:35am. Much to our chagrin, the trail immediately headed straight up in a quick test of our endurance. We soon experienced downhill treachery too, along with beautiful scenery including Moxie and Long Ponds. We arrived at the Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to at about 6:00pm. We quickly dropped our packs, changed into more comfortable footwear, refilled our water bottles and had dinner. Early to bed. Ready for an early start tomorrow. (photos to come)

Meanwhile, Troop 507 has had some good times over the years: