Jake Sherrard of Troop 109 in Ashland, Kentucky, shows the scrambled eggs he made in order to earn his cooking merit badge at Camp Kootaga on Wednesday. Sherrard is also a counselor in training, learning skills that will allow him to return to the camp next summer to help other Scouts. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

WALKER — While area Scouts were out at Camp Kootaga this week learning new skills and having fun outside, steps were taken to make sure they effectively dealt with the heat which has been reaching into the 90s on a daily basis.

There were six troops last week and 12 troops this week from around the region with approximately 200 total scouts and adult leaders that are part of Scouting BSA at Camp Kootaga in Wirt County. The camp is commemorating its 103rd year as a scouting camp.

Scouts, which now include both boys and girls, have been involved in a number of activities which can be fun and provide them with valuable skills during the week-long camp. They came to the camp from around West Virginia and Ohio as well as Illinois and Kentucky.

Throughout the week, temperatures have gotten up into the 90s and camp officials have been highlighting safety while still having a good time, Camp Program Director Colleen Sergent said.

“We have been encouraging everyone and making sure they have been drinking water,” she said, adding with a laugh, “They are buying slushies and ice cream like there is no tomorrow.

Chess is one of the merit badge courses being offered this summer at Camp Kootaga in Wirt County as over 200 scouts and leaders have been involved in summer camp activities this week and last week. (Photo Provided)

“We traded rain, muck and storms last week for the temperatures this week.”

They have jugs situated throughout the camp so the Scouts can keep their water bottles filled up. A person brought out a pickup truck full of ice and watermelons which were distributed throughout the camp. They sold out of the cooling towels they had at the trading post.

Bob’s Market and Greenhouse in Belpre provided a mesh the camp put over the entrance to the pool to provide some shade and donated the use of spray misters to help everyone cool off. Bosley Rental and Supply donated the use of some large fans in the dining hall.

The camp is offering around 45 merit badges, including leather work, swimming, first aid, cooking, emergency preparedness, kayaking/canoeing, insect study, environmental science, soil and water conservation, farm mechanics, plumbing, electricity, chess, robotics and more.

The camp has an archery range and a rifle/shotgun shooting range. There is also a specialized program for the first-year campers to work on a variety of skills, including knot-tying, fire safety and more.

Scouts get prepared to go up on the new climbing tower at Camp Kootaga during summer camp activities that have been going on this week and last week. (Photo Provided)

New to Camp Kootaga this year are the 95-foot climbing tower and bouldering grotto.

Climbing Director Christopher Burk said the climbing tower is definitely a draw for a lot of the Scouts coming to camp this year. Many are doing it to earn their climbing merit badge, but there have been times when they offer open climbing and rappelling events for the entire camp. Climbing and rappelling teach the Scouts about cooperation and working with others.

Burk said the new tower is more centrally located to the main camp area near the Nature Center. In years past, Scouts would have to hike 35 minutes to an area where they could do climbing and rappelling events.

The tower helps provide Scouts with a challenging climb while doing it safely.

“I have had four (or) five who said they were afraid of heights,” Burk said. “This gives them the opportunity to challenge that fear while knowing they are safe and hooked in on a couple of lines.”

A Scout rappels off the new 95-foot climbing tower at Camp Kootaga during summer camp activities this week. (Photo Provided)

Burk said they had around 30 trips on the tower during a camp-wide event Tuesday evening from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Maddox Dunford of Troop 38 from Proctorville, Ohio, is working at the Nature Center at Camp Kootaga this summer camp season.

“This has been amazing to be here and work here as part of the staff,” he said. “We have a bunch of hands-on things here that the scouts can do.

“We have been able to teach them so many things by having them hold things and having more hands-on assignments.”

Campers are also involved in nature walks, raising mosquitos and more, said JC Sanderson of Troop 109 from Ashland, Ky., who is the Nature Center Director. They had shade and access to water to help them deal with the heat.

Jamie Wilcox, Camp Kootaga aquatics director, works with a number of Scouts on their swimming merit badge during summer camp Wednesday at Camp Kootaga. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Lexi Petersen of Troop 12 of Parkersburg said she has been having a good time.

“Camp has been going great,” she said. “There is a lot to do for campers to get their requirements for merit badges.

“It is hot. It hasn’t been too bad, and they are always telling us to drink water.”

Khloe Cunningham of Troop 20 from Vienna was a first-year camper who got to do a number of skills trainings. She is looking forward to next year when she can participate in rifle shooting, archery and other second-year programs.

Jake Sherrard of Troop 109 from Ashland is a volunteer counselor-in-training who has been helping out with the environmental science and kayaking merit badge classes. He is also allowed to take classes and last week earned his swimming, personal fitness, sports and wilderness survival merit badges. This week, he is working on his cooking badge.

Waylan Webb of Troop 1885 from Oak Hill, West Virginia, does handicrafts Wednesday at Camp Kootaga in Wirt County. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Sherrard said he sleeps in the clothes he plans to wear the next day so he can hop out of bed and go straight to breakfast.

“I came here primarily for the merit badge opportunities,” Sherrard said, adding he has a number now that he can put towards earning his Eagle Scout rank.

Jackson Fannin of Troop 236 from Hurricane is also a counselor-in-training and said he has been enjoying his time at Camp Kootaga.

“It is a great chance to get outside and be active,” he said. “You also learn a lot of skills while doing it.”

Fannin has taught chess while earning his environmental science and astronomy merit badges and helping to teach those as well.

“Once you teach it, you learn it even better,” Fannin said.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com.

A couple of scouts prepare to shoot at the rifle range at Camp Kootaga on Wednesday. The camp has hosted over 200 people this week and last week. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Maddox Dunford of Troop 38 from Proctorville, Ohio, holds a Madagascar hissing cockroach which he was teaching scouts about on Wednesday. Dunford is working at the Nature Center at Camp Kootaga this summer. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Andrew Murphy, director of the First-Year Camper program at Camp Kootaga, helps Joe Plotkin of Troop 479 from Ravenswood with his knot-tying skills during summer camp Wednesday. The camp had 30 first-year campers this year. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)