Updated: Hancock Boy Scouts plant trees at Maasto Hiihto Trails

By Michele Bourdieu

With helpful advice from Scout Leader Brian Jarvis, right, George Mendivel, 8, left, and Jake Riley, 13, of Hancock Scout Troop 207, dig holes for planting new trees at Hancock's Maasto Hiihto Trails on Saturday, May 3. The trees were purchased from the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District Tree Sale. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

HANCOCK -- Members of Hancock Boy Scout Troop 207 and Cub Scout Pack 207 braved a cold, rainy Saturday, May 3, to plant trees at the Maasto Hiihto trails as a community service project. The Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club purchased the 200 young trees -- a combination of red pine and white spruce -- from the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District Tree Sale.

Since Friday and Saturday, May 2-3, were the pick-up days for the tree sale, the planting was scheduled for Saturday morning.

"The trees can't wait," said Dale Dewald, scoutmaster for Cub Scout Pack 207. "They've got to be planted, rain or shine."

Using foot power on the shovel, Alexander Dewald, 10, digs a hole for tree planting with help from Dad, Dale Dewald, scoutmaster for Cub Scout Pack 207. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

In spite of the rain, Dewald's son Alexander, 10, who will soon be advancing from Cub Scouts to Boy Scout Troop 207, said it was "fun."

Another father-and-son pair, Dillon Babcock, 12, and his Dad, Louis Babcock, help prepare the ground for the new young trees. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

The Scouts worked up an appetite for lunch -- grilled ham and cheese sandwiches -- to be cooked over a campfire at the Trailhead near the Chalet.

Preparing the campfire for the hot lunch of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches are Jacob Jarvis, 12, center, and Drew Meyer, 10. Supervising the campfire crew is Scout Leader Mike Meyer, Drew's Dad. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

Scout Leader Mike Meyer said the troop had planted trees in the past, but this was the first time they would cook their own lunch.

"It's a good chance for the boys to learn how to be outside while it's raining," Meyer said, "and to do something for the community by planting trees."

The suggestion for this project came from Wayne Stordahl, Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club member and former scoutmaster of Troop 207. He said this is the second time the Hancock Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts have planted trees along the ski trails. The tree planting project actually began about 30 years ago when he was Troop 207 Scoutmaster. At that time the Scouts planted trees along the west edge of the Driving Park Ball Fields, he noted.

"They're about 30 feet high now," Stordahl said of those first trees. "They're a wind break and a vision break for the ball players."

John Diebel, Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club board member, said the evergreens planted by the Scouts near the chalet and along the ski trails also serve as wind breaks for skiers, while adding a little variety to the landscape.

"Skiers know the open area around the chalet parking lot and adjacent St. Urho's trail can be more than brisk when that north wind blows," Diebel noted. "The Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club appreciates (the Scouts') continuing interest in the project. It serves the entire community and as the Scouts get older I think they'll always be able to take some satisfaction in seeing the trees continue to grow. We hope those trees are sheltering the Scouts' grandchildren years from now."

Stordahl said his daughter, Karen Fenton, Cub Scout den leader for Pack 207, was also involved in this community service project.