On Oct. 27 and 28, 45 Boy Scouts and adult leaders from Rutherford and Polk counties troops participated in a backpacking camporee.

Scouts and leaders hiked into Alexander’s Ford, which is part of the Bradley Nature preserve on the Green River near the Rutherford-Polk county line.

Alexander’s Ford is part of the Overmountain Victory Trail and the site of the Green River crossing for the Overmountain Men on their way to King’s Mountain.

During this campout, Scouts had presentations by 2 OMVT re-enactors, Roger Byers, of Bostic, and John Moss, of Spartanburg, who displayed and demonstrated clothing and accessories that the mountain men would have carried, what life was like and the long rifles they would have carried and fought with.

There was also a presentation by North Carolina Wildlife Resource officers Tim Bullock and Richard Tucker on firearm and hunter safety and information on bear interaction and safety. Scouts also did a course on low impact camping principles and practices, which are the guidelines that Scouts use for backcountry travel and camping.

Scouts also worked on a conservation project building additional trail in the area and completed by .7 miles of trail based on a master plan provided by the Polk County Recreation Department.

Attending the event was Troop 129, of Spindale; Troop 150 and Troop 128, of Mill Spring; Troop 131, of Ellenboro; and Troop 132, of Rutherfordton.

– Submitted by Eric Wells