The BICO Monthly Outings Summary
May, 2004
OUTING #1 DATE: May 15, 2004
TEAM: Digital Harbor
High School
ACTIVITIES: Educational, Canoeing, and
Fishing
DESTINATION: Back River Wastewater Treatment
Facility and Loch Raven Reservoir
GETTING IN:
Tour information for Back River Wastewater Treatment Facility:
Wastewater Treatment Plants
• Back River Wastewater Water Treatment
Plant – Nick Frankos 410-396-9814
• Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant – Richard Banks 410-396-2898
Admission to Loch
Raven Reservoir:
Free—prices vary for boat and fishing equipment rentals
DIRECTIONS:
From Baltimore
to Loch Raven Fishing
Center
Start on I-83 N
Take the TOWSON/I-695/YORK PA/I-83 exit
onto I-83 NORTH
Take exit #27A/DULANEY VALLEY RD/MD-146/TOWSON
onto DULANEY VALLEY
RD (MD-146)
Make a U-Turn at FAIRMOUNT AVE onto
DULANEY VALLEY
RD (MD-146 N)
Arrive at 903 DULANEY VALLEY RD,
TOWSON, on the
RIGHT
903 DULANEY VALLEY RD,
TOWSON,
MD
NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY:
Greater Baltimore Medical
Center
6701 N. Charles, St.
Towson,
MD 21204
(410) 828-2000
OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:
Great
trip. The general theme was Baltimore’s Water Supply in Reverse. We started at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Facility
in East Baltimore. This
facility processes 200 million gallons of wastewater daily before it is dumped
back into the bay. Lots of smells and instruments
in the various control rooms for the kids to enjoy. The
field trip was led by Mike Greeson, a supervisor of the facility, and he
did a great job. We were fortunate to have someone
who could relate somewhat to the kids, past experiences have been spotty. We started out by watching the initial sewage come into
the plant and then worked our way though the various treatments (primary,
secondary, tertiary) until we ended up at the final spot at the end of a
¼ mile pier that ran on top of the pipe because that dumped the treated water
back into the bay. The kids really enjoyed this part
because there were a lot of fish (carp) jumping around the vicinity, which
was a good sing that the water was “healthy”. The
second half of the day was spent at Loch Raven Reservoir (our water supply
before it’s treated and eventually delivered to our homes). We set up a base at the Loch Raven
Fishing Center and split the group into two
groups: one went fishing, the other canoeing. The
groups rotated after an hour plus. For the fishing
portion, we actually got in the van and drove from the Fishing Center a short distance north/northeast
where the road is blocked off during the weekends. All
in all a good day. Some of the kids had never been
fishing or rowed a boat.
OUTING SUGGESTIONS:
Keep the tour at the
wastewater treatment facility to 2 hours or less. There
is a lot to see, but anymore time there and we would have lost the kids’
attention. Regardless, I was surprised that the kids
enjoyed this part of the trip that much. Definitely
worth visiting.
OUTING #2 DATE: May 15-16, 2004
TEAM: Learning
Inc
ACTIVITIES: backpacking trip
DESTINATION: Marsden Tract Campground
on the C&O
Canal
GETTING IN:
PERMIT REQUIRED - reserved for civic/scout organizations
only. $20/night
Phone: 301.299.3613
DIRECTIONS:
Start on I-395 S
Take LEFT ramp onto I-95 S toward
WASHINGTON
Take exit #27/SILVER SPRING/I-495/BETHESDA onto I-495
WEST
Continue on I-495 SOUTH
Take exit #39/RIVER RD/MD-190/POTOMAC/WASHINGTON
onto RIVER RD
(MD-190 W)
Turn LEFT on FALLS RD (MD-189)
Turn RIGHT on MACARTHUR BLVD
Arrive at 11710 MACARTHUR BLVD,
POTOMAC, on the LEFT
11710 MACARTHUR BLVD,
POTOMAC,
MD
NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY:
Shady Grove
Adventist Hospital
Potomac, MD 20854
(301) 279-6100
OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:
The backpack was from
the parking lot for Great Falls
on the C&O canal to the Marsden plot site. Overall,
I think the distance from the starting point to the campsite—3 miles—was
just right. Prior to starting the backpack, we held
a clinic at the REI store in Timonium. The REI backpacking
clinic was very helpful. We packed the bags there
and REI employee Christopher Reynolds spent time with each kid making sure
that the pack fitted correctly. The clinic probably
saved us a lot of sore shoulders and gripping later. At
Great Falls
the Park Forest Ranger provided a nice demonstration of the locks and the
kids even got to close the gates. The kids did have
time on Saturday to find toads, cicadas, climb down to see the Potomac River. For the duration
of the hike we divided the kids into three groups depending on age and strength
level.
OUTING SUGGESTIONS:
Backpacking trips
are doable. However, the kids were somewhat disappointed
that the meals were not heartier, especially breakfast. It
would be nice to figure out a way to cook more substantial meals for a group
on a backpack trip.
OUTING #3 DATE: May 22, 2004
TEAM: College Gardens
ACTIVITIES: Cycling
DESTINATION: NCR Trail/Chakra Cycles
GETTING IN:
Chakra Cycles:
Hourly and full day rentals available. Call for rental
charge. Chakra Cycles, 1235
Paper Mill Road, Cockeysville
MD 21030, 410-527-0593
NCR Trail:
Admission free
DIRECTIONS:
To Chakra Cycles from Baltimore
Start on I-83 N
Take the TOWSON/I-695/YORK PA/I-83 exit
onto I-83 NORTH
Take exit #24/TIMONIUM/I-83/YORK PA onto I-83 N
Take exit #20A-B/SHAWAN ROAD
onto SHAWAN RD
toward COCKEYSVILLE Bear RIGHT on YORK RD (MD-45)
Turn LEFT on ASHLAND RD (MD-145
Continue to follow MD-145
Arrive at 1235 PAPER MILL RD,
COCKEYSVILLE, on the RIGHT
To NCR Trail from Baltimore
Start on I-395 S
Take ramp onto I-95 N
toward NEW YORK
(Portions toll)
Take LEFT exit #64B/TOWSON/I-695
onto I-695 W
Take exit #32B/BEL AIR/US-1 onto BELAIR RD
(US-1)
Turn RIGHT on FORGE RD
Arrive at GUNPOWDER FALLS STATE
PARK, on the LEFT
GUNPOWDER
FALLS STATE
PARK GUNPOWDER
FALLS STATE
PARK, PERRY HALL, MD
NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY:
Union Memorial Hospital
4991 Mercantile Rd
Baltimore, MD 21236
(410) 838-9200
OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:
Biking was great. NCR trail is a good place for bikers of all levels and
the folks at Chakra are very helpful.
OUTING SUGGESTIONS:
Call ahead to determine
the hours of the nature center on the NCR trail. Make
sure enough adult leadership is available for the activity.