MLK Ski Trip 2026
By O.S., Scout
This MLK weekend, Scouts of both the Boys’ and Girls’ Troop went on a ski campout in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. The area has snowstorms and snowfall often in the winter, so conditions were stellar for both days of skiing.
The weekend started when the party took roughly a 3-hour and 30-minute drive to Heritage Scout Reservation, where the boys troop had gone for Summer Camp in 2024, and conveniently just about 50 minutes from the Seven Springs Ski Resort. The evening was filled with unpacking, shenanigans in the snow, and learning the cabin that we would be staying in for the next three nights.
The next morning was a morning of excitement and anticipation of the day to come. The Scouts got dressed, checked and loaded their skis in the cars, and drove off.
The conditions at the mountain were close to perfect. A layer of powder had blanketed the area in the weeks before, with a gentle snow throughout the day. As Scouts split up, picked their buddies, and set out for everything from greens to blacks to glades and terrain, skiers and snowboarders from across the Eastern United States began to come in. The lifts quickly became filled, although the backside of the mountain was still a manageable crowd. The first runs were about re-learning the ropes, learning in general, and just diving into the slopes that we would ski on for the rest of the weekend. During the events of the day however, one of our Scouts took a bad fall and had to be transported to a Pittsburgh area hospital for treatment. His demeanor was a perfect example of “a Scout is cheerful:” He was even able to ski the next day.
After lunch at the main lodge of the resort, Scouts squeezed in a few more runs before packing up to go back to the lodge, excited for the next day. The rest of the night was a night of dinner, desert, and a healthy amount of time to just relax around the cabin.
The next day was very different from the previous. The sun was peeking out every now and then, but below-freezing temperatures were still prevalent. The result was a snow mixture more tailored for advanced skiers. Some areas in the shade retained their powder, however, so conditions were still better than many other Scouts had skied in before.
After a night similar to the preceding one, the Scouts organized a “campfire” in one of the bunk rooms. They did the classic skits and stories, some new stories to accommodate the conditions, and a throwback to the 2024 campfire.
The next morning was early, as we cleaned up the cabin and prepared our gear to go back home. We did our customary Sheetz stop before saying goodbye to the Allegheny Mountains and retreating back to our suburban McLean.
